Exercise caution with full scale school active shooter exercises
Since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, we have noticed an increase in first responders, primarily law enforcement, conducting full scale exercises at schools using staff and students. These exercises are also coming under increased scrutiny by the media and broader public, as reported this past weekend in the NBC stories Fake Blood and Blanks: Schools Stage […]
Sandy Hook skews focus to security equipment, away from human side of school safety
Surveillance cameras and fortified front entranceways with enhanced access control are among the most common security equipment purchases by school districts reacting over the past year to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings. Meanwhile, many schools continue to fail to invest the time and resources into the training, planning, exercising of crisis plans, and other […]
10 lessons learned from the Sandy Hook school shootings
Our team’s analysis of the Sandy Hook Final Report released by the Connecticut State’s Attorney continues with 10 key lessons learned for school security and emergency preparedness. While additional details may be revealed in forthcoming documents from the Connecticut State Police, 10 important lessons from Sandy Hook have emerged based upon the final report, information […]
Failed police radios at Sandy Hook raises common safety issue
Connecticut State Police two-way radios did not work inside Sandy Hook Elementary School, according to the Sandy Hook Final Report released last week by the Connecticut State’s Attorney. The failure of the radios to fully work does not appear to have been a major issue in resolving this event. However, it illustrates a fairly common issue we […]
State’s Attorney report: Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings
The Connecticut State’s Attorney final summary report on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings for many is an underwhelming, anticlimactic account of an overwhelming tragedy. No earth-shattering new lessons, but repeated themes of past shootings Rather than revealing a stream of earth-shattering new lessons learned, the report sadly reiterates themes heard over and over again from school shootings of […]
Sandy Hook school shooting report: New lessons or old lessons revisited?
A much anticipated report on the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings is due out Monday afternoon. The Connecticut State’s Attorney will present a summary report on the shooting, although the release of the full Connecticut State Police report continues to be delayed. The tactical response of Newtown Police and other first responders will likely receive a […]
School crisis lockdown plans when students are in restrooms
What do we do about students who are in the restroom when we announce a lockdown? This question is raised often during our school security assessment consulting and training presentations around the country. The issue has several variables schools must prepare for as they develop and refine their emergency guidelines. Don’t leave students stranded in restrooms […]
Three steps to improve school bomb threat management and response
Superintendents, principals, and their first responders can improve management of school bomb threats by taking action to avoid three common problems we find when assessing school emergency guidelines and actual incidences of bomb threats at schools: No written procedure or one developed without input from first responders. Preparing for bomb threats requires more than simply having a […]
Lockdown communications with parents during school emergencies
Few things scare a mother more than a lockdown or safety crisis at her child’s school. Fear makes calm, sensible people frantic and fierce. This is a tough time for schools. Their first priority is protecting children. A lockdown is serious business. School staffers are tied up assessing the threat, talking to police, making sure […]
School bomb threats: Are principals putting students at-risk?
School administrators appear to be evacuating and closing schools more often in response to bomb threats, but such actions are not always consistent with best practices for bomb threat response. Moving students away from the school and sending them home often meets the emotional security needs of some educators and parents. But doing so could […]