More and more jurisdictions are shifting their perspective when it comes to shooter incidents. Gone are the days of, “It won’t happen here”, and being replaced by preparedness and preventive measures even in smaller towns and remote areas. School shootings are rampant and thus the implementation of safety plans in schools is being encouraged. In this course, the speakers will talk about researches surrounding school shootings and solutions for an effective school safety plan.

Joining as key resources for this webinar are Mike Kersey, Linda Chezem and Don Jones. Mike is a 28-year law enforcement veteran where he’s served in various roles including training, and high-risk operations. Meanwhile, Linda has background in law and the academe having served at the Lawrence County Court, the Lawrence Circuit Court, the Indiana Court of Appeals, and at the School of Agriculture, Purdue University. Lastly, Don’s career span more than 3 decades, he’s served in the Army and is currently the Founder and CEO of NetTalon Security Systems.

Points discussed in this session include:

• The concept of safety for any community – not merely from school shooting but other forms of critical incidents or emergencies.
• Findings from studies that emphasize how rural and suburban communities are most affected by school shootings and the factors that contribute to both the mitigation and worsening of this.
• The three stages of safety that incorporate prevention, mitigation, and recovery.
• The critical elements of distance, available personnel and time when it comes to responding to critical incidents.
• The ten key findings to take into account when preparing for a potential armed attack scenario.
• The importance of conducting threat assessments in schools to be able to identify vulnerabilities, assess the facility and the population’s readiness, and manage underlying issues that could trigger attacks.
• What research reveals on who typically discovers the plot for averted incidents of school violence and improving this through enhanced reporting mechanisms.
• Security measures that are designed to prevent and deter attackers in the school setting.
• The challenges when it comes to potential shooting incidents: lack of preparation, manpower, resource/budget, and a denial mindset.
• NetTalon’s comprehensive technology and solutions that aim to enhance the school’s and students’ safety, deter the attacker from doing further damage, and provide visibility and intelligence for the responders.
• The comparative test conducted using NetTalon’s Virtual Command during response and conventional response.
• The basic needs identified as critical for school safety of protected space, immediate alert, and real-time intelligence.
• During the Q&A, points raised by the attendees were about:
  • Considerations for mental health concerns on the management part of the threat assessment.
  • Getting community buy-in and support.
  • The number of rural schools that employ a safety plan.
  • Securing the funding to support the costs of an effective safety plan and infrastructure and the cost of the NetTalon system.

As Featured in the NBC News Story: Inside the Safest School in America

Audience Comments:

• “Excellent information in this course.” — Daniel
• “The impressive strategies being used to make schools safe and related statistics regarding their effectiveness!” — Sharon
• “The entire webinar was good!” — Richards
• “Information regarding tracking an incident throughout a building and how it connects directly with central dispatch.” — Robert