SCHOOL
SAFETY GUIDE
lding eaceable ce
r Education through SEL
l Perspectives - Kindergarten through High School
lness from an early age puts a child on a path for academic success and peaceable living hool.
al Perspectives curricula, students learn to manage social and academic pressures and al connectedness through responsible decision making, effective communication, and management to mitigate impulsive behavior and find healthy ways to manage stress.
e and experiential learning strategies help students learn and practice the skills promoting ulness, and social awareness with the confidence to reach for their goals, and our family end the learning to the home.
Brought ograms.org
to 800.750.0986 you by the
A PUBLICATION OF
Beazley and CrisisRisk Are proud to support the
SEEN School Safety Guide Specialist insurer Beazley and leading crisis management firm CrisisRisk have extensive experience in combining their capabilities to assist education institutions successfully prepare and respond to crisis events.
Contact jsatterfield@crisisrisk.com or call 770-331-1951
EDITOR’S NOTE
LET’S GET STARTED Last Spring, our team decided to create a School Safety Guide, largely because of a series of events that seemed all too familiar - an unthinkable school tragedy followed by the announcement of massive amounts of money to fix the problem, followed by school systems spending money without the expertise to actually make their schools safer. As we examined the data, we started to see some very common themes. Rather than first seeking advice from school security experts, school districts were more likely to seek advice from other districts, ask local law enforcement for the answers or in some cases, seek advice in the court of public opinion. In many cases, politics and misguided public relations seemed to be more important than the safety of our children. As an editor and writer, I’ve covered the school safety beat for a number of years, and have worked with some of the world’s best security professionals. These are highly skilled individuals who have spent lifetimes keeping citizens out of harm’s way. Their guidance is available to every school district and independent school. All you have to do is ask. As a school or district leader, you have spent a lifetime educating our children. But security is a separate discipline. I would not expect even the best security professional to be able to run your district. I would also not expect a superintendent to have the knowledge or skills to plan and run security. They are two different skill sets.
The good news is you can hire the expertise. I can tell you with all certainty that it is a bargain no matter the price. In business, we used to say the only thing more expensive than hiring a good lawyer is not hiring a good lawyer. That goes double for school safety. Find the expertise. Find the funding. Get it done. The alternative is finding yourself in a situation from which you and your district may never recover. You’ll find the resources you need here. The School Safety Guide contains practical, actionable advice from some of our nation’s leading school safety experts, from prevention to school hardening to correct procedures for messaging if the unthinkable does happen. The Guide also profiles key products and organizations that can help you create a safer school environment. As a district or school leader, you’ll want to read the School Safety Guide and share it with everyone on your safety team. The information contained within these pages can make your schools safer, give your students and staff piece of mind and prevent tragedies from happening – but only if you use it. We all have children and grandchildren and we’re all stakeholders on many different levels. We’re in this together. And if I don’t say it often enough, thank you for everything you do for our children. Charles Sosnik Education Journalist
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 3
School Safety Guide
Our collaborative and experiential learning strategies help students learn and practice the skills promoting empathy, mindfulness, and social awareness with the confidence to reach for their goals, and our family components extend the learning to the home.
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CONTENTS
to 800.750.0986 you by the
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Page 18
DEAR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATOR/
WHAT IS YOUR PLAN FOR CONTINUITY? Driven
SUPERINTENDENT/PRINCIPAL, DO YOU KNOW
by acts of violence, both threatened and actual,
WHETHER YOUR TEACHERS, STUDENTS, PARENTS
school leaders have focused mostly on being
AND STAFF FEEL SAFE ON THE SCHOOL GROUNDS?
prepared to respond to disruptive manmade events.
If the answer is “not really” or “no,” shame on
Educational leaders are now being confronted with
you in this day and age. Here’s an interesting
the realization that global warming and other factors
thought to ponder: What if your school’s ranking
are significantly increasing the risk of extreme natural
is based, in part, on how secure your school is?
disasters, such as floods, tornados and hurricanes.
By Mindy Marvel
By Dennis Lewis and Judy Brunner
Page 12
Page 24
IF A CRISIS HITS YOUR SCHOOLS, ARE YOU
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! HOW TO THINK DIFFERENT
READY TO COMMUNICATE? While the extreme
TO PREVENT SCHOOL SHOOTINGS AND VIOLENCE
cases capture the national media’s attention, the
Different thinking, different strategies, and different
reality is that crisis situations happen every day
tools are needed based on overwhelming evidence,
in our schools. Some minor incidents are blown
research-based data, and success stories proving
out of proportion by the media, partly because
PREVENTING school shootings and violence is possible.
schools didn’t communicate it pro-actively, getting ahead of the story. Whether it’s a fender-bender
By Rick Shaw
bus accident, a misinterpreted comment on social
Page 30
media outlets by an administrator, a childish prank
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF BULLYING
or a major fire with death and destruction, schools
The statistics are alarming, frightening, and
must be prepared to handle the avalanche of
unacceptable. More must be done to eliminate
questions from media, parents and taxpayers.
and prevent bullying with effective innovative
By David Voss
Page 14 THE TRUTH ABOUT SCHOOL SECURITY The truth
anti-bullying neuropsychological training for our children and teens. The negative emotional impact of bullying can linger well into adulthood. By Al Johnson
is you’re NOT safe. Let’s go ahead and “cut to the chase;” most of you school administrators and boards have spent buckets of money to “make” your schools more secure. Right? What you’ve really done is spend thousands or hundreds of thousands of tax payer money on training and “feel good” pie in the sky stuff. By Bill Worth
4 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
SEEN Magazine
www.seenmagazine.us 866-761-1247
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School Safety Guide
Our collaborative and experiential learning strategies help students learn and practice the skills promoting empathy, mindfulness, and social awareness with the confidence to reach for their goals, and our family components extend the learning to the home.
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CONTENTS
to 800.750.0986 you by the
Page 36
enforcement. But at what point do the resources of local
PREPARING SCHOOLS FOR TECHNOLOGY ONE STEP AT A TIME We can see the impact of technology in our daily lives everywhere from how we keep in touch with our friends on social media to how we manage our finances online. It is our personal responsibility to navigate these issues within our own lives, but when technology moves from our private lives to the education system, we have to prepare ourselves in a more structured manner. Luckily, as advanced as technology might be, there are a few simple, yet critical solutions that we can put into place to make this transition as painless and beneficial as possible. By Joe Ryan
Page 40
law enforcement become strained and ineffective? By Scott Coleman
Page 50 SEE THROUGH SECURITY Security/surveillance cameras cannot prevent someone from entering a building, and a locked door or window is simply not enough to keep an attacker/intruder from forcing their way in. A building’s weakest point is not a concrete block wall, or a metal panel system; it is its glass. Natural instinct tells us if we can see through something, it is likely an easier point of
Building a Peaceable Place
entry than something dense and unyielding. By Matt Jabobsohn
WHAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TODAY IS
MISSING. American parents send nearly 55 Million
elementary and secondary school age children to our schools every day. Yet only 32 out of 50 States require
Profiles in Safety
16 Beazley and FireStorm plans, and there are NO Federal laws requiring school 22 Window Flim Depot districts to have an emergency plan. Although an 28 RallyPoint by identiMetrics estimated 95 percent of U.S. School districts report having emergency plans of some type, the content 34 Response Technologies LTD and effectiveness of these plans vary widely. 38 Johnson Controls By Dennis Hohl 46 Fortress Mobile Page 42 48 Shelter-in-Place IS LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT YOUR ONE-STOP SHOP FOR SCHOOL SAFETY? As acts of mass violence 54 Quake Kare Character Education through SEL school districts to have emergency management
and other types of crime become more and more
frequent in schools, educators continue to seek out TGFV Social Perspectives - Kindergarten through High School practical safety solutions that won’t break the bank.
Building mindfulness from an early age puts a child on a path for academic success and peaceable living
in and out of school. Often, they turn to the only trusted source of violence
prevention familiar to their communities – local law In the TGFV Social Perspectives curricula, students learn to manage social and academic pressures and practice pro-social connectedness through responsible decision making, effective communication, and peaceful conflict management to mitigate impulsive behavior and find healthy ways to manage stress. Our collaborative and experiential learning strategies help students learn and practice the skills promoting empathy, mindfulness, and social awareness with the confidence to reach for their goals, and our family components extend the learning to the home.
6 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine toogoodprograms.org
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School Safety Guide
By Mindy Marvel
Dear School Administrator/ Superintendent/ Principal, Do you know whether your teachers, students, parents and staff feel safe on the school grounds? 8 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
If the answer is “not really” or “no,” shame on you in this day and age. Here’s an interesting thought to ponder: What if your school’s ranking is based, in part, on how secure your school is? Today, school rankings are based on academics, test scores, graduate rates, etc. Annual university rankings don’t list security as a key element either. In the next few years, security could become a major factor in where families choose to live, work and attend school. While a plan of action might have been developed by your public safety or IT teams, is it based on what another school system has implemented or a professional security assessment of your environment? And does it support your business objectives? The success (and a request for increased funding) of security technology implementation, personnel and/or accompanying policies is highly dependent on understanding parents, staff’s, students’ and administration’s perception of safety. A strong security Plan of Action must be multi-faceted, tailored to each environment, and support the school system’s overall business objectives. The Plan should support equipment acquisition and installation, training, policy development, communication, technology improvements, and coordination with appropriate emergency response agencies. It might also include the hiring and deployment of security guards. The goal of the Plan of
Action is to create a comprehensive approach to physical safety and security – one that is understood and supported by parents, students, and administration. Too few organizations are taking this approach: without a good understanding of all from all parties impacted, a truly holistic Plan of Action cannot be created or effective. Even with an influx of funding, schools have not necessarily become safer as evidenced by a steady increase in school incidents. [Read more at: https://phys.org/news/2018-04-rapidmass-school.html#jCp] It is important to understand why and where this community feels there is a lapse of coverage. While the physical presence of a security guard and marked car can deter some incidents, they alone are not foolproof. In the U.S., there is no standard for security guard training or the amount or type of education a person must complete to become a guard. Licensing varies from state to state and, in some states, rehabilitated felons can be hired as security guards. The average salary for a security guard has typically been very low (under $30,000). And while background checks are run on personnel as part of the hiring process, they cannot identify mental instability or motivation. As a result of a check, a candidate may look like a perfect role model for the position on paper but history of incidents has shown otherwise. It is important to understand the motivation of the personnel being hired to protect students and staff. As we have seen over the past few years, there have been incidents of guards causing damage to property and using excessive force that injured and/or
killed the people they were supposed to be protecting. [6/13/2016, Veteran G4S Security Guard Murders 49 in Orlando; 11/6/2017, Another Security Guard Mass Murder – Texas Church Shooting] What is the answer? Unification. A cohesive security plan includes surveillance technology, a centralized management solution, security services, alarms, access controls, sensors, personal security, thorough (and repeated) training, and welldocumented building plans and
procedures. Additionally, effective multimedia communications intrabuilding and across the enterprise, with faculty and parents, and with first responder organizations is a must. Police, Fire, and Medical personnel stopping the threat and rendering live-saving aid need to have access to floorplans and key resources with 2-way radios, IP phones or mobile devices. Other aspects that must be considered include parking, athletic areas, and buses. And equally important, especially
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 9
School Safety Guide when there are challenges to overcome like funding, Board approvals, synergy between IT and Security, and culture alignment, is getting a complete understanding of how your “customers” grade your strategy (or lack thereof). Do parents, faculty, and students “feel” safe on school property? Which measures currently promote a feeling of safety and what additional steps should be taken? Which actions could improve the safety experience on school grounds? How does/can safety increase parent and staff loyalty and advocacy? Is there a perception of a gap in your capability that needs to be positioned differently to your customers? Are there ways for your school to differentiate itself when security becomes a decision box that students and parents need to check when selecting a school system? An Enterprise Safety Assessment (ESA) will provide this information and much more.
10 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
An Enterprise Safety Assessment (ESA) is designed to survey distinct facets of responders (i.e. students, parents, leadership/superintendent, Board, administration, IT, facilities, etc.) and map the responses to current and prioritized business goals. Summarized results will indicate what is working well and recommendations against business drivers. The results will help identify how and where to use existing security tools and equipment, where potential security risk and exposure exist, and how the school ultimately compares against industry benchmarks and best practices. Survey outcomes will highlight whether your school is setting the benchmark or is completely in the dark, or somewhere else along that spectrum. These results will outline potential approaches that can be taken to implement and operationalize changes to the infrastructure. As
well, the Assessment will identify how to proceed. Based on the results, a roadmap can be developed that aligns with the highest school priorities and suggests how to engage leadership to promote the rollout of this plan. Without executive leadership to sanction procurement, secure funding, and support operational/ organizational changes, the roadmap will ultimately fail. Technology benchmarks will also be provided as a result of the Assessment. Are the embedded systems and tools agile enough to meet changing business needs? For instance, today the parking lots may not be a concern; however, electronic gates, surveillance capture, emergency communications, or license plate recognition might need to be in place at some point. The Assessment is intended to protect technology investment where possible. The readout will provide
suggested ways to optimize the tools that are currently in place in addition to recommending ways to augment capabilities. Other suggestions like system integration, data analysis and reporting, or engaging other departments in the decisions will be provided. Key recommendations will be provided that summarize the responses to the Enterprise Security Assessment against provided business objectives – marketing, technology, operations, analytics, leadership, and policies and procedures, including training and communications. The challenge every school faces is the same as any business: how to maximize the customer’s experience. Customer experience is directly related to and dependent
on customer safety. If students, parents and faculty don’t feel safe on school premises, the end result is decreased enrollment, difficulty finding quality teaching staff, and lower school statistics. Assess - understand your customers’ experience. Unify – implement the enhancements in a cohesive manner. It’s that simple. What security technology is installed or used throughout the campus is irrelevant if your customers don’t feel safe. The only way to gauge how teachers, administration, students and parents feel about your security measures is to ask them, properly analyze the results, then take action and communicate. If education establishments were
rated by their security capability today, where would you rate? Are you investing in the correct measures? The initial Assessment is complimentary. With more than 35 years in the technology industry, Mindy has successfully guided product development, corporate operations and business development focused on communications, networking and security solutions. She has a passion for helping enterprises leverage compelling products and services to meet strategic initiatives and eradicate challenges. Mindy is currently providing leadership for the Vigilant Platforms Physical Security Division of Alliance Technology Group in Hanover, MD
How safe is your school? Or is this your school’s security policy?
Do Parents, Students and Teachers really feel safe on school grounds? What if school ranking was based on how well your campus has been secured? How would your school rank? Technology is constantly changing and security incidents continue daily. Vigilant Platforms security engineers stay abreast of the latest security capabilities and best practices to help you keep ahead of rapidly changing technology and help you adopt what you need, when you need it. Vigilant Platforms takes a comprehensive and proactive approach to physical safety and security and will help you construct a security Roadmap, an integrated physical security plan allowing your organization to seamlessly add additional layers of defense over time. Wondering where to start? The first step is understanding your stakeholders – the students, staff and parents. A Vigilant Platforms assessment measures your stakeholder perceptions and creates the basis for the Security Roadmap. Contact Mindy Marvel, mindy.marvel@alliance-it.com or 443.561.0354 and let us help you shape an assessment to your needs.
ASSESS. CENTRALIZE. UNIFY. [a division of Alliance Technology Group]
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 11
School Safety Guide
If a CRISIS Hits Your Schools, Are You READY to COMMUNICATE? By DAVID R. VOSS
12 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
While the extreme cases capture the national media’s attention, the reality is that crisis situations happen every day in our schools. Some minor incidents are blown out of proportion by the media, partly because schools didn’t communicate it pro-actively, getting ahead of the story. Whether it’s a fender-bender bus accident, a misinterpreted comment on social media outlets by an administrator, a childish prank or a major fire with death and destruction, schools must be prepared to handle the avalanche of questions from media, parents and taxpayers. While everyone understands that a crisis may happen, educators will be judged by how they handled it. Most school districts have an Emergency Preparedness Plan, explaining procedures and remedies for managing crisis situations. But very few have a clearly understood Crisis Communications Plan. A good plan simplifies the process, spells out exactly who’s in charge, and provides tips and training for communicating critical messages before, during and after the crisis. The first rule of thumb is that there is only one spokesperson. During a crisis, no one should speak to the media except the
official spokesperson, usually the superintendent, the principal, or the public information officer. This avoids conflicting stories, the release of premature information, and potential liability lawsuits down the road. Spokespersons must be trained in the art of clear and coherent messages delivered in a calm and compassionate voice. This takes practice. Role-playing in front of cameras is the only way to prepare for such an event. They must know the public record laws, how to control the message, provide emotional comfort, and disseminate only accurate information as it becomes available. This means avoid speculation, exaggeration, blame or answering hypothetical questions. The Crisis Communications Plan
designates restricted areas for media access and parent gatherings. The spokesperson should promise frequent updates to avoid a media frenzy. Someone should monitor the media to check for accuracy and correct misinformation. Someone else should make sure staff is properly informed. Most importantly, today’s technology allows school districts to communicate directly to parents and stakeholders during a crisis. Phone notification systems, Twitter and Facebook, eBlasts, mobile apps and websites should be fully leveraged during a crisis situation. Fact sheets with background information are prepared before a crisis to answer basic questions on the web. Updates are added as information becomes known. Someone has to be in charge of
monitoring and responding to social media and updating the website. All district administrators should be asking whether they feel confident that they are ready manage communication during a crisis situation. Do you have a plan? Do you have sufficient training? If not, contact an expert in crisis communications to help you prepare. David R. Voss is president of Voss & Associates, a full service communications company with its heart in education. He recently prepared an engaging online course called Crisis Readiness that not only improves skills, but finishes with a localized Crisis Communications Plan. Order it at communicatingeducation. net or contact David at david@ vossandassociates.net
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School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 13
School Safety Guide
THE
TRUTH ABOUT
SCHOOL
SECURITY By Bill Worth
The truth is you’re NOT safe. Let’s go ahead and “cut to the chase;” most of you school administrators and boards have spent buckets of money to “make” your schools more secure. Right? What you’ve really done is spend thousands or hundreds of thousands of tax payer money on training and “feel good’ pie in the sky stuff. Cameras don’t make your school more secure, increased communication bells and whistles don’t either, running poorly thoughtout or implemented drills aren’t doing it either. If your goal is increased security – focus on keeping the bad guy out of your building; PERIOD. I’ll wager that most anyone can gain access to your school, especially K-8, by walking up to your main entry with several pizzas or a beautiful bouquet of flowers. The bogus deliveryman buzzes your front desk; this staff
14 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
member barely glances up from her computer screen to buzz this unremarkable looking guy into your school. In seconds he transforms into a homicidal maniac, draws his semi-automatic pistol, takes aim and executes everyone in the front office area and then begins his journey into the depths of your school. Cameras didn’t help because they just record the carnage, walkie-talkies or intercoms didn’t either because everyone up front is dead while every teacher and student in the classroom freezes in fear because their training has been disjointed and unrealistic. The good news is that I’ve come to help, not condemn. Let’s focus on keeping the bad guy out of your school. The things we’re going to discuss may give your staff precious seconds or minutes to call 911, sound the alarm and
evacuate everyone in an orderly manner. The front desk is the nerve center at most schools. These women (usually) have an epic responsibility; answering a myriad of phone calls, checking in late students, distributing backpacks and lunches delivered by harried parents and acting as the gatekeepers for everyone seeking entry into their school. It’s quite a daunting duty and not for the faint of heart. However, these gatekeepers are the first line of defense for your school. Now I’m assuming your front entry exterior and perhaps interior set of doors are locked during school hours. If they aren’t; do it now! With these doors locked a simple buzzer can release them to allow access. So, who gets in? The parents; after a while your front desk personnel will recognize them but before that ask each parent (via the intercom) to identify their child
by name and teacher. Some parents may chafe at being asked questions to gain entry but here’s your response. “Everything we do in the way of security is for the safety of your child and our staff. Do you have a problem with that?” What about lunch deliveries? The Grub hub driver, Domino’s Pizza, Jimmy John’s or Chan’s Chinese all need to be verified BEFORE you buzz them in. Wow Bill that’s a lot of work. (See quote above) And every teacher who places any order for food or whatever MUST advise the office prior to the delivery that they have ordered pizzas for movie day or lunch. Make it the teachers’ responsibility to let the office know; the office has enough work to do. Surprise flower deliveries or Vermont Teddy Bears have to be confirmed with the shipper. You may need to call the florist or UPS to verify; just do
I’ll wager that most anyone can gain access to your school, especially K-8, by walking up to your main entry with several pizzas or a beautiful bouquet of flowers. it. Just by following these procedures your school has just become more secure without spending a dime. I don’t have any financial interest in this next security tool but I have to share it because it works. You’ve refused entry to a fake pizza guy; what now? He may leave or he may start shooting through the glass surrounding the doors or the doors themselves. Now you’ve got some seconds to sound the alarm but he’s walking in through the shattered glass to continue his attack. Please check out 3M Safety and Security Window Film Products. These
films and their associated installation options are incredible. They can be applied directly over your existing glass and act as a deterrent to slow the bad guy down from entering your building. Understand that every second the bad guy is thwarted brings law enforcement closer to deal with the threat. Our motto at Countermeasure is: “When seconds count; What’s your plan?” Your plan should be to keep the bad guy out. Be Safe! Bill Worth is the managing partner at Countermeasure Consulting Group LLC.
The key to surviving an act of violence revolves around Preparation; not policies locked up in a binder. What you do in those first SECONDS will determine if you’ll Survive. What we do to PREVENT that act is crucial and too often overlooked. Countermeasure’s R.E.A.L. training concept is unique in the industry as a powerful tool for preventing and reacting to an act of violence at your school. Our team of Active Shooter experts break down the key concepts of prevention and survival personalized through assessing the needs of each individual campus. Most schools in America are still SOFT targets; we can help your schools take the steps necessary to make our kids safer while giving your staff, students and parents piece of mind. Please don’t assume your schools are safe; know that they are. Contact nationally recognized security expert Bill Worth for a confidential, no obligation consultation today.
Call/text Bill at 847-612-7564 or email: billw@countermeasureconsulting.com
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 15
Profiles in Safety
Beazley and CrisisRisk By Chris Parker, deadly weapons protection underwriter at specialist insurer Beazley, and Jim Satterfield, CEO, president and founder of crisis management firm CrisisRisk
The shocking regularity with which gun violence occurs in schools across the United States and the suffering of victims in such attacks take a toll on staff, pupils and families. As well as those living with the aftermath of an attack in their community, the widespread reporting of such incidents leaves many more people contemplating the horror and the fear of where the next tragedy will take place. Unfortunately a particularly high rate of incidents during 2018 has made it the worst year on record for gun violence in US schools. According to the US Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Center for Homeland Defense and Security, there have been 95 school shooting incidents in 2018 – which is more than 60% higher than when the figure last peaked in 2006 at 59. Understanding why these incidents occur, identifying potential perpetrators and knowing what measures can be taken to protect pupils and employees are far from straightforward concerns that school boards today must grapple with. These issues pose a huge responsibility for schools not used to considering these sorts of threats historically. Schools have become more aware of the threats and must be prepared to implement preventative measures. There is no single foolproof solution to eradicate violence in schools,
however there are steps that can be taken to reduce both the threat of an attack happening and to manage in the event of violence. Schools need to be aware of the additional support available from the insurance industry, which can work with the education sector as well as other types of organization to develop prevention and crisis management response services in tandem with more advanced risk transfer. When insurance was first developed specifically to cover incidents involving deadly weapons a few years ago, it was prompted by a need for cover for events that are generally not explicitly covered within an organizations’ general liability insurance policy. It was recognized early on that offering financial support alone to a school or other organization affected by such an attack would not provide enough of a support mechanism. We believe a deadly weapons policy should therefore have three key elements: prevention services, crisis management services and insurance cover to indemnify losses. Effective risk management can reduce the risk, through comprehensive assessment to analyze and evaluate schools’ security and identifying areas of vulnerability in the physical surroundings, as well as through educational seminars and training for staff. Seminars provided by the insurer and key partners can cover
issues such as incident awareness; typical profiles of an assailant; how to respond to an incident; how to create an emergency action plan; and how to raise awareness of key behaviors. Behavioral threat assessments help organizations to identify changes in behavior or troubled individuals at risk of perpetrating gun violence, and ideally can lead to expert intervention to diffuse the risk or motivation. A recent video incorporated into the Sandy Hook Promise ‘Know the signs’ program, developed by the families of victims of the shooting at Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut six years ago, shows that because perpetrators often know, and have complicated relationships with the places that they target, they can sometimes be identified before it is too late. Should a deadly weapons event take place, a 24/7 crisis management response team of qualified professionals can provide guidance; investigate on behalf of the client to determine the facts of the event to help inform the client’s response; help manage the crisis, offer counseling and communication strategies; and, if required, provide additional security agents. It can support victims if the worst happens, secure the area to help prevent further incidents and handle media enquiries on behalf of the school or local authority. The first hour
of response in a crisis situation is critical. In terms of the insurance cover, what is included will vary. Policies may include third-party liability, property damage, business interruption, counseling services, funeral expenses, demolition and memorialization costs, medical expenses and accidental death & dismemberment coverage. Contingent business interruption coverage covering loss of income if a deadly weapon attacks occurs within close proximity to an
insured school can also be added. What began as an insurance cover for incidents in which a gun was used, has now been expanded to include other weapons, substances and other objects that are becoming more frequently used in violent attacks such as acid, knives or vehicles. While we cannot eradicate the fear and the threat of another violent incident taking place in a school, there are important measures that can be taken that will make schools more resilient.
jsatterfield@crisisrisk.com
beazley.com
School Safety Guide
What is Your Plan for Continuity? By Dennis Lewis and Judy M. Brunner Industry and service provider leaders across the country delivering critical services know a Business Continuity Plan is not an option; it is a must. Many businesses would never think of operating without a plan to continue or quickly resume services in the aftermath of a disaster or emergency. But for us in education, the question becomes, “What’s in our plan?” The development of a comprehensive Emergency Response Plan has been a priority over the last few decades for schools and colleges across the country. Driven by acts of violence, both threatened and actual, school leaders have focused mostly on being prepared to respond to disruptive manmade events. Educational leaders are now being confronted with the realization that global warming and other factors are significantly increasing the risk of extreme natural disasters, such as floods, tornados and hurricanes.
18 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
And, these risks are not just isolated to coastal communities. With the increased risk for a potential extended disruption of school and/or the extensive damage to assets, an Educational Continuity Plan (ECP) must now be a part of, and in addition to, the overall Emergency Response Plan.
The ECP should account for the following needs and issues: •A ccounting for staff, especially those in departments and areas critical for the continuation or resumption of services • The displacement of students from the attendance area(s) and how to account for their whereabouts • Locations and the protection of necessary supplies for the replenishment or replacement of items damaged or lost
• Identification of localities for an optional school site if one or more facilities are no longer inhabitable • Plans and infra-structure developed for comprehensive and extended distance learning should educational services be disrupted for a lengthy of period of time Typical school emergencies are, for the most part, unpredictable as to when and where. However, it’s no longer if, but when. This fact has the potential to work to the advantage of educators in planning ways to keep or quickly resume educational services. Hurricanes often provide days of warning, and floods may be predicted with a scientific level of accuracy within hours or a few days advance notice.
So what does planning look like in an ECP? Accounting for Staff – In maintaining contact information for staff, request at least one phone
number of a relative living outside the geographical area who will most likely know the relocation site of the employee. Establish and publish a single contact email address and phone number for all employees to use in alerting the district of their location. To the degree possible, keep these contact methods operational. Of added importance is the dissemination of the ECP to all staff. Staff need to know their specific roles and responsibilities in the recovery effort. Throughout the development of an ECP, consideration will need to be given to the possibility some employees may be impacted by the disaster to the degree they will need assistance in order to fulfill their role in the organization’s
recovery. An example of this could be housing or transportation. Accounting for Students - The degree and extent of damage will determine the timeline for resuming educational services. Therefore, after efforts to account for staff have been completed, locating students should begin promptly. The damage to community infra-structure will determine the success of these efforts. Plans should include the use of local and state-wide media outlets to provide information on how students should make contact with their home school or the district. As students and parents reestablish contact with the district, information sheets should be completed detailing the electronic communication
options available to and from the student and parental plans for residency, including the duration and other information that may be vital to providing distance learning. Location and Protection of Supplies – There are two primary ways of protecting school supplies and equipment. 1. E stablish an arrangement with another organization out of the geographical area where, time permitting, buses can be moved. Not only will this expensive asset be out of the immediate vicinity of destruction, the buses may be used as storage for critical items necessary for the recovery.
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School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 19
School Safety Guide
2. E valuate school warehouses and other locations where supplies are maintained for their level of structural integrity. Where possible, utilize space most likely to remain intact or free from moisture. Where floods are a threat, avoid placing anything at ground level. When cost effective to do so, consider re-enforcing existing structures. Identify Possible Educational Relocation Sites – Identify, in advance, locations in the school community or in the geographical area capable of serving as a school, both as a temporary and a long-term site. This may include another school in the district or in another jurisdiction. Reciprocal agreements may be an option. Abandoned warehouse, stores, shopping malls are suitable locations that should be considered. This plan component should be revisited annually due to possible changes in availability. Technology Infra-Structure Design and Survivability – Many schools and districts are already investing in distance learning and online classes. The future holds a host of opportunities for long distance learning for students. As a planning function for an ECP, districts should consider the need to provide large scale educational services when, in the aftermath of a catastrophic event, traditional means of education are not possible. Within the design of this strategy, there should also be efforts to protect the infra-structure necessary
20 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
to deliver the services. With global warming a reality and the results seen in all parts of the country, the time is now to join business leaders in developing plans for a continuation or timely resumption of services. An Educational Continuity Plan is not an option; it is a must for today’s
educational leaders. Ask yourself today, “What’s in our plan?” Judy Brunner is CEO, and Dennis Lewis is President of Edu-Safe, an advisory and training organization established to assist school administrators and others with the task of providing safe schools.
Profiles in Safety
Window Film Depot Family owned and operated since 1992, Window Film Depot exists to make it easy to make your glass better. Window Film Depot retrofits high performance films and related products to windows and doors making glass safer, more energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing. Headquartered in Atlanta and with seven regional offices from coast –to-coast, Window Film Depot makes it easy for you to make glass better anywhere in the United States with a single phone call. Window Film Depot is recognized as an industry leader. We have been named the #1 installing window film dealer in the US by Window Film Magazine for four consecutive years. We have been awarded 3M’s National Dealer of the Year on three occasions. Window Film Depot is responsible for more than 25,000 installations of its products
in every US state and is unique in that we self-perform the majority of work we are contracted to do. We are the exclusive national installer for DefenseLite and BulletShield retrofit glass protection systems designed to ‘keep the bad guys out’ and provide protection from ballistic attack. We specialize in servicing school districts needing to secure their school glass. We have been thoroughly vetted and have existing contracts with buying groups and coops including the MHEC, KPN, MRESC and others that allow for discounted pricing for members and non-members alike. We are licensed in every state we operate in and have worker’s compensation insurances for all 50 states and have performed over 1,000 security glazing retrofits across the US making glass safer and better. Window Film Depot can professionally service single school or district level projects with one point of contact anywhere in the US. We assess, provide estimates and install our products wherever our customers have a location needing to make glass better. Our regional offices and company owned labor give us unique capabilities enabling faster delivery at a higher level of service than our competitors at a fair price. Window film Depot’s greatest asset
is the Team we’ve developed to execute large and complex projects across multiple geographies simultaneously. Our technology, operations team and project managers are the keys to our ability to mobilize and effectively install our products at over 4,000 locations in 2018. Our national accounts Team, regional managers and well-trained installation corps allow us to sell and service clients at a very high level every day. Our employees are well paid and enjoy important benefits that support thriving families. Window Film Depot’s entire team shares in company profits ensuring that each project is personally rewarding for every team member. Window Film Depot is active in the community and supports important groups through fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis research and we donate our window film installation services to Building Homes for Heroes. For more information please contact Jeff Franson, President & CEO Window Film Depot, Inc. 404-313-1291 (c) Or visit us @ www.WindowFilmDepot.com www.DefenseLite.com www.BulletShield.com
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Authorized Retailer Window Film Products 3M Security Film has been installed at thousands of schools across the US to help fortify glass. Anchored to existing windows and doors with a tough structural adhesive, 3M security film delays entry through glass giving occupants valuable time to respond.
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School Safety Guide
enough IS ENOUGH! How to Think Different to Prevent School Shootings and Violence
By Rick Shaw Enough is Enough! Different thinking is needed to prevent school shootings and violence. Different thinking, different strategies, and different tools are needed based on overwhelming evidence, researchbased data, and success stories proving PREVENTING school shootings and violence is possible. Preventing school shootings (and other acts of violence) is what everyone wants, so HOW do schools and communities work together using different thinking to PREVENT school shootings and violence? Billions of dollars have been spent on security related efforts, however shootings and violence related incidents are trending up rather than down, so what can school leaders and community leaders do to change the trend and achieve different results that students, faculty, staff, and parents are begging for? Different results require different questions to be asked
24 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
so the right changes can be made and different results can be achieved.
Questions like: Have you noticed how more than enough Warning Signs were almost always observed and reported BEFORE incidents and tragedies occurred? If more than enough Warning Signs were observed and reported BEFORE the incidents and tragedies occurred, why did intervention and prevention efforts fail again and again? Research-based data from hundreds and hundreds of post-incident reports show over and over how more than enough Warning Signs were observed and recorded, but they were scattered across the school and community. When the right people were not able to see the bigger picture and not able to see the escalation of the at-risk individual(s), then the right intervention and the right prevention actions were not (and cannot) be taken.
As you can see, more than enough Warning Signs were observed and recorded in 1999 with the tragic shooting at Columbine High School and more than enough Warning Signs were observed and recorded in 2018 at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Even more sad is between 1999 and 2018, there were hundreds of other post-incident reports and timelines that look almost exactly the same, which is why different thinking, different strategies, and different tools are clearly needed. Warning Signs were, and continue to be, scattered across Students, Faculty, Staff, Administration, Parents, Friends, Neighbors, Law Enforcement, Mental Health, Community Resources, Social Media, across multiple silo systems (Student Records, Student Conduct, Security/SROs, Nurse, Counselor, Student Athletics, Risk, HR, Legal, Transportation, and others), and across multiple incident reporting options (Trusted Adults, See Something Say Something, Hotlines – National/State/Local, Text Lines, Apps, Web Forms, Paper, Drop Boxes, etc.). Nearly every school and community had (and has) numerous silos, disconnects, and gaps causing Warning Signs to be scattered so the right Team Members from school and community resources could not (and cannot) do the right things at the right time. How many of these common and dangerous gaps are in your school and community and putting your students, faculty, staff, and others at risk?
Other questions to ask: Does your school/district have a Threat Assessment Team, Threat Management Team, Behavior Intervention Team, Bullying Team, Safety Team, Care Team, Counselor Team, Crisis Team, Ethics Team, Concussion Team, Student Athletics Team, and others? Do your school/district Team Members participate on Community-wide Teams with the local Police Department, County Sheriff, Behavioral Health, Education Service Units, Adult and Juvenile Probation, County Attorney Office, Juvenile Justice Center, Higher Education Institutions, Social Workers,
and others? Do your School-wide Team Members and Community-wide Team Members have the right tools to securely share confidential and sensitive information to meet FERPA and HIPAA and other privacy and confidentiality obligations? Does your school take advantage of FERPA’s Law Enforcement Unit Records guidelines, or are you creating huge potential liabilities by having your school/district Team Members use Student Records System and Student Conduct System (which Community-wide Team Members cannot access) to manage incidents, investigations, assessments, interventions, legal due diligence, and other documentation? As more and more state lawmakers and state education departments mandate Threat Assessment Teams in schools, it is important to understand that most schools experiencing incidents and tragedies had one or more Teams already in place. However, even with one or more Teams in place, if Team Members cannot see all of the Warning Signs and timelines (by collecting the Warning Signs into a central, secure, and community-wide platform), Team Members will struggle to see the bigger picture and struggle to do the right things at the right times in order to prevent escalations and incidents. Not seeing the bigger picture and not having the right school-wide and community-wide tools will lead to more failed prevention efforts, leaving responding to incidents and tragedies as the only option. For a reality check, ask your Team Members how many times they have responded to incidents and then afterwards found out other people were aware of the Warning Signs, but the Team Members were not aware. Most School Administrators and School Board Members would be shocked to learn how often this is happening and how many near misses there have been. Near misses should serve as a wake-up call that different thinking, different strategies, and different tools are critically needed sooner than later, because making changes (and making excuses) after an embarrassing incident or costly tragedy is too late.
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 25
School Safety Guide
More questions you should be asking:
More questions that need to be asked:
Do you have a First Responders and Crisis Response Plan? Do you have a First Preventers and Crisis Prevention Plan? Did you perform a Security Assessment to identify Security Gaps? Did you perform a Prevention Assessment to identify Prevention Gaps? Did you conduct an Active Shooter Response Drill? Did you conduct an Active Shooter Prevention Drill? Did you train on and talk about Run Hide Fight (Reacting to an attacker at your door)? Did you train on and talk about Collect Assess Connect (Preventing an attacker from escalating and showing up at your door)? Based on evidence-based data and lessons learned, the questions above should be asked and then acted on in your schools, districts, and communities because BOTH First Responders (defense and security) and First Preventers (offense and intervention) are critically needed to achieve different results. In addition to mandates on Threat Assessment Teams, many state lawmakers and education departments are strongly suggesting or even requiring certain reporting programs be used within their schools. You may have seen a number of these suggested such as “See Something Say Something” or “Safe2Tell” or “Safe2Say” or “Safe Voice”, however it is important to remember that overwhelming evidence and research-based data clearly reveals prevention failure problems were NOT due to failures with seeing and saying something. Over and over the evidence reveals more than enough Warning Signs were observed and reported (remember the timelines above), but common disconnects and gaps and not securely sharing all of the Warning Signs with all the right Team Members and then “Not Doing the RIGHT things” to disrupt and intervene are where the REAL Prevention problems existed.
How is your Threat Assessment Team going to “Do the Right Things” if the incident reports and Warning Signs are in a call center database maintained by a third party or State agency? What about sensitive incident reports and Warning Signs involving sex crimes or sexting or other that are NOT sent from call center to your Threat Assessment Team because they cannot be emailed? How is your Threat Assessment Team going to “connect the dots” if ALL the Warning Signs are NOT accessible in a central community-wide platform that has ALL the other Warning Signs from students, teachers, staff and administrators so Team Members can see the big picture? What about Warning Signs like changes in grades, changes in the way a student is dressing, hygiene changes, sleeping changes, scary stories/poems submitted for homework, dropping classes, dropping sports/clubs/ extracurricular activities, etc.? Warning Signs like these are not likely to be called in to “say something” hotlines, but they have shown to be critical pieces of the puzzle. Without seeing the big picture, how will the “right people take the right actions”? What about all the Warning Signs observed by community members, social media community, and community resources? Another dangerous and related gap in schools and
26 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
communities is the lack of a comprehensive First Preventers Program. For example, if you asked every student, every faculty member, every staff member, every administrator, and every parent if they preferred Preventing an incident or tragedy or Responding to an incident or tragedy, nearly 100% (or maybe everyone) would say they prefer PREVENTING an incident or tragedy. However, even though PREVENTING is preferred by almost everyone, most schools, districts, and communities are still focusing on and spending most of their budgets on First Responders, First Responder Plans, First Responder Training and lots of expensive First Responder Tools. It is scary, but most schools, districts, and communities do NOT have a First Preventers Program, First Preventers Plans, and First Preventers Training or the right Strategies and the right Tools for First Preventers to intervene and disrupt at-risk individuals from escalating to the level of attacking. Research-based data and evidence-based data from hundreds and hundreds of previous incidents and tragedies expose how the lack of a comprehensive First Preventers Program have left schools and communities vulnerable to dangerous attacks and tragedies. Research-based data and evidence-based data also exposes how the SAME common silos, disconnects, and gaps exist in nearly every school and across nearly every community. These common silos, disconnects, and gaps can leave Warning Signs scattered and schools and communities vulnerable to dangerous attacks and tragedies. Research-based data and evidence-based data from hundreds and hundreds of previous incidents and tragedies, when reverse engineered, also exposes HOW to PREVENT incidents and attacks BEFORE they occur. PREVENTING is possible based on evidence-based successes in schools and communities who decided to think differently, use different strategies and tools and take PREVENTING to the next level. PREVENTING is what everyone wants and PREVENTING can save lives, reputations, and bottom lines for your school and your community. Enough is Enough! Don’t you agree it is time to start using the overwhelming research, evidence, and successes to gain advantages and start PREVENTING more incidents and tragedies?
Have you noticed how Warning Signs were always observed and reported BEFORE incidents occurred? “The importance of detecting and addressing concerning behavior, thoughts, or statements cannot be overstated. In fact, preventing violence by detecting and addressing these red flags is more effective than any physical security measure.” - 2018 K12 School Security Guide from the US Department of Homeland Security
Preventing school shootings and other acts of violence is what everyone wants... so HOW do schools and communities work together using different thinking to PREVENT school shootings and other violence?
Learn more and download our FREE School Safety and School Security Guide: Awareity.com/k12-timelines
Rick Shaw is President of Awareity. For more information, visit www.awareity.com
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 27
Profiles in Safety
Schools Searching For Ways To Improve Communication And Safety During Emergency Evacuations Are Looking To Biometrics A Conversation with Jay Fry, President & CEO of identiMetrics
SEEN: Welcome, Dr. Fry! You have a unique background as a former school administrator when it comes to understanding school safety and security. How did that help you guide the development of identiMetrics’ new product RallyPoint Control? Dr. Fry: I have spent most of my career in education so I know firsthand the difficulties in managing all of the complex aspects of school emergencies and evacuations where every second requires expert leadership, direction and control. There are three main issues that we identified and focused on when we developed RallyPoint Control. The first issue is calming anxious parents as early in the process as possible. The second issue is giving first responders and school officials critical information in real-time so they can do their jobs effectively. The third issue is providing a safe and orderly system for parents to pick up their children at the designated reunification point where it is often disorderly and chaotic. SEEN: How does RallyPoint Control work? Dr. Fry: During an emergency evacuation, students and also staff are directed to go to a safe area away from the school. In order to quickly and accurately know who is at the Rally Point location, they scan their fingers to identify them. Within seconds, parents and authorized emergency contacts are alerted with a text, email and/or a phone call indicating their child is safe along with pickup location information. The list of students who scan is compared in realtime to the last attendance report from the school. A report of all students who are unaccounted for is sent to emergency
responders and designated school officials. To ensure a fast, controlled and safe reunification process when the parent or custodial adult comes to pick up the child the student scans again and the parent receives an immediate text, email and/or phone call on their smart phone. They show
the message to the school official verifying that they are authorized to take their child home. This eliminates any concern that the child is released to the wrong person. SEEN: Why does RallyPoint Control uses a biometric finger scan for identification?
Dr. Fry: Remember, we’re dealing with situations where seconds count. It’s important to understand that people don’t necessarily act rationally during emergency events. They’re in flight-fight-freeze mode. They’re nervous, maybe shaking. They may not have their smart phones with them and certainly the younger ones won’t. Students may not be with their classroom teachers or other officials who know their names or understand their language. Students and staff will always have their fingers with them ensuring correct identification and that the information sent to parents and to first responders and school officials is fast and 100% accurate. Manual entry is not only slow, but when people are scared and anxious, there is a higher probability of inaccurate information being mistakenly sent to a parent with potentially devastating results. SEEN: Where did you get the idea for RallyPoint Control? Dr. Fry: We developed RallyPoint Control in direct response to requests from our customers at the requests of their first responders. To date, more than 1 million students nationwide are using
finger scanning for identification for food service, attendance, library and other areas in the school. School districts simply want to implement the biometric technology that they’re already successfully using in other areas of their schools to improve communication, safety and security in emergency evacuation situations. SEEN: So RallyPoint Control is more than a product that just sits on the shelf waiting for an emergency? Dr. Fry: Yes! RallyPoint Control is a partnership between identiMetrics and BrightArrow Technologies. identiMetrics (identimetrics.net) provides a unified biometric ID management platform allowing single sign on ID for attendance, food service, library, employee time clock – everywhere when accurate student and staff identification in a school district is essential. As a “Best Practice,” we recommend using identiMetrics everyday so in a real emergency, scanning for identification is a habit with everybody automatically knowing what to do and how to do it. BrightArrow Technologies (www. brightarrow.com) provides a comprehensive automatic messaging system with a deep
feature-set that can operate alongside the school’s current messaging system or can even replace it. Check out our websites for more information. For sales in the Southeastern States, you can contact the ANC Group (www.ancgroup.com) at 888.424.4863. About Jay Fry Dr. Jay Fry brings a wealth of experience to identiMetrics. He was formerly the Principal and Senior Administrator for a large school district in the Chicago area as well as a Dean, Professor and Chief Academic Officer at Vandercook College. He also served as that district’s Technology Coordinator, playing a significant role in the development of educational and technology policies and procedures as well as fiscal management. Dr. Fry is a published author and an accomplished musician, and is a two-time Fulbright Scholar. He received his Doctorate in Administration/ Education and Master of Science in Education from the University of Illinois.
School Safety Guide
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL
EFFECTS OF
BULLYING 30 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
By Al Johnson
School Violence CDC Survey & Bullying Statistics: • During a 12-month period, nearly 8% of students had been in a physical fight on school property one or more times. • Nationwide, 6% had missed at least 1 day out of 30 school days due to fear of being unsafe at school, on their way to school, and going home from school. • More than one out of every five (20.8%) students report being bullied (National Center for Educational Statistics, 2016). • Among high school students, 15.5% are cyberbullied and 20.2% are bullied on school property (Center for Disease Control, 2015). • Among middle school students, 24% are cyberbullied and 45% are bullied on school property (Center for Disease Control, 2015). Severe bullying begins in middle school. • The percentage of individuals who have experienced cyberbullying at some point in their lives has nearly doubled (18% to 34%) from 2007-2016. • 90% of teens who report being cyberbullied, have also been bullied offline. • School-based bullying prevention programs decrease bullying by up to 32%. These statistics are alarming, frightening, and unacceptable. More must be done to eliminate and prevent bullying with effective innovative antibullying neuropsychological training for our children and teens. The negative emotional impact of bullying can linger well into adulthood. Perpetrators are not astute in realizing their actions, verbal and physical, are inappropriate and unnecessary. Many bullies are keenly aware and derive pleasure from distastefully making
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 31
Bullies are not born with negative traits they unfortunately embrace during maturation. If one matures mentally in a positive manner, they would certainly not become bullies.
others feel conquered, belittled, and insignificant. Being falsely entrenched in a sea of dominance and importance is always a by-product of being a bully, no matter the arena or age. We all must recognize minor bullying (Joking, name calling, and isolation) must not be taken lightly. Minor bullying, if not quickly eradicated, will almost always lead to severe bullying, which can cause
32 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
devasting physical harm, emotional lifelong scars, and even suicide. Bullies are not born with negative traits they unfortunately embrace during maturation. If one matures mentally in a positive manner, he or she would certainly not become bullies. What happens along the way and what are reasons igniting negative mental maturation in our children and teens? For example: Research has shown,
school shooters have often been bullied themselves. Becoming an active shooter gives them the power and revenge they never had and feel a need to seek. Neuropsychological development is the catalyst triggering our language, memory, emotions, and behavior. Early on, the mindset our children embrace as they mature mentally and physically determines the type of person they will develop into. During the developmental years, negative influences can trigger a child’s or teen’s gravitation toward either becoming a Bully or Victim of Bullying. Home and neighborhood environment will affect neuropsychological growth. School environment and performance, influential friends, exposure to social media, the news media, political vitriol, and more, can all play a role in the mental maturation of a child and teen. These influences will occur voluntarily, involuntarily, and vicariously. In the school setting, immediate intervention of any suspected signs of bullying in the classroom, hallways, restrooms, and school ground must be appropriately and swiftly addressed. Keen awareness skills training by staff and students is paramount. Forms of Neuropsychological growth take place in the school setting. Influential so-called friends, especially ones with negative attitudes can very easily lead children and teens down misguided and dangerous paths. Parents especially must be keenly aware of friends their children are engaging with and any sudden change in friends. If intervention is deemed a necessity, parents must do so without delay. Neuropsychological growth, positive or negative occurs during peer interactions. Social media is the catalyst for
cyberspace bullying unfortunately being on the rise. The nasty content online directed toward children and teens has proven to have devastatingly negative consequences, often leading to suicide by the receiver. Teachers and school officials must be aware of Social Media interactions by students and monitor same appropriately. Neuropsychological growth primarily on the negative front takes place on Social Media to an alarming degree. Two interventions must occur to begin the process of eliminating and preventing cyberspace bullying: First, parents must monitor their children’s internet activity, no matter any resistance by child or teen. Any suspicious activity must be addressed immediately, even if the activity turns out to be harmless and innocent. “It is better to be safe than sorry!” Second, children and teens must
be taught in the classroom effective neuropsychological training to eliminate and prevent cyberspace and other forms of bullying. This in-depth training entails changing the child’s or teen’s mindset, whether victim of the bully or the bully him/herself. If the mindset is effectively changed, it is likely the behavior will change to a more positive outcome as opposed to the negative one Bullying engulfs. What is neuropsychological training and how can elimination and prevention of Bullying be effectively affected by it? Answers lie in the following definition: Neuropsychology is the study of the structure and function of the brain as they relate to specific psychological processes and behaviors. It is both an experimental and clinical field of psychology that aims to understand how behavior and cognition are
influenced by brain functioning and is concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of behavioral and cognitive effects of neurological disorders. In summary, bullying is pervasive, an epidemic that must be effectively addressed, eliminated, and prevented, as it affects children and teens. The neuropsychological approach to eliminating and preventing Bullying is innovative, unique and has proven to be very effective. For more information on this anti-bullying approach and method, contact the author of this article. Al Johnson is the creator and founder of the Bullies Be Gone Project, which effectively trains children & teens with UNIQUE, FUN, & COMPREHENSIVE skills to ELIMINATE or PREVENT a bullying problem with or without outside intervention through Poetic Self-Empowerment! This includes face to face or cyberspace bullying.
Self-Empowerment Training for Children and Teens That Prevents and Protects Against Bullying Al Johnson is the creator and founder of the Bullies Be Gone! Project. He has been teaching children, teens, and adults in California anti-bullying, safety, awareness, and self-confidence effective skills since 1985 via his Young, Alert, and Aware Program, now the Bullies Be Gone! Project. His program from the onset includes Racial harmony, Understanding, and Tolerance.
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School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 33
Profiles in Safety
Layered Safety Layered Safety for for Today’s Schools
Today’s Schools
When seconds matter, Response Technologies LTD delivers with the fastest D2R™ duress and emergency response systems on the market
In an emergency situation, obtaining immediate help is not just important, it is often critical for saving lives. Seconds matter in any emergency response – and especially in schools today, where protecting students and staff is paramount. Creating environments that improve safety requires multiple layers of reliable safety protection and the fastest possible response. Response Technologies’ Centurion Elite® offers a platform that supports gunshot detection, duress buttons, entry/exit monitoring and many other safety solutions from a single system. Build safety with layers of protection in your total duress and
emergency solution – from NEW gunshot detection for active shooter situations to overall system support A layered system of protection incorporates reliable tools that not only thwart emergencies, but also prevent emergency situations or threats from advancing. The market-leading Centurion Elite® offers proven, complete emergency solutions to protect today’s schools. This top protection tool works with your existing investments, such as access control systems and cameras, to enhance their effectiveness. Choose your tools: • Gunshot Detection Sensor —
Instantly know when and precisely where a gunshot occurs within a facility to help stop an active shooter event. Our new Gunshot Detection Sensor works with Centurion Elite® to offer numerous advantages to schools: o Fastest connection to a law enforcement response available provides Direct-toResponder (D2R™) notification in 2 seconds or less. o Two-factor authentication ensures that only true emergency events are reported to emergency responders. The sensor responds to both sound and change in the
air pressure when a gunshot occurs to avoid false triggers. o Self-contained, self-monitored reliability – This is the only gunshot sensor that does not rely on a customer’s network or electrical power to the facility to operate. With a 5-year battery life and dedicated wireless infrastructure know that the system is built to work in any conditions. o Cost effective at an anticipated cost of 30% of competitors’ prices.
• Duress/Emergency Panic Buttons—Because threats and violence can occur anywhere, anytime, equipping school staff with Wall-Mounted or Wireless Pendant Duress Buttons provides the confidence of an instant, direct connection to emergency assistance. • Direct-to-Responder (D2R™) notification bypasses third-party monitoring stations or security offices to go directly to emergency responders in 2 seconds or less. • Does not rely on electrical power
Elite CONNECTTM
or a network to operate securely with a 3- to 5-year batteryoperated and wireless frequency. • Entry/Exit Monitoring – Limiting access to a single point of entry during school hours increases perimeter security. Each egress point in the facility is equipped with a wireless transmitter that instantly alerts when a door is propped open or opened at an unscheduled time. These sensors can be quickly and economically retrofitted to new or existing doors.
Elite CONTROLTM
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to existing radios, phones, email or text message
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The proven Centurion Elite® Platform pulls everything together. Powerful individual components work together to provide unmatched total protection for your school system. • Unmatched, Instant Response – Centurion Elite® offers the quickest Direct-to-Responder (D2R™) solutions on the market with immediate emergency notification to first responders within 2 seconds. • Notification in whatever way is best for you – Using Elite Audiences®, you choose how to notify responders –whether it’s by instant two-way radio or any
combination of email, text message, phone or computer software. • All-in-one solutions can expand as funding becomes available. Add to your existing systems or start with your most critical needs and as your needs expand. • Economical choice: o The Centurion Gateway® can connect every facility within your district to a single Centurion Elite® for central management and the ability to spread costs
across multiple locations. o Combine your security platform with environmental monitoring, such as monitoring the temperatures of freezers or server rooms, to make your system cost-effective. Specialized experts at Response Technologies can help you evaluate your facilities’ needs and design a solution that works best for you now and is ready to grow with your needs. Contact Kevin Corson at 513-202-5689 or Kcorson@response-technologies.com.
School Safety Guide
By Joe Ryan
Technology has advanced exponentially in the last few decades and it doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. We can see the impact of technology in our daily lives everywhere from how we keep in touch with our friends on social media to how we manage our finances online. It is our personal responsibility to navigate these issues within our own lives, but when technology moves from our private lives to the education system we have to prepare ourselves in a more structured manner. Luckily, as advanced as technology might be, there are a few simple, yet critical, solutions that we can put into place to make this transition as painless and beneficial as possible. Embracing Digital Citizenship Many districts have begun to utilize technology and internet-connected devices within the walls of the school and within the classroom, and with that implementation they have also taken on the responsibility to teach students how to use those devices safely and responsibly. Unfortunately many schools seem to believe that by having students and parents sign Acceptable Use Policies or Responsible Use Policies that this is enough to ensure that students use their devices properly. Setting guidelines and rules for technology use is a great place to start, but schools should be playing a larger role in helping students become good digital citizens. There are many Digital Citizenship programs available to schools that provide everything necessary to teach the related skills in the classroom or through technology related elective classes. Resources
36 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
PREPARING
SCHOOLS FOR TECHNOLOGY
ONE STEP AT A TIME
like Common Sense Media’s Digital Citizenship Curriculum (https:// www.commonsense.org/education/ digital-citizenship) and Google’s “Be Internet Awesome” (https:// beinternetawesome.withgoogle. com/en/resources) give educators the tools that they need to help teach students how to be savvy and safe while addressing issues like personal information, account security, and cyberbullying.
Professional Development for Education Technology It’s tough to find a classroom today without a digital whiteboard that is connected to a computer and the internet. Many schools have devices issued to each student, or classroom sets of computers or tablets. These devices are meant to improve the way that teachers educate their students and the way the students learn the material, but if we aren’t providing teachers with ample professional development then those devices aren’t being used to their fullest potential. Is a tablet any better than a textbook if its sole use is to have students read the same material that they would read from the book? Is the idea of students filming themselves explaining a topic and then showing the video to the class benefitting them more than the students preparing a presentation and learning skills related to public speaking? If the technology isn’t actually improving the quality of the learning then is it worth the investment? There are plenty of great ideas regarding how to use this technology in the classroom, but many teachers aren’t being introduced to this material. There are resources like
Edutopia (https://www.edutopia. org/technology-integration) that produce articles to introduce new ways that teachers can integrate technology into the classroom in an effective way. Educators, however, should not be expected to take on this challenge by themselves. There should be support through administration and school districts for this kind of professional development so that students are truly benefitting from the integration of technology in the classroom.
Developing Policies and Procedures regarding Technology-related Incidents Regardless of whether the devices within the school are school-issued or personal devices, schools have to be prepared to handle the issues that those devices will inevitably present. These could include the exchange of inappropriate material, harassment, bullying, threats, or even online predators. The key to handling these incidents when they arise is to have a multidisciplinary team in place that can contribute to the design and development of policies and procedures to be used the moment something goes wrong. These MDTs should include school administration, law enforcement, social services, school counselors, teachers, and any number of other professionals who can offer insight into how to deal with delicate technology related incidents in a safe and timely manner. These incidents often include student privacy issues, material that may be regarded as child pornography, suicidal ideation, or even information that might indicate a physical attack on a student or an entire school. Working together
with multiple disciplines allows for each of the stakeholders to highlight their priorities in each situation, which can then be considered when creating a plan of action for each of these individual incidents. Schools can take advantage of resources like the Incident Response Tool (http://www.incidentresponsetool. org/) that can help them manage these events before they have their own policies and procedures put into place. Remember that the safety of the students we serve always comes first, and we need to plan accordingly so that we can take quick, decisive action if one of these unfortunate incidents arises.
Take the First Step Whatever your role might be in the educational setting, it should be your priority to take a first step. Research options for Digital Citizenship training, create a professional development lesson for your team, or begin to find interested parties to be part of your multidisciplinary school safety team. You may not be the person who gets to make the final decisions, but showing the initiative to work towards a safer future for our students will inspire others to do the same. These changes aren’t all going to happen at once, but when we all start taking steps in the right direction then the path to safe and effective integration of technology becomes much easier to follow. Joe Ryan is the Education Coordinator – Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at the SC Attorney General’s Office. For more information call 803-206-7520.
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 37
Profiles in Safety
K-12 Security and Funding Simplified
Improving Security and Student Performance Enrollment in K-12 is expected to continue to grow through 2020 as millennials form new households.1 Increased enrollment means increased competition for funds and students through charter, online and private school choices. Expanding campuses calls for more complex security systems that need to leverage existing infrastructure and offer flexibility and scalability for future growth. As such, schools are focusing on two clear priorities: student performance and security. Performance is directly linked to the school environment and increasing threats, such as school shootings, make security a persistent need. In addition, each of the thousands of school districts and millions of classrooms in the United States has its own unique set of security challenges that reflect a wide diversity of students, teachers, resources and communities. It’s important to find a solution that fits these needs. What security issue is your school or district struggling with most? According to the FBI, 250 active shooter incidents occurred between 2000 and 2017. Thirty-seven of those were Pre-K to 12th grade.2 The modern demands for school safety are calling for school administrators to implement increased security. It is easy for school officials to get caught up in researching and wanting advanced technologies, such as gunshot detection. However, these solutions are not an ideal starting point for institutions who need to increase security efforts on a limited budget. Instead, school officials should address security basics first. These fundamentals are typically more affordable and are important to have in place as the backbone for more sophisticated technology. A good starting point is to consider the type of school (elementary, high school, public, private), its location (campus, rural, urban), size and risk
profile. This can help define how basic or advanced the final solution should be. Johnson Controls leverages the best and latest integrated security solutions, such as gunshot detection, access control, video surveillance, video management systems, and mass notification to secure student environments. These solutions can help mitigate the risk of and improve the emergency response to a variety of security issues.
Comprehensive security that works within your budget With 1.3M3 incidents of violence or theft reported annually in U.S. public schools, it’s more important than ever to have an effective security system in place. Students need a quality learning environment that doesn’t compromise safety, and as the nation’s largest security integrator, Johnson Controls offers the smartest, safest solutions for school specific security needs. Once a school has a solid security foundation, systems integration should be the next step school officials should consider. A comprehensive security approach can help achieve faster response time to threats and eventually reduce costs. A common misconception is that an integrated security approach takes additional funding. However, an integrator can help plan, implement and manage a connected security strategy all while staying within budget and sometimes even save money. Additionally, an integrator can look at current security technologies, find ways to consolidate systems and add news ones if necessary. This takes pressure off of school officials and helps reduce risk. Most of all, the integration of security systems means that schools end up buying and supporting less technology, ultimately lowering costs while increasing safety. Even if there are existing security systems in place, Johnson Controls can help fill in the gaps to ensure maximum protection against the myriad of threats that schools face today.
Solutions to fund security in schools Funding and implementing security upgrades and improvements in K-12 is becoming more complex. In its ongoing efforts to help deliver quality learning environments, Johnson Controls now makes it easier to implement the right security solution, at discounted rates, for any K-12 organization while also helping to take advantage of recent school security funding. Johnson Controls can facilitate and expedite the request for funds by helping with the grant application process for schools. This includes researching additional local funds from the state. Supporting your ability to secure funding can help ensure that new safety and security solutions are operational quickly.
To learn more about how Johnson Controls can help you navigate the complex world of security solutions and funding for K-12 visit us at: https://www.tycois.com/ solutions-by-industry/small-business/ education or call 1.888.981.4544.
1
https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partnerengagement/active-shooter-incidents-graphics
2
https://www.fbi.gov/about/partnerships/office-of-partner-
3
https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017122.pdf
engagement/active-shooter-incidents-graphics
School Safety Guide
WHAT EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS TODAY IS MISSING. By Dennis Hohl
There comes a time when the effectiveness of any group or organization to withstand a critical or disastrous event will be tested. As recent time and history have consistently demonstrated, these events are more frequent, more serious, and larger in size, complexity, and scope as time passes on. The effects of major disasters, and even minor emergency situations upon the owners and leaders of businesses and institutions, and those whom depend upon them can be gauged in economic terms. How the general population is impacted can be seen in human and personal tragedy. The evidence is highlighted in the resulting immediate social media coverage, the short and long term economic impacts, and the resulting social and personal life issues of individuals for the remainder of their lives. With the dramatic increase in severe weather, natural disasters, and now violent attacks, it would be easy to assume that we, as a country would do everything possible to be prepared for anything. In a recent study by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) statistics reflect that the actual level of preparedness in America is quite distressing. The study revealed that only 39% of respondents to the study have developed an emergency plan and discussed it with their household. Alarmingly, The Washington Post, in a similar study
40 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
found that 80% of Americans live in counties that have been hit with a weather-related disaster since 2007, but almost 60 percent of American adults have not practiced what to do in a disaster by participating in a disaster drill or preparedness exercise at work, school, or home in the past year. Following a disaster, 90% of smaller companies fail within a year unless they can resume operations within 5 days. Roughly 40% to 60% of small businesses never reopen their doors following a disaster, and one in five companies spend no time at all in maintaining their plan. The primary reason for these failures is very poor or no planning. One could easily determine that our society is somehow geared in large part to just accept the outcome of whatever tragic event befalls us. We seem to somehow project an attitude of complacency regarding emergency preparedness. When the event involves children, the impact is magnified beyond measure to every parent in the United States. Rightfully so, all American parents cherish the lives of every child. American parents send nearly 55 Million elementary and secondary school age children to our schools every day. Yet only 32 out of 50 States require school districts to have emergency management plans, and there are NO Federal laws requiring school districts to have an emergency plan. (US Department of Education).
Although an estimated 95 percentof U.S. School districts report having emergency plans of some type, the content and effectiveness of these plans vary widely. No matter what level of effectiveness your individual school systems emergency management plans are, there are a few things that every district and school can and should do to be more prepared. 1. Obtain administrative support. You will not be successful, even with the best EP plan in the world if the top authority in the organization is not supportive. Administrators should provide the logistical and financial support needed to make the emergency planning process a success. Making emergency preparedness a priority should be a source of pride and achievement for any school system. Promote the efforts in the public arena to build firm community support. stablish an Emergency Planning 2. E Committee, (EPC). Either to review current plans or create new ones. Use selected personnel from each level of employee in your system. Janitor, School Nurse, Teacher’s Aide, Teachers, Principles, and Administrators. The make-up of your committee should benefit from each point of view. Allowing each level of employee to be included
will build acceptance overall. et Goals and Objectives. Organize 3. S your EPC with an organizational structure. Designate specific positions for the Committee. Establish specific goals using S.M.A.R.T. Objectives as a guide. Set a schedule for planning meetings, and firmly stick to it. Hold sub committees accountable for objectives assigned. Document progress and utilize an appropriate EP Format. ou must Exercise the Plan. Practice 4. Y the plan when it is completed. This last recommendation may be looked upon as the most important of all. There are countless emergency plans that have been written. Some quite excellent, and yet a total failure and wasted effort. Projecting on paper how people will react and perform during a crisis or emergency is impossible.
Failure to exercise the plan is in violation of practically every regulatory organizations requirement inexistence. There are a few other weaknesses that school administrators should look for in their planning for disasters and emergency situations. Several important deficiencies in school preparedness for emergencies can be examined. In a 2004 survey of more than 2,100 school superintendents, 86.3% reported having a disaster-response plan, but only 57.2% had a plan for prevention. Even though 95.6% had an evacuation plan, almost one third 30% had never conducted an evacuation drill. Studies focusing on recent national disasters have shown that almost one quarter 22.1% had no disaster plan provisions for children with special health care needs, and one quarter reported having no plans for post disaster counseling. Emergency Planning for School
systems is difficult at best. It requires resources that many school systems are not able to access or provide. School Administrators and Executive Staff are many times overwhelmed by just keeping the doors open. As we have seen in these statistics above, there are several areas that might be worthy of review and revision that might be within reach of each school system to enhance the safety and security of our children, teachers and staff. In Emergency Management, the greatest tool we have is Preparedness. Proper planning can allow for us to prevent or lessen the severity and impact of any disaster or emergency by utilizing the many Mitigation methods available. As Thomas Edison said, “We shall have no better conditions in the future if we are satisfied with all those which we have at present.” Dennis Hohl is president of Command-Solutions.
Although an estimated 95 percent of U.S. school districts report having emergency plans of some type, the content and effectiveness of these plans vary widely. Studies focusing on recent national disasters have shown that nearly 25% of U.S. school systems had no disaster plan provisions for children with special health care needs and had no plans that included any post disaster counseling services for students, families and staff. We understand that Emergency and Disaster planning for school systems is difficult at best. It requires time, organization, commitment, and resources that many school systems are simply not able to access or provide. The emergency management and planning professionals at Command Solutions, LLC have the experience, knowledge, and resources needed to assess the specific needs of your school system. We will partner with you to build a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that provides for the continued safety, security, survival, and success of your entire school system including your staff, families and students. Our “All Hazards” approach to emergency planning ensures that nothing is left out of the planning process, and full inclusion of your school system planning staff assures that the plan is tailored to the specific needs of your community. From risk analysis and hazard assessment to training, exercises, and post incident recovery planning, Command Solutions is prepared to help you ensure that no matter the size, scope or complexity of an event, your school system will survive and recover as effectively as possible. Command-Solutions, LLC Call 314-803-7418 or command-solutions.com
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 41
School Safety Guide
Is Local Law Enforcement Your One-stop Shop for School Safety? By Scott Coleman As acts of mass violence and other types of crime become more and more frequent in schools, educators continue to seek out practical safety solutions that won’t break the bank. Often, they turn to the only trusted source of violence prevention familiar to their communities – local law enforcement. But at what point do the resources of local law enforcement become strained and ineffective? Let’s review some of the considerations related to local law enforcement and safety planning and consider when it may be time to augment your school’s safety strategy with services from the private sector. The core mission of every local law enforcement agency is to keep the peace and serve in an enforcement capacity. This may look entirely different for each school or district - larger institutions often have their own dedicated police departments with considerable enforcement resources, while smaller schools may not have any dedicated or specialized police resources. Depending on the size of your school or district, the resources of your local law enforcement agency may be insufficient to provide you with effective enforcement services, much less additional safety training and other resources.
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In addition to their primary function of maintaining order, local law enforcement agencies are often expected to provide input for policies and practices in educational institutions. To gain a better perspective on the resources of your local agency, it’s important to address some of the major expectations that many schools and districts have begun to place on local law enforcement and whether or not these expectations are realistic.
School Safety Planning In the majority of states, local law enforcement agencies are required to assist in the creation and review of school safety plans (or emergency operations plans) for institutions within their jurisdiction. This is required for several reasons but is primarily intended to familiarize law enforcement with response procedures for each school in their district, and on a secondary level, allow them to gain an awareness of particular crime trends occurring at each school. Therefore, it is absolutely realistic and practical to work hand-inhand with your local law enforcement agency to prepare an effective school safety or emergency operations plan. Often, larger schools and districts work with school safety consultants to enhance their safety plan alongside
local law enforcement. Local law enforcement officials may not possess the same experience and qualifications as a private sector school safety expert, therefore, it may be practical to hire a safety consultant to review any plans recommended or approved by local entities. After all, two sets of eyes are always better than one!
Crisis Training For the most part, local law enforcement entities are not required to provide any type of crisis training to schools within their jurisdiction. In the wake of recent acts of targeted mass violence in schools, many law enforcement agencies have begun providing active shooter training to schools in their jurisdictions. Sometimes, this takes the form of joint training opportunities in which students, educators, local government and local law enforcement officials participate in drills or exercises. While these drills are always beneficial to law enforcement, they often traumatize students and educators and sometimes include “student actors” lying around the quad covered in fake blood. Students should not rehearse dying – this goes against the predominant psychological theory of empowerment. Students should always train to live – they should be
empowered to react and provided with survival strategies that are appropriate and encourage them to succeed. And while the majority of law enforcement officers are well trained and well meaning, they are not trained as educators and cannot be expected to be familiar with educational pedagogy and age-appropriate learning methods. Likewise, we cannot expect educators to provide effective training resources from a tactical or safety standpoint. For this reason, schools should consider contracting with private organizations who are experts in education and law enforcement and are capable of providing effective student-facing training materials.
Threat Assessment Threat assessments should always be a collaborative effort between local law enforcement and school officials. In today’s climate of heightened violence, threats must be assessed rapidly and acted upon with exigency. It is the duty of local law enforcement to intervene and take necessary actions when provided with evidence of an immediate threat. Their mission is much more effective when they are provided with immediate information related to a threat, and by waiting too long, their efforts can be greatly hindered, possibly putting lives at risk. So, what types of services can the private sector provide in relation to threat assessments? Certainly, we must be made aware of threats before we can address them, and one of the most common barriers to timely reporting remains students’ hesitation to report their peers. One of the only ways to overcome this hesitation is by providing students with an anonymous reporting system. Many private sector companies provide anonymous reporting phone systems, but statistically, students are far more likely
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 43
School Safety Guide
to make tips via messaging apps on smartphones or other digital devices. In the end, reporting systems must be absolutely anonymous and able to be accessed via a system students are familiar with and willing to use.
School Climate Improvement and Research 20 states in the US have dedicated State School Safety Centers, including the majority of states in the southeast. SSSCs maintain a database of research in relation to school safety and can readily make this information available upon request. However, because each school has its own cultural “fingerprint”, many problems facing individual schools can only be identified and addressed through dedicated research and assessment (much like an accreditation). Certainly,
local law enforcement will not provide these types of assessments, although such an assessment may be critical to preventing violence. For this reason, schools will need to contract with private sector experts to analyze a particular school culture or climate. These assessments often take time and money but are worth every penny – by recognizing hostile factors and replacing them with healthy factors, schools can eliminate grievances before they fester into violence. Local law enforcement agencies are busier than ever and may not be equipped to deal with the specialized needs of your school community. And although their services are absolutely necessary in certain situations, local law enforcement officials should not be your only source of safety
advice. Don’t hesitate to reach out to experts in the private sector – often, they possess specialized skillsets in education and previous experience in law enforcement. And although these services won’t be provided for free, you’ll get what you pay for – a safe school. Scott Coleman is the Vice President and Co-founder of Safe Kids Inc., a K-12 safety curriculum and consulting company located in Orange, California. Prior to founding Safe Kids Inc., Scott served for 12 years as a police officer in Southern California and worked in various capacities, including hostage negotiator, primary response officer, and detective. Scott’s creative background as a published author and expertise in safety helped define his current mission to prepare our youth to respond effectively to violence.
Use any mobile device to remotely look-in live or track vehicles using static or dynamic geofences
Save time and money RECORDED VIDEO EVIDENCE FOR • Unify IT all fleet vehicles, facilities, WHEN MATTERS MOST stations and train yards, within a single VMS
• Create indisputable evidence and refute •false Manage and monitor all systems as if they were claims one from a centralized location • Continous recording to show the full story • Get info about travel time of each bus, how long • Easily find all stop arm sensor activity it stayed at certain locations, optimize routes and during the day analyze performance of your bus and driver • Export video to share with authorities Copyright © 2019 Safety Vision, LLC All Rights Reserved.
44 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Zoom in and capture license plates of stop arm violators
FIND OUT MORE TODAY! 800.851.3896
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GEOCOMMAND SiteAware
MAKES YOUR SCHOOL SAFER AND SMARTER When a school emergency occurs, response time is critical. The speed and effectiveness of the response can mean the difference between lives saved or lost and property damaged or protected. GEOcommand has developed SiteAware, an interactive emergency response plan for schools.
• Interactive Geographic Information System (GIS) maps that display in-building floor plans and critical asset locations on your desktop computer, rugged laptop and tablet. • Critical assets are marked by icons representing their type of function. • State-of-the art data sharing that integrates disparate data sources into a single application. These include camera systems, access control, in-building notification for occupants, alarms, shot and motion detectors, panic buttons and sensors. • Provides room specific hazard and asset details and helps first responders know how to best direct their efforts. • Allows agencies from different jurisdictions to share data. • Connects local police, fire, EMS and school authorities on one application. • Provides live video feeds for real time
CALL (888) 766 -1766 3700 Airport Rd. Suite 410, Boca Raton, FL 33431 Email: info@geocommand.com Website: www.geocommand.com
You can be assured that your institution will be taking the necessary steps toward creating a safer environment for your students, staff and community with GEOcommand SiteAware.
Make Your School Safer and Smarter
Profilesin inSafety Safety Profiles
Fortress Mobile users will have access to create video clips to share with other authorized users. T h e solution includes up to 16 channel interior cameras + 8 channel stop arm HD cameras.
Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, Fortress Mobile is a leading provider of mobile surveillance and smart fleet management solutions for pupil transit, mass transit, and commercial vehicle fleet industries. Fortress has a long history beginning in 1991, of working with Fortune 500 companies, small to medium businesses, educational institutions, and state and local government agencies.
Live Streaming Our built-in Wi-Fi + GPS + Cellular allows fleet managers to view and download real-time video onboard or stop arm video data anytime from anywhere all from one cloud platform (SureBus). GPS Tracking Live GPS Tracking technology allows easy access to tracking a vehicle’s location and providing accurate information of when/where the bus will arrive.
Our Mission We strive to continue enhancing the safety and security of students, public transit passengers, law enforcement officials and truck drivers by delivering cost efficient, customizable and scalable mobile video surveillance solutions.
Highly Customizable First on the market with a high resolution school bus camera system, Fortress Mobile offers a complete solution to protecting children on your school bus fleet.
Our SystemSolution We have developed an all-in-one system solution platform through our SureBus platform that has the capability to provide you with: • HD Camera Surveillance • Safety Management • Driver Monitoring • Live GPS Tracking • Real-time Video Streaming
• Wireless Auto Downloading
• Stop-Arm Violation Detection • Vehicle Diagnostics • Digital Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (DVIR) • System Alarm Detection &
Notifications SureBus Platform Software With our SureBus Fleet Management suite, you can view the location of your vehicles, stream live video, download video on demand over cellular, and download video over Wi-Fi. It also provides user access to route scheduling, smart reports, historical route data, and much more. Full HD Imaging The full HD 1080p imaging of our school bus camera solution delivers undeniably high resolution. With the clarity of the video and the quality of the audio,
IP Stop-arm camera view
CALL US TODAY And take the next step in protecting your most valuable assets.
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Security Advisors Vigilant Platforms The Roadmap: From Where You are to Where You Need to Be Vigilant Platform’s team of experts can help your school or district develop and implement an enterprise wide strategy to integrate new technologies into your existing physical security infrastructure. The Roadmap serves as a long-term integrated physical security plan, allowing your organization to seamlessly add additional layers of defense over time. Understanding, evaluating and integrating the latest security technologies into a school’s existing infrastructure can be overwhelming. Alliance Technology Group and its Vigilant Platform has experienced engineers that can assess your current environment and seamlessly integrate the solution into your existing infrastructure, then train your staff for operational excellence. For more information, visit www.vigilantplatforms.com
Countermeasure Consulting At Countermeasure Consulting, our team of active shooter experts break down the key concepts of prevention and survival personalized through assessing the needs of each individual campus. Most schools in America are still SOFT targets; we can help your schools take the steps necessary to make our kids safer while giving your staff, students and parents piece of mind. Please don’t assume your schools are safe; know that they are. Contact nationally recognized security expert Bill Worth for a confidential, no obligation consultation today. For more information, call/text Bill at 847-612-7564 email: billw@countermeasureconsulting.com
Command Solutions Although an estimated 95 percent of U.S. school districts report having emergency plans of some type, the content and effectiveness of these plans vary widely. Studies focusing on recent national disasters have shown that nearly 25% of U.S. school systems had no disaster plan provisions for children with special health care needs and had no plans that included any post disaster counseling services for students, families and staff. The emergency management and planning professionals at Command Solutions, LLC have the experience, knowledge, and resources needed to assess the specific needs of your school system. We will partner with you to build a comprehensive Emergency Management Plan that provides for the continued safety, security, survival, and success of your entire school system including your staff, families and students. For information, visit www.command-solutions.com.
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 47
Profiles in Safety
Shelter-in-Place Safe Rooms are Saving Lives
Why just protect against one possible crisis? Or have different protocols for each possible crisis? Shelter-In-Place Safe Rooms provide protection against the most concerning school threats, including earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and active shooters. Approximately 90 percent less expensive than typical large superstructure shelters installed in schools. We can help with funding options.
Schools can add some character to their shelters with a variety of vinyl wrap skins. Like everyone else in America, Shelterin-Place CEO Jim Haslem watched in horror as news of the deadly shooting tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown Connecticut in 2012. And then, only a few months later, Haslem and his team watched coverage of the deadly EF5 Tornado that hit the Plaza Towers Elementary School in Moore Oklahoma. After seeing these crisis events and saying “somebody ought to do something,” they realized that they were the “somebody.” Haslem said, “We felt confident that we and our associates were uniquely capable to create a solution to these horrific tragedies and became seriously involved, invested and dedicated to creating a real and viable solution to protect kids in schools from these horrible crisis events that aren’t going away. “We feel this is a noble effort that everyone will agree is worth it to do ‘Whatever It Takes’ (our motto). We seek to protect innocent school kids from all of the very real threats that face
them in school… the worst of natural disasters and the worst of mankind” (tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and active shooters). Haslem’s team created an extraordinarily capable small Ballistic Storm Shelter Safe Rooms that are designed to fit into any location and erected onsite in every classroom and in all other locations throughout schools, allowing every student & staff member to be safely inside one of their Safe Room Shelters within seconds. “Seconds to Safety” is what it is all about. During real crisis events, the time it takes to get to real protection is the difference between life and death. It is possible that no child in Sandy Hook or in Plaza Towers, or in so many other crisis events would have died if they had a small multi-propose (also serving as a little nook reading/quiet/tutoring room) bullet proof/ storm proof shelter sitting only a few feet away from their desks in the corner of their classroom or gymnasium or cafeteria. They would literally be only seconds
from safety regardless of where they were during their day at school. Not only do these shelters provide lifesaving protection during crisis events, but they also provide emotional peace of mind every day for kids, parents, teachers, administrators, first responders and everyone involved. The Shelter-In-Place team consists of hundreds of different highly skilled professionals located from California to Florida, and a number of valuable partners including Triple-S Steel, Reliance Steel, Vector Engineering, and others. “We feel deeply concerned, seriously committed and honored to have this privilege and unique opportunity of creating & installing these lifesaving shelters in schools. These are created by 100 percent American workers with 100 percent American steel,” said Haslem.
For more Information, visit www.shelterinplace.com or call 435-272-2500
School Safety Guide
By Matt Jacobsohn
Which is more important, the look and layout of a building, or its security? Building security has often been thought of as grounds for surveillance cameras, access control and locks, and the occasional roaming patrolman. Fortunately, these components do not hinder the look of a building or its layout. That was a decade ago while threats were rare, social media was in its infancy, and fear of an active shooter event wasn’t really a thought that crossed most peoples’ minds.
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School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 51
The concept of “hardening” buildings is an effort to improve security by implementing materials and processes that mitigate the potential loss of life, goods, data, etc. in case of a specific threat. There are numerous approaches people can take to harden their buildings; however, the options narrow when looking at the steps needed to prevent a deranged individual(s) from doing harm. This is very important. Although effective, security/surveillance cameras cannot prevent someone from entering a building, and a locked door or window is simply not enough to keep an attacker/intruder from forcing their way in. A building’s weakest point is not a concrete block wall, or a metal panel system; it is its glass. Natural instinct tells us if we can see through something, it is likely an easier point of entry than something dense and unyielding. With major technological advancements in the glass industry over the past couple of decades -- primarily with respect to thermal performance -- architects are now able to design buildings with more glass, allowing for greater natural light, unique designs and a friendlier feel. These designs often cause security management folks to pull their hair out knowing the vulnerability of the people and/or goods inside if an attacker/ intruder were to take action. The process of hardening a building’s glass means understanding the systems (doors, frames, windows) in which the glass is installed (conventionally referred to as “glazing systems”). For example, hurricane glass requires hurricane rated glazing systems, while the same applies to blast mitigation, bullet resistant openings, and forced entry detention systems. Each system
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With major technological advancements in the glass industry over the past couple of decades -- primarily with respect to thermal performance -- architects are now able to design buildings with more glass, allowing for greater natural light, unique designs and a friendlier feel. has its own ratings and tests specific to the event it is looking to protect against. These systems may have different levels, often carrying higher price points, and all affecting the look of a building. In the commercial building industry, standard glazing systems had not been tested to provide any type of hardening attributes until recently. In the vast majority of cases, people must change out not only the glass, but also the entire system to achieve a rated opening. The first instinct for someone who wants to harden his or her building is to go “bulletproof.” However, when it comes to the building materials industry, “bulletproof” is not a word often used. In fact, with regard to
glass and door/framing/window systems, there is no such thing as “bulletproof.” The notion of something being “bulletproof” means no bullets will penetrate the material, much like a waterproof bag will prevent any water from entering inside. The truth is that bullet resistant glass, otherwise referred to as bullet rated glass and systems, is, depending on its rating, only tested to stop one, three, or five bullets from firearms capable of holding 15-30 bullets in a magazine. Thus, someone shooting at a bullet rated glazing system would likely have bullets penetrate prior to needing a new magazine. Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum where the mindset is to do something just so someone can say, “we’ve done something,” is not what a security professional wants to hear. To say, “we’ve done something” in the world of security is associated with taking the lowest cost minimal upgrade to improve security. Doing something is of course better than nothing, but is the cost incurred warranted in light of what you’re actually getting? Likely not. The ability to use existing glazing systems within a building, or the standard glazing systems an architect wants to use on new construction, provides a cost savings in itself. This means a product must have the ability to retrofit (i.e. be thin enough), and the choice of available products appropriate for their strength and appearance is like night and day. The most common way people harden their existing glass openings is to add a film to the interior side. Between sales people telling people it can guard against an intruder for up to 2-3 minutes, and some swanky videos produced by their own marketing teams, why not believe them? Perhaps
because these films were designed for blast mitigation to prevent glass from becoming shrapnel in such an event, but are now being sold as a forced entry deterrent. The market for forced entry protection far outweighs the market for blast mitigation; therefore, film manufacturers have pivoted their marketing while using the same products. The problem is, these film products have not been tested to prevent the horrific events sales persons often claim they’ll thwart, nor were they designed to be struck with a bullet, or assaulted with a blunt object. When films are subjected to such actions beyond the pulse of air a blast exudes, they can tear and fail within seconds rather than the minutes that is generally portrayed. Beyond the lack of security a film product offers, one should also understand that they are installing a plastic film on their building that
scratches, yellows and will need to be eventually replaced, many times over in some cases. Certainly the cost effectiveness of retrofitting existing infrastructure is important and plays a major role in the decision making process when hardening a building. The glass market offers limited options for satisfying these needs while also providing a sufficient level of security. Plastic films, while a great concept, simply do not provide the level of security people need in the event lock downs occur, and when first response time (4-6 minutes) is critical. If people believe hurricane glass may be a sufficient alternative, they must understand that these products are merely tested to stop a ninepound, 2� by 4� piece of wood shot out of a cannon. Attempting to draw a comparison between one impact from a 2 by 4 and someone with a firearm
and/or blunt implements spending minutes attempting to break-in is not realistic. Hurricane glass and the testing it endures is primarily focused on constant gusts of high wind speeds rather than a barrage of debris pelting the glass. We hope, of course, that nothing terrible will ever happen to us, and many people use this outlook as a reason not to do any form of security enhancements to their building(s). Alternatively, with the recent history of horrific events and new ones unfolding far too often, prudent individuals are taking the necessary steps to prepare and implement security measures to mitigate a potential threat. Where possible, these efforts need not affect building design, are cost effective, and provide a level of security capable of giving comfort to the people and/or goods inside.
School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine 53
Profiles in Safety
ER™ Blood Stopper Hemorrhage Control Kit By Quake Kare/Emergency Ready The ER™ Blood Stopper Hemorrhage Control Kit empowers staff members and bystanders to fulfill a greater role in saving lives during mass casualty and active shooter incidents. This kit is designed to enable non-emergency personnel to deliver life-saving treatment to an injured victim until EMS can arrive on scene. The sole purpose of this life-saving kit is to stop uncontrolled bleeding commonly seen from gunshot, stabbing and shrapnel type wounds. During an active shooter event, first responders typically arrive on scene within 6 minutes. A person can bleed to death from an arterial wound in as little as 3 minutes. Why is our kit unique? 1. Contains a color-coded quick reference instruction card and a digital training presentation. 2. The medical items in this kit surpass the standards set forth by the Department of Homeland Security’s “Stop the Bleed” program. 3. Includes two Chest Seals to treat sucking chest wounds. 4. Packaged in a clear, easy to identify pouch designed to
fit in AED cabinets. Kit Contains: (2) Hemostatic Gauze (1) Tactical Tourniquet (2) Chest Seals (1) Compression Bandage (1) Pair Nitrile Gloves (1) Thermal Blanket (1) Instruction Card (1) “Stop the Bleed” identification sticker (1) Training Presentation The Quake Kare product line also includes disaster preparedness kits and supplies for all disasters and locations including lockdown kits for classrooms. The lockdown kits are packaged in a 5-gallon bucket that can be used for emergency sanitation with the included snap-on toilet seat. The kits contain everything students and teachers would need while in lockdown including food and water. For more information visit https://www.quakekare.com/ school-office-lockdown-kits/ Quake Kare is owned by Lighthouse for the Blind, a 501(c)3 non-profit
organization headquartered in St. Louis, MO. Lighthouse for the Blind’s mission is to assist individuals who are legally blind by making available employment, education and support services. The Lighthouse for the Blind is a FDA Class II Medical Packager and ISO 9001:2015 Certified. 100% of Quake Kare Disaster Preparedness Kits are assembled by employees who are visually impaired.
For more information visit www.quakekare.com, email jcaine@quakekare.com or call 800.277.3727
Beazley and CrisisRisk Are proud to support the
SEEN School Safety Guide Beazley and CrisisRisk invite you to contact us in regards to your safety and security needs for crisis management.
Contact jsatterfield@crisisrisk.com or call 770-331-1951
Building a Peaceable Place
Character Education through SEL TGFV Social Perspectives - Kindergarten through High School Building mindfulness from an early age puts a child on a path for academic success and peaceable living in and out of school. In the TGFV Social Perspectives curricula, students learn to manage social and academic pressures and practice pro-social connectedness through responsible decision making, effective communication, and peaceful conflict management to mitigate impulsive behavior and find healthy ways to manage stress. Our collaborative and experiential learning strategies help students learn and practice the skills promoting empathy, mindfulness, and social awareness with the confidence to reach for their goals, and our family components extend the learning to the home.
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