Delta Security, the CCTV and access control specialist, has helped Essex-based Woodbridge High School to further enhance the safety of its pupils and staff, with the installation of new swing gates that automatically close and restrict access in the event of a lockdown situation.
Lockdown, according to the National Counter Terror Security Office (NaCTSO), is a procedure designed to quickly restrict access and egress to a site or building (or part of) through physical measures in response to threat, either external or internal.
The lockdown system is designed so that the gates, situated at the school’s entrance, integrate with the existing access control and fob system. This enables school staff and visitors to access the site, but can be overridden and shutdown by authorised school personnel if site lockdown is required. Lockdown is activated through a button situated in the school’s reception, at which point an alarm is also raised.
Redbridge council has asked that all schools in the area put lockdown systems in place, and Woodbridge High School is one of the first in the area to have mobilised its system.
The gates are fitted with a CAME Stylo automation, which is ideal for pedestrian gates. It features a highly-robust 24V self-locking motor, that will stand up against intensive use.
Frank Gordon, School Business Manager At Woodbridge High School, says in today’s climate security in schools in paramount:
“No one enters the school without authorisation at the perimeter, and registration at reception. Each year we build further layers of security, and in today’s climate it is especially important to ensure our perimeter is as secure as possible,” he explains.
Delta Security has been working with Woodbridge High School for approximately ten years and so Frank approached the company to help mobilise a lockdown procedure:
“Delta Security is a supplier we know and trust to provide a first-class service,” he says. “Dave Mundy has extensive security knowledge and listens to our needs. He was therefore able to advise the best solution for us, and install within the school-holiday period to ensure minimal disruption. I would always recommend Delta Security to other schools.”
Dave Mundy, Operations Director at Delta Security, says lockdown procedures are becoming increasingly prevalent in schools: “We have seen increased interest from central London schools, especially around transport hubs such as St Pancras and Liverpool Street for a while now, and more recently in schools further out from the City centre. It is an area that I am particularly interested in, and give talks to schools on options and best practice.”
Woodbridge High School is a co-educational 11-18 comprehensive school, with c.1,650 pupils and 170 staff. Its large site accommodates a total of seven buildings.