05/27/2022
In lieu of the recent events in Texas, I'd like to share this article from ASIS. Granted there isn't a one size fits all solution to every problem, but this school in Colorado took the time to listen, collaborate, and execute.
They have incorporated technology, studies of past and current events, and talked with parents and law enforcement to create a solution that helps safeguard our children.
Some key takeaways from this article: they have recorded announcements from their principal, which gives children a familiar voice during a stressful time as well as from an authority figure. They've incorporated a system that detects gunfire which is then relayed to law enforcement that tells them where shots occurred, how many, and if it's still in progress. When covid struck, they evaluated and adapted again due to having more than one point of entry, and they added more cameras.
Lastly, they incorporate drills that test their system. An officer will fire blanks from a weapon to activate the system, which tests not only the system but law enforcement response and the school response. They work to maintain a standard and don't allow complacency.
We need to have these discussions and we have to bring solutions to the table. Some frustrations from my previous Law Enforcement experience are that after we conducted drills, we would ask for feedback. Parents would say that we were scaring the children, that we shouldn't be doing the drills, and over time schools became complacent and stopped taking it seriously. Teachers would complain that the drills disrupted their teaching, which is a bad perspective to have. I'd rather be disrupted and learn how to protect children entrusted in my care than deal with a REAL disruption when an actual event happens.
Now, I agree it sucks that we have to do this training, but we owe it to our kids to protect them. School shootings aren't going away, so we have to prepare for them and train, train, train! I remember being in school and having to take cover under a desk for bomb and tornado drills. The threats during that time were different.
There are many discussions to be had and I feel this model is a start. Encourage, Collaborate, Execute.
Please share this article and start the conversation. We can accomplish more when we work together.
The Sheridan School District in Englewood, Colorado, needed more video surveillance, a newer public address system, and a sound detection system that could identify gunshots.