Understanding and Implementing Components of the School Safety Ecosystem

Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at the 2023 National School Safety Conference. My talk, titled "Understanding and Implementing Components of the School Safety Ecosystem," focused on the transition from isolated school safety systems to an interconnected ecosystem that includes local 9-1-1 and first responders.

The Layered Approach to School Safety

During my session, I drew heavily from the concepts put forth by the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS). PASS advocates for a layered approach to school safety, which is critical in creating a comprehensive and effective safety ecosystem. This ecosystem should include various systems such as radios, access control, 9-1-1, Panic Button Apps, Video insights, and weapons detection.

Each layer of protection, including the district perimeter, property perimeter, parking lot perimeter, building perimeter, and classroom/interior perimeter, must be evaluated. Within these layers, we outline key safety and security components against which schools can evaluate themselves. You can learn more about these layers and the PASS approach in their Safety and Security Guidelines.

The Role of 9-1-1 in School Safety

A significant part of my talk was dedicated to the importance of 9-1-1 engagement. It's vital that 9-1-1 has access to tools that provide more insight into emergency events at schools, such as floor plans, emergency response plans, and the location of the emergency. Furthermore, 9-1-1 should be able to initiate "Panic Button" type activity, ensuring a swift response to any crisis. In many fast-moving events, 9-1-1 is really Incident Command, so they need to have information like school maps and floor plans, emergency response plans, emergency contacts, and more. 9-1-1 also needs the ability to proactively reach out and communicate with schools outside of things like Panic Button events.

Smart Proximity Alerts: A Case Study

I shared an example of how one state is currently rolling out Smart Proximity Alerts from Rave and Motorola. These alerts automatically notify schools when certain types of events occur near a school, significantly speeding up the collaboration with stakeholders. There are some really great use cases here. For example, what about that armed robbery that just occurred at the pharmacy down the street from the school? The school has no idea that these types of events are happening. Now with smart proximity alerting, we can automatically tell schools and dramatically reduce the time it takes for schools to be notified and act. The example from Uvalde, TX is similar. Three minutes before the shooter made it inside, there was a 9-1-1 incident logged. If they had Smart Proximity Alerts, the school could have been notified three minutes earlier.

Trends in School Safety

Throughout the conference, I noticed a growing trend: more and more schools are distinguishing between Parent notification systems (used for weather closings and delayed buses) and true emergency notification systems designed for rapid multi-modal communications. This recognition is leading schools to use purpose-built solutions like Rave Alert for emergency communications.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the move towards a more integrated school safety ecosystem is a positive step forward. By leveraging the layered approach advocated by PASS and ensuring the active engagement of 9-1-1, we can create safer environments for our students. The use of advanced tools like Smart Proximity Alerts and purpose-built emergency communication systems further enhances our ability to respond effectively to any crisis.