There

There's more to School Safety than Active Shooter Training

Soon after the Columbine shooting, security experts, school administrators and other observers at the time began looking for lessons in the “teachable moment.” Since then, with shootings from Virginia Tech to Sandy Hook to Isla Vista, we’ve had a teachable decade-and-a-half to learn from these incidents, yet there’s little evidence schools are getting any safer. Some experts say they may even be getting less safe. What are we not learning? Are we even asking the right questions?

An understandable but unfortunate consequence of these high-profile events is an excessive focus on the active shooter, defined by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” We’re seeing a kind of tunnel vision on this issue, as if school safety were defined by how well schools drill for the active shooter scenario. This narrow focus excludes the broad range of day-to-day security threats that schools and colleges face, the vast majority of which do not involve a rampaging gunman.

In a recent article, Emergency Management editor Jim McKay argues that training and security measures focused on school shootings are flawed and overshadow more common types of violence on campus. McKay noted that school administrators are being bombarded with “technology fixes” in the form of cameras, metal detectors, buzzers, bulletproof white boards and the like, while also relying too much on active shooter training.

McKay and other experts take issue with the “Run, Hide, Fight” approach suggested by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The approach (shown in the video below, created by the City of Houston with Department of Homeland Security funds) is widely adopted as a training mechanism in active shooter scenarios. It urges people to run, hide or, as a last resort, fight off a gunman, rather than simply wait for law enforcement to arrive.

In the same article, security expert Michael Dorn is quoted as saying, “Many schools today are in fact less safe than they were before Sandy Hook, and that one reason for this is the heavy emphasis on active shooter scenarios. The ‘Run, Hide, Fight’ video, like other training being done in schools is neither evidence-based nor proven to work.”

It’s not that Congress isn’t talking about and throwing money at the problem. Lawmakers are actively engaged in discussion about what types of tools or methods our schools and colleges should implement to keep everyone safe. According to another recent article, the U.S. government has dedicated over $300 million in the past two years to enhancing school security. But the money has gone on churning out reports, research, assessments and position papers, instead of the actual installation of security technology and equipment, such as surveillance systems, according to John Chwat, director of government relations at the Electronic Security Association.

In other words, no real action is taking place. Frustratingly, those most affected by all this indecision and foot-dragging are the educators, students, parents and others who make up the education community. In short, they’ve been left in the lurch.

My employer, Guardian 8, recently conducted research of over 500 educators and students around the nation. The data shows educators are anxious and nervous because they feel unsafe and don’t feel properly protected. In some cases, students reported taking their safety into their own hands by purchasing pepper spray for themselves or family members. After the Sandy Hook shootings, one Colorado mother even started an online petition encouraging lawmakers to require teachers to have Tasers in classrooms (not part of our research).

Instead of asking teachers and students—in some cases, even elementary school students—to train how to disarm a gunman, we at Guardian 8 believe it makes much more sense to focus on providing tools that enable users to reduce violence by de-escalating threatening events. To that end, we have defined a market category for personal safety and security tools called Enhanced Non-Lethal (ENL) devices. The first commercially-available ENL product is the G8 Pro V2—a cost-effective tool that can enable school emergency response teams to delay an attack and defend students if necessary, while documenting the event and communicating with law enforcement, with just one device. At less than the cost of a smart phone, the G8 Pro V2 can be used by anyone who is properly trained, including teachers and coaches. Congress needs to stop dragging its feet, stop spending money on consultants and start spending precious, limited budget dollars on actual tools that can provide protection now.

Featured

  • Data Driven, Proactive Response

    As cities face rising demands for smarter policing and faster emergency response, Real Time Crime Centers (RTCCs) are emerging as essential hubs for data-driven public safety. In this interview, two experts with deep field experience — Ross Bourgeois of New Orleans and Dean Cunningham of Axis Communications — draw on decades of operational, leadership and technology expertise to share how RTCCs are transforming public safety through innovation, interagency collaboration and a relentless focus on community impact. Read Now

  • Integration Imagination: The Future of Connected Operations

    Security teams that collaborate cross-functionally and apply imagination and creativity to envision and design their ideal integrated ecosystem will have the biggest upside to corporate security and operational benefits. Read Now

  • Smarter Access Starts with Flexibility

    Today’s workplaces are undergoing a rapid evolution, driven by hybrid work models, emerging smart technologies, and flexible work schedules. To keep pace with growing workplace demands, buildings are becoming more dynamic – capable of adapting to how people move, work, and interact in real-time. Read Now

  • Trends Keeping an Eye on Business Decisions

    Today, AI continues to transform the way data is used to make important business decisions. AI and the cloud together are redefining how video surveillance systems are being used to simulate human intelligence by combining data analysis, prediction, and process automation with minimal human intervention. Many organizations are upgrading their surveillance systems to reap the benefits of technologies like AI and cloud applications. Read Now

  • Right-Wing Activist Charlie Kirk Dies After Utah Valley University Shooting

    Charlie Kirk, a popular conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, died Wednesday after being shot during an on-campus event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.