Fall 2019 Edition
Safety &Security A PUBLICATION OF
CONTENTS
Page 4
SAFE SCHOOLS? Violent Threats and Incidents in Schools:
Page 10
Staying
An Analysis of the 2018-2019 School Year Researched and Written by Dr. Amy Klinger and Amanda Klinger, Esq.
Page 16
How to Prepare Even the Youngest Students to Survive a Threat By Chad Cunningham
Page 24
Safe
Page 22
If a crisis hits your schools, are you ready to communicate? By DAVID R. VOSS President, Voss & Associates
Page 26
Page 30
3 Ways to Make This School Year Safer Than Ever By Hillary Bowling
2 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Fire Safety In Schools: What Your Facilities Need To Have In Place
EDITOR’S NOTE Here at SEEN, we know the importance and necessity of living and learning in safe and secure environments. We also know when K12 schools and school districts are safe and secure environments – communities thrive. That’s why we focus tirelessly on the topic and bring you this Fall 2019 Safety and Security Guide. We hope this guide provides all of you safety and security resources and information for your schools – especially during this National Safe Schools week! Take the information in this publication to heart and look to SEEN for more safety and security year round.
Safety &Secur SEEN Magazine
www.seenmagazine.us 866-761-1247
3 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
SAFE SCHOOLS? Violent Threats and Incidents in Schools:
An Analysis of the 2018-2019 School Year Researched and Written by Dr. Amy Klinger and Amanda Klinger, Esq. During the 2018-2019 school year,
schools actually face. They all may
an active shooter event. In fact, there
schools across the United States
say the most likely threat a school
are critical unintended consequences
continued to work to improve their
faces is that of an active shooter.
associated with undertaking any and
level of preparedness for a crisis event.
Although such events are horrific,
all interventions in the name of active
Unfortunately, commonly held beliefs
data indicates these tragedies are
shooter response. Perhaps more
and fears, as well as the prevailing
exceedingly rare. As noted in the key
troubling, this perception of the single,
media narrative, are often contradictory
findings of this report, the greatest
overwhelming threat of an active
to the reality of the types of hazards
threat to the safety of schools is not
shooter has become a wide-spread
4 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
belief that has negatively impacted all-
of violence in America’s schools to
For the purpose of this report, an
hazards preparedness and potentially
examine the frequency, scope, and
incident was categorized as a “shooting”
decreased the overall safety of schools.
severity of the problem. This data,
when shots were deliberately fired
In order to make strategic, intentional
albeit accurate, is a small subset of
on the campus of a school with the
decisions about how to prepare and
information to a larger issue. ESSN
intent to cause harm. An event was
empower educators to effectively
is consistently making updates to
categorized as “shots fired” when a
prevent and respond to crisis events,
their data tracking and reporting.
weapon was discharged on school
this report provides a data-driven
grounds in an incident that was not
understanding of the frequency and
Key Findings
considered targeted violence. This
nature of violent threats and incidents
1. I n the 2018-2019 school year, only
finding warrants an examination of the
in schools. As a result, well-intentioned
six percent of all tracked incidents
amount of time and resources currently
security interventions, or aggressive,
involved a school shooting. Despite
spent preparing solely to respond to
intimidating training and drills often
high levels of media attention, and
an event that is potentially devastating,
created negative, far-reaching
the common perception that school
but statistically rare. The need for active
unintended consequences: adding to
shootings are the most significant
shooter preparation and training is
the fears already held by educators,
risk schools face, only six percent
critical, however, it is not the only (or
students and parents. In order to
of all tracked violent incidents
most likely) hazard schools face. Harvard
make strategic, intentional decisions
involved an active shooter event in
lecturer David Ropeik reasons that
about how to prepare and empower
a school. An additional 4.5 percent
despite our common perception of the
educators to effectively prevent and
of tracked incidents involved shots
risk, “the statistical likelihood of any given
respond to crisis events, this report
being fired on school grounds. Even
public school student being killed by a
provides a data-driven understanding
with the inclusion of the tracked
gun, in school, on any given day since
of the frequency and nature of violent
incidents where a gun was found in
1999 was roughly 1 in 614,000,000.”
threats and incidents in schools.
a school but not fired (13.6 percent
It is likely that the increased awareness
This is the annual report for the 2018-
of incidents), the total of all violent
and fear of active shooter attacks
2019 school year released by the
incidents that were related to the
has resulted in the belief that the
Educator’s School Safety Network
presence or use of guns in a school
actual number of these events has
(ESSN), a national non-profit school
was less than a quarter (24 percent)
also increased. Although many of
safety organization. As part of on-going,
of all the events that occurred.
the effects of this overemphasis
unfunded research, the organization has
on a statistically unlikely event at
compiled data on threats and incidents
the exclusion of more likely crises
of violence, including school-based bomb
are not measured in this study, the
incidents, since 2014. Their research is
most commonly tracked incident, a
derived from daily tracking and analysis
response occasioned by a false report
of school-based incidents and threats
or mock attack, is directly related and
of violence in the United States.
discussed in finding number 2 below.
ESSN has compiled the most current information on threats and incidents
2. T hroughout the 2018-2019 school
5 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
year, schools faced a wide array of
anxiety that school stakeholders
threats accounted for 32 percent
different types of violent incidents.
have about an active shooter event.
of all specified threats, while bomb
The most common incidents tracked
While this focus on gun violence is
incidents (detonations, devices, and
in the 2018-2019 school year were
not without validity (as 24 percent
suspicious packages) accounted for
false reports or mock attacks,
of violent incidents were gun-
nine percent of all tracked violent
which accounted for 18 percent
related), violent incidents in schools
incidents. The frequency — and the
of all incidents. This is a sharp
encompassed a wide array of events,
lack of preparedness that makes
increase from the rate tracked in
including 18 percent of incidents
it particularly concerning —¬ has
previous school years, and indicates
where violent, aggressive behaviors
remained largely unchanged since
that the fear of a school shooting
occurred in schools without the
this research begin in 2014.
can be effectively weaponized by
presence of a gun. These included
As discussed in previous reports,
perpetrators to cause chaos, fear
outside aggressive actors such as
school administrators and law
and disruption, as well as provoke a
disruptive parents or trespassers,
enforcement officials continue to
tactical law enforcement response.
large-scale student fights, and other
find themselves in the untenable
As discussed in finding number
less frequent but equally concerning
position of having to make critical
one¬¬¬¬ above, the belief that
events such as attempted abductions,
decisions about the validity of threats
school shootings happen frequently,
dating violence, and assaults. This
with little to no threat assessment
or the fear that they are imminent
raises questions about the lack
protocols, few established best
or inevitable, may also result in
of training, preparedness, and
practices, outdated procedures, and
erroneous reports of lower level
resource allocation in schools for
typically, a complete lack of education-
incidents as active shooter events.
non-gun related violent events that
based school safety training. More
are more statistically likely to pose
alarmingly, while the 88 gun-related
a threat to the safety of students.
incidents noted in 2018- 2019 is clearly unacceptable, current training
3. Bomb threats and bomb incidents
and planning practices that focus
continued to disrupt schools in the
solely on active shooter response
2018-2019 school year. The original
result in a school being inadequately
intent of this research and series
prepared to prevent and respond
The high rate of simulated or falsely
of reports was to measure the
to the majority of violent incidents
reported attacks, combined with
frequency of bomb incidents and
(78 percent) that do not involve gun
the significant number of reports
threats. Although the scope of each
violence. This single emphasis also
of suspicious people in or near a
subsequent report has expanded
compromises educators’ abilities
school (15.8 percent), accounted
to include other types of violence,
to plan for, prevent and respond
for 34 percent of all incidents. More
school-based bombing incidents,
to crisis events that are not man-
than a third of tracked incidents that
suspicious packages, and bomb
made, but much more likely, such
disrupted schools and required multi-
threats remain concerns that are
as accidents, medical emergencies
agency responses were predicated
inadequately addressed in current
and severe weather events. There is
on the high level of concern and
policies, training, and resources. Bomb
a critical need for a comprehensive,
6 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
all-hazards approach to threats and
significant concern impacting schools.
In this report, an incident is defined as
incidents that incorporates both
an actual occurrence that requires a
violence prevention and response.
response extending beyond a school’s regular capabilities. While the rate of
Additional Findings
violent events — © 2010-2019 The
In the 2018-2019 school year,
Educator’s School Safety Network www.
more than 3,434 threats and
eSchoolSafety.org — continues to
incidents of violence occurred in
increase, the majority of these incidents
American K-12 schools, with actual
were not active shooter events. In fact,
incidents of violence increasing
the most common occurrence (18.4
from the 2017-2018 school year.
percent of all incidents) were false reports
The number of threats in 2018-
of a violent intruder or mock attacks that
2019 decreased 9.5 percent
resulted in a law enforcement response.
from the previous year. While the 3,058 threats reported in
Threats of Violence — Types of Threats
the 2018-2019 school year were a 9.5 percent decrease from the year before, this was still an increase of 46.6 percent from the 2016-2017 school year. For the purposes of this research, “threats” are defined as an expressed intent to do harm. While it may be a positive sign that the number of actual threats decreased, the rate at which schools experienced threats is still significantly higher than in the past. It is also important to consider that an increase in the number of threats reported over time may not necessarily be entirely negative. A heightened awareness and adoption of a “see something, say something” perspective by school stakeholders is a positive trend that may account for at least some of the increased number of reported threats. This does not change the reality, however, that threats of violence continue to be a
The number of violent incidents increased
The most common threats recorded
34 percent from the previous year.
in the 2018-2019 school year were
The continued increase in actual
unspecified threats of violence (47.4
incidents of violence is of greater
percent of all threats), shooting threats
concern. The 2018-2019 school year
(28.2 percent of all threats), and bomb
included at least 374 incidents of
threats (16.9 percent of all threats).
violence compared to 279 events in the 2017-2018 school year, an increase of 34 percent. While this year’s increase is less dramatic than the 113 percent increase experienced from 2016-2017 to 2017-2018, the overall trajectory during the three-year time period is a startling increase of 185.5 percent. The most significant trend in this area is the continued increase in unspecified threats. This may largely be due to a choice on the part of school officials or emergency responders to not divulge specific information about threats received. While this may make sense
7 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
in a given situation, it makes it difficult
parents and school staff accounted for
intervention. More than 50 plots of
to identify whether specific types of
less than two percent of all threats.
violence against schools were thwarted in
threats are increasing or decreasing.
the 2018-2019 school year (13.4 percent
In a small number of situations, the
of all tracked incidents). This is 10 more
threat itself was an expressed intent
than the previous year, although in 2017-
to do harm that did not contain any
2018 thwarted plots accounted for more
specifics as to the means for doing so.
of the violent incidents (19 percent). An explosive device was detonated in a school four times in the 2018-2019
Method of Delivery of Threats
school year, compared to once in
While the method of delivery for a
2017-2018, and twice in 2016-2017.
specific threat was not always reported,
The 28 suspicious packages reported
when it was known, social media was the
in 2018-2019 was a slight increase
most common source, accounting for 38 percent of all threats in the 2018-2019 school year. This is relatively unchanged from the previous two school years. In 2018-2019 (as in 2017-2018), written threats were discovered within the school itself nearly 20 percent of the time, most commonly in the restroom. Verbal comments were the source of threats 8.6 percent of the time.
from the two previous years as well.
Incidents of Violence ¬¬The most frequent incidents during the 2018-2019 school year were false
Individuals Who Perpetrated Incidents of Violence
reports or mock attacks (18.4 percent
As was the case with threats, the majority
of all incidents), followed by reports
(85 percent) of all violent incidents in the
of a suspicious person predicating a
2018-2019 school year were perpetrated
response (15.8 percent of all incidents),
by students followed by adults who
and thwarted plots (13.4 percent of all incidents). As discussed earlier in
Individuals Who Made Threats of Violence
this report, consideration should be
While data related to the sex, age, and
incidents that occurred in schools
affiliation of those who made threats
during the 2018-2019 school year.
of violence was not always known or
More than 6.7 percent of tracked
reported, it was tracked when available.
incidents were wide-ranging violent
During the 2018- 2019 school year,
or aggressive behaviors by students
87 percent of all threats of violence
or others which occurred at a higher
came from students, a slight increase
rate than those of an active shooter.
given to the diverse array of violent
from 81 percent the previous year. Other adults were responsible for
These events rose beyond the “typical”
threats 7.3 percent of the time, also
disciplinary or behavioral issues noted
a slight increase from 6.8 percent
in schools, and required emergency
in 2017-2018. In both school years,
response or law enforcement
8 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
were not parents or staff members (12 percent). The rate of violence by staff, parent, or non-student juvenile perpetrators was 1.2 percent or less for each group. As in threats, the majority of violent incidents (88 percent) were perpetrated by males.
Recommendations As a result of the findings of this annual
most approaches to school safety
and academic achievement must be
report, and the ones that preceded
have been response oriented, focused
recognized. Data from this report
it, the following recommendations
on gun violence, derived from a law
indicates that threats of violence as
should be considered:
enforcement perspective, and based
well as false reports of active shooters
1. Training, resources, and emergency
heavily on the purchase of hardware.
and simulated attacks are a frequent
planning for schools needs to focus
While these elements are an important
occurrence in schools, resulting — ©
on an all-hazards approach to school
part of a comprehensive approach to
2010-2019 The Educator’s School
safety. The erroneous belief that
crisis planning and response, they are
Safety Network www.eSchoolSafety.
active shooter events are the most
not enough. Preventing violence, not
org — in a heightened level of anxiety
significant hazard schools face leaves
just responding to it, must become a
and fear for school stakeholders. The
educators vulnerable and unprepared
priority. This can be achieved through
task of assessing the validity of an
for the more likely crisis events they
research-based best practices such
ever-increasing number of threats,
will encounter. In many cases, the only
as threat assessment management,
and responding appropriately and
training educators receive is geared
improving school climate and culture,
effectively to each one of them puts
toward a school shooting, even though
applying appropriate supports and
educators and emergency responders
it is one of the least likely crisis events.
interventions to those at risk for
in a difficult position, often with
This report only deals with violent
violence, enacting effective supervision,
little training or support in what to
incidents and threats and does not
implementing visitor engagement
do. Even worse, the frequency and
consider the significant portion of crisis
and other educator-based initiatives.
scope of threats consumes significant
events in schools that are not man-
Perhaps most significantly, attention
financial and personnel resources and
made — such as accidents, medical
must be paid to the consequences
almost always results in the loss of
emergencies and severe weather
of creating a prison-like, surveillance-
instructional time, negatively impacting
events — all of which are even more
based environment in schools, where
academic achievement. Appropriate
likely than incidents of violence.
students are viewed as potential
training, resources, and support
2. The continued longitudinal increase
perpetrators and educators are forced
need to be applied to preventing,
in violent incidents and threats indicates
into security and policing roles.
assessing, and responding to threats
that current school safety practices
3. While response to incidents is critical,
of violence, not just actual incidents.
alone are not effective. Historically
the impact of threats on student safety
9 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Staying Safe
Today as students return to school,
recent years the number of incidents
is so much more that needs to be
campuses are faced with the threat
has been staggering. The dependence
implemented. School security must
of active shooters, drug and vaping
and investment in Security Resource
be multi-pronged and strategic.
concerns, sex offenders and parental
Officers (SROs) or security guards
Schools have been operating with
abductors waiting for an opportunity
to make sure that students are safe
limited budget and security protection,
to strike. Real threats (and suspected
may be comforting to parents but the
and until recently, has not typically been
dangers) are reported all the time. In
reality of the situation is that there
at the top of the list of must-haves.
Continued on Page 12
10 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
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11 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Initially, security equipment was
the video streams within the
well as any of the visitor’s actions.
acquired to deter activity. As more and
district, and no third-party
Beyond forensic capability, think
more events occurred, it then became
monitoring service, the school
of ways a school system can utilize
important to be able to provide
system is ultimately dependent
this information. Surveillance
forensic evidence – use video feed
on “smart” technology. How does
information is already being used by
for the investigation of an incident
one implement “smart” security?
corporate marketing departments
and furnish “proof” to authorities.
Analytics. Just a few examples
and retail stores to understand
Today, many schools have
emphasize the ability of technology
buying patterns, gender selection
surveillance cameras. However,
to do some of the work. When
and traffic patterns in addition to
whether the cameras capture
objects appear in places that are
security. For schools, surveillance
activity everywhere on school
normally vacant, people enter
could also be used to support school
grounds, whether they are have
areas that are usually restricted,
expansion requests, a change in
been updated to digital technology,
or a camera detects a person
traffic patterns (i.e. buses, parents,
whether a video management
present vs. an animal or activity vs.
visitors), preventative modification
solution has been implemented that
weather (i.e. rain or snow falling),
(i.e. uncovering vaping areas), where
immediately alarms key resources
these events can trigger an alarm,
and when walking paths are used,
when an incident occurs and
cause doors to be locked, or alert
delivery trends, busiest visitor days
provide forensic data, is unknown.
the appropriate responders.
and times, lunch improvements,
The foundation of any digital
Do you want to know where a
social patterns, weather impacts, etc.
technology is the network. There
particular visitor went on school
But this is just the tip of the iceberg!
has to be enough bandwidth
grounds? Who interacted with this
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has entered
to support the devices on the
visitor? With some analytic software
the security world and is now a
network. And video surveillance
solutions, the video management
major focus for use in uncovering
requires significant bandwidth. If
system can now extract quickly and
proactive and preemptive security
there isn’t sufficient bandwidth,
in time sequence all video capture
information. AI allows the analysis
the transmission of what a camera
of a given visitor. As an example,
of large amounts of structured and
captures may be delayed, thereby
let’s assume this visitor was at the
unstructured data to determine
delaying the alerts to school and
school midday and wore a red scarf.
connections and trends that are
emergency personnel. Many schools
The software can search, extract
impossible for human detection. The
don’t have a Security Operations
and play all video capture between
goal is to use AI to achieve full facility
Center (SOC) like universities and
11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. that shows a
situational awareness and detect
corporations. Therefore, no one is
person wearing a red scarf. Within
anomalies — standard behavior
watching real-time camera feed on
seconds, the software allows the
and actions versus abnormal activity
a regular basis. If the technology
administrator to view all clips of this
— without human intervention
can’t do its job appropriately due
individual independent of where
and use this information to predict
to a poor network infrastructure,
the visitor was on the campus. The
when emergent incidents are
lives could be endangered.
administrator can see all persons
likely to occur and when additional
If there are no resources monitoring
with whom this visitor interacted as
resources are warranted.
12 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Is there personnel at your school
to get to the proper resources in
Physical security can no longer
focused on making sure that security
case something happens on the
be last on the school’s To-Do list
equipment has been installed to
playground, walking to a parked car,
if and when funding is available.
keep unknown and unwanted visitors
at the ballfield or in a classroom? Do
Inexpensive cameras, post-incident
out, students and faculty safe and
vehicles license plates coming onto
analysis, and marginal network
emergency responders alerted? Do
the campus need to be captured
equipment can no longer be the
these responsible security or facility
and compared to a database of
standard. School protection must
resources understand the need
offender plates? Can vaping activity
be multi-faceted and “smart.” In
for robust network infrastructure,
be detected and reported?
addition to curricula, graduation
bandwidth requirements and
Emergent incidents haven’t waned.
rates and extracurricular activities,
processing power that will support
The incidents have spread to
security is quickly becoming another
analytics and eventually AI?
shopping centers, yoga facilities,
measurement for schools and a
When you look at the video
workplaces and places of worship.
decision point for parents. Safety
footage, is there enough detail to
Because of this, security technology
and security can no longer be
recognize individuals? Are there
has a renewed focus and continues
swept under the rug. There is no
areas on the campus not currently
to improve. There is increased
doubt that an incident will happen;
surveilled? Is it safe to walk to the
awareness and communication
it’s a question of when it will occur
parking lot or on a footpath at
between enforcement and
and whether the school will be in
night? Does faculty have the ability
emergency response agencies,
a position to handle resolution
to quickly send an electronic alert
private businesses and personnel.
appropriately and expediently.
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13 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Profiles in Safety
Leading Districts Protect Their Schools with Proven Safety Solutions
Staff Training and Anonymous Tip Reporting Increase Safety
Each year, managing school safety grows in complexity. How do administrators proactively address critical issues like active shooters and intruders, bullying and cyberbullying, drug and alcohol abuse, and student mental health and suicide prevention to best safeguard their schools and districts?
A Complex Problem Requires Comprehensive Solutions Keeping students and staff safe requires a comprehensive approach that addresses safe physical buildings and grounds, properly trained and prepared staff, and a school culture that supports positive relationships and student mental health. Vector Solutions, developers of the SafeSchools suite of awardwinning K-12 safety and compliance solutions, has partnered with thousands of districts around the country for over 15 years to deliver affordable and effective programs for staff and student training, tip reporting, SDS and chemical management, and incident management, that help administrators better protect their schools.
Profiles in School Safety Cherokee County School District Cherokee County School District (CCSD) is a high performing school system in Metro Atlanta, with 42 schools, 4,800 employees, and 42,200+ students. The district’s top safety priorities this year include a Social and
Emotional Learning (SEL) initiative focused on student and staff mental health, staff training on key topics like workplace safety and identifying and reporting child abuse, and vaping.
Consistent Delivery of Safety and Compliance Training Since 2016, CCSD has successfully used SafeSchools’ safety and compliance training and tip reporting solutions. The district selected the SafeSchools Online Staff Training System to move from a paper-based system to an online system that provides expert-authored safety training and better compliance reporting. The district also uses SafeSchools Training’s specialized courses from the School Bus Safety Company, that have helped CCSD address the growing challenge of recruiting and hiring qualified bus drivers. “SafeSchools Training is critical to our efforts to inform employees of important safety issues, to ensure they understand and agree to follow our protocols and practices, and to ensure consistent content and delivery districtwide,” explained Julie Little, Executive Director of Human Resources, Risk Management, and Benefits.
Preventing Serious Incidents with Anonymous Tip Reporting As texting has grown in popularity, CCSD saw tips to its safety phone line decline. The SafeSchools Alert Tip Reporting System expanded
CCSD’s reporting options to meet the needs of today’s digital natives by offering reporting via text, email, phone, web, and a new mobile app. The district has seen the number of safety tips increase dramatically as a result of adopting SafeSchools Alert, and CCSD has been able to address serious incidents, including disciplinary issues, vaping, bullying, student emotional or mental health crises, and even students considering suicide. According to Little, “SafeSchools Alert has improved communications between students, parents, the community, and CCSD, and has empowered students to ‘see something, say something’ with greater ease and anonymity.”
Lexington County School District One Lexington County School District One is one of the fastest growing districts in South Carolina with 26,800+ students and 3,800 employees across 30 schools. The district’s top safety priorities for this school year include improving front entrance security, improving communication during an emergency, increasing mental health counselors, and implementing threat assessment teams on each campus.
Preparing Staff for a Safety Incident with Effective Training and Tools Lexington District One has used SafeSchools Training for over ten years to provide staff with greater access to safety and compliance training, anytime, anywhere. Today, the district also uses the program’s customization tools to create, assign, and track district-specific training and policies in one centralized system. The SafeSchools Alert Tip Reporting System has allowed the district to simplify how students, staff, and the
public submit safety and security tips. The system allows district administrators to receive tips in real time, respond quickly, and keep a log of all information received. In the first six months of implementing the system, 63% of the 155 tips submitted were submitted after normal school hours. In addition, 47% led to an active investigation and 43% required law enforcement action. “We believe the system’s ability to support the needs of our students in partnership with law enforcement, especially as it relates to the threats of suicide after hours, is invaluable,” explained Safety and Emergency Services Director, Chris Ellisor.
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How to Prepare Even the Youngest Students to Survive a Threat 16 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
By Chad Cunningham
and lessons that are age appropriate.
or more of the following seven ways:
According to the FBI reports on active
When focused on age appropriate
1. Auditory
shooter incidents, violent attacks on
training, levels of cognitive and
2. Kinesthetic (hands-on, doing)
schools are increasing in frequency,
behavioral development, along with
3. Visual
leaving schools in a position of needing
the variety of learning styles must
4. Logical
to train and empower their students
be considered. In the Final Report
5. Verbal
and staff. Schools are facing pressure
of the Federal Commission on School
6. Social
from parents, the community and
Safety (2018), the commission states
7. Solitary
government regulations to prepare
that “effective training is critical,
Understanding these learning styles
for the threat of violent tragedy.
making it imperative that schools
will help you in developing your
But how do you train students? How
regularly review training protocols
lessons and activities. There are three
do you train them on a scary topic
and ensure that every SRO, SSO,
categories that should be included
without scaring them? How do you
teacher, administrator and student
in your lessons: visuals, stories and
train them age appropriately?
is as prepared as possible.�
activities. The information provided in
These questions are focused on
Preparing students to respond to an
Table 1 will help you prepare lessons
training and preparing our youngest
active shooter event should not be as
for different age groups appropriately.
group of students to respond to
difficult as many people make it out to
a violent critical incident — active
be. When training students, remember
Training Pre-K
shooter, domestic violence, stranger
to design and develop your lessons
Pre-K students are starting to develop
danger, etc.). We must prepare
to their age and developmental level
symbolic function and understand
students of all ages by using strategies
(see Table 1). Students will learn in one
the ideas of past and future. With this
17 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
age group you can start with a general
door. Showing the wolf as a character
provide information for the educator
understanding of danger and how they
that tries to get the little pigs will serve
to use. The guided practice for this
should respond to the danger. For
as a conduit that there are bad people
age group is performing the do’s of
example, a lesson for this age group
in our communities. The book “I’m
the video. The do’s can range from
can start with a game of red-light green
Not Scared … I’m Prepared,” written
practicing barricading the doors,
light. Using the game as a reference,
by Julia Cook is another example
leaving the classroom to the rally
you start to explain that when they
of using characters to tell a story at
point, or demonstrating why and
stop, they should listen to the teacher.
an age appropriate level. The book
how you can distract the intruder.
At this age, vocabulary such as “Safety
uses the Sheep, Shephard and Wolf
Training Ninth – 12th Graders
inside,” “Safety outside” and the
metaphor. These are all characters
Students in the ninth through
importance of listening to the teacher
the students can relate to which
12th grade levels are in the formal
or aid is introduced. Guided practice
helps the students understand their
operational stage of cognitive
is an interactive learning process by
roles. This book is also accompanied
development according to Jean Piaget,
engaging the students with similar
by a workbook providing the guided
renowned children’s developmental
tasks they will expect to know later in
practice portion of the lessons. The
psychologist. In this stage of
the lesson. These will help the student
physical approach for this age group
development, the students begin to
in retaining the knowledge they need.
of students is performing drills and
think abstractly and reason about
An example of guided practice is
activities to support the strategies of
hypothetical problems. They begin
showing the students how they can
barricade, evacuate and distraction.
to use deductive logic or reasoning
exit the room when the danger is in
Training Fourth - Eighth Graders
from general principals to specific
the building. Activity pages can be
Students in the fourth through
information. You can use the same
used for independent practice or even
eighth grade levels have developed
approach as the stop and do video to
evaluation of the lesson. For example,
cognitively to begin to think more
provide the information and guided
a cut and paste coloring project
logically about concrete events and
practice of the do’s. Critical thinking
representative of the lesson.
situations. They are leaving behind the
drills can be added at this level. These
stories and are ready for conversation
drills will allow students to feel like a
where they feel they can provide
part of the solution and encourage
the answers. A good approach may
them to solve the problems. A critical
be putting together a “Stop and Do”
thinking drill is defined as a question
video. The SRD (school resource
of concern, such as “You are in your
deputy) PJ Mauldin and Alachua
fifth period class. You hear over
Florida school district developed a
the PA that there is a student who
great video that is shared with the
entered the building by the band
students about emergencies and
room and is carrying a gun.” Now
what to do. Deputy Mauldin tells
you can have a discussion with the
the viewer to stop the video and
students on what should be done.
perform what was just referenced
Allow the students to discuss and
in the video. This type of resource
provide reasons why they chose the
can keep the student’s attention and
particular response. Allowing the older
Training Kindergarten – Third Graders At the kindergarten through third grade level, students have a general understanding of emergencies and can provide basic assistance. Start with a “Teacher may I” style of activity or game. Allowing students to play a game that relates to your lesson makes the learning fun and interactive. Stories such as the Three Little Pigs can be used to explain the importance of a good barricade of the classroom
18 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
students to be part of the response
percent of videos depict some type
Product Management and an ALICE
will help them to feel empowered
of violence (Federal Commission on
National Trainer at ALICE Training
should they encounter a violent event.
School Safety, 2018). Our children
Institute. He holds an Associate’s in
Today’s society is pressing schools,
have grown up in this era of school
Criminal Justice, B.A. in Technical
law enforcement, parents and the
violence, most parents have not, and
Education, and a M.A. Ed. in
community to come up with a plan
parents tend to place their own fears
Instructional Technology. He has 23
on how to prepare for a violent
on their children. We need to protect
years’ experience in Law Enforcement
critical incident such as an active
our children by providing them the
with 20 years with the University of
shooter or violent intruder. It can be
tools to respond to danger. In order
Akron. Cunningham held the Lieutenant
disheartening and scary for parents
to remember training or information,
title, led the community policing,
to discuss this topic with their kids,
it helps if you see it, hear it and do
CHOP unit, was the lead trainer for the
especially the youngest ones, but if
it. The students need to perform the
department and a prominent member
we don’t, our children are not going to
drills to understand what they can
of SWAT. He is a certified instructor in
be prepared. I hear many times that
do. Having this in mind, we need to
Defensive Tactics and Active Shooter
“we don’t want to scare the kids.” Kids
make sure that all our faculty, staff
Response. He was a member of the
are resilient. It has been estimated
and students are prepared when
committee that composed the Solo
that 68 percent of video games, 60
facing a violent, man-made disaster.
Officer Response to Active Threat. Chad
percent of television shows, and 15
Chad Cunningham is the Director of
has trained more than 70,000 people.
19 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
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21 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
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.
If a crisis hits your schools, are you ready to communicate? By DAVID R. VOSS President, Voss & Associates Recent high-profile shootings at schools remind us that it could happen anywhere, anytime. The question is: Are you ready? While the extreme cases capture the national media’s attention, the reality is that crisis situations happen every day in our schools.
At Voss & Associates, we have experienced everything from tragic shootings to a cruel joke. We learned valuable lessons when Hurricane Charlie destroyed or severely damaged eight of the 14 schools in Charlotte County, Florida, or when a frantic 6th grader was interviewed by the media to announce a tragic shooting in Palm Beach County. Since that time, we have trained hundreds of educators and created dozens of Crisis Communications Plans. 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
Some minor incidents are blown out of proportion by the media,
spokesperson. During a crisis, no one should speak to
partly because schools didn’t communicate it pro-actively, getting
the media except the official spokesperson, usually the
ahead of the story. Whether it’s a fender-bender bus accident, a
superintendent, the principal, or the public information
22 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
officer. This avoids conflicting stories, the
promise frequent updates to avoid
during a crisis situation. Do you have a
release of premature information, and
a media frenzy. Someone should
plan? Do you have sufficient training?
potential liability lawsuits down the road.
monitor the media to check for
If not, contact an expert in crisis
accuracy and correct misinformation.
communications to help you prepare.
Spokespersons must be trained in the art of clear and coherent messages
Most importantly, today’s technology
delivered in a calm and compassionate
allows school districts to communicate
David R. Voss is president of Voss &
voice. This takes practice. Role-playing
directly to parents and stakeholders
Associates, a full service communications
in front of cameras is the only way
during a crisis. Phone notification
company with its heart in education.
to prepare for such an event. They
systems, Twitter and Facebook, eBlasts,
His online communication courses
must know the public record laws,
blogs and websites should be fully
cover crisis readiness, social
how to control the message, provide
leveraged during a crisis situation. Fact
media, media relations and public
emotional comfort, and disseminate
sheets with background information
speaking. He writes localized Crisis
only accurate information as it
are prepared before a crisis to answer
Communications Plans and provides
becomes available. This means avoid
basic questions. Updates are added
onsite training for school districts across
speculation, exaggeration, blame or
as information becomes known.
the country to help them prepare.
answering hypothetical questions.
Someone has to be in charge of that.
Web: vossandassociates.net. Online
The Crisis Communications Plan
All district administrators should be
Courses: communicatingeducation.
designates restricted areas for media
asking whether they feel confident that
net. Contact: david@vossandassociates.
access. The spokesperson should
they are ready manage communication
net. Phone: 941-650-4614.
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Having an emergency preparedness
information should be clearly available
response team should include key school
plan in place is expected of all school
throughout the school so that even a
personnel such as the principal, teachers,
districts and facilities. It’s expected, as
visitor to the premises would be able
school nurse, counselor and custodian
well, that all students, parents, faculty
to follow it. The plan should envelope
staff. Each person should have clear
and staff know the plan and how to put
situations like school violence, weather
defined roles in an emergency.” The
the plan in action if needed. These are
disasters, injury or illness, hostage
center goes on to say information about
the steps you must have for a successful
situations, fire safety and terrorist activity,
a school crisis response team is typically
school emergency preparedness plan:
and even gas leaks or water problems.
located on a school districts website.
1. H ave a plan. Seems like a
Schools should also be able to make
http://healthinschools.org/issue-
no-brainer, but many people still
a plan for situations that may occur
areas/other-school-health-issues/
stumble on this vital first step.
on a community or national level.”
school-health-issues/emergency-
TeAch-nology states in their article
http://www.teach-nology.com/
preparedness/emergency-preparedness-
“Steps to Take in School Emergency
edleadership/disaster_preparedness/
a-quick-guide-for-school-staff/#sthash.
Preparedness” that this is key. The
2. C ommunicate the plan to everyone. When everyone
ltnfDL92.oPU5pMtx.dpbs
article says, “While simple, schools must
It’s important to note that
outline specific problems complete
knows the plan and how to
communication doesn’t just stop at
with fictional situations so that staff
execute the plan, there is a
the school level. Communicate the
can become familiar with the plan.
greater chance lives are saved.
plan also with local law enforcement
This plan should include easy access
The Center for Health and Health
and parents. This communication
to emergency personnel as well as
Care in Schools says schools should
(evacuation routes, alerts and warnings,
evacuation regulations and plans. The
develop a crisis response team, “The
etc.) informs these parties enough to
24 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
act quickly in the event of a crisis.
procedures in order to familiarize all
• Where faculty and
3. P ractice the plan. It’s vital
school personnel with it. Periodically
staff should report;
to regularly conduct emergency
remind staff of signals and codes.”
• Why these actions are necessary
and crisis drills. Every student,
http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/
to ensure the safety of students,
teacher, administrator and faculty
emergencyplan/crisisplanning.pdf
staff and faculty; and
member should participate
• How the response will be managed
Three very basic steps most school
in these drills and take them
districts should already have in place,
during an emergency crisis incident.
seriously each and every time.
but steps that deserve to be constantly
(Source: Managing a School Crisis,
In an article entitled, “Practical
tweaked and perfect for the safety of all.
Using the Standardized Emergency
Information on Crisis Planning: A
Here’s a quick recap of an emergency
Management System, SEMS. Los
Guide for Schools and Communities,”
response plan and the key
Angeles County, Office of Education.)
the U.S. Department of Education
components of the plan itself:
advises the following: “At least once a
• Who will carry out specific responsibilities;
year, provide crisis response training for teachers and staff. Also provide
Preparation is key in any emergency situation and given our school climates today — preparation is necessary.
• What actions or activities
Refer to federal organizations like
make-up trainings for those unable
need to occur following an
FEMA and the CDC for additional
to attend the regular training session.
emergency crisis incident;
guidelines and resources for your
Go through the crisis plan and
• When the plan will be activated;
Be EDUCATED Be PREPARED Be EMPOWERED
school emergency preparedness plan.
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25 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Fire Safety In Schools: What Your Facilities Need To Have In Place
Today educational facilities are re-
With statistics like these, it
pull or the extinguisher access
vamped with wonderful aesthetics
goes without saying that fire
be blocked or hidden.” Having
and state-of-the-art technology,
alarms, smoke detectors,
proper access to alarms and fire
but oftentimes the basic facility
fire extinguishers, sprinkler
extinguishers could mean the
needs can be initially overlooked.
systems, and fire escapes are
difference between life or death.
The need to equip your facility
key components to the safety of
(“Fire Codes for School Buildings:
with safety protection systems is
everyone on school grounds. The
An Overview,” Whirlwind Steel,
key to creating a safe environment
NFPA notes that a working alarm
January 2014,https://www.
for staff and students. Fire
cuts the risk of dying in a reported
whirlwindsteel.com/blog/
safety is one of those pertinent
house fire by half. Installing
bid/364304/fire-codes-for-school-
protection systems that should
and regularly maintaining fire
buildings-an-overview).
be incorporated in your facility
alarms is essential to keeping
planning and upgrades.
kids and property safe (“School
According to the National Fire
Safety:Fire Prevention Week,”
Protection Association (NFPA)
Safe and Sound Schools, https://
fire departments respond to an
www.safeandsoundschools.
average of almost 5,000 school
org/2017/10/09/school-safety-fire-
fires every year. Almost 70 percent
prevention-week/).
of these fires occurred in schools
Experts and safety inspectors
serving kindergarten through 12th
strongly suggest fire alarms
grade and resulted in 351 injuries.
and fire extinguishers undergo
(“Developing a Fire Safety Plan for
routine maintenance in order to
Your Schools, Jan.10, 2019,https://
perform as needed. On Whirlwind
blog.koorsen.com/developing-a-
Steel’s blog, they caution that
fire-safety-plan-for-your-school).
“in no instance should the alarm
Fire Safety: School Building Codes and Regulations When it comes to adhering to facility building codes and regulations, there are fire codes and regulations to closely follow as well. Safe and Sound Schools suggest you know the following about your facility occupancy and activity — key to getting everyone out safely in case of a fire. When the last time the building
Continued on Page 28 26 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
27 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
replace it. Similarly, walls must go all the way to the deck. Holes in the ceiling must be patched to maintain its fire rating. Also, if a pipe is put through a firerated wall, the hole can be sealed with fire-rated caulk.” (“School Building Codes: A Basic Guide For Facility Managers”, Ellen Kollie, 2007, https://webspm. com/Articles/2007/12/01/SchoolBuilding-Codes-A-Basic-Guide-forFacility-Managers.aspx?Page=1) These regulations and standards are especially important for administrators and facility managers to check-off as they make sure the building is safe.
The Exit Plan For all the building preparedness, there is no substituting a smartly, executed evacuation plan. was thoroughly inspected?
Also, per School Planning and
Where critical signage is
Management, experts in the
located, such as exit signs
article “School Building Codes: A
and evacuation routes.
Basic Guide for Facility Managers,”
suggest checking for fire ratings.
How many people can fit
in the building as a whole and in
They say many schools were
classrooms and staff rooms?
designed with hallways and
(“School Safety:Fire Prevention
corridors to be fire rated —
Week”, Safe and Sound Schools,
which means “hallway doors are
https://www.safeandsoundschools.
rated and labeled so that when
org/2017/10/09/school-safety-
replacing a door, a quick look
fire-prevention-week/).
at the label makes it simple to
28 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Teachers, administrators and staff should all know the importance of routine fire drills — and make sure their students know the importance of the drills as well. Viewed by many today as a small break from class, there have been too many instances where fire alarms weren’t a break at all — but a real instance of safety. It’s important to make sure everyone knows the protocol to get out and get home safely.
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3 Ways to Make This School Year Safer Than Ever By Hillary Bowling Keeping staff and students safe can
safety now, you can relieve some
media, talking through practice
be like a gray cloud always looming.
of the burden and feel confident
scenarios to look for threats, digging
As an administrator, certain
throughout the entire school year.
deep into your own environment
questions might start to stack up
Here are three ways to make this
to find “problem areas” before
as you think about this school year:
school year safer than ever:
they become problem areas,
How can I train staff and educate students effectively while checking all the boxes of state-mandated compliance? How can I track student behavior closely enough to see patterns and respond to warning signs? How can I handle the inevitable incidents that may happen — and avoid as many as possible? Much like the weather, school safety feels hard to predict and impossible to control. However, if you start taking small steps toward
30 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
Identify Ways to Make Safety Collaborative Every burden is made lighter by sharing it. Truth is, the responsibility of safety needs to be felt by every single staff member. A culture of safety is only pervasive when every individual makes the decision to actively promote safety and take their own safety education
even bringing students into staff meetings to understand new places/apps/etc. with which students are interacting. Since every district culture is different, however, make a list of ways you can involve others. Maybe you can even brainstorm ideas with a few other school officials.
seriously.
Create a Plan for How to Handle Incidents
So how do you rally your
Planning to avoid incidents is more
stakeholders and staff? Practical
compelling than thinking about how
ideas include leveraging social
to handle them. But sometimes,
success stories.
this year, they’ll be better equipped
accidents happen. Knowing what
Make a list of three people who have
to learn more productively than
you’ll do — and communicating that
handled safety really well, and three
ever, too.
plan to staff, parents and, when
people who have had to deal with
appropriate, students — makes
incidents beyond their control. Take
everybody feel safer.
them to lunch. Then incorporate
This is especially important in a
their good ideas into your plan and
culture where there are major
share it with your team.
incidents happening in other schools.
If your students feel safer than ever
Gun violence, for example, was
Hillary Bowling is the marketing manager of PublicSchoolWORKS which provides complete, online safety and regulatory compliance programs for K-12 schools. A version of this blog originally appeared on the PublicSchoolWORKS website (https:// corp.publicschoolworks.com/).
higher in 2018 than it has been since 1970, according to the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at NPS. When a school shooting occurs, even across the country, everybody feels more vulnerable and fearful. Having a plan to address a school shooting or incident at another school is as deeply impactful as knowing what to do if a student is choking. Every good plan, of course, should include not only a resolution to a problem but a next step to move forward. One way is to offer your staff quick refresher courses that cover a host of “everyday” incidents from insect bites to slips, trips and falls.
Take Time to Educate Yourself One best practice is reading about other schools that have had success in streamlining safety management or preventing student crises, and how they have built a culture of safety. There is likely an opportunity to look up other administrators in your state and share challenges and
31 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine
A PUBLICATION OF
32 School Safety Guide | SEEN Magazine