Interior Ministry to introduce panic emergency alert system

Islamabad
After receiving serious threats from terror outfits regarding attacks on academic institutions, the Ministry of Interior has taken foolproof security measures to counter such attempts, well-placed sources told ‘The News’.
The ministry is all set to introduce the Panic Emergency Alert System (PEAS) linking all schools, colleges and universities with police for quick response and tackling such incidents, sources maintained.
The PEAS will be initiated in Islamabad and later shifted to other major cities of the country, sources said.
The ICT Police introduced Mobile Emergency Alert System for academic institutions (Panic Button System), sources said. They said that in this project a mobile phone (android) will be available at all educational institutions. In case of any emergency, the mobile phone will be connected with police units and officers by pressing a single ‘Panic Button’ including concerned police station, concerned station house officer, sub-divisional police officer, Rescue-15 and police control. A Tablet PC has been installed at Rescue-15 and 19 mobile phones have been provided to the police stations for receipt of emergency calls.
Four teams of the ICT Police have been assigned the task to install software of ‘Mobile Emergency Alert System’ (MEAS) in mobile phones of focal-security persons in all government and private academic institutions in the ICT, sources said and added that 452 focal persons of educational institutions have been provided the MEAS software application.
The zone-wise briefing sessions for management and security staff of academic institutions have been arranged for introduction of ‘Panic Button System’, sources maintained.
For security and protection of students and staff of educational institutions, guidelines have been given which should be implemented in letter and spirit.
The school management should be responsible for issuing a category-wise security card to students, teachers and staff members having particular school insignia, current pictures, signature of authority, stamp of the organisation, sources said.
All academic institutions have been asked to arrange weekly and quarterly briefings to inculcate security issues to teachers, students and staff members. The record-data of canteen-tuck shop holders and private pick & drop providers should be verified through concerned authorities. The academic institutions have been asked not to assign any other task to guards-chowkidars except for their own duties (watch & ward), sources added.
The administrations of educational institutions have to inform the district administration and police prior to organising any programme inside the premises.
The Ministry of Interior has set perimeters of security to ensure foolproof protection of academic institutions, including construction or repair of the boundary walls and raise these up to 8 feet or more, to install razor wire loops (4’ feet radius) at the top of boundary walls, place/fix jersey or Hesco barriers adjacent to the boundary wall, install delta and drop down barriers on the gates of school to ensure controlled entry on the premises, and use only one gate for entry & exit. However, more than one gate should be used for evacuation in case of an emergency. The academic institutions have been asked to remove encroachments, clean drains, prune bushes & hedges from the adjacent areas.
The ministry proposed access control-installation of gadgets with the condition to install CCTV cameras outside and inside academic institutions, install walkthrough gates at entrances, provide modern metal detectors (MDs) and reflecting mirrors to security guards-chowkidars, manage communication system in form of ‘walkie-talkies’ and mobiles, install CLI facility on land line phones to help identify and deter threatening callers and install panic, siren, hooter and alarm buttons in control of receptionist, principal and snipers at rooftops. It also proposed to construct small pickets surrounded by sandbags on rooftops of buildings and inside the premises (in front of main entrance), prevent access to windows and roofs by trimming trees, relocating objects near buildings that can be used for scaling walls and ensure that down spouts, covered walkway supports, light posts and other building or site features are not scalable. It also said that sufficient lighting arrangements to be made on the premises at night.
The ministry asked administrations of academic institutions to depute snipers in the pickets (rooftops & entrance pickets) to keep a watch on activities taking place around the venue-entrance, depute security guards-chowkidars at all entry and exit gates and to depute guards at parking area to keep a vigilant eye over suspicious vehicles, persons and things.
It also asked them to ensure all drivers, including pick & drop service providers, stay around their vehicles and keep their vehicles in sight to prevent plantation of IEDs. They were asked to permit entry of vehicles in parking area after proper scanning, checking, and specific parking stickers to vehicles.
The ministry advised educational institutions to install CCTV cameras in parking areas which could identify number plates and drivers clearly.
The ministry asked academic institutions to constitute a Security Monitoring Team (SMT) of at least five professors-teachers to review-monitor security arrangements and assign one professor-teacher of SMT as professor on duty (POD)-teacher on duty (TOD) on rotation basis to keep an eye on security staff, co-workers, students and visitors. The security monitoring team will be responsible to physically inspect security arrangements on daily basis through checklist before the start of school-college-university and maintain proper a logbook. They are asked to physically inspect the entire premises (inside and outside) in the morning regarding any suspicious material or activity.
The academic institutions were advised to ensure CCTV cameras and other gadgets in operational condition and properly monitoring all TOD should maintain the data/register of such activities, which he/she saw, heard and observed during his/her duty time, ensure the presence of security guards/chowkidars round the clock, ensure at least five members of school management/security guards must have Mobile Emergency Alarm System on their android phone.
It was advised that emergency should be kept clear at all times and presence of medical supplies with nursing staff during school time should be ensured. Permit only school vehicles to enter the school premises after thorough checking.
The ministry advised that security guard should be experts in operating weapons in case of any unforeseen situation, remain agile and keep watch on movements at the gate and surrounding area, possess intercom, whistle and torch, mobile phone, alarm button etc., recognise the teachers/staff and students of the school/college, and have contact numbers of Rescue departments (15, 1915, 1122, Local Police Station, Fire Brigade).
It advised that security guards-chowkidars should stay alert on duty and keep a vigilant eye on the vehicles especially pick & drop vehicles, keep the main gate closed all the time, and inform the school/college administration about unusual happening/situation if noticed.
While the students must display their school/college ID cards on uniform, students should inform the administration if they observe any suspicious person, vehicle or material in school/college premises, and they should inform administration-guard-chowkidar if a weapon is carried by any student.
If any student notices that someone followed him, he should inform the administration, and students should not allow any irrelevant person to sit in the school van.
While, the security survey/audit of government/private schools/colleges to be conducted by local police, briefings and lectures to be delivered by police officers in government/private schools on regular basis to the students/teachers and management for awareness of security related issues and boosting up moral of students.
QRF/RRF/PS Patrolling Squads should be available (during school time) in the surrounding area of the schools/colleges for rapid response, SHO and his beat officer should pay visits to schools/colleges to inform the administration/workers/students about the security issues and strengthen the security, and they will maintain the record of their visits.
In case of threat information, police must take proactive measure to avoid any untoward incident and to make adequate security arrangements within available resources on the request of administration of educational institute during a major event/programme in the premises of school.