When looking to invest in security services for different sectors, it’s vital for business owners and organisational managers to outline the unique security requirements for their workplace or facilities. Some of the key questions to ask yourself include:
- How many buildings require integrated security systems?
- Do you require secure access solutions for authorised personnel?
- Do you have facilities that will be open to members of the public?
For businesses and organisations operating within the education sector, investing in security services naturally requires campus faculties and boards to answer these questions alongside outlining security budgets for all the facilities that comprise a campus, or even for multiple campuses in different locations. No matter the scale of your educational institution, however, investing in the right security services and infrastructure can help safeguard your assets and protect staff, students, and visitors alike.
To help provide some support on this dynamic topic and to shed more light on all things education security, our security specialists here at Executive Security Solutions will be highlighting the top security services for organisations and campuses across Australia’s education sector. Read on to unearth the most high-value security services for all educational institutions, from childcare centres and primary/secondary schools through to TAFEs and other tertiary institutions.
Campus Security Guards
Campus security guards are dedicated security personnel who patrol campuses to reduce the risks of criminal activities occurring on-site either by third parties, or even with staff or students involved. These security professionals are vital to protecting staff, students, and visitors to educational institutions.
Some of the key responsibilities that your campus security guards can take on include:
- Providing perimeter patrol and monitoring services
- Providing secure entryway (door and gate) access
- Providing front desk support/customer care and reception
- Observing suspicious or antisocial behaviour/activities
- Writing and logging incident reports
- Verifying student and faculty identification
- Participating in and facilitating emergency evacuation and security drills
- Developing and maintaining campus security management protocols
Traffic & Car Park Security Services
Like campus security guards, traffic and car park security management professionals are stationed in car parks and around perimeter fences and gates on campuses and school grounds. These security officers specialise in overseeing a smooth flow of traffic between staff, student, and visitor vehicles whilst also ensuring the safety of pedestrians in and around car parks and on-site roadways.
Traffic and car park security officers are also responsible for providing after hours security services – a vital investment for all educational institutions that maintain underground or multi-level car park facilities. As car parks are typically isolated environments, having security personnel on-site at all times can help greatly deter crime and reduce the risk of security incidents occurring on campus.
Mobile Patrol Services
Most tertiary institutions are composed of multiple facilities across a range of different campuses and colleges. It’s also common for university campuses to be developed in proximity to student accommodation facilities that are also managed by those tertiary institutes. Facilities like student colleges typically require their own tailored security services, with mobile patrol services being a popular and suitable option here.
Another type of security guard, mobile patrol services offer educational institutions the flexibility to station security guards across a wider servicing area, including across residential zones like student accommodation. These innovative security services rely on patrol cars and mobile security alarm systems to respond quickly and effectively to any identified security concerns across all campus facilities.
As mobile security patrol services can also be managed remotely from our Security Operations Centre (SOC) here at Executive Security Solutions, investing in these patrol services can help streamline security operations for large-scale educational institutions without having to sacrifice on the quality of on-campus security.
CCTV & Control Room Operators
Speaking of remote monitoring solutions, there is a reason why CCTV systems are considered a benchmark for commercial security. The ability for business owners to refer to and retain security footage can not only help deter crime, but also aid in risk mitigation, management, and incident response protocols – from identifying perpetrators all the way down to filing insurance claims.
The importance of CCTV systems and control rooms is no different for the education sector. Having security cameras on campuses help drastically reduce the risk of staff or students being subjected to criminal activities. CCTV systems also help monitor public activity on-campus, helping educational institutions detect any potentially illegal or inappropriate activities that may impact the safety of campus visitors.
Security camera installation is also highly accessible and affordable in the present day, thanks in part to the development of wireless communications technologies. At Executive Security Solutions, we’re equipped to provide and install CCTV security systems that are tailored to the size and scale of the organisations we partner with. Whether you’re looking for a CCTV system for a daycare or a sprawling city campus, we’ll have a CCTV solution that works for your institution.
Access Control Services
If you’ve ever been a student or faculty member at a tertiary institution, then you’ll know all too well that staff and student cards provide way more functionality than just allowing you to borrow library books. Your cards may also be programmed to provide access to particular buildings and rooms across your campus. These card-based access control systems help organically boost the security and safety of tertiary campuses almost seamlessly, as student cards aren’t naturally considered to be a security measure themselves.
When implemented correctly, however, your campus access control systems can act as a first line of defence in protecting school facilities and their occupants on a daily basis – from early morning classes to after hours events. These electronic security systems can also be integrated campus-wide at minimal cost in comparison to other on-campus security measures.
After all, all that’s really required are intelligent card scanners on campus buildings. And if there are any rooms or facilities that may require additional security, then you also have the option of installing biometric security measures or other access control services to accompany your foundational card access systems.
Concierge Services
As some educational institutions attract thousands of guests and perhaps even some high-profile guest lecturers and speakers annually, it’s imperative for campuses to invest in customer service representatives or concierge services. These innovative security services are designed to integrate your campus security with the presentation of your institution to guests. When designed and implemented with unique consideration to your educational institution, concierge services can be a representation of your campus and its values, providing a level of hospitality and helpfulness that ensure that your institution makes a strong first impression.
How are concierge security services for educational institutions different from traditional concierge services? The answer to this question lies in their security training. Concierge security specialists are equipped with an expert understanding of integrated security technologies like monitoring solutions and access control systems. With concierge security specialists professionally and discretely managing your security logistics, your campus can feel organically safe and welcoming for staff, students, and visitors alike.
Risk Advisory Services
Like any commercial or even industrial environment, facilities that operate within the education sector are likely to maintain highly specialised equipment and technologies. These assets require educational institutions to invest in robust risk mitigation and management strategies. A failure to do so may hold detrimental consequences, including asset loss that results in financial losses, issues with filing insurance claims due to arguable negligence, and an increase in the likelihood of your institution being subjected to litigation.
Thankfully, tailored risk advisory services are available to organisations operating within the education sector. A vital component of any robust security strategy, these risk consultants can aid educational institutions in swiftly identifying all potential risks and ensuring that those risks are sustainably mitigated. This process of risk consultancy is typically conducted by thoroughly reviewing elements like organisational structures, operational processes, assets (including security technologies and other security infrastructure), and current risk mitigation protocols. By reviewing all of these elements, risk consultants can aid in further optimising campus security protocols, ensuring that your staff are able to make full use of all the security hardware and software you may have invested in when developing your wider security systems.
In Summary
Alongside the education sector security services we’ve outlined above, it’s also common for campuses to invest in additional digital security measures like network firewalls, campus-wide emergency hotlines, and mass notification systems like intercoms, loudspeakers, and even communications divisions for facilitating text or email correspondence. Investing in both these digital security measures and the on-site security measures we’ve outlined above will help ensure that your educational institution is equipped with the dynamic and effective security infrastructure that it requires.
Safeguard your educational institutions today. Contact the team at Executive Security Solutions to inquire about our tailored security services for Australia’s diverse education sector.