CISF writes to Delhi schools, offers consultancy for security audit
Prominent schools carry out security audit by private companies, which cost ₹20 lakh, while CISF offers the same service in ₹4-10 lakh.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has written to schools across the city offering them consultancy services for a security audit of their campus in the backdrop of the recent murder of a 7-year-old student at the Ryan International School, Gurgaon.
The force, which is responsible for security of important installations across the country, also offers consultancy services where it inspects the site and suggests measures to improve security. The CISF has in the past done security audits for IITs and IIMs across the country.
Sources said that prominent schools carry out security audit by private companies, which cost ₹20 lakh, while CISF offers the same service in ₹4-10 lakh. “We have written to individual schools as well as their trusts, informing about the service we can offer. We would be happy to contribute towards making schools safer. We have been doing it since 1999 and would be happy if schools take our help,” said OP Singh, director general of CISF.
CISF has 130 trained consultants who visit installations and offer suggestion related to security. Recently they conducted security audit of Bhopal jail. Though many of the schools that HT contacted said that they had not received the letter, they all conceded that an audit by the CISF would be a welcome move. The principals of one of the schools approached by the CISF, said that they had asked a retired CISF official earlier if they would be willing to “look around the campus”.
“They are always welcome. Anybody doing good work would be welcome,” they said.
Manika Sharma, the director of the Shri Ram Schools, said, “We would be more than happy if the CISF would conduct our safety audits. We are quite sound when it come to safety, because we have been doing safety audits for a while at Shri Ram Schools. It is almost a part of our DNA... We usually hire professionals to do the audit. It is a very expensive affair, but it is absolutely worth it.”
CISF officials said they had sent the letter on Wednesday. It may have been delivered on Friday or over the weekend.
“It is felt that in the wake of the recent unfortunate incident in one of the reputed schools in NCR in which a young student lost his life, there is now a need for revisiting the security infrastructure of our schools. We firmly believe that our consultancy will assist in finalising the blue print for effective security and fire protection of educational institutions. Our report will cover all aspects related to integrated security solutions, student/faculty protection and any other specific requirement. The consultancy report and security architecture will be commensurate to requirement,” states the letter written by Sudhir Kumar, DIG of CISF.
CISF has, till date, offered consultancy to 197 installations and requests for 90 more is pending. CISF officials said they receive around 4-5 requests every month. Depending on the area and strength of the installation, CISF charges ₹4-10 lakh for the service. It recommends location of CCTV cameras, securing entry points and identifying vulnerable points. It also offers training to private guards, who would be posted at the installations.
“In our training, we tell them intervention at the right time is required. Sometimes, you might not be able to prevent the incident but timely intervention can minimise the damage,” said a CISF officer.