Burke County and BCPS accepting bids for increased security

Burke County Public Schools (BCPS) is expanding initiatives that started earlier this year, stepping up from wand detectors and clear bags at sports events to full-scale walk-through weapon detectors.

Burke County is working in conjunction with the school system to accept bids on the installation of 13 CEIA USA OPENGATE weapons detection systems across four high schools and five middle schools.

The district said the safety measures are not in response to any specific threat.

The detectors are portable, meaning they can be moved between football stadiums and basketball gyms — even between schools if the need arises.

Burke County received $600,000 after an application to the U.S. Department of Justice for a Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) award. The COPS website said the Students, Teachers, and Officers Preventing School Violence Act of 2018 gave the COPS office authority to distribute awards to local governments for security improvement at schools.

Of the $600,000, $468,743 is allotted for the detectors, while the county is using a portion of the grant at a recreational field, according to the district.

Due to grant requirements that mandate a local 25% cash match, BCPS will also spend $117,186 on enhanced safety measures.

“The Superintendent’s Safety Council will work to prioritize how to best use any remaining funds on additional safety measures,” the district said.

BCPS Director of Student and Family Services Dr. Dillon Sain pointed to multiple benefits of the walk-through detectors, highlighting the increased safety capabilities through faster detection and layered security.

Sain also said the detectors are less intrusive, because attendees can walk through without removing belongings or emptying bags, leading to less bottlenecking and easier flow.

Composed of two standalone pillars, OPENGATE detectors use acoustic and optical signals at the tops of the pillars to track real-time status and sound alarms. They are battery operated and weigh 25 pounds.

The CEIA website boasts a 1-minute setup time and can be remotely managed via an app.

According to the county’s request for proposals, vendors will provide, install, and conduct training. The submission deadline is Jan. 8 at 2 p.m.

Details for bidding can be found at https://www.burkenc.org//Bids.aspx?BidID=132.