How Custom Alarm Aced School Security & Life Safety Project
Learn how a state-of-the-art fire alarm and emergency notification system, installed across more than 20 facilities for a Minnesota school district, earned Custom Alarm SDM’s inaugural Project of the Year Award.
Faced with soaring enrollment and a critical need for district-wide capital improvements, Rochester Public Schools in southeastern Minnesota asked voters in 2019 to support a large bond referendum. The district was burdened with many facility challenges that could not be addressed within its standard operating budget. Among the most pressing must haves: greatly heightened school safety for more than 18,000 students, plus faculty.
Residents saw the necessity and approved the referendum. The district has since been busy allotting $181 million for both new construction and overhauling existing buildings, with project completion expected before students return to classes in September. Central to the improvements is roughly $7 million for life safety and security enhancements, such as redesigning main entrances at schools to better monitor and control visitor access.