School safety and security go beyond traditional measures, encompassing a multi-layered, multi-factor approach that combines technology, personnel training and emergency preparedness. As threats evolve, so too must a school’s response efforts change through new or different tactics and technologies.

Most schools have a public address (PA) system for broadcasting morning announcements, paging and triggering bells that signal the start and end of a classroom period and a separate system for emergencies that uses a horn or siren and flashing lights, but not voice.

Those emergency alerts are not typically tied into the public address system, and maintaining separate systems no longer meets the needs of today’s emergency preparedness. Hearing instructions audibly and intelligibly can be critical for ensuring the safety of the school’s occupants.

Why Are PA Systems So Important During School Lockdowns?

In high-stress situations and especially during school lockdowns, every second counts. The ability to convey information quickly through a PA system reduces the time it takes to disseminate instructions, enabling a more rapid and coordinated response to emergencies.

Coordination among staff, security personnel, and emergency responders is vital in a crisis. A PA system facilitates real-time communication, allowing stakeholders to coordinate their efforts and respond effectively.

Many American schools have used their communications technology daily for over a decade. But in recent years, school communications technology has come a long way, particularly given its importance in threat situations.

Former Pierce County SWAT team member and school security expert Jesus Villahermosa, Jr. believes the public address system is the most crucial technology a school owns during an active threat incident.

Schools with audio communications systems older than 10 years need to be aware of the advancements made to the technology. The latest modern communications deliver far greater capabilities than their predecessors, and the systems are becoming increasingly integrated, providing multiple operational benefits to schools.

Beyond emergencies, PA systems are valuable for making routine announcements, giving instructions, and providing information about school activities. This regular use helps establish familiarity with the system, ensuring students and staff pay attention when important safety messages are broadcast.

During fire drills or other situations requiring evacuation, a PA system can guide students and staff through the evacuation process. Clear and audible instructions help ensure that everyone moves to designated assembly points in an organized and efficient manner.

Staff, Students, and Parents Must Receive Training

Regular drills and simulations are invaluable for preparing students and staff for emergencies. Conducting fire drills, lockdown drills, and other emergency response exercises ensures that individuals understand and can execute predefined protocols.

Establishing crisis intervention teams within schools ensures that designated individuals are equipped to handle specific crises and de-escalate potential threats. These teams play a pivotal role in fostering a safe and supportive school environment.

Establishing strong partnerships with local law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency medical services during simulations and beyond is vital. Collaborative efforts enable a swift and coordinated response in the event of an emergency, maximizing the effectiveness of emergency preparedness plans.

Additionally, engaging parents and the broader community in school security efforts is crucial. Open communication channels, community forums, and workshops contribute to a shared responsibility for creating a safe learning environment.

Empowering students to be active participants in their own safety fosters a sense of responsibility. Programs that educate students on recognizing and reporting potential threats contribute to the overall security culture.

Use Technology to Enhance Emergency Notification Systems

Where older PA systems require a person to make announcements from a single location, such as the main office, modern systems allow administrators to initiate communications from a mobile device wherever they are in school.

Mobile accessibility is far more desirable during an emergency. An authorized staff member can activate the system from the parking lot, hallway, or playground with a cascading set of automated actions that the schools set up, including notifying first responders and making live or pre-recorded announcements through the PA system.

Newer systems can also integrate with mobile silent panic buttons in accordance with Alyssa’s Law or send automated mobile emergency notifications instantly via text to law enforcement, staff, and students. Every second matters in a threatening situation; this technology helps people on campus act faster and law enforcement to mobilize and get to the scene more rapidly.

Although local fire codes require schools to install fire alarms separately, the fire alarms can be integrated into modern communication systems and automatically activate pre-programmed announcements and messaging when a fire alarm occurs.

Audio Communications Done Right Will Bolster School Safety

School communications systems need to work every day, without fail. When evaluating technology in an upgrade, school IT and AV teams should huddle with as many teams as possible, from administrators, law enforcement and even the school board, to discuss needs.

A well-functioning public address system is critical to a school’s safety infrastructure. It enables effective communication, coordination, and response during emergencies, contributing to the overall safety and well-being of students, staff, and visitors. Regular maintenance, testing, and staff training are essential to ensure the reliability and effectiveness of the PA system.

Improving a school’s communication system offers schools numerous benefits, particularly during emergencies. Modern systems help schools operate more efficiently and help deliver messages more effectively and faster.

In a crisis, speed is vital. The faster schools can activate an emergency response system and announce and guide staff and students on what to do or where to go, the safer a school will be.

 Michael Peveler is vice president of sales at AtlasIED. This article originally was published in CS sister publication Security Sales & Integration and has been edited.

Note: The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety.

The post Schools Must Incorporate Audio Notification into Their Safety Programs appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

Two judges have temporarily blocked the Biden administration’s expansion of Title IX that would expand protections of LGBTQ+ students.

The changes have been blocked from going into effect on August 1 in a total of ten states: Idaho, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, reports the Associated Press.

Seven legal challenges have been brought by more than 20 Republican-led states against the changes. They claim the new policy will allow transgender girls to play on girls’ athletic teams. However, the Biden administration says the new rule doesn’t apply to sports.

The new rule was issued in April and extends LGBTQ+ student protections at K-12 schools under Title IX, which bars discrimination “on the basis of sex,” reports Reuters. However, Lexington, Kentucky-based U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves ruled that “sex” is not the same thing as “gender identity,” reports the Kentucky Lantern. Reeves also said the new rule would violate free speech and religious freedom rights.

The Kentucky judge’s ruling mirrors a previous ruling by another federal judge in Louisiana. For the other 16 states that are challenging the new rules, those cases are pending.

New Title IX Rules Would Further Protect LGBTQ+ Students

The Biden administration introduced the new Title IX rules so that “all of our nation’s students can access schools that are safe, welcoming, and respect their rights,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a statement. 

LGBTQ+ youth are much more prone to being bullied than other students. The Human Right Campaign Foundation found that 96% of queer youth are exposed to offensive and hurtful anti-LGBTQ+ online content. In 2022, 49% of trans and non-binary youth experienced cyberbullying based on their gender identity. Nearly half of LGBTQ+ youth considered suicide in 2021 due in great part to how they were treated by others.

However, LGBTQ+ middle and high school students with access to at least one of the following school-related protective factors had 26% lower odds of attempting suicide in the past year:

1. Access to a gender-neutral bathroom
2. Teachers who respect students’ pronouns
3. History classes that discuss LGBTQ people
4. Sex education that includes LGBTQ experiences
5. Access to a Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA)

The post 2 Judges Block Biden’s New Title IX Rule Expanding LGBTQ+ Protections appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

WASHINGTON—Twenty-five years ago, two students walked into Columbine High School with assault rifles. Then there was Sandy Hook Elementary School … and Parkland High School … and Uvalde’s Robb Elementary School. Since Columbine, more than 370,000 students have experienced gun violence in more than 400 school shootings during the school day. Today, the National Education Association, in partnership with the Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund, released the NEA School Gun Violence Prevention and Response Guide. This comprehensive guide provides resources, tools, and practical recommendations to equip educators and others in the school community to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from gun violence in Pre-K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.

The NEA School Gun Violence Prevention and Response Guide confronts the urgent issue of gun violence in our schools, focusing on how to safeguard students, educators, and the entire school environment. It strives to thwart recurring shootings by emphasizing collaborative efforts among educators, schools, administrators, and communities to effectively address gun-related tragedies.

“Every student in America — Black or White, Asian or Latino, native or newcomer—deserves a welcoming and safe learning environment, free from the fear of gun violence in their school or community,” said NEA President Becky Pringle.  “Our schools should be the safest place in any community. While we wish this type of guidance wasn’t even necessary, the reality is that we need to step up to not only prevent future instances of gun violence but also equip schools and communities with the knowledge of how to respond when another tragedy occurs.”

“We cannot—and will not—normalize the fact that our children live in fear of being shot in their classrooms,” said Angela Ferrell-Zabala, executive director of Moms Demand Action. “This new guide is a powerful tool in our movement, providing schools with the resources they need not only to prevent gun violence but also to heal from the trauma when it does occur. As guns continue to be the number one killer of young people in America, we are proud to partner with the NEA to equip educators across the country with evidence-based solutions that keep our children and our communities safe.”

The guide provides resources, tools, and practical guidance to address gun violence, including through the creation of safe and welcoming environments, adoption of evidence-based strategies like common-sense gun laws, building robust community partnerships, and adopting trauma-informed practices before, during, and after gun violence incidents.

“As educators who work with students daily, NEA members know that our current reality of pervasive gun violence has created deep stress among students, educators, and families and the need to redouble our efforts to end such senseless tragedies,” added Pringle.

The United States suffers from an epidemic of gun violence, where guns are now the leading cause of death for children, teens, and college-aged people in the country. Every day, more than 120 people are killed by guns and more than 200 are shot and wounded. From January to May 2024, there have been at least 107 incidents of gunfire on school grounds, resulting in 29 deaths and 61 injuries nationally, according to Everytown for Gun Safety.

Gun violence shakes the lives of millions of people in this country who witness it, who know the victims, or who live in fear of the next shooting. Fifty-nine percent of adults or someone they know or care about has experienced gun violence in their lifetime. Approximately 3 million American children witness gun violence every year. Gun violence has a profoundly harmful impact on students, educators, families, and communities.

“The NEA remains committed to eradicating the devastating impact of gun violence,” said Pringle. “Choosing inaction is akin to tolerating what ought to be intolerable for each and every one of us.”

To access the guide, visit https://www.nea.org/resource-library/gun-violence-prevention-response-guide

The post NEA and Everytown for Gun Safety unveil new school gun violence prevention and response guide appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

Up to 43% of U.S. households store their guns loaded, according to a new study released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Households from eight states were surveyed in 2021 and 2022, including Alaska, California, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oklahoma. While the percentage of households that securely stored guns varied significantly by state, North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Nevada had the highest rates of households storing loaded guns.

Of those surveyed in Ohio who had both children and a loaded gun in the house, about a quarter reported that the weapon was kept unlocked, representing the smallest percentage among the seven states with available data for that metric, according to The Seattle Times.

Unintentional Firearms Deaths Among Kids

Firearms are the leading cause of death in the United States for children aged 0-19 years, with more than 4,700 pediatric gun-related deaths reported in 2021. According to a Dec. 2023 report from the CDC, more than half of unintentional firearm injury deaths among children and adolescents occurred at home, and the firearms were often stored both loaded and unlocked. When stored unlocked, the most common place the firearm was accessed was inside or on top of a nightstand.

Data recorded from 2003 to 2021 by the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) identified 1,262 unintentional firearm injury deaths among children aged 0–17 years. The largest percentage of these deaths were among children aged 11–15 years at 33%, followed by 29% among those aged 0–5 years, 24% among those aged 16–17 years, and 14% among those aged 6–10 years.

Dr. Eric Sigel, a pedestrian, adolescent medicine specialist, and co-chair of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Firearm Injury Prevention Special Interest Group, said one in three middle and high schoolers have access to a firearm. In 2021, an estimated 30 million children lived in homes with firearms, including 4.6 million in households that reported storing firearms loaded and unlocked, the CDC says.

How to Properly Store a Firearm

According to the Department of Justice, the safest way to store a firearm is to unload and lock it before placing it in a locked storage case. Ammunition should also be locked in a secure location away from the firearm.

A 2022 statistical modeling study from the AAP estimates if 20% of parents changed their current storage practices to storing firearms unloaded and with the ammunition locked away separately, “there would be an estimated decrease of up to 122 pediatric firearm-related fatalities and 201 injuries annually.”

The post 43% of U.S. Households Store Loaded Guns appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

“A mentor is someone who sees more talent and ability within you, than you see in yourself, and helps bring it out of you.” —Bob Proctor

Depression is cruel and wicked for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is its ability to rob me of precious self-worth. There have been many days in my life in which I have been convinced not only am I weak, stupid, ugly and pitiful, but I have absolutely nothing of value to offer anyone else.

On depression’s best days and my worst, the monster is invasive, overwhelming, and fully evil. He pursues me with dogged persistence; running me down from behind, tackling me, and pushing my face deep into the mud of despair as he runs over me, laughing while he does.

Depression is like a rogue animal, an untamed beast that is both all bark and all bite. And, having been assaulted by it more times than I care to recall, I now appreciate why Winston Churchill referred to his depression as, “The Black Dog.”

This animal sinks his teeth deep into me and thrashes me about like a rag doll. The more I try to pry myself free, the harder he clamps down. Held firm in the jowls of the beast, in time I relent, and he carries me off to dine on my soul, never fully completing the task and instead of leaving me just alive enough to feel deep pain.

But today was different. This morning, someone I hold in the highest esteem, a man who continues to mentor, influence, and guide me, asked for my opinion.

Article author David Woods Bartley will be presenting "The Why of Suicide and the How of Hope" at this summer's Campus Safety Conference taking place July 8-10 in Atlanta. Register now at CampusSafetyConference.com.

“David, what would you do?” he asked me.

In truth, he sought my counsel, something I didn’t know I had to give.

My mentor was giving an important talk and wanted my guidance on how he should speak about a particular issue. He fretted his words would fall short, and while he intended to offer help, he feared he might do harm instead.

And he asked me what he should do.

Me.

I froze for a moment before I responded, awestruck by the gift of such a request, but then, I did speak. What came out surprised me since it wasn’t hesitant and jumbled. Rather, it was concise, direct, and insightful. So much so that I felt as if the words were spoken by some other person.

Was this thoughtful advice coming from some passerby who overheard the request and responded before I could?  In a way, this was the truth since the words I voiced came from a part of me I had long forgotten even existed.

When I finished, this man I love and admire paused, considered what I had said, and then thanked me. He said I had made a difference. He told me I was a huge help and had given him sound and much-needed input. He added that my words had eased his mind and calmed his worry.

Battle Employee and Student Depression by Asking for Their Input

It’s hard to put into words what this simple encounter means to me. I cannot convey how much this short exchange has impacted me, of how my depleted self suddenly became full.

For too many years, depression has made my soul its kennel, and time after time has taken me to the woodshed of self-hatred to be mauled and torn apart. But just when depression was again convincing me I was worthless, and I could feel his hot breath on the back of my neck, Life said something different. Today, Life told me I was worthy.

And, what’s even more surprising is today I discovered a silver lining from all these beatings; I now believe my longstanding experience of worthlessness allows me to appreciate the contrasting light of self-worth that much more, maybe even more so than an “average” person.

In the words of Kahlil Gibran, “Nor is it a thought I leave behind me, but a heart made sweet with hunger and with thirst.”

Could I know self-worth without the experience of worthlessness? I’m not sure. But what I do know is this; today, for a precious moment, “The Black Dog” let go.

David Woods Bartley is two-time TEDx speaker, international mental health presenter and subject matter expert on suicide.

The views expressed by guest bloggers and contributors are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of, and should not be attributed to, Campus Safety magazine. 

The post Addressing Depression: This Simple Action by Mentors Can Boost Employee and Student Self-Confidence appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

Are you attending or planning to attend this summer’s Campus Safety Conference? Discounted hotel rooms are blocked for you and your team at our event venue and host hotel — the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park!

The Campus Safety Conferences (CSC) are intensive educational and training events for those involved in protecting our nation’s K-12 schools and institutions of higher education. The CSCs feature critical safety and security sessions for K-12 and college campuses, full-day, hands-on-learning workshops, 50+ product and solution providers, and extensive opportunities to network with campus peers from across the country. Over 40 states are represented so far at this national CSC event!

The event, happening July 8-10, is taking place at the hotel, making travel from your room to the conference space that much easier. Rooms were recently added for Sunday arrivals at our value rate of $239 per night. But hurry! This rate is only available until June 21. Book your hotel room now.

Please note EventSphere is the only official housing partner of the Campus Safety Conferences. Should you be contacted regarding hotel reservations from anybody other than EventSphere, please let us know by emailing campussafety@eventsphere.com.

June 21 is also the date registration rates increase! If you haven’t had a chance to register, we suggest bringing the team in before that date.

Here’s a sneak peek at some of the sessions and information on the keynote session.

Our Resource Center, a one-stop-shop for everything Campus Safety Conference, including deadlines, session info, networking opportunities, and new event features, can be viewed here.

The post Campus Safety Conference: Hotel and Registration Discounted Rates End June 21 appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

PARKLAND, Fla. – Crews began demolition on Friday of the 1200 building on the campus of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. The 1200 building was the location of the 2018 Valentine’s Day mass shooting that killed 17 students and staff members, and injured 17 others.

Since the shooting, the three-story building had remained untouched on the campus, with a fence preventing entry. Bullet holes and blood stains were still visible, and it was being preserved as evidence for the gunman’s trial. The shooter is currently serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.

With the trial now being over, the building is being demolished. The process is expected to take several weeks, reports WPBF.

The start of the demolition was scheduled for Thursday morning but was delayed one day due to inclement weather, reports Local10. Families of the victims were invited to observe the demolition, reports USA Today.

Officials haven’t determined what will take the place of the 1200 building. Some have suggested a permanent memorial be erected.

Schools Sometimes Demolish Sites of Mass Shootings

Parkland follows in the footsteps of other campuses that have demolished buildings where mass shootings have taken place.

In Newtown, Conn., where the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting resulted in the deaths of 20 children and six adults, the town voted to tear the school down. A new school was built on the site in 2016.

Additionally, the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission recommended many school security upgrades pertaining to school design, access control, emergency plans, training, video surveillance and first responder participation.

In Uvalde, Texas, officials have announced they plan to demolish Robb Elementary School, the site of the 2022 mass shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers.

To read past coverage of the February 14, 2018 Parkland mass shooting, click here.

The post Demolition Begins of Parkland Mass Shooting Site appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

When it comes to keeping our kids safe, we all have a role to play. For school board members and superintendents, there has never been a time when so much is at stake. Yet, for all the school safety training happening around the country that focuses on the important discussions of prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery, there is a lack of crisis management training and lessons learned shared with leaders, those with the ultimate responsibility.

Many school board members have limited knowledge about the state of school safety, the seriousness of threats impacting schools, and the consequence of changing discipline strategies at odds with the emerging promising practice of threat assessment. The social emotional concerns in schools today impact educational time, climate, culture, and school safety.

These are just some of the important issues of the day, at a time when school violence is increasing at an alarming rate. School board members and superintendents must be well versed in school safety because at the end of the day, it is our leaders who are held accountable.

It is also important that school boards learn about the safety issues impacting their district annually both in public and executive session board meetings. The school safety discussion is an important opportunity to tell your district’s story about what you are doing to protect and support students and staff, while the executive session is an opportunity to have a direct, open, and honest discussion of confidential security arrangements and the specific and emerging threats facing schools. Both conversations are necessary for good governance and policy. Failure to understand the changing landscape of school safety limits a district’s ability to effectively operate in the world of prevention.

John McDonald will be presenting "The intersection of technology and school safety: Make the school safer from the curbside to the classroom" at the 2024 Campus Safety Conference being held in Atlanta, July 8-10. For more information and to register, visit CampusSafetyConference.com.

On the surface, crisis management may seem as if it is a one-size-fits-all decision matrix, but in a K-12 system, every issue is magnified, every decision is scrutinized, and every emotion is on full display when our most innocent are impacted, often for life. The crisis traps are many, and failure to effectively manage the crisis can lead to “panic management.”

For a system built on organizational structure and consistency, where everything and everyone has its place and purpose, the lasting impact of loss of life and lost trust, litigation, and legislation reverberates for years.

5 School Crisis Management Traps to Avoid

1. Not having a strong crisis communications plan

A community’s perception of how a district manages a crisis is often defined by what we say and, more importantly, by what we don’t say. Somewhere along the way, school leaders have become so concerned about litigation that they often fail to address the media and even the school community, leaving lingering questions that lead to greater frustration and lost trust. Trust is hard to earn and harder to keep, and lost trust limits the effectiveness of a school board and superintendent.

A strong crisis communications plan is critical to any chance of success, and great leaders are visible to their students, staff, families, and community. Understand early who the best spokesperson on behalf of the district is going to be. During the initial press conference, a principal should never face the media alone without the superintendent. While it is the principal who should be the voice of the school, the superintendent must be the voice for the district.

The school board president, at a minimum, should stand with the superintendent. If the school board decides to add its voice, then the school board president speaks to the media on behalf of the board.

2. Leading by headlines

Too often districts lead by headlines following a tragedy and fail to manage the crisis at hand. Manage what you see and what you know at the time. Understand that the changing narrative can often be managed by a point person who can correct misleading or wrong fact sets quickly without detracting from the crisis management work.

A good crisis team doesn’t allow soundbites to detract from the work, and a good spokesperson can correct the record during regular communication updates to parents, staff, and students. Remember, there is no such thing as internal communications. Internal messages will be sent to the media within moments of receipt, so whatever you say internally must be something you can also discuss externally.

3. Focusing on politics rather than student and staff recovery

Tragedy is not a political opportunity for school districts. There will be others that take up that space in the immediate aftermath, but our work as leaders is to find a way through recovery, focusing on our people so our students and staff can return to learn. Getting caught up in the political debate takes time away from your crisis management responsibilities.

There will be time in the aftermath of a tragedy to determine how best to use the voice of the district, but it is not in the immediacy when emotions are high. No matter the position we take, half of our families will be upset.

4. Not vetting business partnerships

School safety is a multibillion dollar-a-year growth industry, and everyone will want to sell you the next great product to save your life. There are trusted and vetted partners, and there are also those that would profit from tragedy with less than effective safety solutions. Know who you are working with and trust those you have longstanding relationships with. Ask other districts for recommendations and understand the problem before you seek a solution that will cause you to overspend the limited dollars you have available.

Are those who you’re doing business with trying to make a name for their company, using your tragedy to market their product? If the answer is yes, run! Focus on mission-aligned partnerships with businesses who are not offering something free for the school impacted by tragedy but who are interested in making sure all schools in the district have the same opportunity for safety.

Strong collaborative partnerships with businesses who will be there for you in the long term are an essential service that add value.

5. Saying ‘yes’ when you should say ‘no’

It is ok to say no! Give yourself grace and don’t feel like you need to say yes to everyone and everything. Organizations, businesses, nonprofits, and others will offer you support you didn’t know you needed. Most offers will be with good intention, while others will do things in your school’s/tragedy’s name that you won’t be comfortable being associated with. You do not have to say yes to everything.

The questions you should ask are: “What makes sense for our school? What will help our students and staff recover and be able to return to learn?”

A delicate but important conversation that every district crisis team will need to have is about the concept that a politician that isn’t adding value doesn’t need to be there. You will know quickly who is there for a soundbite and who is there to make a difference, and every tragedy has both. Be open to the possibility that the one who is providing the most support may be the least likely candidate to do so.

Success or Failure in School Safety and Crisis Management Is Foundational

The executive limitations or guardrails that a school board has in place, the board policies, the district practices, and the school procedures set the climate and culture for a prepared school response to any emergency. Board-driven, superintendent-led school safety is always the most effective model. When it becomes interlinked with a positive learning environment that includes kind, caring, and trusted staff, the school will be more prepared, empowering administration, educators, and students alike to own their own safety.

There is limited time to win back your school after tragedy. Success or failure will come down to leadership, people, communications, and intentionality. Understand that the decisions you make in the first 10 days following a tragedy can define your next five years. The greatest difficulty for leaders is keeping the focus on the main thing (the impacted school) while never taking your eye off the other main thing (the entire district).

Your decisions have real-life consequences, and you will model the behavior for your cabinet/crisis team. Consider bringing in a crisis facilitator to help your leadership team navigate the perilous path to recovery. Small missteps can have serious implications, and you have a district of kids and educators, parents, and community counting on you.

Never Forget Those We Have Lost

District leaders are sometimes advised not to talk with families whose loved ones have died in our schools for fear of litigation. Sometimes, district leaders don’t talk with families because the anger and grief directed at us is overwhelming on a personal level. While there is nothing we can say or do to change the outcome after tragedy, we can engage and be present. Following tragedy, families who have suffered great loss often feel isolated from the school, compounding the grief they are experiencing. Find the balance and put the effort into supporting the victims.

There is no shortage of crisis management issues facing our schools today. The good news is that the lessons learned are out there, but for others to learn, we need to be willing to share our failures and successes.

Crisis management demands we check our egos at the door. In the end, what matters is that you do all that you can to live in the world of prevention because tragedy is just too damn hard.

John McDonald is the COO of the Council for the School Safety Leadership. The Council for School Safety Leadership is a Missouri School Board Association nonprofit initiative, providing crisis response solutions to school district leaders across the U.S.  For more information or if your district needs support during a crisis or in the aftermath of tragedy, please visit www.cssleadership.org

The post The Role of School Boards and Superintendents in Crisis Management appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

The 2024 Campus Safety Conference, taking place July 8-10 in Atlanta, will unite safety and security leaders for K-12, higher education, and healthcare campuses to focus on intensive education, hands-on training, peer-to-peer networking, and product showcases over two-and-a-half days.

Now in its 11th year, CSC allows attendees to meet face-to-face with their peers and share lessons learned and promising practices. Our events are collaborative, innovative, and peer-driven, and offer resources and training needed to increase preparedness, communication, and response before, during, and after a variety of safety and security incidents.

Below is an aggregate page for all things CSC24, making a seamless experience for all attendees from pre-show to post-show. We will constantly update this page as more information becomes available!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS AND LINKS:

• June 21: Discounted hotel rate ends! Book your hotel now.
• June 21: Summer Break discount pricing ends. Register now!
• UNLV Leadership to Deliver CSC 2024 Keynote: ‘Anatomy of an Active Shooter Event on a College Campus’
• View the 2024 Campus Safety Conference Agenda
• What’s New at Campus Safety Conference 2024?

May 29, 2024

How to Create Reunification Plans for K-12 Schools

Kelly Martin, Lieutenant/Deputy Director of School Safety at Seminole County Public Schools, will present on the topic.

One critical component of a K-12 emergency response plan is reunification. Reuniting K-12 students with their loved ones following a campus emergency is an extremely complex task and, if not done properly, can have a lasting traumatic impact on students, staff, and parents.

At the national Campus Safety Conference, Kelly Martin, deputy director of school safety for Seminole County Public Schools and lieutenant for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office, will present on the development and implementation of robust reunification plans.

This session will underscore the critical importance of reunification plans in the broader framework of emergency preparedness and response. By exploring real-world incidents and emergencies, attendees will gain valuable insights into the significance of having comprehensive and well-thought-out strategies in place to facilitate the safe and efficient reunification of students with their families during crisis situations.

Read more about the session here.

May 7, 2024

Lessons Learned from Nationwide Protests to Be Covered at Campus Safety Conference

The GroupProjects general session puts all CSC attendees in one room to openly discuss safety and security topics impacting educational institutions.

Dozens of college campuses have experienced pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrations, many of which have resulted in violence and arrests. Some campus leaders have received significant criticism for how the unrest was handled while others have been praised.

No matter the circumstances, lessons learned from the response and recovery can and should be carried over into the next school year, and campus leaders can learn even more by discussing their experiences with others in similar roles.

To orchestrate these discussions, in place of a traditional keynote, the 2024 Campus Safety Conference will kick off on July 8 with the general session, “GroupProjects Live: Lessons Learned from Recent Campus Protests.” Since the current unrest is extremely challenging to navigate and will likely continue into the 2024-2025 academic year, this year’s GroupProjects will solely cover protest successes and challenges.

Attendees will collaborate in small groups and share lessons they’ve learned, struggles they’ve experienced, and strategies they’ve used to maintain safety and security while protecting First Amendment rights when demonstrations and controversial speakers come on campus.

Read more about the session here.

April 25, 2024

Campus Safety Conference at EDspaces Registration Now Open

Registration is now open for Campus Safety Conference (CSC) at EDspaces, happening November 12-14, 2024, in Houston, Texas, at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Now in its third year, this co-located event offers the content Campus Safety Conference attendees have come to expect and love and free access to EDspaces sessions. It opens the door to more resources for school and college administrators, campus security executives, law enforcement, and emergency management professionals by providing new insights into architects and distributors in the education design market.

CSC attendees will have the chance to walk the EDspaces show floor which will feature manufacturers and distributors that demonstrate how the physical learning environment can meet the pedagogical needs and technology demands to support an educational institution’s mission of student success and well-being.

Pricing increases on June 4. Register today to get the best available price!

April 12, 2024

Campus Safety Conference to Cover Clery Compliance

Photo: mehaniq41 – stock.adobe.com

At the 2024 Campus Safety Conference, Jenn Scott and Kyle Norton with the Healy+ Group will discuss changes in the Education Department’s Clery finding rubric and what that means for campuses in real dollars. They will also discuss pending changes to both the Clery Act and Title IX regulations, including the addition of hazing as a Clery Act crime that schools will be responsible for reporting on.

The session will address several areas of institutional risk, including emergency response policies and procedures and best practices for sending timely warnings and emergency notifications to your campus. Learn more about the session here.

Check out this new interview where Scott and Norton discuss why Clery fines have gotten so massive and how to improve compliance.

April 1, 2024

UNLV Leadership to Deliver CSC 2024 Keynote

Photo courtesy UNLV

At this summer’s Campus Safety Conference (CSC), leadership from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas’ Police Services and the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE) will present the keynote, titled “Anatomy of an Active Shooter Event on a College Campus.”

In this panel-style presentation, all five UNLV and NSHE executives will discuss the timeline of events of their December 6 active shooter ordeal, lessons learned, emergency management protocols, and the teamwork and coordination of staff, leaders, and government that was required as the event unfolded.

Read more about the session and its participants.

March 19, 2024

Campus Safety Conference Adds Georgia Tech Tour to 2024 Agenda

Campus Safety announces another new addition to this year’s programming — a tour of the prestigious Georgia Tech campus and its police department!

Georgia Tech currently consists of 400+ acres and 200+ academic, residential, and recreational buildings. With more than 36,000 students and nearly 9,000 faculty and staff, the campus attracts people from all over the world and can exceed 50,000 people on any given day.

Chief Robert Connolly and his team will give a tour of the campus, focusing on access control, traffic flow, how technology keeps the campus running, and more areas that keep Georgia Tech secure.

This tour has limited availability and will fill up fast. Secure your spot at registration!

March 7, 2024

The 2024 Campus Safety Conference Agenda is Here!

Campus Safety is thrilled to announce the agenda for our summer Campus Safety Conference is now live!

CSC strives to collaborate with presenters who have varying backgrounds and experiences and therefore offer different personal and professional perspectives. Speakers at CSC include a security director, a chief operating officer, a grant writing associate, a Title IX coordinator, a retired commander, a current police chief, a compliance director, an assistant superintendent, a public safety director, a business continuity analyst, and more.

Sessions topics will include, among others: 

• Effective Reunification Plans for K-12 Campuses
• Expand Your Funding Streams: Why You Should Apply for Security Grants
• The Intersection of Campus and Municipal Policing
• Selling Safety: Successful Strategies for Securing Funding of Your Safety Initiatives
• Alternative Response Units Within Institutions of Higher Education
• $37 Thousand or $37 Million? The New Cost of Violating the Clery Act
• Boosting Community Engagement
• Armed Staff: Security Enhancement or Liability?
• Navigating the Challenges of Free Speech on Campus
• Redesigning the Tabletop Exercise Scenario Setup
• Leveraging School Cameras and No-Cost Software to Produce Training Triumphs
• How Stress Impacts Our Behaviors

Check out the full 2024 CSC agenda.

February 21, 2024

Announcing the 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year K-12 Finalists

Campus Safety is pleased to announce the 2024 K-12 school/district Director of the Year finalists. Being named a finalist is no easy feat. Check out the finalists’ profiles to get a glimpse of some of their accomplishments.

Winners of this year’s Director of the Year awards will be announced at the 2024 Campus Safety Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, taking place July 8-10. To register, visit CampusSafetyConference.com.

• Loubert Alexis, Director – OCPS Office of Emergency Management, Orange County Public Schools, Orlando, Florida: View his profile, photos, and achievements.
• Joseph Hough, Assistant Superintendent of Auxiliary Services and School Safety, Buncombe County Public Schools, Asheville, North Carolina: View his profile, photos, and achievements.
• Ian Lopez, Director of Safety and Security, Cherry Creek School District, Greenwood Village, Colorado: View his profile, photos, and achievements. 
• Kelli Lotito, Safety Director, Regis Jesuit High School, Aurora, Colorado: View her profile, photos, and achievements.
• Byron McCray, Director of School Safety, Chief Emergency Management Officer, Brentwood Union Free School District, Bay Shore, New York: View his profile, photos, and achievements.
• Rich Payne, Safety Director, Academy District 20 (ASD20), Colorado Springs, Colorado: View his profile, photos, and achievements.
• Aaron Skrbin, Director of Safety and Security, Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Homestead, Pennsylvania: View his profile, photos, and achievements.
• Levaughn Smart, Executive Director of Security and Disaster Preparedness, Palm Springs Unified School District, Palm Springs, California: View his profile, photos, and achievements.
• Brendan Sullivan, Director of Safety, Security and Emergency Management, Boulder Valley School District, Boulder, Colorado: View his profile, photos, and achievements. 
• Donald Webster, Chief of Campus Safety, Kalamazoo Public Schools, Kalamazoo, Michigan: View his profile, photos, and achievements.

View more Director of the Year content.

February 20, 2024

What’s New at Campus Safety Conference 2024?

Image via Adobe, by Brad Pict

Out with the old and in with the new! This summer’s Campus Safety Conference (CSC24), taking place in Atlanta July 8-10, is changing things up to provide you with even better peer-to-peer learning opportunities and solutions to your school and college public safety, security, emergency management, facilities management, and technology challenges.

New at CSC:

• Scholars Program: Designed for K-12 and higher education safety, security, emergency management, facilities management, and technology leaders who are actively sourcing products and solutions to improve the protection of their campuses
• Group Projects and Workshops: Past CSC attendees have requested more hands-on learning and we listened. At CSC24, we will host our third annual GroupProjects LIVE! session and multiple workshops.
• Product Demonstrations: Are you looking for products or solutions to make your school or university safer? CSC24 will hold dedicated time for select sponsors to demonstrate their products so you can see them in action.

Read more.

February 19, 2024

Announcing the 2024 Campus Safety Director of the Year Higher Education and Healthcare Finalists

Campus Safety is pleased to announce the 2024 higher education and healthcare Director of the Year finalists. Check out the finalists’ profiles and photos to see some of their impressive accomplishments.

Winners of this year’s Director of the Year awards will be announced at the 2024 Campus Safety Conference in Atlanta, Georgia, taking place July 8-10. To register, visit CampusSafetyConference.com.

• William Adcox, Vice President, Chief of Police, and Chief Security Officer, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• Christopher Buckley, Director of Campus Safety, Keene State College, Keene, New Hampshire: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• Jerry Connolly, Chief of Police, Florida SouthWestern State College, Fort Myers, Florida: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• Ethan Johnson, Chief of Police, Coastal Pines Technical College, Waycross, Georgia: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• Thomas Leone, Assistant Vice President of Public Safety/Chief of Police, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Baltimore, Maryland: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• John Marcus, Director of Emergency Management, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• Mark Reed, Director of Campus Support Operations, City of Hope, Duarte, California: View his profile, achievements, and photos.
• Linda Stump-Kurnick, Assistant Vice President and Chief of Police, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida: View her profile, achievements, and photos.

View more Director of the Year content.

February 12, 2024

2024 Campus Safety Conference Registration Is Now Open!

For more information on the 2024 Campus Safety Conference, visit CampusSafetyConference.com.

Registration is now open for the 2024 Campus Safety Conference (CSC) being held July 8-10 in Atlanta!

The theme for the 2024 Campus Safety Conferences is “Strong Connections, Safer Campuses.” By sharing experiences and leading practices, we are stronger as a campus, community, and world.

CSC 2024 has many new, exciting features, including:

• Scholarship program for guests sourcing new products and solutions
• More hands-on training with additional workshop time blocks
• Relationship-based sponsorship opportunities for added return on investment (ROI)
• Four consecutive breakouts to maximize your time onsite
• Off-hours receptions to enhance your networking experiences

Read more and register by March 29 to get our spring rate!

January 08, 2024

Campus Safety Conference Announces 2024 Dates and Opens Call for Speakers

Image via Adobe, by dizain

In 2023, our events brought together representatives from 40 states and four countries in two summer events and one fall event. As we look towards the next 10 years of CSC, we hope to be a national resource of education, peer relationship building, and connectivity. To align with this mission, we will be hosting one summer event and one fall event for 2024.

CSC allows attendees to meet face-to-face with their peers and share lessons learned and promising practices. Our events are collaborative, innovative, and peer-driven, and offer resources and training needed to increase preparedness, communication, and response before, during, and after a variety of safety and security incidents.

The theme for the 2024 Campus Safety Conferences is “Strong Connections, Safer Campuses.” By sharing experiences and leading practices, we are stronger as a campus, community, and world.

Learn more about the event here.

November 16, 2023

Highlights from the 2023 Campus Safety Conference at EDspaces

Alan Walters, executive director of safety and risk management for the Georgetown County School District, discussed and reviewed actual cases where Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) has helped or hindered physical security.

During a session at last week’s Campus Safety Conference at EDspaces, held Nov. 7-9 at the Charlotte Convention Center, a presenter emphasized the importance of recognizing blind spots within an educational institution.

“I’m so used to seeing the campus and everything in it that I don’t think about what can hurt a child,” said Navigate360’s John White.

White’s statement highlights just one of the many reasons the co-located Campus Safety Conference and EDspaces work well together. School leaders must consider all aspects of student well-being, from whether an unwanted visitor can gain unfettered access to a school to whether equity-driven processes are followed in classroom design.

At this year’s event, CSC attendees had access to emergency prevention, response, and recovery sessions they have come to expect plus free access to all EDspaces sessions. These sessions offered insights into how the physical learning environment can meet the pedagogical needs and technology demands to support an educational institution’s mission of student success and well-being. EDspaces attendees were also welcome to attend any and all CSC sessions — and many did!

Read more about the event.

The post 2024 Campus Safety Conference Resource Center appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.

NEWTOWN, Conn. — Dozens of students who survived the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School will graduate high school today.

About 60 of the 330 students graduating from Newtown High School survived the Dec. 14, 2012 shooting that claimed the lives of 20 of their fellow first-graders and six educators. The victims will be honored during the ceremony but details have been kept private, The Associated Press reports.

Five of the graduating survivors sat down with AP to share their feelings about graduation and those who won’t be there.

“I think we’re all super excited for the day,” said 17-year-old Lilly Wasilnak, who was in a classroom down the hall from where her classmates were killed. “But I think we can’t forget that there is a whole chunk of our class missing. And so going into graduation, we all have very mixed emotions — trying to be excited for ourselves and this accomplishment that we’ve worked so hard for, but also those who aren’t able to share it with us, who should have been able to.”

Sandy Hook Survivor: Shooting Forced Us to Grow Up

Grace Fischer, 18, was in a classroom down the hall during the shooting.

“The shooting was kind of our most core memory growing up, and I think that took away a lot of the joy that we could have experienced when we were six years old. I can’t really remember many times before the shooting, so in that sense, it really did take over those really innocent times and it really forced us to grow up so fast when we didn’t need to,” she said. “As much as we’ve tried to have that normal childhood and normal high school experience, it wasn’t totally normal.”

Many of the survivors told AP they continue to live with trauma from the shooting. Loud noises still startle many and some always keep an eye on exits. Many have also spent years in therapy for post-traumatic stress, depression, and anxiety.

“Even though we are missing such a big chunk of our class, like Lilly said, we are still graduating,” Fischer continued. “We want to be those regular teenagers who walk across the stage that day and feel that celebratory feeling in ourselves, knowing that we’ve come this far.”

Sandy Hook Survivor Looks Forward to Next Chapter

Emma Ehrens, 17, was one of 11 children in Classroom 10 who survived the attack. She and 10 other classmates were able to flee when the gunman stopped to reload his weapon. Five of her remaining classmates and both teachers were killed.

Ehrens said she feels some anxiety over leaving Newtown but that it’s a necessary step to start the next chapter of her life.

“It definitely feels for me that we’re kind of stuck in the same system that we’ve been stuck in for past 12 years,” she continued. “For me, I feel like it’s definitely going to get better and be able to break free of that system and just be able to become my own person rather than, again, the Sandy Hook kid.”

Watch AP’s full interview here.

The post Sandy Hook Shooting Survivors to Graduate from Newtown High School appeared first on Campus Safety Magazine.