The following guest post was authored Paul Marshall LEED, AP BD+C, Architect, Senior Director of Facilities Planning & Preparedness with TN Higher Education Commission to equip you with resources and guidelines of school safety, security and preparedness. An additional resource is listed below regarding Best Practices for K-12 Facility Design.
Guest Post by Paul Marshall, LEED AP BD+C | Architect | Senior Director | Facilities Planning & Preparedness | Tennessee Higher Education Commission:
Best Practices for K-12 Facility Design: Safety Security Resilience Preparedness
Best Practices for K-12 Facility Design: Safety Security Resilience Preparedness was released in June 2023 by the TN Dept. of Education, TN Dept. of Military|TEMA, TN Dept of Safety & Homeland Security and TN Higher Education Committee to Administrators & Campus Personnel.
Introduction: The following best practices for facility design relate to physical security, occupant safety, emergency preparedness, and an all-hazards mitigation strategy. This document presents a series of concepts that may be applied to the unique circumstances for any individual site or building. It is a reference guide for campus facilities planning teams, architects, and contractors involved in design, construction, and facility operations in the State of Tennessee. These concepts are intended as guidelines through the design process and should not conflict with or override code or life safety requirements. The recommendations were derived from best practices and overall facility security assessment criteria developed by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security (TDOSHS), and reviewed (for informational purposes only) by the Office of the State Architect, (OSA), and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), THEC Facilities Planning, and the Tennessee Dept. of Education leadership. We believe the use of these design parameters, whether in capital projects or local initiatives, will serve to improve the safety, security, and resilience of all campus communities.
Best Practices for K-12 Facility Design: Safety Security Resilience Preparedness