The Riviera Ridge School
Zero
NVRs to maintain
24/7
professional monitoring
2x
faster incident response time
Background
Perched in the mountains of Santa Barbara, the Riviera Ridge School is a vibrant educational community with approximately 254 students and 55 dedicated faculty members. The school is committed to providing a personalized and welcoming learning environment, emphasizing safety and connection. Using advanced technology, Riviera Ridge aims to provide a secure and efficient campus, allowing faculty to focus on what truly matters—student safety and success.
Rafael Cordero, the Director of Information Technology (IT) Services, oversees the deployment and management of these technological solutions. He explains, "Being a small school in a unique, elevated location comes with its own set of challenges, particularly with the frequent wildfires in Southern California. It's essential for us to have a security system tailored to meet these specific needs."
The Challenge
"Our legacy system was end-of-life, and our school has an open campus environment."
The primary challenges included an outdated network video recorder (NVR) camera system and the absence of real-time, cloud-based security management. The school required a system capable of providing after-hours security, essential for safeguarding the open campus. Additionally, situated in California, Riviera Ridge had to consider the impact of the state's wildfire season, which could impact remote communities with smoke and pollution.
Why Verkada
"We can now manage our security from off-campus, making it faster for our team to respond to incidents.”
The Riviera Ridge School chose Verkada for its ease of use, simple remote management, and hybrid cloud infrastructure. By eliminating the need for traditional network video recorders (NVRs), the cameras retain footage onboard and offer unlimited cloud storage for archived video clips. Key benefits include:
Multi-Layered School Safety: The school enjoys a centralized management system where all security products are seamlessly integrated, offering a holistic view from a single pane of glass.
Around-the-Clock Protection: Cameras incorporates built-in professional monitoring to enhance after-hours security, effectively supplementing the onsite security team.
An Intuitive Software Interface:The staff benefits from a user-friendly software platform that includes incident management tools and actionable insights.
Wildfire Health & Safety Monitoring: Air quality sensors can monitor and alert crisis response teams to monitor environmental conditions and respond rapidly to potential health hazards.
Multi-Layered School Safety Strategy
The school has deployed a range of Verkada products to provide top-notch security for staff and students. Their solutions include advanced cameras equipped with License Plate Recognition (LPR) and alarms featuring panic buttons, strategically installed across the campus. Cloud-based guest management and air quality sensors add to the platform's capabilities, resulting in an all-in-one school security system.
"With our suite of Verkada products, we have established a security environment that comprehensively covers our campus, allowing us to monitor and respond promptly to any incidents.”
Around-the-Clock Campus Protection
"Even when school is out, our security system continues to safeguard our campus, students, and faculty."
Verkada cameras cover every corner of the campus, providing live monitoring and perimeter security. LPR cameras monitor vehicles on campus, while Intercom controls the flow of people entering and exiting the campus. Additionally, panic buttons are readily accessible to facilitate faster responses to emergencies. Combined with alarms and 24/7 monitoring, these tools work together to detect and automate responses to potential intrusions, providing unwavering protection around the clock.
Empowering Staff with Intuitive Software
"One platform has transformed how we manage security. Having real-time alerts and video access at our fingertips, particularly during off-school hours and emergencies, has significantly improved our efficiency and campus safety."
The school has empowered its staff with an easy-to-use software interface, supporting its security posture and safety measures. Staff members receive alerts and access to video feeds, crucial during after-school hours and emergency situations. The cloud-based Command platform, available through a web browser or mobile app, helps staff and security personnel respond swiftly to any incidents – even when they are not physically present on campus.
Air Quality Monitoring for Wildfire Season
"During wildfire season, our ability to monitor health and safety conditions is crucial. We receive alerts if the air quality falls outside established thresholds, allowing for immediate action."
Once implemented, the air quality sensors at Riviera Ridge will continuously track environmental conditions. These sensors, when paired with security cameras, will allow Rafael to spot problematic areas and identify the cause. This native integration will enable him to protect students and school property more effectively, responding directly from his phone or computer to quickly intervene.
Looking Ahead
To further expand their capabilities, Rafael sees potential in deploying additional Verkada security products. “Guest digitizes visitor check-ins while maintaining the school's welcoming atmosphere, while Intercom frees up front-desk staff to take calls from anywhere.” These planned upgrades underscore the Riviera Ridge School’s proactive approach in leveraging technology to create a safer, more connected campus.
"Verkada has transformed our approach to campus security. We look forward to seeing what’s next.”
To learn more about Verkada for Schools, attend an upcoming webinar or request a live demo.
This customer received a token of appreciation for their feedback.