ADT Business Solutions

One of the most frightening events for any parent would be watching an afternoon school bus pulling up to a neighborhood stop and his or her child not on board.

Unfortunately, that happens frequently in school districts across the country.  Kids, especially the younger ones, get confused and get on the wrong bus or get off a stop or two early.

School officials are very aware of this and are beginning to take high-tech steps to remedy the problem.  One solution involves the placement of surveillance cameras that provide clear views of who gets on and off the bus.  If a child becomes lost, this can help locate him or her.

But a review of video may not happen for an hour or more after the child got off the bus.  So now some districts are beginning to experiment with fingerprint scans and access cards to track kids and provide instant feedback if they attempt to exit at an incorrect stop.

As a child prepares to exit the bus, he or she presents a finger or a card to a reader using a GPS receiver and cellular data connection.  If the fingerprint or code doesn’t match with the stop stored in a database at district headquarters an alarm sounds. The systems add only a second or two to the transportation process.

This is one more way that schools are using technology to help protect some of the most vulnerable young children.  And it should make parents feel better each afternoon.

Posted on: Education - Tagged as: school bus safety, school security, security technology

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