Protecting schools
In the current climate, threats to schools are multifaceted, ranging from external intruders to internal emergencies like fire or medical incidents. The UK Government provides clear guidance on how schools should prepare for and manage critical incidents. This proactive approach is essential, as the Department for Education (DfE) continues to issue best practice on school security, highlighting the need for robust planning against a range of hazards. Furthermore, maintaining a secure environment extends beyond preventing violence; it is fundamental to the long-term well-being and concentration of staff and students, as outlined in mental health studies on workplace safety.
So, what is dynamic lockdown?
Dynamic lockdown is the ability to quickly restrict access and egress to a site or building (or part of) through physical measures in response to a threat. That threat can be either external or internal. The aim of lockdown is to prevent people moving into danger areas and preventing or stalling the attackers accessing a site (or part of a site).
This modern approach is flexible. It allows schools to respond appropriately to different threat levels, from a minor internal disturbance that requires securing one classroom to a major external incident requiring a full-site barricade. Critically, dynamic lockdown is often a pre-cursor to, or runs in parallel with, an evacuation. It’s an essential part of a comprehensive emergency strategy, as we explore in depth in our article on The Importance of Effective Lockdown Systems for Schools & Nurseries.
Why develop dynamic lockdown?
Those who seek to conduct these attacks often undertake a level of planning including hostile reconnaissance. Presenting a strong security presence through visible and effective activity can significantly reduce the threat of attack to your school. This can be through staff awareness and reporting processes, efficient use of CCTV cameras, deterrent communications and active security zones. The presence of monitored CCTV can be a powerful deterrent, especially when coupled with advanced video analytics to alert security teams to unusual activity around school boundaries.
If an attack occurs the ability to frustrate and delay the attacker and reduce the number of potential casualties, can be greatly increased through the dynamic lockdown. The National Counter Terrorism Security Office (NaCTSO), as part of the UK’s counter-terrorism policing, strongly recommends implementing lockdown procedures to protect staff and students against fast-moving threats, citing that every minute of delay can be vital in saving lives.
Planning will save lives. This includes looking at what needs to happen to lock down a site effectively. Equally, understanding the need for flexibility in those plans is important. For educational premises, a layered approach to security, combining electronic access control, robust physical barriers, and comprehensive training, is the gold standard. We provide tailored solutions to help educational institutions achieve this through our dedicated Education Sector Security and Fire Safety services.
How to achieve dynamic lockdown
Achieving a truly dynamic and effective lockdown requires careful coordination between technology, physical infrastructure, and human response. The UK Government’s guidance on Crisis Management in the Education Sector provides an excellent framework, emphasising that preparation and training are paramount.
- In the planning phase, you should identify all access and egress points in both public and private areas of the school. It’s also important to remember that access points to the school may be more than just doors and gates.
- Identify how to quickly and physically secure access/egress points. Implementing an integrated access control system is key here, allowing security teams to instantly secure vulnerable entry points at the push of a button.
- Identify how your site can be sectioned to allow specific areas to be locked down, depending on the point of access by an attacker. Modern systems allow for ‘zonal’ lockdown, meaning the disruption is contained to the immediate area of threat while the rest of the school continues operating safely.
- Decide on staff roles and responsibilities before, during and after an attack. Clear chains of command and designated Lockdown Leaders (ELLs) are non-negotiable for a fast, decisive response.
- Ensure staff are trained to act effectively and are aware of their responsibilities. This training should be ongoing and include drills, a concept we explore in our blog on Creating Fire Safety Champions, which applies equally to security preparedness.
- Consider how to stop people leaving or entering the site and direct people away from danger.
- If lifts are present on site, consider the ability to disable them without returning them to the ground floor.
- Ensure processes and procedures put in place are flexible enough to cope with both invacuation (taking cover inside) and evacuation (leaving the building).
Are there systems available to help with dynamic lockdown?
Yes. Specialist technology is essential for a rapid, reliable, and co-ordinated lockdown response. The Commend Lockdown solution, for example, comprises different modules that can be deployed across a site, each having a specific function to enable effective site lockdown.
You choose one or more Executive Lockdown Leaders (ELL). A designated ELL can control the lockdown system through various devices. From the touch of a button, staff can dynamically lockdown a site, make announcements, lock/unlock specific doors, and control lifts etc. whilst also being made aware of any fire alarms being activated. The ability to integrate security and fire safety protocols is an advanced feature that prevents conflicting instructions during an emergency, a vital component of any modern smart security solution.
The Commend Lockdown solution is also easily integrated with most existing fire and security systems, making it a viable upgrade for many pre-existing school security set-ups. Ensuring all components—from fire alarm monitoring to access control—work in unison is what defines a resilient safety system.
What are the modules available with the Commend Lockdown solution?
Fire Alarm Controller
The Fire Alarm module connects to the main Fire Alarm Panel. This unit is useful on sites with several buildings and provides staff with notifications of when a fire alarm activates. The Fire Alarm Module can also integrate to other alarm systems, such as panic buttons and affray strips. Using these modules will notify the ELL that a building’s fire alarm has been activated. The Fire Alarm Module integrates into any fire alarm system. It can potentially inhibit the fire alarm when a lockdown activates. For guidance on the standards behind these critical systems, see our Fire Alarm Categories and Grades guide.
Door Controller
The Door Controller module allows staff to decide if a door should be locked or unlocked depending upon the situation. It will integrate to any existing electronic lock or access control system in that market, which will enable staff to remotely control the door or gate. The Door Controller Module can also integrate to other equipment around the door. This includes request to exit buttons, which can be inhibited if needed when activating a lockdown.
Lift Controller
The Lift Module connects to the lift controller system. This unit overrides the lifts when the fire alarm activates when the building is in lockdown. This means that the lifts would not go to the ground floor, but to another floor. Also using the Lift Module will allow staff to remotely control a lift and place it in, or out, of action. This could help people escape, and slow or even trap attackers.
Public Address Speaker
We can distribute IP speakers around a site, normally in communal areas such hallways, stairwells, refectory areas and entrances/exits. Using one of the different Lockdown Leader Masters, designated staff can play pre-recorded messages. You can change this depending on the group of speakers. Staff can also talk live through the system to inform people of what’s happening, or to tell them how they need to leave the building. The speakers have a unique ability to allow for two-way communication to enable both parties to talk to one another. This feature is instrumental in enhancing situational awareness during an evolving crisis, a core element of effective business continuity planning.
Help Point
Only designated staff can activate a lockdown. All other staff must be vigilant and make their colleagues aware as soon as a situation arises. Students, visitors or members of the public may also witness something. We can distribute IP Help Points across a site. They allow people to communicate directly with the ELLs making them aware that something has happened. Given that many school environments include areas used by the public or for leisure facilities outside of school hours, clearly marked and functional help points are a non-negotiable safety feature.
What happens next?
A comprehensive dynamic lockdown solution is an investment in the safety and resilience of your entire educational community. Want to know more about the Commend Lockdown solution? We can help you with your dynamic lockdown planning and implementation.
Call us today on 0330 094 7404 or contact us here and we’ll be in touch to discuss your school’s safety further.