“Badge, please” used to be a phrase you only heard in buddy cop movies. Now it’s as common as “tall or grande?” As campuses look to increase security in the wake of threats, and now a pandemic, badges have become a requirement—not just for students, but for faculty and staff as well.
It’s a painful statistic to write, but in the past 10 years there have been 180 school shootings with 356 victims in the United States, according to CNN. That includes elementary schools, high schools, and colleges. Sadly these incidents aren’t limited to just school campuses. Everytown Research reports that every day, more than 100 Americans are killed with guns and 200 more are shot and wounded. We’ve seen reports of active shooters at office buildings, retail spaces, on the streets. Now active shooter drills are as normal to kids as fire drills. And the threat has demanded that campuses take strong action to give their populations peace of mind. That’s where badges have come in.
Badge advocates argue that requiring everyone to be clearly identified is a way to keep schools safer. Being able to easily identify students in a crisis, or flag an unidentified person on campus, and then quickly act on that information is a way to halt violence before it starts.
An ID badge mandate also lowers the risk of someone falsifying information. Thanks to sophisticated badge technology, these days IDs aren’t limited to simply a photo and name. Chip technology, swipe cards, and even holograms are being used to make badges less prone to identity fraud. Thanks to these improvements, campuses willing to invest in the latest badge tools can shore up the safety of their facilities even more.
While the greatest risk to campus populations a year ago was the threat of active shooters or other rogue actors, today the concern at most schools is protecting students from the threat of COVID-19. Again, badges are being used in this health and safety campaign as well.
At places like Boston University, according to the Boston Globe, students must “show a digital badge indicating they’re up to date with COVID-19 testing and symptom screening to gain entry to campus dining halls, libraries, and other facilities.” And we can expect more of the same as security teams partner with health providers to find ways to avoid campuses becoming outbreak hot zones.
Of course, the good news is, according to leading health professionals like Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, a COVID-19 vaccine is looking closer and closer. But overcoming a pandemic won’t end a need for campus IDs.
Specialist ID can outfit everything from the most kid-friendly elementary school lanyard needs to the most complex medical campus lanyard requests. Our ID tools are designed to accommodate any size company, campus, or facility. It all starts with selecting the most appropriate ID badge holder. For some campuses, that might mean a simple plastic pocket like the Standard Vertical Vinyl ID Badge Holder (1820-1050) or something more complex, like their Vertical Reflective Armband ID Holder (R504-ARN).
Likewise, accommodating how people choose to wear their IDs is something Specialist ID can handle. Well aware that one size doesn’t fit all, we offer all manner of attachments, from a variety of lanyard options to badge reels that easily fit on a belt loop.
Campuses can even personalize their lanyards with a school logo, motto, or school colors.
We can also outfit a campus security team with badge printing tools as well as visitor management software so guests can follow the proper procedures ensuring the safety of everyone on site. As easy as uploading the software and connecting the printing equipment, a campus can have it up and running in a day. And thanks to timestamp technology, the self-voiding badges easily indicate who should and shouldn’t still be visiting a site.
While the need for such safety measures isn’t a fun thing to consider, it is a real and present part of the current reality, especially in the United States. And the truth is badges provide an effective and affordable option that any campus can implement quickly. Added security officers, surveillance equipment, and building safety measures are costly improvements that take time to build out. But a badge system can help address campus threats within days of its implementation, and Specialist ID can get you started.