King-Murphy Elementary School received about $24,000 in security upgrades thanks to a grant from Convergint Technologies.
King-Murphy was one of two schools in Colorado to be picked for the company’s STEP Up for Schools initiative. STEP stands for Secure, Train, Educate and Protect. Workers replaced a fire-alarm system that was at the end of its lifespan, replaced 10 cameras and installed an additional five cameras around the building.
“When your school is outside of a metro area, it’s easy to get complacent about security,” Superintendent Karen Quanbeck said. “But then I always remember Platte Canyon High School (and the 2006 murder of Emily Keyes). You never know anymore. It’s not safe anywhere.”
C.J. Dalton, general manager for Convergint, said the reality in the world today makes school security necessary. To that end, employees are given a day off each year to do community service that includes installing the equipment.
“We’re passionate about keeping students safe,” Dalton said.
The Clear Creek School District applied to Convergint to receive the free equipment, upgrades and installation. King-Murphy was one of 80 schools nationwide selected to be part of this year’s program.
