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By Chris Hardman
Choosing a visitor management system for your school is one of the most important safety-related decisions you can make. Along with single-point entry, a reputable visitor management provider serves as a hedge of protection for students, teachers and staff inside your schools. By knowing who is always inside your building—and knowing they have been properly screened—you limit the potential for undesirable outcomes on school grounds.
When choosing your visitor management provider there are considerations to ensure you are provided with the best protection possible.
1. Scan sex offender databases
Did you know that 2 in every 10,000 visitors are flagged by our Visitor Management software for a positive match on a sex offender database?
By scanning the national sexual offender database, in real-time, you eliminate the possibility that a child is put in harm’s way by a visitor who may otherwise not be allowed on campus. This safeguard has become increasingly important, as it is not feasible to know each visitor’s history and intentions.
Furthermore, this step signals to visitors, parents, and children alike that measures are in place that prioritize the safety of all who enter the school.
2. Create custom alerts
And 4 in every 10,000 visitors are flagged for custody issues or other custom database hits.
A robust visitor management system places control in the hands of administration by offering customized alerts and multiple alert modalities. Internal alerts for prohibited visitors are a powerful tool allowing you to adjust notifications as circumstances dictate.
Notifications via voice, text and email, to users of your choosing, provide the coverage and customization to effectively respond to unwanted visitors.
3. Review internal policies and procedures
Prior to the implementation of a visitor management solution, internal policies and procedures should be codified to allow for a smooth transition once the software is implemented. Sampling existing policies is a wonderful tool to provide framework for how your district should proceed. Each district is unique, though it is recommended that all schools within a district maintain uniformity with their visitor management policies and procedures.
Important questions pertaining to the types of identification accepted, how long a custom alert will remain in place, and how staff members will respond to a prohibited visitor are all best answered prior to system implementation.
4. Choose a main point of contact
Internal consideration must be given as well as to who will serve as the main point of contact for your visitor management system. A dedicated administrator is vital not only to ensure the system is implemented properly but to provide a reliable point of contact for changing dynamics within the district that may affect your policy and procedures over time. The primary point of contact may also serve to provide training to staff members and help determine specific building level users and contacts.
5. Ability—and flexibility—to meet your needs
Lastly, a visitor management should be able to grow with you to meet ever-expanding needs. Systems that allow multiple screening categories for visitors, such as “student,” staff,” and “contractor,” eliminate confusion and ensure a more streamlined reporting process.
A system that will integrate with an emergency management platform, for instance, lessens the chances that critical information is not communicated between two incompatible platforms. The ability to integrate with an existing student information system also provides for a seamless exchange of data across modules and provides a detailed snapshot into multiple aspects of otherwise singular name, date, and location entries.
The system should also be designed to integrate and adapt regarding future safety-related additions to your district’s portfolio, such as the unique needs and challenges that come with using schools as community shelters.
“The fact that my team can monitor one central area in our security operations center and not have to juggle different platforms is a major benefit of the Raptor System. Raptor also allows for long-term efficiency as we are able to quickly integrate and train new staff members on the system’s functionality.”
– Anthony Morales, Safety & Security Coordinator
Linfield Christian School, CA
Safeguard your schools with Visitor Management
A visitor management solution is the first step in effectively safeguarding your schools from prohibited visitors and ensuring that staff and students are provided with a safe learning environment in which to teach and learn. There are myriad factors to consider when selecting a solution and the decisions made during the selection process inform the future of the safety profile within the walls of your schools.
Over 20 years, the Raptor Visitor Management has screened nearly half a billion visitors nationwide. Our software empowers you to screen and track everyone who enters your school, and it is fully integrated with our full school safety ecosystem—tying together the critical aspects of safety throughout your campus, from prevention through recovery.
Explore how Raptor can work for your district by scheduling a demonstration.
Related Resources
Guide to K-12 Visitor Management
Best Practices for Year-Round Safety
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