System-Wide Installation Makes a Splash

As school sessions are starting to wind down across the country, many security directors are aware that the summer season brings other concerns to mind when it comes to school security. The following is an example of what happened to one school district in California. This serves as a good reminder to contact your local Sonitrol representative to determine what unique security requirements may be needed when your school is officially closed for the summer.

Sonitrol's Audio Monitoring and Video Surveillance System Protects Clovis (Calif.) Unified School District
May 10, 2004

Clandestine midnight splash parties used to be a problem for the Clovis (Calif.) Unified School District.

"The summers are very hot here, and the pools are very tempting," says Bill McGuire, associate school district superintendent. He oversees a district of 35,000 students, with more than 40 different sites. Located in central California, northeast of Fresno, the district is known for its award-winning sports programs, community involvement and grand swimming pools - equipped with challenging 10-meter diving boards.

"Once they figured out how to duck the beams of the old motion detector system, the kids were scaling the fences, using the pool, turning over chairs and leaving trash behind," says Gerry Mulligan, trades supervisor for the district. "The pools had to be closed, and the district was spending more than $2,000 every day to clean up the messes."

"The local youth knew that the other system was not working, and that they could get away with it," McGuire says.

A committee was formed, requests for proposals (RFPs) were sent out, and the district conducted extensive reviews of security providers in the area. "Some companies were going to scare them away with alarms. Others would have patrols," says McGuire. "In the end, we decided that we were more interested in apprehension than just knowing about what was happening." Sonitrol of Fresno won the bid, with a package of audio monitoring and video surveillance.

Sonitrol decided to do a system-wide installation, but agreed to do an immediate "quick band-aid solution" at the pool area. The first day it was in operation, the pool system caught five students trespassing. To date, there have been 30 apprehensions, says Mulligan, also the project coordinator.

The system-wide project includes more than 80 burglary panels, 250 keypads, 700 impact-stored audio detectors, 10 expansion modules, approximately 650 door contacts and 15 perimeter photo-electric beam systems. The system will also encompass several new buildings that are now under construction, and other sites that will be built over the next several years. The monitoring devices are placed in offices, administration buildings, libraries and snack bars. There are no devices monitoring the classrooms.

Sonitrol's Verified Audio Detection System uses small audio sensors that are strategically placed throughout the targeted area. When the sensors pick up any abnormal sounds, a signal is sent via T-1 lines to the central monitoring station, where the operators listen to live audio transmissions around the clock. While noting the location data on the computer screen, the operator can then verify the nature of the event and determine how to respond. The system is recording all the time. If there is an alert, it stores 6 seconds of the event's sounds, which can then be replayed by the operators for analysis. With the ability to verify and replay an alerted event, the operators can call the proper authorities, or reset the system without having to contact the police.

False alarms have become a hot topic nationwide. Some studies have shown that 98 percent of all alarm activations are false. "The police do not want to answer alarms until they are verified," Brennan says. "And the motion detector/beam systems are false alarm machines."

The Sonitrol system is customized to meet each location's unique requirements. The audio detectors can focus on a certain area. The monitors can be adjusted to be as sensitive as a doctor's stethoscope, if that is what's needed. "Once it is activated, you could hear a person whispering," Brennan explains. The system can include cameras, infrared motion detectors, electronic beams, access control and fire detection systems.

"It works because we hear the crime," Brennan says. "The message is getting out. We have signs all over the school. We were catching the kids in flocks in the beginning. There were a bunch in June, then again in July, then a few less in August. By Labor Day, there was nobody. It is a major success story. The school district never expected that we would be able to achieve results immediately."

As published in:

Access Control & Security Systems
System-Wide Installation Makes a Splash
March 2004

About Sonitrol:
Sonitrol Corporation is the leading provider of Verified Response security solutions for businesses and schools in North America. Founded by a policeman, the company's technology was created to reduce false alarms and increase apprehensions. Sonitrol's proprietary audio verification capability has assisted local law enforcement in the apprehension of more than 155,000 suspects since 1977. Its integrated suite of offerings includes audio intrusion alarms, access control, video surveillance and fire detection. For more information on Sonitrol and its integrated security solutions, please visit the company's website at www.sonitrol.com.