After the shootings on the Virginia Tech campus in 2007, the school’s Office of the Vice President for Information Technology had one question: can IT organizations help campus police increase security?
The simple answer is a resounding YES.
However, there is currently a disconnect between IT personnel, police, and emergency responders on countless campuses across the nation. But there doesn’t have to be.
In 2009, the Office of Converged Technologies for Security, Safety and Resilience was formed. Its sole purpose is to foster a better relationship between IT organizations and campus security by coordinating strategic initiatives that involve the intersection of IT security, physical security, campus safety and regional resilience.
IT offices dedicated solely to campus security are still rare, but teams of IT staff, campus safety and emergency management officials are becoming more and more common on campuses across the United States. Some of the benefits of such a partnership include the creation or improvement of systems such as:
• Video Surveillance
• Access-control systems
• Emergency notification systems
• Communication between physical security staff and IT employees
• Public Safety Network to allow regional police, campus security and fire departments to collaborate with one another to improve incident management and response time.
Technology is an increasingly important factor in every aspect of human existence, so doesn’t it make sense to utilize it to better the safety of our campuses?
For any questions on how IT organizations can help improve campus security, simply contact ARK Systems at 1-800-995-0189 or click here today.
When you consider how crucial security can be, and when you think of all the options that you’re faced with today, one thing becomes clear. You need a contractor with experience. For assessment, design, installation, testing and service, ARK is the expert across the board.
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Sources:
Universities Team With IT to Increase Safety on Campus EmergencyMgmt.com