How a holistic approach to education security can protect institutions and communities
Emergencies within education environments are nuanced and can have wide-ranging effects.
The safety of students on campus is vital. When something happens that threatens student safety, families and local communities can be deeply affected. Not to mention the knock-on impact it can have to an education provider’s reputation. That’s why emergencies and incidents can’t be viewed in isolation.
A holistic approach to education security seeks to meet the demands across three areas:
1. Emergency preparedness
2. Emergency response
3. Post-emergency management.
By setting this as your goal, you can start to integrate different aspects of your security, so no solution is ever siloed.
A connected ecosystem that requires an integrated approach
Wilson Security has forged a strong relationship with institutions across Australia’s education sector. Core to this growth has been developing a clear understanding around the nature of education security when compared to other industries.
As a result of years managing education security, Wilson Security has developed an integrated approach across three areas of emergency management.
The three principal elements of integrated education security
In a busy campus or school environment, emergencies come in many forms – ranging from medical emergencies and related aggression/assaults to external events, such as fire and flood.
A clear education security strategy is by nature specific to any given school or university. For our clients, we approach education strategy along three areas previously mentioned:
1. Emergency preparedness
We understand not every event can be prevented, which is why preparation is vital within the education sector. Under our Corporate Risk initiative, we’ve been able to provide institutions with integrated risk management strategies that can reduce the risk of emergencies and prepare them for when they occur.
2. Emergency response
There is an important human element involved in any emergency response, especially when it comes to education environments. This is why clear processes and policies are key to an integrated approach to education security.
No one school or university is the same. It’s important to have broad discussions and training around processes and policies for various people within the school or university. Security teams must also lead and learn during these sorts of planning sessions, to better understand the nuances of that environment.
3. Post-emergency management review
To get to where we’ve gotten as leaders in education security, Wilson Security has built an extensive post-emergency review process. This integrates technology and traditional stakeholder management to assess ongoing processes as well as learn from incidents and emergencies. This creates an ever-evolving but transparent security solution for our education clients.
Shaping a holistic approach to education security
It is important to remove or streamline hierarchies.
National Manager of Corporate Risk at Wilson Security, Shaun Hogan, notes how important the human element is within education security.
“Schools and universities are such vibrant places, pulsing with passion and different voices,” Shaun comments. “People feel comfortable to strike up conversations in these environments, and our own security teams are members of these communities.”
“This is why we regularly visit clients’ sites and try to foster flat hierarchies when it comes to education security. The voices of on-the-ground teams are integrated on an equal footing with the concerns and inputs of others to generate a nuanced, integrated approach to security – one that reflects the needs and nature of that specific community.”
Adopting emerging technologies in our approach to education security
The final piece to Wilson Security’s education security offering is its adoption of emerging technologies. Existing and emerging technologies that we are currently using include:
- Innovative security solutions, such as artificial Intelligence (AI) cameras for prevention and in-time intervention.
- Remote surveillance, enabling faster response times and wider coverage.
- Body-worn cameras for added transparency, aiding responses to emergencies and supporting post-emergency reviews.
- Drone technology for smarter resource allocation, especially in the case of fires or floods.
- Virtual Reality Training gives security teams training opportunities without disrupting facilities.
Growing complexities require custom support
At Wilson Security, we’re seeing clear signs of an increase in certain types of emergencies within the education sector. With the interconnected nature of communities, families and educators, we encourage institutions to get in touch with us to tailor a custom security solution. Integrating strategies for preparedness, response and post-emergency reviews, we’re able to provide educators with pathways that support their communities better during emergencies and potentially reduce their impact.
Talk to a Wilson Security team member today to learn how you can access our education security support.
