What Is The Real Cost?

An Open Letter From Entec Solutions President, Len Wood.

Wikipedia defines the value of life as an economic value used to quantify the benefit of avoiding a fatality.  We would all agree life has much more meaning than that, just ask any parent who has lost a child.  What is the answer to school violence that has plagued our Nation?  

· Is it more gun control or no guns at all?  

· Is it armed security at every location?  

· Is it schools that look and feel like prisons?  

· Is it teachers that are required to carry a weapon in order to teach?  

· Is it more cameras and more access control?  

· How about we do all of these things, will it stop?  

I fear the answer is no.

Our world has changed and it is imperative that we as security professionals, first responders, school administration and employees, parents and students embrace this fact.   All of us must embrace the understanding we can no longer walk through life unaware of our surroundings.  So where do we start?  First, if we accept that the world has changed, then we need to adapt as a society and become more situationally aware.  This is a concept in which we have little training, but the need to start is coming.  Does the education system have the capability or resources to teach these new skills?  If not where does this training come from?   Second, we need to utilize programs like Qognify Extend and developing AI (Artificial Intelligence) to connect all our resources to each other and help identify exceptions to the norm.  

If you agree that more controls will not solve the problem and that our world has changed, then what?   Let’s look at Frenship ISD with 1000 employees trained in situational awareness, practicing awareness of their surroundings and equipped with tools to notify first responders.  Do they have a chance to make a difference?   1000 sets of eyes and ears roaming your hallways, your grounds, and your facilities, unrestricted by a cable, they're everywhere.  That’s 1000 smart sensors you currently do not have.  

What do 1000 cameras cost?  When Entec Solutions designs our surveillance solutions, we typically use a range of values between $1000-1200/camera as the measuring stick.  That’s 1.0-1.2 million while Extend costs $91,000/year, that’s 10 years before you exceed this cost.  Based on this, you would agree Extend is a great value.  

We must start to be proactive instead of reactive toward student and teacher safety.  Extend connects all your resources including existing cameras, future cameras, employees, students, access controls, drones, and first responders to 1 platform for collaboration and execution of your safety protocols.  It does this in a precise, easy to use application and coordination between all these groups becomes simple without wasted time and resources.