The new voice and video intercom system at Samuel Neeley’s school makes him feel reassured.
“I feel safe here,” Neeley, a student at Sumner High School, told a reporter this summer.
The high school at 1707 Main St. has a device attached near the front door, greeting visitors since spring 2023. After visitors press the intercom button, they must give their name, purpose for visiting, and show a photo ID.
The intercom system offers “an extra layer of security,” the Sumner-Bonney Lake School District wrote in an April 2023 newsletter. All schools in the district will have the new systems near their front entrances.
Most schools got the new systems in the spring. The only one left is Mountain View Middle School. The newsletter indicated the intercom system at Mountain View will be installed this summer. School district spokesperson Elle Warmuth wrote in an email: “We anticipate the system will be operating by the first day of school, Sept. 5.”
Warmuth said the intercom system costs about $196,000. The money came from the $30 million technology levy voters approved in 2018.
Isaac Cavazos said having a voice and video intercom system is “an outstanding upgrade.” Cavazos is a protective security adviser for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The government agency is a part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. CISA offers cyber and physical security services to public and private organizations.
“We don’t want just anyone walking in at any time and just having a full range of access to the facility,” Cavazos said. “This helps in many ways.”
The system can help avoid face-to-face confrontations, Cavazos said. It can also help staff gather information they need to know in advance before letting a visitor in.
Many types of security systems exist, including the use of artificial intelligence. Some systems can detect if someone is holding a weapon, Cavazos said, but systems like that may cost more than a school district’s budget allows.
“Any measure a district can take to make schools more resilient to outside threats is a step in the right direction to helping keep students safe,” Cavazos said.
Christy Atchley said she’s excited about the intercom system because the front office staff won’t have to go to the front door not knowing what a visitor’s intentions are. Atchley is a member of the Liberty Ridge Elementary Parent Teacher Organization.
“I really appreciate … the peace of mind that it gives our staff, students and the community,” Sumner High School principal Kassie Meath said.
CISA is hosting a virtual summit on K-12 school safety and security Nov. 1-2 for teachers, parents, students and others involved with K-12 education. Speakers will discuss topics such as school climate and violence prevention. Registration for the free event will begin in mid-September.
Those looking for resources to improve school safety and security can visit schoolsafety.gov.
Angelica Relente covers topics that affect communities in East Pierce County. She started as a news intern in June 2021 after graduating from Washington State University. She is also a board member of Seattle’s Asian American Journalists Association. She was born in the Philippines and spent the rest of her childhood in Hawaii.
