Commerce City school receives $50,000 in security, other upgrades

BY TEDDY JACOBSEN TJACOBSEN@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Kemp Elementary School in Commerce City has received tens of thousands of dollars in security upgrades at no cost from a company that has donated similar systems to rural schools around the state.

Convergint, an international company that designs, installs and services electronic security systems, donated its services as part of an annual social responsibility day, where its 9,200 employees participate in a day of service in their respective communities. e e ort brought $3 million in equipment and labor to schools and security upgrades to 32 schools in three states, including Colorado.

Convergint Director of Business Development Stephen Fisher said the security portion of the annual program is called STEP Up. It is an initiative to help strengthen school security as part of the company’s social responsibility day.

“ ere’s a lot of noise in the security space around K-12,” Fisher said. “And we are a trusted business partner who is product-agnostic and who has no agenda other than to create a safe environment for teachers and students and people on campus.” e company installs and services electronic security, cybersecurity, re and life safety, building automation and audio-visual systems. e backdrop to such upgrades are concerns about security across the county, especially amid ongoing incidents, including shootings at schools. According to a survey done by the Institute of Education Sciences, an independent, nonpartisan statistics arm of the U.S. Department of Education, around 58% of elementary schools reported at least one instance of violent crime in the 2019-20 academic year, the most recent data available. And, 45% reported at least once instance of nonviolent crime.

Fisher said Convergint typically provides alert technology in the schools that could inform rst responders, other o cials and even parents during an incident. According to the IES survey, 41% of elementary schools have buttons or alarms that directly connect to local law enforcement agencies in the event of an incident. And 70% of elementary schools have systems that automatically notify parents of school-wide emergencies.

Schools apply each year for Convergint’s STEP Up for Schools program, which may include free interior and exterior security system installations, upgrades and assessments. To date, 71 schools across the country have received security donations from the initiative. Convergint has provided the service for several other schools across Colorado, including the Park County School District, Clear Creek School District and Bennett School District.

At Ward S. Kemp elementary school, Convergint employees installed a new security system that helps prevent unwanted visitors from entering and upgraded re safety equipment. ey company also did some sprucing up with paint on June 9.

Ward Principal Robert JurhsSavage said the work done by Convergint was welcome news. He’s looking forward to learning about the new security system.

“I’d love to come in and check out how it works,” JurhsSavage said.

Fisher said the company typically selects schools from less populated, more rural districts. But a lack of funding also plays a factor in the company’s selection process.

“We’re looking for school districts that might not have the funding, the capital or the expertise to be able to do what we do,” Fisher said. “We just wanted to shorten the process for the people that don’t even have those resources.”