NL schools implementing new security software

By Grace King, Mt. Pleasant News

The New London School Board approved purchasing new security software to update their live-feed cameras in the elementary, middle and high school buildings during the board meeting on Monday, Oct. 16.

District superintendent Chad Wahls said that as the district has been reviewing their active shooting training, they were also looking into other ways they can enhance their ability to be prepared for an active shooter or other emergencies.

The program, PCM Business Direct, allows for higher-quality live feed than the program the school district is currently using. PCM Business Direct lets users pull up more than one camera feed at a time, allowing security to follow someone from screen to screen.

Director of Technology Jon Mumford has been using a free trial of the program. It incorporates up to two weeks of storage per camera. They have practiced simulations of several situations where the new software could come in handy.

Projected in the boardroom, Wahls showed live feed from the different schools, pointing out how some of the cameras are failing and they cannot see the live feed or save it.

The new software costs $143 per camera plus a $1,000 set up fee. It incorporates a speaker system so if there is an emergency, Wahls or Mumford can be communicating with everyone in the building about where a perpetrator is.

Wahls also said that new cameras are needed, especially in the high school.

?We need a system that?s doing what we need it to do before we can add (new cameras),? Wahls said.

New cameras would cost the district about $1,000 per outdoor camera, and $250 per camera for inside the building, Wahls said.

PCM Business Direct is a ?lifetime commitment,? Wahls said, with a pay per update program. The district does not have to update with every version.

The next New London School Board Meeting is Monday, Oct. 30.