Each of the 14 buildings — eight elementaries, two middle schools, freshman school, high school, career tech ed building and board office — will be equipped with a driver’s license scanner, barcode scanner, thermal label printer and webcam.
Upon entry, a visitor’s drivers license is scanned. Information, including the person’s name, license number and photo, are stored and then printed onto a temporary badge with a bar code.
Those with access to IDentiphoto’s cloud-based application are then able to track where the visitor is in the building.
The decision to purchase and install the new equipment was one outcome of the district’s safety committee that formed following the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., according to Chad Konkle, administrator for building and planning. The committee examined current security policies and practices, he said.
Other security measures in practice at district buildings include cameras, automatic door locks, a buzzer system and panic buttons directly tied to the 911 call system, Konkle said. The Hamilton SWAT team also has instant access to all camera systems in the school district, he said.
The IDentiphoto program — also used at Great Oaks campuses in Cincinnati — was piloted for 30 days between March and April in Highland Elementary.
“It’s a streamlined approach to say we know who’s coming in and why they’re here,” said Sue Litman-Hall, principal at Highland Elementary. “It shows consistency throughout the district and you know what to expect.”
“We’re probably ahead of the game in this,” Konkle said of other school districts. “We looked at five systems and this one stood out because of how accurate and fast.”
Doris Musselman, secretary at Highland, said the pilot month of IDentiphoto went very smoothly and the system is “quick and efficient.”
“Every person that came in the door provided their ID, and we could tell at a moment’s notice who was in the building,” Musselman said.
She said repeat visitors are merged into one file continuously that includes the person’s name, address and license number.
“It’s an awesome sense of security you get from having it; it gave parents a sense of security and gave us a sense of security,” Musselman said.
The system will be installed in all buildings in June and July, and office staff will be trained in August, according to school officials.
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