School security to be ramped up

NEWS/ SCHOOLS — Schools will become less informal places in September as the Kamloops-Thompson school district tightens up security including lockdown procedures.

A report going before trustees at their Monday night meeting outlines the implementation of several new security measures in September, such as the requirement that staff and visitors must wear identification tags.

It’s an update on a report submitted last fall by Michelle Marginet, the district’s manager of health and safety, aimed at making schools safer from security threats in a changing world. The original report resulted in implementation of consistent procedures for lockdown drills and for the tracking of keys.

Under the recommended new procedures, teachers will keep classroom doors locked and carry their keys with them. Staff and students will be instructed on what constitutes a safe shelter area and what would be danger areas. As well, they will be told that using a second room off of a room that locks is the best option during a lockdown situation.

Safety and security procedures will be outlined for staff, students, parents, user groups and community members.

The new procedures add to a number of policies already in progress, such as how to cover exterior windows and installation of security cameras in some areas.

Swipe cards or fobs have been ruled out — they’re not considered effective enough to warrant the expense of about $10,000 per school, said Marginet.

Instead, consistent keying for all doors in schools and facilities allows for the outside doors to be opened during recess or lunch with the same key used for classrooms and the front door.

“This recommendation is considered to be more feasible than cards or fobs and as effective as those methods when combined with other administrative controls.”