54,000 Alerts, Only 1% for Threats: Reality Check on School Panic Button Mandates
Mandating Panic Buttons: “Feeling Safer” or Being Safer? In the aftermath of school shootings, emotion understandably drives urgency. Legislators want to act. The public wants reassurance. Vendors offer so-called “solutions.” And increasingly, that “solution” has taken the form of state-mandated wearable panic buttons under laws such as Alyssa’s Law — now enacted in more than […]
Two-Way Radios vs. Staff Cell Phones in Schools: When Seconds Matter, Simplicity Wins
In a number of schools during our security and emergency preparedness assessments, we sometimes hear from school safety and administration teams: “We use cell phones to text or call for help and a Google Chat group for emergency communication – we’re covered.” It sounds modern. Efficient. Familiar. And we hear this in schools that have […]
Security Theater vs. Real School Safety: Why the Most Effective Prevention Is Often Invisible
When SOS (Shiny Object Syndrome) overshadows impactful school safety strategies When a school tragedy occurs, communities understandably demand action. Parents want reassurance. Media attention intensifies. Political leaders call for solutions. School leaders feel enormous pressure to demonstrate that they are taking decisive steps to protect students and staff. In that environment, the loudest and most […]
Respect the Tactical Service. Evaluate the School Safety Advice and Tech Applicability.
Why School Safety Decisions Must Be Based on Evidence, Not Tactical Résumés In today’s school safety marketplace, it’s increasingly common for vendors to highlight founders’ or executives’ backgrounds in the military or tactical law enforcement. Military service and law enforcement service are honorable professions, and those experiences deserve respect. But when school districts are making […]
A School Safety Vacuum Is Forming—and Vendors Are Rushing to Fill It: The coming food fight over “credible” school safety guidance as existing school safety organizations quickly crumble
The school security field is in the middle of one of the most turbulent shake-ups in its history. Longstanding organizations are disappearing. Experienced professionals are losing jobs, crossing over to be the face for security vendors, or exiting the field. Private-equity and venture-capital money are reshaping organizations. Vendor lobbying influence is intensifying. And public-sector capacity […]
School Safety Product and Technology Decision Checklist: An independent school security tech decision guide for school leaders
Too many school safety technology decisions are made under pressure—after a tragedy, during a funding window, or in response to persuasive vendor claims. In those moments, it’s easy to confuse action with effectiveness. That’s why I developed the School Safety Product and Technology Decision Checklist—an independent due-diligence resource to help boards, superintendents, and district leaders […]
Buyer Beware: As private equity creeps into the school security industry, school leaders face increased risks
Buyer Beware: As private equity creeps deeper into the hashtagschool security product and technology market, smaller companies get gobbled up into bigger entities.Bundled services. Louder marketing. Lobbyists hired. But quality risks going downhill.Our team worked with one district where a once-reputable visitor management system failed miserably across dozens of schools — challenges with service, unresolved […]
School safety is not a “plug and play” sport. It’s about fidelity of implementation.
School safety is not a plug and play sport. You can’t just plug in a new security product or piece of technology, walk away, and expect that things will run on autopilot. Why “it’s better than nothing” often isn’t really “better” Too often in recent years, I have heard school officials say, “Well, it’s better […]
Dr. Ken Trump’s School Safety 2024 Year in Review and 2025 Forecast
VUCA – Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity. The acronym describes a rapidly changing environment in which it is difficult to analyze, prepare for, respond to, and prevent. It also describes school safety in 2024 — and most likely in 2025, as well. While a detailed analysis could easily fill a book chapter or two, a […]
Missing the mark: ASIS School Security Standard emphasizes physical security products and tech in schools over student mental health, while posing undue liability and financial burdens
Guest article by Chuck Hibbert The American Society for Industrial Security – ASIS International – has developed an in-depth position paper presented as an ASIS School Security Standard for what they describe as K-12 schools. While we can assume most of the ASIS standard contributors have good intentions for school safety, the paper shows a […]