Emergency Schools Communications Guide 

Communications help schools run both smoothly and safely, providing critical connections across classrooms and campuses. 

The latest school technology from Radio One/CSE Crosscom can support your entire system while delivering reliable connectivity and security. This guide will help you choose and implement an effective communications system customized for your school or district. 

Why two-way radios are integral to schools/districts communications 

When cell phones go down or prove unreliable, your two-way-radio system delivers with durability and range. A school two-way radio communication system is essential in an emergency. They offer: 

• Reliable Connectivity 

• Extended battery life and range, so you don’t have to worry about bad batteries or your ability to connect in challenging moments 

• Clear communications during events of all sizes and a hands-free option when you need to multitask 

• Efficient connection among staff and designated groups 

• Integration with your current school technology and security systems 

Radio One/CSE Crosscom can help you design or upgrade your school’s security with two-way radios and other integrated technology that connects across locations. 

How to select the right radios and the right system 

Two-way radios can work for every school and every district, but you still want to determine the best radios, system and options for your school. Radio One/CSE Crosscom can help you examine the following factors to find the best fit: 

• How big is your school/district in terms of size and layout? This will help you assess the range required for your two-way-radio system. Smaller schools can often choose handheld radios that are more compact in size while bigger locations should consider repeaters and more sizable options to cover all the bases. 

• How many people will be using two-way radios? From administration to teachers to coaches to bus drivers, it is important to determine how many on your team will require a radio on a regular basis. 

• What radio features will be required by different departments? From simple basic Push-To-Talk functionality to radios that offer more complex connectivity options, like interfacing with local public safety officials, it’s important to recognize what features will be engaged by different user groups. 

• Will your radios be mostly used indoors or a combination of indoor/outdoor? Different frequency bands tend to work better outdoors so this information can help your technology team make the best selection. 

• What add–ons will be helpful in both everyday and emergency situations? These can include remote speaker mics and headset accessories, GPS tracking, emergency alerts, privacy features and more. You will also want to opt for a radio system that can scale with your needs as they evolve. 

• What is your budget? We can work with your budget to ensure your school has the essential features it needs. 

• Are discreet microphones or remote speaker mics essential for key personnel?  

Finally, make sure you choose a system that is weather- and water-resistant and other durable features that guarantee a long lifespan. 

Orchestrate from Motorola Solutions 

Part of the Motorola Solutions Safety & Security Ecosystem, Orchestrate is a cloud-based, user-friendly software that provides the ability to customize and automate workflows to help manage comprehensive security technology. By creating intelligent, automated workflows, you can enhance efficiency while improving response times and the safety of your personnel. Orchestrate provides security teams the capability to detect triggers across multiple devices and initiate actions to reduce the risk of breaches and downtime by automatically alerting teams and implementing the proper procedures.  

As a Motorola Solutions Safety Reimagined partner, Radio One/CSE Crosscom empowers unified, orchestrated technology to enhance safety, efficiencies and proactive decision-making. Orchestrate takes what was once desperate technologies and unites voice, video and data into a single command center view to make your job easier. 

Getting down to business: Two-way radio training and etiquette 

With more than 30 years of experience in educating teams on the latest technology, Radio One/CSE Crosscom offers comprehensive training for your school. We can help you with: 

• Daily and emergency operations. From turning radios on and off to changing channels (and determining what each channel is for) to hands-free options, we have you covered! We will also share best practices for how to effectively use two-way radios in an emergency. 

• Dos and don’ts: Do speak clearly. Don’t use inappropriate language. Do pause before transmitting. Don’t talk too fast. We will train your team on the etiquette of effective and efficient two-way radio usage. 

• Battery care: When you take good care of your batteries, they will come through for you when you need them. 

Training from Radio One/CSE Crosscom ensures everyone is familiar with the ins and outs of two-way radios and comfortable using all of the features. We can also provide refreshers and updates as your technology grows and evolves. 

Making a plan for success 

A few simple policies and procedures can ensure successful usage of your two-way radios and technology.  

This can include usage guidelines—such as appropriate times to use radios—ongoing maintenance and equipment checks, rules on discussing student-related information and, of course, emergency communications.  

You should also perform regular testing to guarantee that your equipment is working well and that your staff is skilled at using it. Documenting your policies and procedures for smart two-way radio use will make it easier to train new employees and make the best use of your equipment. 

The best of the rest 

Beyond two-way radios, your school might also want to consider the following technology enhancements and upgrades: 

• In-building coverage: A bidirectional amplifier or distributed antenna system can be used to increase wireless coverage in hard-to-reach areas such as parking ramps, stairwells and elevators. 

• Video surveillance and concealed weapons detection: Video surveillance is designed to expand real-time awareness while concealed weapons detection offers advanced security and alerts. 

• Smart sensors: Motorola’s HALO Smart Sensor is a multifunctional safety device that enhances situational awareness through vape detection, air quality monitoring, gunshot detection, and abnormal noise and motion detection, providing protection even where video security solutions are not permitted.  

• Wireless on school buses: More buses are adding wi-fi technology to bolster communications and make it easier for ongoing learning, particularly for students in more rural areas who have a longer bus ride. 

The two-way radio expertise you can rely on 

Radio One/CSE Crosscom can help your school boost safety and security, communication and connections. A two-way radio system can upgrade efficiencies and safety throughout your entire district and support you during emergency situations. 

We can train your teams, so they are comfortable and confident using two-way radios for drills, everyday operations and emergency situations and upgrade your current systems when you are ready to advance.  

We are proud to support emergency communications in schools across the United States and to offer expertise in choosing, integrating and communicating with the latest two-way-radio technology. 

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