- Industry: Schools, Education
- Location: Toronto, Canada
- Customer: Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School
- Products: Ritron XT Callbox
- Application: Allows parents outside of the building to reach teachers in a timely manner
- Results: With the callbox system, parents simply press a button and indicate which student they are there to retrieve. Teachers verify the identity of the parent and respond with a time frame for when they will meet them. No more frustrated parents searching for their children.
- Summary: This system has reduced stress and increased peace-of-mind for everyone involved. By eliminating the need to pound on windows, teachers and students have fewer distractions, parents have a simple way of signaling their arrival and know exactly when their child will be ready. Maintaining the security protocol is simple and service is fast and efficient thanks to the clear communications provided by the callbox system.
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Radio Callbox Enhances Security For Canadian After-School Program
Each day, up to 40 students attend an after-school program in the lower level of the Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Toronto, Canada, and each evening after work, a parent returns to pick up their student. In keeping with security protocols, all exterior doors are kept locked, so parents had to bang on the doors and windows to announce their presence to the teachers. Not only was this disruptive, but in the winter months when darkness settles in early, teachers could no longer even see who was at the door, posing a significant and troublesome security problem. A radio callbox with real-time, long-range communication between the door and radioequipped teachers has greatly simplified and streamlined the process, while maintaining security.
Arriving parents merely follow the instructions printed on the Ritron call box. A press of the “push-to-talk” button allows parents to speak instantly and directly to radio-equipped teachers inside the school, teachers then verify the identity of each parent before bringing the student to meet them.
Out of Sight Doesn’t Mean Out of Touch
In addition to providing safe, simple egress, the callbox system gives teachers the added freedom and peace-of-mind to schedule activities anywhere in the facility —in the classroom, in the cafeteria, or on the playground, without worrying they might miss a call from a parent. The system provides robust coverage throughout the entire facility.
“On nice days, teachers might take the students to the playground” said Daycare Director Gloria Samuel. “But you cannot see the playground from the main entryway, so parents would be banging on the doors and windows, but we couldn’t hear them.”
With the callbox system, parents simply press a button and indicate which student they are there to retrieve. Teachers verify the identity of the parent and respond with a time frame for when they will meet them. No more frustrated parents searching for their children.
Samuel worked with local Ritron distributor Juris Utnans from Paradym Tech. on the purchase of the callbox. Utnans installed the callbox in about an hour —initially opting for the battery power only operation. Faced with the prospect of another brutal winter this year and to reduce the possibility of frozen batteries, Utnans decided to use a Ritron external power supply to power the callbox system.
Samuel and the teachers she works with love the new system.
“Communication is very clear and crisp, no matter where we are,” continued Samuel. “The teachers love it and the parents do as well. We’re maintaining our security protocol and still providing prompt service when parents arrive.”
Because Samuel operates the before-school and after-school programs independently from the school and does not own the building, finding an economical solution was important. The callbox proved to be a viable economical solution with ample range to reach anywhere in the multi-floor building and throughout the almost 2 acres of grounds.
Summary
The Ritron XT callbox is a purpose-built, fixed location 2-way radio. It includes a weather-proof and vandal-resistant design, rugged stainless-steel faceplate and vandal-proof internal antenna.The callbox allows non-radio equipped personnel to communicate instantly and directly with radio-equipped personnel from anywhere within range of the callbox. Callboxes are typically located at remote locations such as entry gates, delivery doors, parking garages/lots, detached buildings, golf courses, or on the plant floor.
This system has reduced stress and increased peace-ofmind for everyone involved. By eliminating the need to pound on windows, teachers and students have fewer distractions, parents have a simple way of signaling their arrival and know exactl when their child will be ready. Maintaining the security protocol is simple and service is fast and efficient thanks to the clear communications provided by the callbox system.
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