Building a Culture of Safety

Empowering Safer Schools Through Preparation & Practice

October 30, 2024

Creating a safe space for students and staff has never been more critical. School safety isn’t just about emergencies—it’s about fostering an environment where students can thrive without fear. Modern K-12 safety solutions prioritize both everyday security and emergency preparedness. This requires proactive measures and reliable systems to prepare schools for any situation. At the core of any emergency action plan is effective communication. In emergencies, timely and clear communication across the school is essential, ensuring everyone receives critical updates when needed. Using advanced paging systems to deliver real-time information helps schools keep everyone informed, reinforcing the sense of safety throughout the campus. Integrating these safety tools with other systems—like access control, video surveillance, and public safety networks—also plays a vital role in school safety. Schools can connect directly with local emergency services and distribute real-time alerts campus-wide through partnerships and compliance with standards like Alyssa’s Law. This seamless communication provides a framework supporting daily security and emergency readiness.

Building a culture of safety involves not only providing the right tools but also preparing students and staff to use them effectively. An example is how Cherry Creek School District developed a safety-first culture by implementing Valcom tools and using The “I Love U Guys” Foundation Standard Response Protocols to train students and staff. The district further reinforces this culture by conducting regular safety drills, allowing students and staff to practice their responses and build familiarity with the protocols. This combination of tools, training, and hands-on drills ensures everyone understands their roles during an emergency, fostering confidence and collaboration across the school community. By fostering confidence through training and awareness, schools can empower their communities to respond proactively and create an environment where safety is part of the daily routine, supporting a secure and positive atmosphere for learning and growth.

The Briefings: A National School Safety Symposium

Valcom will be attending The “I Love U Guys” Foundation National School Safety Symposium in San Mateo, California, November 7-8. To learn more about the Sessions at this 2-day symposium click here.

2024 Raptor SchoolSAFE Conference

Join Valcom at the 2024 Raptor SchoolSAFE Conference in November 5-6.

Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Booth: 13

Valcom & Convergint Partnership

Convergint and Valcom Partner to Enhance K-12 Safety with Integrated Communication Solutions

September 4, 2024

To improve safety measures in K-12 schools across the country, Valcom a pioneer in communication and security technology has partnered with Convergint, a top global system integrator. Through the partnership, Valcom’s cutting-edge software solutions, comprehensive hardware offerings and Convergint’s system integration expertise are combined to produce a unified platform that caters to the particular security needs of educational institutions. This combination of software and hardware is a key differentiator, setting Valcom apart from competitors who typically focus on only one of these aspects.

The Unified Safety Solution

The partnership between Valcom and Convergint brings together best-in-class technologies to create a robust safety ecosystem for educational institutions. Valcom’s integrated software solutions streamline communication, automate emergency notifications, and provide real-time monitoring, ensuring that schools are prepared to respond swiftly to any situation.

Key components of the solution include:

IP6000 Site Manager®

A scalable solution that provides consistent audible and visual alerts at individual locations, ensuring effective local communication for safety and security

VEMASS (Valcom Enterprise Management & Security Software

Enables real-time monitoring and management across multiple locations by connecting with IP6000 SiteManagers. VEMASS ensures swift, site-specific communication and offers enterprise-level control for reliable emergency response.

VEEWS (Valcom Earthquake Early Warning System)

Provides early earthquake warnings in California, Oregon, and Washington, quickly communicating signs of seismic activity to enable timely protective measures.

V-Alert

A mobile alerting application that enables quick and reliable emergency notifications. With features such as geofencing, unlimited messaging, and seamless API integration, V-Alert ensures that critical information reaches the right people at the right time.

Enhancing School Safety and Operational Excellence

Convergint and Valcom’s partnership represents an innovative approach to management and safety in K–12 education. By integrating Convergint’s extensive expertise in security and system integration with Valcom’s cutting-edge communication, emergency notification technology, and hardware, schools can achieve previously unattainable standards of safety and operational efficiency.

With Valcom’s unified platform, which includes both software and hardware, schools are able to streamline daily operations and ensure quick, organized emergency responses. This partnership enables educational institutions to proactively safeguard their most valuable assets—staff and students—while optimizing their maintenance and communication procedures. The combination of these advanced technologies guarantees the prompt and accurate delivery of vital information, promoting a secure and safe learning environment where operational excellence and safety are the norm.

About Convergint

Convergint is a global systems integrator focused on delivering results for our customers through unparalleled service excellence. At Convergint, our top priority is service in every way — service to customers, colleagues, and community.

As an integrator, Convergint works alongside a global network of partners and manufacturers to design, install, and service security, fire alarm, life safety, audio-visual, and building automation solutions for enterprise customers.

Our unique and empowered culture, guided by our Values and Beliefs, helps us stay accountable to our mission, and our number one objective: to be our customers’ best service provider.

CITE 2024 California IT in Education

Join Valcom at the California IT in Education (CITE) Annual Confernence, November 19-21, 2024. Our team members will be onsite ready to discuss the lastest in Emergency Notification for K-12 schools. Check out the CITE 2024 details below and join us in booth 237 for demos of our solutions.

Booth No:. 237

When Seconds Count

Be Proactive in Your Emergency Preparedness for Earthquakes

March 2024

In a world where natural disasters pose significant threats to life safety, communities, and infrastructure, the need for proactive measures to mitigate their impact is a top priority. Among these disasters, earthquakes are sudden, destructive forces capable of causing widespread devastation within seconds. Yet, amidst the unpredictable nature of seismic events, Valcom’s Earthquake Early Warning System provides on-premises notifications triggered by the USGS ShakeAlert® to alert individuals to take protective actions – DROP! COVER! HOLD ON!

Earthquake early warning systems are pivotal in disaster preparedness and response strategies. These systems leverage technology and scientific understanding to detect seismic activity and provide vital seconds to minutes of warning before destructive shaking occurs. The importance of such warnings cannot be overstated, and here are compelling reasons why investing in earthquake early warning systems is paramount.

First and foremost, the paramount concern in any disaster scenario is preserving human life. With their abrupt onset and potential for catastrophic consequences, Earthquakes demand swift and decisive action. By providing advance notice of impending seismic activity, early warning systems offer precious moments for individuals, communities, and emergency responders to enact life-saving measures. Whether taking cover, securing hazardous materials, or initiating evacuation procedures, even a few seconds of warning can significantly mitigate casualties and injuries. Investing in Valcom’s Earthquake Early Warning System is a proactive approach to disaster risk reduction, and providing early earthquake notifications is imperative to saving lives.

The benefits of early warning systems are universal, whether in seismically active regions prone to frequent earthquakes or areas with historically low seismicity. As stewards of our collective safety and well-being, we must prioritize investments in resilient infrastructure and emergency disaster preparedness measures. Valcom has added its Earthquake Early Warning System to its latest product, the VIP-895-E Emergency Communications Panel. The Emergency Communication Panel is a wall-mounted device designed for facilities of any size that integrates with your existing overhead paging system and Valcom visual displays to send emergency alerts to notify employees. VIP-895-E receives ShakeAlert messages, and once the message is received, the VIP-895-E is triggered to send out an Earthquake Early Warning audibly, visibility, or both to satisfy OSHA and ADA regulations.

By adopting Valcom’s Earthquake Early Warning System, you mitigate the immediate seismic risks and enhance safety measures to save lives.