license no. 0451271 innovative solutions. enduring principles

License No. 0451271 Innovative Solutions. Enduring Principles.


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When we hear the term “school violence” we think Columbine shootingThe impression is “school violence” refers to ONLY shooters on campus.


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• School violence is defined as “any behavior that violates a school’s educational mission or climate of respect

• Or jeopardizes the intent of the school to be free of aggression against persons or property, drugs, weapons, disruptions and disorder.”


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• Effective training should not be directed ONLY at keeping firearms out of school campuses.

• Effective training should provide the ability to spot abnormal behavior in students, staff and visitors.

• Disaster response plans prepare school districts on what to do during certain types of emergencies, such as fire, earthquake, chemical spills, etc.

• Very few disaster response plans actually deal with violence and intruders on campus.


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• The preparation measures in responding to the variety of “school violence” incidents need to include the following:– RECOGNIZING behavioral patterns in given

situations that have a potential to escalate.– PREVENTING things from getting worse by

responding effectively to try and diffuse things.

– RESPONDING effectively to behavior through education of expectations, discipline and removal of access by offenders of our students is critical.


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• DID YOU KNOW that over 50% of school shooting incidents that have occurred over the past 20 years have occurred within cities of population less than 10,000 people?

• DID YOU KNOW that most school shooting incidents are over before the first law enforcement responder arrives?

• DID YOU KNOW that in most shooting incidents the shooter told one or more people prior to committing the act?


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• DID YOU KNOW that in most schools we conduct fire drills every year with our faculty and students despite the fact that not one person has died in a school fire in over 40 years?

• DID YOU KNOW that almost no drilling is conducted with faculty and/or students in regards to Intruder Response in our schools despite the fact that we have had many students and faculty killed by school shooters in the past 20 years. AND these incidents are increasing?


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• To prepare, respond or prevent to a potential violent situation on campus involving intruders, policies and procedures should be in place to include:

• Causes of potential “school violence”• Recognizing behavioral pre-cursors and

effective intervention to such.• Developing an atmosphere and support

resources for open communication.• School entry access protocols.


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• Program and policy development.• Lockdown protocols. Can the campus

ne locked down?• Secure in place vs. immediate

response protocols.• Securing classrooms, windows, doors,

roof hatches.• Student management and locations of

students within classrooms.• What to expect from the law

enforcement response.


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• Limit access to school property. Establish a designated entrance with all other access points locked from the exterior or protected by panic hardware.

• Monitor school parking lots-use monitors if possible to oversee people entering and leaving the campus.

• Monitor and supervise student common areas such as hallways, cafeterias and playgrounds.

• Establish community relationships with local police, neighborhood watch groups and block parents.

• Whenever possible, use the services of a School Resource Officer, local police partnerships, or security guards.


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• Monitor school visitors (direct them to report to the main office, sign in and wear badges. Report unfamiliar people to the main office).

• Develop crisis plans and preparedness training for teachers and other staff in how to respond to students’ questions and crisis awareness.

• Encourage students to get involved and take responsibility for their part in maintaining safe school environments.


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• Promote compliance with school rules, reporting potential problems to school officials and resisting peer pressure to act irresponsibly.

• Create anonymous reporting systems, such as “hot lines”, suggestion boxes or “tell an adult” campaigns.

• Perform regular threat and risk assessments of school property.

• Exercise school preparedness drills for intruder alert, weather, earthquake, fire.

• Utilize security systems such as, video surveillance, metal detectors and exit door alarms.


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• Making sure all points of access to the campus are monitored during drop-off and pickup of students. Limit the number of accessible areas as much as possible.

• When students are on campus lock down all access points except for the main entrance to the campus, where visitors will have to reports.

• Whenever possible, use panic hardware on access gates and make sure that it cannot be activated by reaching through the gate.


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• Check fence lines and trees along fence lines and repair or trim back as needed to deter unauthorized access.

• Check for roof access to deter any unauthorized access.

• Report suspicious activity to site or district administrators or local police.

• If video surveillance is used make sure cameras are periodically maintained. Camera lenses tend to get dirty or covered with cobwebs which interfere with clear view.


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• If you see someone you don’t recognize on campus and they are not wearing a visitor badge, stop them and direct them to the main office or escort them there.

• If classrooms are lockable, make sure they are kept locked.

• Make it difficult for first floor access to be gained through open windows.


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• Disclaimer – Keenan & Associates is an insurance brokerage and consulting firm. It is not a law firm. We do not give legal advice and neither this training presentation, the answers providing during the question and answer period, nor the documents accompanying this presentation constitutes or should be construed as legal advice. You are advised to follow up with your own legal counsel to discuss how this information affects you.

license no. 0451271 innovative solutions. enduring principles

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