Comprehensive University Facility Security Planning

The first step for comprehensive university facility security systems planning is prevention. To begin, the security personnel at a university should conduct a thorough risk assessment. Begin by identifying the many different parts of the university and its functions—academic and learning, social, residential, research, events, and more. Once identified, the campus can determine where there are potential vulnerabilities, which areas may pose a higher risk, what threats there are within each of the identified communities, and where the university is already prepared for potential issues.

Next, the university can look at protecting the campus. This includes equipping all the buildings, residences, and other components of the campus. During this time, the security team can review the existing facility security designs to identify which areas may contain critical assets (such as the university’s data center, or power systems) that need an extra level of protection. The team can also review the current U.S. National Incident Management System (NIMS) compliance requirements to ensure it is meeting federal standards required for college campuses.

Once an internal audit of current facilities and protection schemes is done, the university will know where it is more vulnerable and where it needs to increase security measures. Another important step in this process is creating clear, concise policies that are outlined and practiced at every level of the university. That includes a comprehensive crisis management plan, which identifies the most likely threats to campus security and the proper procedures in the event an unexpected disaster strikes. This crisis management plan should identify both natural and man-made disasters.

With a crisis management plan outlined, written, and distributed to the important stakeholders on campus, the next step is training and drills. Properly training campus security personnel and police, in addition to organizing drills or other training events for key administrators, faculty, and staff can ensure that the policy is effective in the event of a real emergency.

The final step in comprehensive university facility security systems is recovery after an emergency. This includes identifying potential risks and threats, and then creating a plan for continuity in the event anything happens. 

An effective plan for a university will be sensitive to the unique needs of a campus environment, including academic, learning, and research needs, while also being inclusive of all the different types of risk that exist for such a unique type of organization.