Nebraska School District to Upgrade Outdated Security System this Summer

Nebraska School District to Upgrade Outdated Security System this Summer

Chadron Public Schools is updating its outdated security system this summer to a more efficient, multi-platform framework.

  • By Jessica Davis
  • June 17, 2019

This summer, Chadron Public Schools is upgrading its outdated security system to a more efficient, multi-platform framework.

Superintendent Dr. Caroline Winchester said the district had budgeted $90,000 for the project, planning to purchase just a software upgrade. Fortunately, the district was able to afford both updated software and new cameras with those funds.

The district’s technology director Eliu Paopao said the current security system, which is nine years old, is at the end of its usefulness.

“We all know technology rolls over quickly,” he said.

The district plans to install the new cameras in all four of its school buildings. In case of an emergency, staff will be given access to video footage from a variety of platforms, including Windows, iOS and Android. Currently, staff members can only access video footage using the system’s mainframe computer.

The new system will allow staff to review footage during an incident, potentially giving law enforcement or other first responders valuable information when reacting, according to Paopao.

“With so many things going around the nation, we want to be proactive,” Paopao said. “The hope is to deter … but the other hope is to allow us to take proper safety measures for law enforcement, faculty and our students.”

Paopao said that the system’s software is “very user friendly.” The current program is so complicated that only two people in the district can access it, but the upgrade will allow more staff to easily navigate the system and look over footage.

The upgrade will also improve the camera quality and allow the district to store video footage for up to 30 days. It will also allow for motion detection, Paopao said.

Motion detection will be especially useful when reviewing footage recorded during overnight hours. The camera system will add a timestamp to any motion-activated recording, giving staff an indication of which timeframes they need to review.

The motion detection will be more efficient than the current system, which requires staff to review many hours of footage to look for a relevant video.

Chadron Public Schools’ current security system was the first the district had ever installed. It’s helped when resolving incidents of theft, vandalism and car accidents, according to Paopao.

The upgraded system will improve upon these capabilities with higher quality video, more efficient access and object detection, which will be able to detect weapons like guns and knives.

The district plans for the installation to be complete by the end of July.

About the Author

Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.

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