How Schools Can Get Proactive About Safety Strategies

The threat of violence on campuses is driving many schools and education leaders to take a more proactive role in emergency preparedness. This often involves working with local law enforcement to develop a school safety plan, so students and teachers know how to react when an incident occurs. Schools can also implement technology that directly connects to authorities, reducing response times after an incident.

Each school has different needs. Creating a strategy that works well for your campus requires a methodical approach, the right tools, and a healthy relationship with your community. 

Defining Your Multi-Layered Safety Plan 

Developing an effective safety strategy isn’t a one-and-done process. You’ll need to work in stages. 

Start by assessing your current safety protocols to pinpoint weaknesses. This will help you develop a plan of action and set the foundation for implementing new processes and procedures. 

School safety plans typically include three principles––prevention, response, and recovery. 

Preventing Emergencies 

Reducing the risk of incidents like gun violence or other threats is the best way to keep students and faculty safe. Preventative measures like adding security officers, installing cameras, and training staff on safety protocols will reduce the chance of incidents, bringing you one step closer to creating a culture of safety on your campus. 

Improving Responsiveness 

Seconds matter when an act of violence or serious health emergency occurs at your school. The responsiveness of your staff, students, and local authorities dramatically impacts the outcome. 

Creating new safety protocols and training faculty is key at this stage in your safety plan. Conducting drills, implementing alarm systems, and collaborating with law enforcement ensure fast, effective responsiveness when the unexpected occurs. 

Recovering From an Emergency 

The emotional well-being of students and staff should be your top priority after a traumatic incident. Getting school operations up and running again while fostering a sense of safety for everyone is key. 

Immediate recovery measures include accounting for the physical safety of everyone on campus. Then, you can focus on long-term efforts like emotional support services, repairing damage to school property, and improving safety plans. At this stage, clear, transparent communication with parents and the community is crucial to rebuilding trust and confidence. 

Work with school safety specialists as you develop initiatives around each principle. These specialists take a data-driven approach, using evidence and case studies to determine what’s best for your school. Getting input from teachers and school district leaders is also helpful when creating your safety strategy. 

Partnering With Local Law Enforcement 

Strategies for Safe Schools often involve police and members of local law enforcement. Their knowledge and experience are invaluable resources when defining new safety protocols.  

As you begin creating or improving your safety plan, form a strong relationship with your local authorities. Their involvement in the early stages will result in a more comprehensive strategy. 

Let’s look at how they can help. 

Professional Assessments

Police and law enforcement personnel know how to spot threats and vulnerabilities at your school. Performing an on-site assessment allows them to evaluate your current safety measures and make recommendations. They’ll look at exit and entry points, safety equipment, and response protocols to decide where you need to make improvements. Law enforcement can also assess specific students or staff members who may present a potential threat. 

Developing Safety Protocols  

Public safety is a primary concern for police and law enforcement personnel. They have the education, training, and experience to determine which protocols will work best for your school. 

After assessing your campus, law enforcement can help create protocols for: 

• Lockdowns
• Active shooter threats
• Bomb threats 
• Unauthorized visitors
• Medical emergencies 
• Severe weather 

Local law enforcement may assign a School Resource Officer (SRO) to support your new safety protocols. You can also request one if you need additional support.

Connecting Through Technology 

For years, schools have used tools like surveillance cameras and metal detectors. However, there’s a growing concern that traditional safety technology isn't enough. 

Some states have passed laws requiring schools to implement silent panic buttons that provide a direct link to law enforcement and first responders. With these buttons, teachers and staff can alert their SRO, local 911 dispatchers, and police department at the push of a button. 

Staff Training 

Most local law enforcement organizations offer school training programs to help staff understand how to respond to emergencies. They can arrange drills and exercises that simulate real-life situations like lockdowns and natural disasters. These exercises instill confidence in staff and provide them with the knowledge they need to react appropriately in an emergency. 

Implementing State-of-the-Art Safety Technology

The use of digital safety solutions is on the rise. Innovations like wearable panic buttons, threat detection tools, visitor check-ins, and alert systems reduce the risk of violence and speed up emergency response times on campuses. 

Legislation like Alyssa’s Law requires some school districts to implement new safety technology. But even school districts in states that don’t require these tools are proactively adding them to their plans. 

If you’re ready to make technology part of your school’s safety strategy, it’s important to know what’s available and how it works. Here’s a breakdown of some of the most innovative safety tech in schools. 

Wearable Panic Buttons

Fast responsiveness saves lives during active shooter incidents or medical emergencies. But sometimes, even a cell phone isn’t convenient enough.  

A wearable panic button lets teachers and staff alert law enforcement, SROs, and administrators of an emergency in seconds. These badges are worn around the neck, allowing for quick, discreet access to the button. 

You can program your wearable panic buttons to send alerts to different entities depending on the number of times the user presses the button. The alert notifies the right person or agency and provides the precise location of the incident. 

Digital Mapping Technology 

First responders can provide faster assistance when they know the exact location of an emergency. Digital mapping technology makes this possible by showing 911 dispatchers, police, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) a blueprint of your school and the exact location of the emergency. Wearable panic buttons sync with digital blueprints so responders know what type of incident has occurred and where to go when they arrive. 

Visitor Management Technology 

Knowing the precise location of visitors to your school helps reduce incidents and makes emergency response much easier. With visitor management technology in place, you assign a digital badge to every visitor so you can locate them on a system dashboard. The system also scans visitors’ IDs and screens for sex offenders and unauthorized individuals. This is particularly useful in custody battles where only one parent is authorized to pick up a student. 

Funding Safety Initiatives 

Implementing your school safety strategy may be costly, especially if you plan to add a digital Crisis Alert System to your campus. Even schools in states that require safety protocols have difficulty finding room in their budgets. 

The good news is that grants are available to help schools fund safety initiatives. Start by contacting the Department of Justice and the Department of Education. Both agencies offer grants for school violence prevention. FEMA also provides grants to schools for emergency preparedness. 

Reaching out to local law enforcement is another option. They may offer funding programs for schools that need better safety plans. 

Finally, consider hosting local fundraising initiatives and asking for business sponsorships. This can be a fun way to raise money and awareness for school safety and get the community involved.