Lockdown Alarm

[TechieWils]

Hi all,

 

We are currently looking in to a lockdown alarm in case a crazed axe murder comes on site we need to have a distinct alarm that people wont confuse with the fire alarm and start evacuating. As always money is a factor but our current systems in place are:

 

1. Fire alarm panel with only one ring style so we cant use that as people will think its the fire alarm. Also the fire alarm is linked to the all the doors meaning the intruder on site could get into any building.
   
2. We have 9 seperate blocks with mifare card readers on all external doors.
   
3. The school bell system was mostly dismantled and only works in the old main block, but most of the blocks are new and have nothing.
   
4. Everything is run in under ground conduits.
   
5. 
   

 

Current suggestions are:

• VOIP sounder system that plugs in to the bnetwork allowing us to have a call pionts where veer we need as well as school wide PA announcements. (Expensive)
  
• Reconnect the old bell system using 240v cable (very big runs between blocks) and install bells else where (really expensive because of labour)
  
• Use the fire alarms but have someone manually activate and deactivate it in quick succession while enabling the door locks. (cheap but requires Site or ICT team to do it and only from two locations in the school)
  
• 
  

 

Any one have a suggestion please?

 

Thank you

[pickman]

Sounds silly but we use whistles and air horns. all members of staff have one and its five blasts which if you hear we have to repeat.

 

The issue is if you have an intruder who sets off the alarm. Might be an issue for you as you have separate blocks

[andyturpie]

Big Green Button - Little Green Button

[Chris_]

We have a class change timer thing from IAG Technology.. It can be connected in to the class change input on a fire alarm panel, which shouldn't trigger any of the outputs (alerting a call centre, releasing doors, turning off power etc..). The control unit can do different ring patterns for the sessional bells, and then have a different bell for the lockdown function.

 

If you need to trigger multiple fire alarm panels (different buildings etc), IAG can add the network module to the class change controller, and they do remote network relay units that can be connected to the alarm panel in the other building.

[TechieWils]

We have a class change timer thing from IAG Technology.. It can be connected in to the class change input on a fire alarm panel, which shouldn't trigger any of the outputs (alerting a call centre, releasing doors, turning off power etc..). The control unit can do different ring patterns for the sessional bells, and then have a different bell for the lockdown function.

 

If you need to trigger multiple fire alarm panels (different buildings etc), IAG can add the network module to the class change controller, and they do remote network relay units that can be connected to the alarm panel in the other building.

 

Does sound like a nice system but unfortunatly our Fire Alarm guys say we cant do that we dont have any extra inputs or anything like that. was the first one we tried. Cheers

@pickman it doesn't actually its not a bad idea but would need to be practised as the space between blocks will cause an issue, I will suggest it though thanks.

@andyturpie I suggested doing something similar but using Impero to blank all screen in the school and put a message on there but was overruled as staff away from a computer or not using it wont see the message.

 

Thank you all for suggestions I know I'm not being easy with it.

[Chris_]

Does sound like a nice system but unfortunatly our Fire Alarm guys say we cant do that we dont have any extra inputs or anything like that. was the first one we tried. Cheers

pickman it doesn't actually its not a bad idea but would need to be practised as the space between blocks will cause an issue, I will suggest it though thanks.

andyturpie I suggested doing something similar but using Impero to blank all screen in the school and put a message on there but was overruled as staff away from a computer or not using it wont see the message.

 

Thank you all for suggestions I know I'm not being easy with it.

 

Even if there's already something connected to the class change input on the alarm panel, you should be able to add a second connection..

[TechieWils]

I will chase it up thank you, I may have being told a fib as a few others have said it can be done. Thanks

[howartp]

I will chase it up thank you, I may have being told a fib as a few others have said it can be done. Thanks

 

Our previous fire support company wanted to charge £300 to plug a cable (that I'd already run and stripped ready) into one of the 'NO' ports for tripping our signing-in system. One engineer was friendly and said "there's the port, bring the cable in through this grommet, but wait till I've gone... no engineers will ever check whether you've paid for it to be there..." :-)

[enjay]

One question - why?! Is this something which your school is likely to face or just some overly-zealous H&S guidance?

[TechieWils]

Just got off the phone to the alarm company and his boss, it's a definite no on using it for the lock down alarm. Shame really. As for why? Not a clue but I suppose it's to cover their backs in case something does happen. We have had intruders in the past but they were the dazed and confused kind.

[howartp]

One question - why?! Is this something which your school is likely to face or just some overly-zealous H&S guidance?

Two schools near me went into lockdown and held kids back only last week.

 

One was fire-arms related, the other I can't remember.

 

Peter

[ITGURU]

We have a Paxton Access Control System - this has a lockdown feature which last time I enquired, it means that it would put all doors on lockdown or both entry and exit, so everyone can remain secure in the building.

 

I was going to use it for our holiday periods so they didn't open during the normal school time zones, until they told me it disabled the exit button as well!

 

I'm looking for some king of messaging system, so that in the event of anything emergency, a message could pop up on the screen.

[enjay]

I'm looking for some king of messaging system, so that in the event of anything emergency, a message could pop up on the screen.

That's dependant on people looking at their screens, which wouldn't suit some teachers, especially practical subjects or PE teachers, but any teacher has the potential to not look at their screen much during a lesson. I can think of teachers here who use their computer for the register and then barely touch it after that.

[Renfield-64]

I would have thought something which activated the phones in each room,ie; continuous ringing, might do the trick, staff would know what was happening but kids wouldn't be panicked by it.

[enjay]

I would have thought something which activated the phones in each room,ie; continuous ringing, might do the trick, staff would know what was happening but kids wouldn't be panicked by it.

 

The kids would get panicked soon anyway when the teacher says "right, everyone under your desks, turn your phones off, stay SILENT" then shuts the curtains and locks the door.

[Renfield-64]

Depends how astute the kids are. In a junior or infant school they could initially make out it is a game.

[nispire]

We actually use netsupport notify. We send staff workstations a codeword which all staff are aware of, which indicates the building is in lockdown and they need to lock their doors. Edited May 10, 2018 by nispire

[Renfield-64]

We could use Impero which we already have. Our staff can't lock internal doors though as they don't have the keys!

[enjay]

We actually use netsupport notify. We send staff workstations a codeword which all staff are aware of, which indicates the building is in lockdown and they need to lock their doors.

 

And if the staff member isn't looking at their computer?

 

We use Netsupport Notify once the alarm stops - staff should remain in their rooms but turn the PC back on and await further instruction.

[nispire]

The alert we send also has a sound file attached which staff are aware of, meaning even if they don't see the alert, they'll hear it.

[enjay]

The alert we send also has a sound file attached which staff are aware of, meaning even if they don't see the alert, they'll hear it.

 

Unless they're not at their desk, don't have their speakers turned on, or the PC is hibernating.

[nispire]

Unless they're not at their desk, don't have their speakers turned on, or the PC is hibernating.

 

Our policy states members of staff should look out of the room before locking the door and pull in any staff/pupils. Speakers don't get turned off here and our PC's don't hibernate. Machines are on all day from 8 till 6.

 

Works well for us - but each to their own.

[enjay]

Machines are on all day from 8 till 6.

 

The electricity company must love that. The finance manager and environment, less so.

[nispire]

The electricity company must love that. The finance manager and environment, less so.

Every single machine has an SSD here. Hibernation for an HDD is primarily about power savings. SSDs require significantly less power than an HDD, so that mitigatesthe "power-saving" "advantage". When you factor in extending your SSD's lifespan, even by a relatively small percentage, the scale tips in favor of disabling hibernation.

[enjay]

Every single machine has an SSD here. Hibernation for an HDD is primarily about power savings. SSDs require significantly less power than an HDD, so that mitigatesthe "power-saving" "advantage". When you factor in extending your SSD's lifespan, even by a relatively small percentage, the scale tips in favor of disabling hibernation.

 

That's interesting. Are you suggesting sleeping the PC is actually damaging the SSD (you say about extending the lifespan)? We do have problems when PCs resume from sleep because sometimes they don't establish the network connection quick enough so people lose the Start Menu or their MyDocs folder, so we'd solve one problem by not sleeping them. That said, sleep mode does mean the projectors also turn off when the PC isn't in use, otherwise I suspect they'd be on all day every day, and that would cost a lot of money.

 

Only classroom PCs have sound at present, admin either don't have sound or use the monitors' in-built speakers. If I did leave the PCs on all day, I'd still want the monitors to turn off so would need to buy cheapy speakers for everyone.

 

Something to think about though...