Commercial Integrator January 2021 - 11

What's In The 2020
Update To The School
Security Pass Guidelines
Mark Williams, vice chair of
PASS, says there are a number
of new additions to the guidelines
differ from previous years'
iterations, including:
› An expanded conversation
on non-code compliant
barricade devices
› New technology around
Zone Emergency Response
Systems which dramatically
reduces the time it takes to
get emergency responders
to the exact location at
campuses or buildings
› Guidance on Lockdown
Drills - what should they be
and what they shouldn't be
› Enhanced Visitor Management
practices
› Graphical Interfaces
› Unified Security Systems
› Grounds assessment and
use policies
› Recommendations on the
installation of audio/video
call boxes in various layers
of school security
› Architectural elements like
delineating hard corners in
› An enhanced Checklist
Tool which enables schools
to document both current
state and serves as a
planning document going
forward
› A new section on Emerging
Technologies. These are
technologies we see evolving
and being tested in the
k12 environment
› Thermal Imaging
› Facial Recognition
Additionally, the fifth edition
includes a new section that
examines promising emerging
technologies that are not yet
included in tiered PASS recommendations,
but have garnered
significant interest and
have been piloted in schools,
commercialintegrator.com
Getting more involved in a school security ecosystem as both
a consultant and solutions provider is smart business for an
integrator.
The Opportunity For
Integrators
Clearly, making schools safer
for students, teachers, staff and
faculty is an admirable pursuit in
its own right. But these guidelines
might also allow integrators
to seize an opportunity to
build their network of satisfied
school clients.
Interested integration firms
can enter into a partnership
with NSCA and PASS where
the installer is trained and can
then co-brand with the PASS
certification logo.
" School clients love that
because they know they're not
being sold something unnecespressure
from all sorts of contingents.
An integrator that can
speak to Unified Systems, the
Emergency Management spectrum,
and combine that with a
conversation around PASS will
be viewed as consultants, not
salesmen.
" Being educated on school
safety guidelines and getting
more involved in a school
security ecosystem as both
a consultant and solutions
provider is smart business for
an integrator.
" Yes, it drives revenue by
building a network of partners
and K-12 customers. More importantly,
it elevates the value
including vape detection and
passive weapons screening
technology.
Williams says the conversation
around Unified Security
will have the greatest impact on
the integration space.
" Making sure that schools
are thinking through the fact
that all these systems must
work together in a way they can
understand, use and afford, "
he says.
" Too many times we see
schools investing in a technology
that isn't appropriate, isn't
installed on a solid platform, or
isn't supported by the rest of
their system. "
sary and that a nonprofit organization
can bring in 65 subject
matter experts to help them, "
Wilson says.
Integrators have to be a
member of either the NSCA or
Security Installation Association
to take that course, but Wilson
says the signup process is quick
and simple.
Williams says integrators
should acknowledge they are
part of a team and demonstrate
that they are well positioned to
take a leadership role on that
team if they want to capitalize
on these business opportunities.
" Schools
struggle with
of what you provide to your
customers. "
›› @PASSK12, #SchoolSecurity,
#AccessControl,
@NSCA_systems
#AVoIP
AV over IP Can Be
Part of the COVID-19
Response
As we all know, 2020 has
been a challenging year for
both AV integrators and their
customers. The COVID-19
pandemic is devastating technology
budgets and reducing
IT spending, but there are also
opportunities for technology
companies to create a safe
environment at reasonable
prices for those cash-strapped
customers.
This could be the year when
the industry as a whole fully
embraces AVoIP and props it
up as a tool to help customers
adapt to a touch economy
and elevates pro AV's role in
solving these challenges for
end users.
The COVID-19 pandemic is
facilitating a rapid adoption of
new technologies like unified
communication, collaboration,
videoconferencing and other
technologies that allow us to
work and learn remotely.
Technology providers are
stepping up to the plate and
offering new products, devices,
services and integrations
that can help organizations
remain viable both during the
pandemic and in the post-coronavirus
world.
AVoIP and network-based
system aren't limited to a
switches' physical ports and
can accommodate many more
devices without also having to
purchase additional hardware.
›› AVoIP
JANUARY 2021 Commercial Integrator
11
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Commercial Integrator January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Commercial Integrator January 2021
