On any given day, there are many reasons why a school may need to be alert or enter a full lockdown. Schools need the proper tools and safety training to respond quickly and effectively to situations, both major and minor. Utilizing a system with multiple school lockdown modes allows a school to take the appropriate level of action for a particular event.
The Benefits of Multiple School Lockdown Modes
A serious safety event could unfold at a moment’s notice. A prompt and decisive response is critical to prevent the situation from escalating further. However, over-escalating can have unintended negative consequences for the school, students, staff, and law enforcement. With multiple school lockdown modes available, a school can handle a situation appropriately without over or under-estimating the situation’s severity.
Maintaining Control
School security breaches and active threats against students and staff are very serious. These situations can be chaotic if the school does not have simple lockdown protocols in place. When a school has the proper tools, it can maintain the upper hand and better control the situation. Determining the severity of a threat and responding accordingly is crucial for keeping people safe.
Protecting Mental Health
Active shooter events take a physical and emotional toll on students and staff. While it’s necessary to prepare them to respond to a threatening situation, schools should avoid causing unnecessary stress resulting from overreacting to an event. Exercising the appropriate level of caution minimizes the negative psychological impact on students and teachers.
Proper Resource Allocation
When called upon to respond to an active shooter event, first responders send their best resources to the scene. If a school enters a full lockdown for a low-level threat that doesn’t require a full-scale police response, the department will waste valuable time and resources responding to a minor situation. Multiple school lockdown modes allow a school to handle minor incidents internally, calling upon outside resources only when absolutely necessary.
Three Essential School Lockdown Modes
Identifying, reporting, and responding to a lockdown event requires a tailored approach because no two incidents are identical. Variables like time, location, people, weapons, and threat level uniquely define each event. Depending on the severity and level of danger, an incident falls into one of the three different lockdown levels: a Level 1 Lockdown, a Level 2 Lockdown, or a Level 3 Lockdown. Sometimes, a building-wide lockdown and police presence are not the appropriate responses. That’s why we created The SmartBoot System™ with numerous lockdown capabilities.
The SmartBoot System™ is a comprehensive safety and security system with three distinct school lockdown modes. The system’s versatility allows users to report threats quickly and immediately elicit an appropriate response. The three school lockdown modes have multiple activation methods and are accessible anywhere in or around the building. Following a detailed training session with our safety experts, users will understand when to use each mode and what the outcome will be.
Assistance Needed Mode
Assistance Needed Mode is a low-level lockdown alert that is useful for minor issues around the building on a day-to-day basis. It serves as a silent alarm to notify others in the building that someone requires assistance at their location. This lockdown mode lets a user discretely call for help without further escalating the situation.
Secure Mode
Secure Mode is a mid-level lockdown alert for situations that require awareness but not immediate defensive action. It notifies staff and students to stay alert and prepare for the situation to escalate. It is an effective tool for getting the attention of staff and students, increasing awareness around campus, and keeping the response internal without causing major disruptions to the school day or unnecessary stress.
Full Lockdown
Full Lockdown is a high-level lockdown alert reserved for situations where staff and students are in imminent danger. It notifies everyone in the building to secure their room using The Boot™, a compact door barricade that can withstand up to 16,000 pounds of force. While sending visual and audible lockdown alerts throughout the building, the system simultaneously alerts local law enforcement that a full lockdown is underway. The SmartBoot System™ shares critical information with first responders, showing them the room number and building zone where the incident originated. This information gives first responders key details that help them create an effective response plan.
Final Thoughts On School Lockdown Modes
Now more than ever, it is necessary to think proactively about school safety and security. A simple system for identifying, reporting, and responding to threats can make all the difference during a lockdown. The SmartBoot System™ from Lockout USA has three school lockdown modes that put administrators in control, giving them the power to make safety decisions for their facility without jeopardizing the mental health of students or wasting valuable local safety resources. To learn more about how your facility could benefit from multiple school lockdown modes, contact us today.
