ARA, a company specializing in security engineering and protective design, has played a role in the creation of a new school security standard approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and published by ASIS International.
The new standard is described as the first comprehensive framework aimed at K-12 schools, offering guidance on how to improve security and resilience. It provides practical steps for developing, implementing, maintaining, and improving security measures for educational institutions of any size or location.
Kenneth Herrle, a senior engineer at ARA with more than 30 years of experience in security, served as a volunteer on the Technical Committee responsible for developing the standard. Herrle has contributed to several national-level structural and physical security standards for government agencies and professional organizations.
“This standard is the result of close collaboration across multiple disciplines, and it sets a new benchmark for school security. ARA is honored to contribute our expertise to an initiative that will help schools across the country and across the globe identify risks and implement smarter, more effective security strategies,” said Kenneth Herrle, ARA Senior Engineer.
The development process included input from various professionals such as school administrators, architects, mental health practitioners, behavioral threat assessment experts, emergency managers, law enforcement officials, crisis communication specialists, and business continuity planners. This multidisciplinary approach was intended to create an adaptable framework that supports comprehensive threat mitigation and response planning.
According to ARA representatives, contributions like this align with their ongoing commitment to finding solutions to critical human problems related to safety and security.
ASIS International is recognized as a global community of security practitioners. The newly released ANSI-approved school security standard is available in both eBook and print formats. More information about the standard can be found at https://www.asisonline.org/security-news/press-room/asis-international-introduces-pioneering-ansi-approved-school-security-standard/.
