Safety on educational, medical, and commercial campuses has long been a concern. Security directors find themselves faced with having to manage potential security threats extending beyond indoor facilities and classroom spaces. In an effort to reduce these risks, security teams are becoming increasingly interested in emergency towers, or call boxes, as a highly visible and tangible solution to provide a secure communication system on campus grounds and act as a deterrent for potential crimes.
Beacons of Safety
For overnight staff, or students studying late at night, walking through a dimly lit parking area can be disconcerting. Distinguishable safety towers stand out in bright blue with the option of a beacon/strobe light for greater visibility across distances. You’ve likely seen them placed along walkways, or inside parking garages, and you might even have several on your own work campus. This reliable, easy-to-use communication tool, offers peace of mind to staff, students, and visitors.
Advanced Technology
A traditional emergency tower might be activated by an individual pressing a button to call either campus security or police. Today’s technology advancements have brought about a much more sophisticated solution—such as an emergency tower equipped with an IP video intercom. Aiphone’s IX Series offers this exact solution with instant video streaming capabilities within a four to five foot radius of the device. Towers can be integrated with other products too, such as a motion sensor that records when the sensor is triggered.
If an emergency situation occurs on campus, these stations can be used to provide a campus-wide alert. When integrated with audio analytics, the intercom can trigger an alert that will send a prerecorded message announcing how to proceed or what safety measures people should take. This is particularly critical in the event of an active shooter. Additionally, it can also provide the geographic location of the emergency providing potentially life-saving information to individuals and security professionals.
Emergency Towers are a Part of a Comprehensive Security Plan
Emergency towers have become an integral part of a comprehensive security and safety plan, enabling campus security directors to implement solutions that provide a reliable system that can alert authorities in the event of an emergency and enable them to proactively respond. Placing an emergency call station that can be easily accessed in case of an emergency can also discourage potential crimes from taking place, just by its visible presence.
Having emergency towers, or call stations, in plain sight and in easily–accessed areas where potential threats are more likely, can go a long way in securing campuses. When placed in heavily–trafficked campus centers, or in parking garages, these emergency communications solutions go beyond a sense of security but also provide assurance that there is support on the other side if needed.
