Fortunately, new technologies have been developed to increase effectiveness and protect faculty in the event of an emergency. An example of this type of solution is Vanderbilt's security management system (SMS). By partnering with Allegion and utilising Von Duprin Remote Undogging (RU) and Remote Monitoring (RM), K-12 and university facilities are able to utilise an electronic override of mechanical dogging during emergency facility lockdowns. The integration allows campus security officials and administrators to remotely monitor and lock down perimeter doors with the touch of a button during emergencies, enabling faster response times and increased safety.

Another key resource that has helped improve campus safety is video surveillance and video management systems (VMS). Video data is not only crucial for school administrators during investigations, but it can also deter theft and vandalism, as well as act as a resource during school security breaches.

Today's VMS solutions allow administrators remote access to video clips for further management and investigation. In addition, by integrating with Vanderbilt's security management systems (SMS), access control, digital video and alarm monitoring can be controlled from a single platform, improving efficiencies and communications between technologies.

Campuses are complex in design and each face unique challenges when implementing solutions to protect students while also enabling access to facilities for visitors. As campus security needs continue to evolve, the solutions designed to keep students, faculty and staff safe will also increasingly shift to accommodate those needs.