Free security systems guide for schools released

The British Security Industry Association (BSIA) has released a free guide to help decision makers in the education sector understand the benefits of installing security systems.

The association says that schools, and other educational establishments, face a number of security threats year round, including vandalism, arson attack and trespassers.

As a result of this, school officials have a duty of care to ensure that staff and student welfare is a top priority, as well as a requirement to protect high value goods such as IT equipment, personal possessions and confidential personal and financial data.

Earlier this year, the BSIA surveyed members of its Security Systems Section to look at their involvement in securing the education sector over the previous year.

While 50 per cent of respondents felt that the use of private security measures in the education sector had increased over the previous 12 months, 67 per cent anticipated them increasing over the next 12 months.

Sixty-seven per cent of respondents also felt that awareness of safety and security amongst education professionals had remained the same in the previous year, with student and staff welfare seen to be the biggest threat facing the sector.

With this in mind, the new guide endeavours to highlight the benefits of installing intruder alarms and other security systems, showcasing their effectiveness in not only responding to known threats, but also in deterring criminal activity.

The BSIA also commissioned a White Paper titled “The (Real) Price of Security Solutions – a white paper on the challenges of buying and selling high-quality security solutions”.

The paper aims to explore the price versus quality debate from the perspectives of both buyers and sellers of security solutions, in order to identify the relative advantages and disadvantages between low-priced and high-quality solutions.

The main findings of the paper clearly suggest that end users would find it far more beneficial to consider and deploy high-quality security solutions. In terms of intruder alarms, a high quality solution would be one that meets with all the necessary requirements to ensure an effective police response.

Martin Harvey, chairman of the BSIA’s Security Systems Section, commented: “It is essential that key decision makers are taking security seriously and making the necessary arrangements to protect their premises from both internal and external threats

“The installation of high quality intruder alarms and their integration with other security systems, such as access control and CCTV, can provide vital peace of mind that the site is being protected both in and out of school hours. With such a wide variety of products on the market, as a section we felt it was necessary to create a helpful, concise guide to inform decision makers of the benefits of different security systems.”

The guide can be downloaded free of charge from the BSIA’s website.