Five Layers of School Safety

Copyright © 2018 Charter School Capital, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
The Five
Layers of
School Safety
Gary L. Sigrist, Jr.
CEO and President
Safeguard Risk Solutions

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HOSTED BY
Matthew Gardner
Client Services Representative
Charter School Capital

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•
WHO WE
ARE
• We are a specialty finance company
focused on financial, business and
facilities support for charter schools
• In the past 10 years, we have:
– Served more than 800,000 students
and their families
– Supported more than 600 charter
schools
– Invested $1.6B in helping charter
schools better serve their
communities
• More than 60 employees headquartered
in Portland, OR
• Stellar track record with schools and
investors
COMPANY OVERVIEW

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President & CEO
Safeguard Risk Solutions
 Ohio University
o 1982
o BS Elementary Education
 University of Dayton
o 1988
o MS Educational Leadership
 Safety Director
o South-Western City Schools
o Monitor Homeland Security Grant
o Develop School Safety Plans
o In-service Training
 8th Grade Science Teacher
 Police Officer
 Adjunct Professor
TODAY’S
PRESENTER

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EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

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WHAT IS AN
ACTIVE
SHOOTER?
The agreed-upon definition of an
“active shooter” by US
government agencies (including
the White House, US Department
of Justice, FBI, US Department of
Education, US Department of
Homeland Security, and Federal
Emergency Management Agency)
is “an individual actively
engaged in killing or attempting
to kill people in a conﬁned and
populated area.” In most cases,
active shooters use firearms and
there is no pattern or method to
their selection of victims.

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ARE SCHOOLS SAFE?

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ACTIVE SHOOTER EVENTS

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 Between 2002 and 2011
o 1,351 persons killed in school
transportation incidents
o 334 persons killed in school associated
homicides
 All preventable deaths must be considered
while creating All Hazard Plans
 We must also focus on the events more
likely to occur, not just the Active Shooter
FACT:
Violence has never been
the leading cause of
death in American
K-12 schools

LAYER ONE:
Emergency Management

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The key to preparing
any organization for
natural or man-made
events is to follow the
recommendations of
the US Department of
Homeland Security
and follow the four
phases of Emergency
Management

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EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS
Working with First
Responders and area
stakeholders, schools
should develop All
Hazards Emergency
Operation Plans for the
district level and
Emergency Response
Plans for the building
level

LAYER TWO:
Incident Command System (ICS)
Training Administrators

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STAFF TRAINING
Fire Drills
Severe Weather
Class Evacuation
Stay Put
Secure Perimeter
Reverse Evacuations
Intruders
Lockdown with Active Shooter

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Train for the events most likely to
affect your staff and building:
oDrunk/angry parents
oChild custody
oDomestic Violence
oBomb Threats
oPlayground injuries
STAFF TRAINING

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• An incident is taking place in your classroom:
o Medical Emergency
o Fight
o Disruptive/belligerent student
• Students are sent to another classroom
• Teacher of the second room notifies office
CLASS EVACUATION

LAYER THREE: Exercises

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LAYER THREE: EXERCISES

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LAYER THREE: EXCERCISES
Exercises are designed using a building block approach. Without an exercise to test our EOP, our plans
are nothing more than a theory.

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EXERCISES: AFTER ACTION REVIEW (AAR)
In the AAR, we ask:
What did we do well?
What will we do differently in the
future?

LAYER FOUR: Hardware/Software

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 All doors are locked at the beginning of the school day
 Parents and visitors are “buzzed” in
LAYER FOUR: HARDWARE/SOFTWARE

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Door barricades must be approved
by Local/State Fire Codes and
may be subject to zoning rules
Law Enforcement should be
provided with the device to remove
the barricade that can be carried
on their duty gear, chest rig, or in
their “Go Bag.”

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ç
A Mass Notification System is a
critical tool for schools, both for day
to day operations and during an
emergency. The mass notification
system allows the school to control
the message during an emergency
or event.
Messages are more credible when
they come from a familiar voice.
Notification systems should offer
multi-modal messaging with
voice/text/email/social reach
Your system needs to be able to
launch remotely via a smartphone
app

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 IP video surveillance brings many
new benefits and capabilities to
campus video surveillance.
 These include everything from easier
operation, less expensive installation,
and better image quality to
automation and improved cost
effectiveness.

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Apps are available for staff to access their
ERP and notify either the Incident
Commander or the entire building if there
is a threat in the building.
These Apps eliminate the need for costly
printing and the plans can be updated 24/7
with staff members having the most up-to-
date plans at all times on their computers,
tablets, and smart devices.

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A Visitor ID system allows you to
create ID badges for visitors who
move past the office.
In the event of an emergency such
as a fire, the Visitor ID Log lets
people know if the visitors are still
in the building.

LAYER FIVE: Positive
School Culture

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PARENTS OF SCHOOL
VIOLENCE VICTIMS
CALL FOR…
More religion
Explanation of what school officials
knew
Reduced gun access to children
Better parenting and supervision
Improved mental health services
Reduced violence in media
School safety audits
Stop giving the shooter notoriety

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SCHOOL THREAT ASSESSMENT TEAMS RECOMMENDED BY:
U.S. Department of
Education
Secret ServiceFBI

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KEY POINTS FOR SCHOOLS
Is the authority established to conduct a threat
inquiry?
Is a multi-disciplinary team developed and trained
to assess threats?
Are interagency relationships and partnerships with
agencies established to respond to a threat?
Are warning signs and reporting procedures
clarified and provided to staff, students, and
parents?

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WHAT ARE THE
PURPOSES OF THREAT
ASSESSMENT?
Reduce the risk of violence
Determine if the threat is transient
or substantial
Identify educational needs and
support services for students who
have made a threat
Reduce legal liability by following
reasonable and accepted practices
for violence prevention

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PRIOR KNOWLEDGE
OF SCHOOL
VIOLENCE STUDY
81% of time at least one person
had prior knowledge of planned
attack and 59% of time more than
one person had knowledge
Only 4% with prior knowledge tried
to dissuade the attacker
Many with prior knowledge did not
believe it could happen
School connections affected
whether or not adults were told

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COUNSELOR
DESCRIBES HOW
HE DEFUSED
COLUMBUS
SCIOTO SCHOOL
SHOOTER
 Van Chambers
 Chambers knew the shooter
well. He had been to the
student’s house, met his father
and sister, helped him get a new
cellphone and even
unsuccessfully tried to line him
up with a job.
 “I’m going to help you resolve
this problem.”

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WASHINGTON
SCHOOL SHOOTING
SUSPECT SAYS
STUDENT WHO DIED
HAD BULLIED HIM
• The shooter, a 15-year-old
sophomore, said the suspect had
brought notes in the beginning of
the school year, saying he was
going to do "something stupid"
and might get killed or jailed.
Some students alerted
counselors, the teen told AP, but
it was unclear what school
officials did in response.

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SCHOOL SAFETY EXAMPLES
Create safety task force and include
students
Survey staff and students
Teach students to de-escalate fights
Training staff on bullying and their
behavior
Floor plan exercise

School Safety Suggestions

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SUGGESTIONS FOR PARENTS
Limit adolescent privacy
Limit exposure to media violence
Don’t lie to protect your child
Follow through with due process
Pay attention to what the schools says and seek
mental health treatment when it is recommended
Lock up the guns in your home especially if you
have a child with mental health issues

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SUGGESTIONS FOR SCHOOLS
Recognize anyone can stop a school shooting
Recognize rehearsal and planning of attacks
Recognize that physical security alone is not
the answer
Implement suicide and bullying prevention
programs
Good communication and positive culture at
school is preventative
Implement anonymous tip lines

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MORE SUGGESTIONS
Arm teachers, not with guns, but with school
resource officers and mental health support
services
Know the real stats on school violence
Limit access to school buildings and implement
meet and greet procedures
Increase student participation in school safety
and utilize pledges and surveys
Plan crisis drills that are not scary

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MORE SUGGESTIONS
Increase mental health services at school and in the community
The 4th “R” is relationships and it is important to know all students well and to
have all students feel connected to their school
The school should be place that students like and do not want to blow up!

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SUMMARY
There is no “one” thing schools
can do to keep their staff and
students safe
School safety requires a layered
approach
Schools need to work with all
their stakeholders, First
Responders, and Parents
A positive school culture is as
important as your safety plans.
Provide ways to make students
feel connected to their school
community
Know your students well and learn to
recognize behaviors that may point
to violence. Have school resource
officers and mental health support
services available

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QUESTIONS?
Safeguard Risk Solutions LLC
gary@safeguardrisksolutions.com
(614) 679-5608
 Leave your business card if you
would like any of these resources
emailed to you
 Connect with me on LinkedIn
Matthew Gardner
Client Services Representative
Charter School Capital
mgardner@charterschoolcapital.org

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HOW OUR SCHOOL
PARTNERS HAVE
USED WORKING
CAPITAL TO
FINANCE SAFETY
UPGRADES
Purchase a security system that
includes 8 wireless, solar cameras
installed around the campus
Purchase new door locks for better
school security
Work on a project to install bullet
resistant screens to cover school
windows
Hire a school security/resource
officer
Schools have used our working
capital solution to:

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FREE SCHOOL SAFETY RESOURCES
Five Layers of School Safety
by Gary L. Sigrist, Jr. & Dr. Scott Poland
© 2016 West Corporation. All rights reserved.
Five Layers of School Safety
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