MILWAUKEE — Nov. 8, 2023 — Johnson Controls today announced a digital assessment tool for K-12 school districts to evaluate the physical security of their campuses, identify vulnerabilities and threats, and take appropriate action. Created through a joint effort with Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS), the tool leverages national best practices to assist administrators with a roadmap to safer campuses everywhere, including tailored recommendations to close threat gaps and insights into necessary technologies and funding opportunities.
“The process of conducting thorough and objective evaluations of schools’ security and mitigating risks is an ongoing process, not a ‘one-and-done’ task,” said Anthony Seiler, director, Education Vertical at Johnson Controls. “With our new turn-key process, districts of all sizes and budgets can be better protected, while prioritizing their security deployments based on criticality and cost. With simplified access to data-driven insights, administrators can make more informed decisions to keep their students and teachers safe from a widening range of threats.”
In today’s climate where schools face a growing number of security threats, local government leaders and educators are promoting, or even mandating, security assessments to uncover safety gaps on campuses and mitigate these risks with advanced technology solutions.
When using Johnson Controls new security assessment, administrators fill out a digital questionnaire about their schools’ security requiring simple “yes” or “no” answers. The questions range in scope from physical infrastructure to policies and procedures to emergency preparedness. With every answer, the tool automatically charts and prioritizes responses to uncover opportunities. Each proposed solution is paired to available funding mechanisms – such as remaining Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds, grants or internal Johnson Controls financing options – making the plan immediately accessible to many districts.
Finally, the tool generates a customized roadmap, broken down into phases, that is easy for leaders to follow. It lists the most critical and cost-effective actions at the top, recommending paths forward aligned to districts’ budgets, structures and capabilities. Proposed solutions include video surveillance, mass communications, weapons detection and more.
This assessment is the product of Johnson Controls long and rich history working with K-12 schools, its unparalleled portfolio of security offerings and its collaboration with PASS, whose Safety and Security Guidelines remain the most comprehensive resource available on best practices for securing school facilities.
Johnson Controls solutions serve more than 24.7 million students in more than 7,000 school districts across the United States. For nearly 140 years, the company has been committed to helping organizations implement digital technologies and services to create safe, healthy and sustainable spaces. Through this mission, Johnson Controls works with K-12 schools to curate learning environments that improve students’ wellbeing and promote educational achievement. For more information, visit our risk assessment landing page.
About Johnson Controls
At Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI), we transform the environments where people live, work, learn and play. As the global leader in smart, healthy, and sustainable buildings, our mission is to reimagine the performance of buildings to serve people, places, and the planet.
Building on a proud history of nearly 140 years of innovation, we deliver the blueprint of the future for industries such as healthcare, schools, data centers, airports, stadiums, manufacturing and beyond through OpenBlue, our comprehensive digital offering.
Today, with a global team of 100,000 experts in more than 150 countries, Johnson Controls offers the world’s largest portfolio of building technology and software as well as service solutions from some of the most trusted names in the industry.
Visit https://www.johnsoncontrols.com for more information, and follow @Johnson Controls on social platforms.
Contact:
Kari Pfisterer
kari.b.pfisterer@jci.com
