The issue of school safety remains a hot topic as another academic year winds down.
Wednesday, Baysinger Architects in Marion hosted a School Building Safety Lunch and Learn for area school and law enforcement officials.
A consultant with Sonitrol Verified Electronic Security talked about the various ways schools can incorporate duress video, audio and access control security options. Andrew Beitler says the response from their panic button or audio sensor technology is almost immediate.
"We call your dispatch first. We relay that information to dispatch. Then, we hang up that phone and then we call your (school) call list, let them know dispatch is on their way, this is the alarm we gave them and then that end user can let us know if the alarm is valid or false."
Williamson County Sheriff's Deputy Brian Murrah says eliminating lag time is critical in reducing casualties.
"It would be an awful thing to think you're getting information that's right on the spot and find out it's five minutes late. Obviously, it would make a huge difference."
Sonitrol has equipment in over 20 southern Illinois school districts, including Vienna. Superintendent Joshua Stafford says his high school building is looking to beef up its security.
"Such as a vestibule control system, meaning that someone enters the first exterior door, but it's kind of a holding area in a vestibule, and they have to check into the office before they would be released out to the building."
Baysinger's Andy Sisulak says his firm specializes in school building architecture, with safety being a top priority.
"The door-locking systems, it's the video, ballistic film on the windows, it's the vestibules. There's countless things that certainly span the coverage of dollars that a district can apply."
Baysinger is working with Vienna High School on its vestibule control system project.
