New Video: COVID-19 Student and Staff School Reentry Planning
In this new video, Ken provides an analysis of the school strategic crisis leadership, risk communications, key relationships, and critical operational planning issues required for successful COVID-19 student and staff school reentry: The social, emotional, physical, and educational well-being of students and staff on their first day of return to school will best be determined […]
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and School Safety: Keep calm, have a plan, reduce risks, and communicate
Also see Ken Trump’s Blog: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and K-12 schools: The time to prepare for student reentry is NOW! Learn more here about our COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Student and Educator Reentry Planning and Preparedness (SERPP) Services. An Oregon Coronavirus patient was identified this weekend as an elementary school employee. In Rhode Island, two members of a Catholic […]
Applying Continuous Improvement models to school safety: Strengthening school security and emergency preparedness to move from “good” to “great”
As educators, especially those with graduate and doctoral degrees, you have been exposed to “continuous improvement” and “improvement science” models as a foundation for strengthening curriculum, instruction, and school leadership. But are you applying continuous improvement models to school safety, security, and emergency preparedness, as well? Continuous improvement models and school safety In Learning to […]
Securing a Hospital Emergency Department in the Aftermath of a School Shooting
(Editor’s Note: This article is a collaboration with Michael S. D’Angelo, CPP, CSC, CHPA, a Board Certified Security Consultant specializing in the security of healthcare facilities. He can be reached at michael@securedirection.net, www.securedirection.net or 786-444-1109. See his biographical information at the end of the article.) As America continues to endure mass shootings at school, security and […]
Parkland one year later: School security and emergency preparedness after the MSD school shooting
During the past half-dozen or so years, I have done an increasing about of expert witness and litigation consulting on pK-12 school security-related lawsuits. These types of cases have included high-profile active shooter cases, such as my retention by the defense for the Sandy Hook Elementary School litigation, as well as rape and other sexual […]
Federal Commission on School Safety report rehashes decades-old best practices, adds a few political twists
Statement by school security expert Kenneth S. Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services, on the Federal Commission on School Safety’s final report: The Federal Commission on School Safety’s final report largely rehashes school safety, security, and emergency preparedness best practices that have been recognized since the Columbine era nearly 20 years ago. […]
School safety considerations for mail handling, suspicious packages, and bomb threats
The good news in related to 12 bomb-like packages sent to current and former elected officials, along with CNN, is that one person is in federal custody as of the time of this writing. Thank you to our law enforcement professionals and other first responders across the nation for their hard work. This incident raises […]
Federal Commission on School Safety receives testimony from school security expert Ken Trump
The following testimony was submitted to the Federal Commission on School Safety by Kenneth Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services on August 28, 2018. The Commission acknowledged receipt the following afternoon. To the Federal Commission on School Safety: Commissioners, my name is Kenneth Trump and I am the President of National School […]
Advocates, activists, experts, and opportunists: Do you know the differences among those giving school safety advice?
“I don’t know what to believe and who to listen to,” one principal told us several months ago. As school safety issues remain in the forefront of school-community conversations following recent school shootings, the number of voices, viewpoints, and vendors continue to grow. School safety has been politically-hijacked by both gun control and gun rights […]
Fake news, fake claims: Dispelling school active shooter myths
“Fake news” became a popular buzz phrase during the 2016 Presidential election. But fake news and fake claims also play a role in some national conversations and misrepresentations about school safety and school active shooters. Critical reading, analytical thinking and asking probing questions are necessary skills for serious learners of school safety best practices. Sandy Hook […]