Active Assailant
Navigating through the available resources on school safety and security can be overwhelming.
Our experts are providing on-going research so that we can establish a clearinghouse for best practices with active assailant situations in the K-12 environment.
Planning & Preparedness
Crisis Response & Reunification
The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification are used in more than 30,000 schools and municipalities around the world. They are created through the research-based best practices of school administrators, psychologists, public space safety experts, families, and first responders. The “I Love U Guys” Foundation has long been a conduit for research-based best practices that help people in schools and other public spaces respond to crises.
School Resource Officers
The National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO) is dedicated to providing the highest quality of training to school-based law enforcement officers to promote safer schools and safer children. NASRO is an organization for school-based law enforcement officers, school administrators, and school security/safety professionals working as partners to protect students, faculty and staff, and their school community. Learn more about NASRO.
School Security Checklist and Guidelines
The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) offers the most comprehensive information available on best practices specifically for securing K-12 facilities, vetted extensively by experts across the education, public safety and industry sector. The PASS school security checklist allows you to track your school or district’s security efforts in comparison to the best practices identified in the Guidelines. Get the guidelines HERE.
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
The purpose of the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) School Assessment (CSA) is to rate the physical parts of the school which may have an impact on youth fear and aggressive behavior. This rating scale is based upon School CPTED Principles. Download the CPTED Assessment HERE.
Emergency Operation Plans
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operation Plans.
Working along with US Dept. of Education, US Dept. of Health and Human Services, US Dept. of Justice, FBI, and FEMA. By having plans in place to keep students and staff safe, schools play a key role in taking preventative and protective measures to stop an emergency from occurring or reduce the impact of an incident. Download the PDF HERE.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – FEMA – Emergency Response Information for School Facilities
National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities.
Crisis planning includes making preparations for managing school buildings, grounds, occupants, and rescue and recovery personnel during and after a crisis. Download the PDF HERE.
Prevention
Sandy Hook Promise is a national nonprofit organization founded and led by several family members whose loved ones were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012. By empowering youth to “know the signs” and uniting all people who value the protection of children, we can take meaningful actions in schools, homes, and communities to prevent gun violence and stop the tragic loss of life. Program features include the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System & Start With Hello.
U.S. Department of Homeland Security – See Something, Say Something Campaign
Across the country, in our communities, we share everyday moments with our neighbors, family, coworkers, and friends. We go to work or school, the grocery store, or the gas station. It’s easy to overlook these routine moments, but as you’re going about your day, if you see something that doesn’t seem quite right, say something. By being alert and reporting suspicious activity to your local law enforcement, you can protect your family, neighbors, and community. Learn more about See Something, Say Something.
U.S. Department of Education – Practical Information on Crisis Planning – A Guide for Schools and Communities. January 2007.Knowing how to respond quickly and efficiently in a crisis is critical to ensuring the safety of our schools and students. The midst of a crisis is not the time to start figuring out who ought to do what. At that moment, everyone involved – from top to bottom – should know the drill and know each other. Download the PDF HERE.
FBI Office of Partner Engagement – Preventing Violent Extremism in Schools. January 2016.
Despite efforts to counter violent extremism, the threat continues to evolve within our borders.
Extremism and acts of targeted violence continue to impact our local communities and online
violent propaganda has permeated social media. Download the PDF HERE.
FBI – Violence Prevention in Schools – Enhancement Through Law Enforcement Partnerships. March 2017.
Practical advice gathered by experienced school resource officers on how law enforcement, schools, and districts can work together to keep schools safe. Download the PDF HERE.
U.S Department of Homeland Security – United States Secret Service – National Threat Assessment Center. July 2018.
Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model: An Operational Guide for Preventing Targeted School Violence.
Ensuring the safety of our schools involves multiple components, including physical security, emergency management, and violence prevention efforts. This process begins with establishing a comprehensive targeted violence prevention plan. Download the guide HERE.
U.S Department of Homeland Security – United States Secret Service – Safe Schools Initiative. 2004.
The final report and findings of the safe school initiative: implications for the prevention of school attacks in the United States.
Statistics
The K-12 School Shooting Database research project is a widely inclusive database that documents each and every instance a gun is brandished, is fired, or a bullet hits school property for any reason, regardless of the number of victims, time, day of the week. The database compiles information from more than 25 different sources including peer-reviewed studies, government reports, mainstream media, non-profits, private websites, blogs, and crowd-sourced lists have been analyzed, filtered, deconflicted, and cross-referenced. All of the information is based on open-source information and 3rd party reporting.
The NSSPA utilizes the research conducted and provided by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School.
Protecting America’s Schools – A U.S. Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence
Ensuring the safety of children at school is a responsibility that belongs to everyone, including law enforcement, school
staff, mental health practitioners, government officials, and members of the general public. To aid in these efforts, the U.S.
Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) studied 41 incidents of targeted school violence that occurred
at K-12 schools in the United States from 2008 to 2017/ Get the report HERE.
Incident Debriefs
University of Colorado Boulder & University of Northern Colorado
Report on the Arapahoe High School Shooting: Lessons Learned on Information Sharing, Threat Assessment, and Systems Integrity
Final Report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission. March 2015.
Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission – Initial Report. January 2019.
