The word safety is used to refer to a condition where someone or a thing is protected from causes that are likely to cause harm to them. The word security means protecting organizations/people against threats/danger.
Risk management is crucial for maintaining a safe environment in schools. It involves identifying potential risks, assessing their impact, and implementing strategies to mitigate or eliminate them. Here are some key areas to consider when developing a risk management plan for schools to keep students and staff safe:
Identify and Assess Risks: Conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify potential hazards and risks within the school premises. Consider risks related to infrastructure, safety protocols, health concerns, natural disasters, and external threats. In Ohio, I lean into the Franklin County Emergency Management Administration and Homeland Security for their expertise to the hazards in our county. The Threat and Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment (THIRA) is a three-step risk assessment process that helps communities understand their risks and what they need to do to address those risks by answering the following questions: What threats and hazards can affect our community? In Ohio, the Attorney General’s Office made grant funding available to law enforcement agencies to conduct a Security and Vulnerability Assessment (SVA). The REMS TA Center has a free App, Site Assess, for schools to conduct their own Security and Vulnerability assessments.
Develop Emergency Operation Plans: The US Department of Education recommends that schools/districts use an All-Hazards approach to Emergency Operation Plans. Establish clear emergency response plans for various scenarios, such as fire drills, lockdowns, natural disasters, and medical emergencies. An Emergency Operations Plan without training or exercises is just a theory. Conduct regular drills and training sessions for both students and staff to ensure everyone knows how to respond in case of an emergency. Your drills and exercises should be conducted with your local first responders and should focus on the events most likely to be a concern based on your THIRA and SVA. An After-Action Review will guide you as you work to improve your plans and training.
Physical Security Measures: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) suggests the design of buildings, landscaping and outdoor environments can either encourage or discourage crime. CPTED attempts to minimize crime and the fear of crime by reducing criminal opportunity and fostering positive social interaction among the users of a space. CPTED helps an organization implement physical security measures, including access control systems, surveillance cameras, and proper lighting to deter unauthorized individuals and areas that need improvement are identified by your SVA.
Ensure that entrances and exits are secure, and visitors are required to check in and wear identification badges. Visitors, for the most part, should be escorted to where they will be once they have checked in. Your visitor management system can be used during a fire drill to make sure all persons are accounted for during an event or evacuation.
Health and Safety Policies: Develop and enforce health and safety policies that address hygiene, sanitation, and the prevention of the spread of infectious diseases. It may sound simple, but every restroom should have a sign reminding users to wash their hands. Restrooms should be clean and free from strong odors. Doors to wet rooms, the custodian’s office, and chemical storage should always be locked. Every door should have at have floor mats with at least 16 feet of walk-off space.
Provide adequate training to staff on health and safety protocols, including first aid and CPR. Staff members should have access to bleed control kits, Narcan, and AEDs.
Cybersecurity Measures: Protect sensitive information by implementing robust cybersecurity measures to prevent data breaches and unauthorized access to personal records. Constantly train your staff on how to spot phishing emails. Most cyber crimes originate outside of the United States. The criminals don’t want your data but will use ransomware to tie up your data until you pay to get your data back.
Educate students and staff about the importance of online safety and responsible technology use. Work with your local law enforcement and prosecutors to help students understand the dangers of social media and the consequences of creating and posting images that may be illegal and posts that can be interpreted as a threat to the school or school community.
Transportation Safety: Establish safety protocols for school transportation, including bus safety guidelines and driver training programs. Regularly inspect and maintain school vehicles to ensure they meet safety standards. Know the laws in your community if a parent gets on the school bus to settle a dispute with the driver or other students on the bus. Transportation personnel need similar training and exercise that are already to building staff.
Collaboration with Local Authorities: Cops own the crime, fire owns the flames, and schools own the students. Each group are experts in their fields but do not know how the others operate. There is an adage that states: “The superintendent and the fire chief should not be exchanging business cards for the first time on the day of an event.” Establish strong communication channels with local law enforcement, fire departments, and emergency services. Know which community stakeholders can assist with your reunification plans and reunification site.
Collaborate on Emergency Operation Plans and conduct joint training exercises.
Mental Health Support: We are losing more students to suicide than to Active Threat Events. Because of events in their home or neighborhood, students are coming to school with acute stress disorder and PTSD. Implement programs to support the mental health and well-being of students and staff. Provide resources for counseling services and create a supportive environment to address psychological concerns. Remind your students and staff that is okay to not be okay.
Regular Inspections and Maintenance: Conduct regular inspections of school facilities to identify and address potential safety hazards. Ensure that maintenance schedules are in place to address any issues promptly. Be very intentional in protecting students and staff from hazards in and around the building. Replacing a ceiling tile after a roof leak not only improves the appearance of the building but reduces the chance of mold hazards.
Community Involvement: Parents tend to only focus on their child. At school, we worry about every child. Foster a sense of community and encourage the involvement of parents and community members in promoting school safety. Communicate openly with stakeholders about safety measures and encourage reporting of potential concerns. Go beyond See Something, Say Something. Close the loop for the parents; If you see something please say something. We promise we will do something.
Regularly review and update the risk management plan to adapt to changing circumstances and emerging risks. Additionally, seek feedback from students, staff, and parents to improve the effectiveness of safety measures.