School security consultants with strong integrity will lose some jobs here and there. But in the long haul, they will retain their integrity and their credibility, and their school district clients will likely do so as well. “Draft” school safety assessment reports can trigger questions on security consultant, school leader credibility One of my long-standing […]
Safety report blasts Bibb County school discipline; Judge blasts security consultant
The heat has been turned up in southern Georgia, and it has nothing to do with the weather. A firestorm is brewing following a Macon Telegraph newspaper story on a school safety assessment consulting report for Bibb County Schools which “…included a scathing assessment of the way the school system handles and tracks student discipline.” The […]
Should school police have high-powered rifles in schools?
The Plainfield (IL) Police Department’s recent request to allow its School Resource Officers (SROs) to store AR-15 rifles in gun safes at their high school generated quite a buzz. (See the Chicago Tribune story entitled Assault rifles in schools a sign of the times.) But was the request really unreasonable? Actually, the request by the police is not unusual. […]
School bus drivers got security training for Republican convention
Driving a school bus is a tough job on a “normal” school day. Imagine how tough the job was for Hillsborough County Schools’ bus drivers who had to drive in the security footprint for the Republican National Convention last week in Tampa. And oh, by the way, did we mention there was also a hurricane […]
Are school safety advocates alarmists with a morbid life view?
From time to time over the years, I will hear somone refer to myself and other school safety advocates as “alarmists” because we advocate for proactive school security and emergency preparedness planning. Pat Lamb, Director of School Safety & Operations for the Irving Independent School District in Texas, shared an article he wrote after someone told him he had a […]
School security consultants: Taking a stand or riding the fence?
If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything. This has always been one of my favorite sayings. It pretty much sums up an important part of the character of many professionals I have come to respect over the years. On the flip side of the coin are the fence-riders. They are the wafflers. They […]
Prevent mass shootings? Aurora theater, Sikh temple, & schools
“Run. Hide. Fight.” That’s the Department of Homeland Security’s advice for staying safe during a shooting. “Buy a gun. Take self-defense classes. Teach kids to attack armed intruders in a school.” Those are some recommendations from others. Following recent mass shootings at an Aurora, Colorado, theater and at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, the search for […]
Celebrate Independence Day, freedom, and our security
Celebrate this July 4th by remembering that it is our independence and freedom that keeps us safe and secure. God Bless America! Visit School Security Blog at: www.schoolsecurityblog.com Follow Ken on Twitter @safeschools Visit and “Like” Our Facebook Fan Page at: www.facebook.com/schoolsafety
Buyer beware: Risky school safety consultants, expert witnesses
More than a decade ago, I co-authored an article for the National School Boards Association entitled, “Buyer Beware: What to look for when hiring a school security consultant.” I would have never thought at that time that the topic would be as relevant, if not more so, eleven years later — but it is. The […]
School transportation conference showcases tornado safety lessons – Part II
Chuck Hibbert provides Part II of his insights from faciliating a session at the School Transportation Association of Indiana’s annual conference that highlighted the leadership and heroism of West Clark Community School District transportation staff and district administrators when an EF4 tornado struck in Henryville, Indiana. Guest Post by Chuck Hibbert Part II of this blog article continues with […]