Long-range walkie-talkies for schools have become essential to student safety and efficient day-to-day operations. These two-way radios offer fast, reliable communication among teachers, administrators, security staff and maintenance staff without the risk of dead spots, misdials or delays caused by scrolling through long contact lists. School walkie-talkies not only allow for immediate contact with security and medical staff but also make it easier to manage bus lines and large assemblies and keep track of students during unexpected schedule changes.

Many schools buy their own two-way radio fleets, but renting radios may be the better bet for a host of reasons.

Challenges of owning two-way radios for schools

Once a school purchases radios and has them programmed, it’s generally up to the administrative staff to manage them and make sure they are well maintained so they work reliably when it counts. Yet it’s the rare school district that has someone with the skills, never mind the time, to do this properly. Gym teachers and custodians often become the jack-of-all trades that hold a school together, but that doesn’t mean they know how to fix a broken radio, or how to alter call groups or reprogram radios when the school hosts a cohort of student teachers for a semester.

These challenges are compounded when the radios are old. Once radios are purchased, schools generally don’t have the budget to replace them often. But as a radio fleet ages, the original settings may no longer meet the school’s needs. What’s more, finding batteries, antennas and other replacement parts for do-it-yourself fixes becomes more difficult, as does finding vendors willing and able to service the radios.

4 benefits of renting school walkie talkies

Renting radios instead of purchasing them can pay off in several ways.

Radio selection

The best walkie-talkies for schools depend on the school’s footprint and the radio features desired. A knowledgeable rental radio vendor can guide you to the best selection. If it turns out the radios aren’t right for you or your needs change, you can switch them out. If you buy radios, on the other hand, you’re stuck with them for the long haul.

Radio programming and setup

A full-service rental equipment vendor with deep expertise in radio communications will program the radios and assign channels to different teams per the school’s requests. As the school’s needs change, the vendor can adjust the programming accordingly.

If the campus is large or communication within dense buildings is necessary, repeaters may be needed. The vendor can set them up to help ensure flawless communication from every area.

Radio maintenance

The rental partner will make sure your equipment stays in perfect working order and that you have backup units in case a radio breaks. You won’t have to worry about paying for replacement parts or extra batteries. The vendor will also make sure your school is using up-to-date, high-quality radios at all times.

Radio financing

Renting radios rather than buying them can have distinct financial advantages for schools. If a school buys radios, it’s a capital expenditure. By renting radios, schools can pay for them on a monthly basis from their operating budgets. It’s a more manageable expense, and one that frees up money from the capital budget for other expenses that can’t be paid out over time.

Walkie-talkies for schools are a must-have in today’s world. Consider renting instead of owning to avoid headaches around maintenance, connectivity and programming; to preserve your capital budget; and to let teachers, administrators and support staff focus on their jobs instead of on radio management.

Contact the United Rentals Tool Solutions group for help with all your radio communication needs.