New System Will Improve Security At Ocean City Schools: District

OCEAN CITY, NJ — The Ocean City Public School District is implementing a new streamlined communications system that will include improved security measures, the district announced Tuesday morning.

The school district is introducing a Unified Campus Communication system, created by AMX. It gives administrators and teachers streamlined control and automation of audio, video, digital signage, public address, bells, security cameras and emergency alerts from a single, networked platform.

“This project has been in the works and evolving for the past five years,” Ocean City Public School District Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Taylor said.

This is the final stage of a multi-stage upgrade to the TV/Media studio at Ocean City High School. While working on the upgrade, administrators realized the technology could be used to consolidate multiple systems throughout all the schools in the district. The system will enhance the teaching-learning process in the classroom by coordinating and integrating the components of the audio-visual systems for each classroom, Taylor said.

Ocean City will be the first school district in New Jersey to implement the system, which is widely used at colleges nationwide. It will be funded through the school district’s capital reserve fund, according to Ocean City Public Schools Business Administrator Tim Kelley.

The cost is estimated to be more than $700,000, according to ocnjdaily.com.

“We are proud and excited to be able to introduce a leading-edge communication system that will improve student learning, administrative efficiency and District-wide safety without need for a tax hike on Ocean City taxpayers,” Kelley said.

As far as security is concerned, the system will consolidate video surveillance, access control, monitoring applications, and mass notification through a single, fully integrated portal, according to the district. It allows for real-time communication with local police and emergency responders. It will also enable the district office to have unified and simultaneous access to and throughout all schools.

In addition, teachers in each classroom will be equipped with a small pendant device that amplifies and delivers sound effectively to students throughout the room. Through an amplified sound system, students benefit from hearing instruction clearly and teachers are spared from voice fatigue. The pendant includes a built-in panic button that allows for instant two-way communication in the event of a classroom threat or emergency.

The district will also now use the ENZO Classroom Presentation System, in which each classroom will have instant screen mirroring so teachers can share digital content from each student’s tablet, laptop or smartphone. In the event of an emergency, administrators can quickly override all smart boards and post important information.

Other benefits of the new system will include:

Unified Bell and PA Systems: The upgrade will consolidate multiple systems including school bells, PA/intercom, and remote audio into a simple interface over a single network. The system integrates a bird’s-eye view of each school within the district, so users can easily create zones, and select or exclude single rooms or groups of rooms for communications.

Horizon Digital and Audio Encoder: This upgrade to the TV studio will allow OCSD to broadcast events live in high definition to all district equipment.

The system’s creator, AMX, is owned by Samsung and manufactures video switching and control devices. It develops technology at all levels of education, as well as for the government and private businesses. For more on AMX, visit amx.com.

Patch file photo