Midlands Business Journal | February 21, 2014
Upgraded security within local schools centers on technology, reconfiguration
Terry M. Wood, AIA, LEED AP
Terry M. Wood, AIA, LEED AP, Schemmer’s K-12 Education Market Leader, was quoted in the Midlands Business Journal concerning gun violence in schools and how architecture and engineering firms can step in to help.
An $80 million dollar bond was approved last May for Millard Public Schools, some of which will go toward funding for security enhancements to schools in the region. A similar bond was passed in Lincoln paving the way for their schools to see technology upgrades as well. Developments such as moving administrative offices towards the front of the buildings to monitor entrances and exits and new intercom systems to enable coded messages to be sent between staff in the event of an emergency, are a couple of items high on the list of security improvements.
However, some facilities require “significant electrical work” for these upgrades to be implemented, said Wood.
“A lot of what we do is providing black boxes, power and connections within the buildings,” Wood said.
“The biggest thing we see is older buildings that don’t have the power in them to [run advanced security systems]. We have to add transformers, bring switch gear in, and then get into cabling.”
Schemmer has already started carrying out new security measures at Weeping Water Elementary School in Weeping Water, Neb., with an addition that brings admin offices from the “bowels of the building” and places them at the front door.
To read the full MBJ article, view pages 14-15 of the Engineering section titled, Upgraded security within local schools centers on technology, reconfiguration
