AMITYVILLE, N.Y., April 8, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- School shootings that were once reported as tragic and shocking occurrences now sadly surface with all-to-familiar frequency. On April 16, we will all pause to mark the seventh anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting, a massacre that was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history. One way to honor the 32 people who lost their lives that day is to work tirelessly to find a solution to prevent further school shooting fatalities. Since 1980, there have been 137 fatal school shootings that claimed the lives of 297 victims. The only acceptable goal is no further shootings in a place of learning.
Richard L. Soloway, noted security expert and Chairman of NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NSSC) (333 Bayview Avenue, Amityville, NY 11701 [631] 842-9400 http://www.napcosecurity.com) notes that "all of these school shootings could have been stopped or severely limited by controlling the shooter's initial and continued access into the school with weapons and ammunition." He has compiled a list of security measures and manufactured "LocDown™ Solutions" that can be used to keep children safe at school:
- NAPCO has created a School Access-Control Vulnerability Index (S.A.V.I.) Audit and Dealer Certification process to assess how susceptible a school facility is to a mass shooting attack. This audit process is the first step.
- Front entrance access – should be the only point of entry for the building and a system to check ID, especially for visitors, should be put in place.
- Access to classrooms – intruder locks of some sort should be present on all classroom doors. These locks are unique in that a school official can lock the door from inside the classroom without opening the door. NAPCO offers several types of "LocDown™ Solutions" in this category including basic mechanical classroom locking solutions, electronic standalone locking solutions and wireless network locking solutions.
- Emergency notification and lock-down – all schools should have the ability to notify police and/or lock-down the school at any time.
- Real-time video monitoring – this system, coupled with an up-to-date floor plan of the facility enable police to remotely monitor the whereabouts of the shooter and develop and action plan.
- School Security Professionals Association – Soloway is also calling for the creation of an association that would bring together, on a national basis, education officials and security companies/integrators to oversee and manage a standardized security system across all schools nationwide.
Other tips that schools may implement immediately include:
- Teach students and teachers what to do in an emergency situation.
- Maintain one main entry lobby and reception area staffed with trained personnel. Require mandatory guest registration including the guests name, who they are meeting with, and time in and out.
- Implement a temporary badging system to track ALL visitors and service people. Whether it¹s a wearable "Visitors Sticker" that literally fades out in a given time period or a physical badge which is only temporarily valid for a particular duration of time, per your access system¹s scheduling program, a specific program must be in place and security staff must be trained to screen all atypical personnel in the premises.
- Have open communication with local police departments. The principal of the school can make sure that local police and fire departments have been to the school prior to any emergency to know the layout of the school. This can be done two times in a school year to keep police and fire departments updated as per the layout.
- Distribute ID badge or register credentials for all permanent, official school occupants including teachers, staff and students.
- Keep school doors closed and locked from the outside at all times during the school day.
About NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc.
NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: NSSC) is one of the world's leading manufacturers and solutions providers of high-technology electronic security, connected home, school lock down systems, video, fire alarm, access control and door locking systems. The Company consists of four Divisions: NAPCO, its security and connected home segment, plus three wholly-owned subsidiaries: Alarm Lock, Continental Instruments, and Marks USA. Headquartered in Amityville, New York, its products are installed by tens of thousands of security professionals worldwide in commercial, industrial, institutional, residential and government applications. NAPCO products have earned a reputation for innovation, technical excellence and reliability, positioning the Company for growth in the multi-billion dollar and rapidly expanding electronic security market. Chairman Richard L. Soloway¹s comments on all aspects of security have appeared in The New York Times, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, International Herald Tribune, Business Week, Forbes, Crain's New York Business, Newsday, Reuters, Chicago Tribune, Entertainment Weekly, Detroit Free Press, Philadelphia Inquirer, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Transcript and The Robb Report among others. NAPCO has a stock market capitalization of over $100 million and employs more than 800 employees worldwide. For additional information on NAPCO, please visit the Company's web site at http://www.napcosecurity.com and for information on Richard L. Soloway visit www.richardsoloway.com.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Contact: Lindsey Myers, lindsey@wordhampton.com, 1-646-571-2450.
SOURCE NAPCO Security Technologies, Inc.