INDUSTRY
Lockdown logistics: Incident management and access control Access control systems can do a whole lot more than preventing access to a site by some and facilitating it for others. Phil Murphy, Sales Manager for the South Island at Gallagher, talks about managing lockdowns with an access control system. We can’t turn our schools into prisons; that’s not who we are as a nation - but we have a real duty of care to ensure that the safety of children while at school is treated as a priority. Caregivers should feel reassured that adequate measures are in place to protect their children and the staff on a site.
The recent Lockdown in Schools report from KPMG uncovered a litany of issues triggered by dealing with school shootings. Lack of communication was cited as one of the major reasons that lockdowns failed. The other was the failure to implement any actual lock down procedure or system. A lack of training and policies are key factors for poor performance during lockdown - something which we can’t
afford to compromise on. Only 60 percent of the schools featured in the report had used Ministry of Education guidance to create their own policies on how to manage a lockdown. More than 40 percent of senior staff in schools and early learning services hadn’t been trained in, or practiced, managing a lockdown. Being able to respond rapidly to a situation and having the right tools and systems in place to do this can mean the difference between life and death. The Ministry has produced a Planning and Preparing for Emergencies and Traumatic Incidents guide that details several points to consider when creating a lockdown policy. In this article, I hope to provide an understanding of how an access control system plays a vital part in such an event.
Planning and preparing for emergencies and traumatic incidents PRACTICAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS DECEMBER 2016
Phil Murphy, Gallagher’s Sales Manager for the South Island
12
NZSM
www.education.govt.nz
Prior to an evacuation, consider what might assist emergency services at the time of an emergency. Measures might include providing a master key or information on how to gain access, detailed floor plans of the site (which show entrances, windows, roof hatches and ventilation systems), and the estimated number of staff, children and young people on site and their likely location. An access control system can hold information on who is on site and indicate where they are. An access system allows you to configure safe zones within a complex – ones that cannot be easily accessed by any unauthorised persons. This information can be printed out quickly when required – or viewed remotely with secure access privilege or presented on a mobile device. A card reader at muster points (or a fully mobile reader) can also ensure anyone who has evacuated the building can badge in and a report can be printed quickly and easily. A site lockdown can be as simple as pressing a button on a desk or on your mobile device. There can be multiple options here from whole-site to part-site lockdown. Signalling a lockdown is of paramount importance and needs to be carefully thought out. In some cases, it may not be appropriate to sound an audible alarm. If an audible alarm is used, consider whether the signal can be heard clearly from all locations in the school, including non-classroom situations such as the gymnasium or swimming pool. If the signal cannot be heard by some classes, for example those on outside playing fields, then alternative ways and options to communicate with staff may be required.
December 2019/January 2020
