Real-World Strategies for Safer Schools & Coordinated Emergency Response

On today’s episode of School Safety Today, Michelle Dawn Mooney chatted with Mike Matranga, former Director of Safety and Security at Texas City ISD and CEO of M6 Global. They talked about how situational awareness skills can be used to implement early intervention measures, how schoolwide training is critical for identifying and providing mental health resources, and the importance of practicing emergency response plans with all stakeholders.

Honing situational awareness skills is key to enacting a multi-faceted approach to identifying concerning behaviors in order to prevent harm to self or others. It is critical now more than ever to move from being reactive to proactive in identifying these behaviors and having the resources to refer and help those in need. All roles in the school community have this collective responsibility – a well-trained and informed staff, parent groups, and student groups are key.

When it comes to emergency response planning, it is not enough to just have a plan. Schools need to coordinate and rehearse the plan. And no single department or role should the plan fall to; all stakeholder groups need to come together to develop, review, and practice.

Mike Matranga is the founder and CEO of M6 Global Defense Group, an elected Texas City Independent School District (TCISD) Board Member at Large, and a former TCISD Executive Director of Security and School Safety with a demonstrated history of working in multiple facets of the security and investigations industry. He has been featured in several national publications, including the Wall Street Journal, WIRED Magazine, and the Security Magazine cover story in March 2020. He was recently ranked No. 5 in the nation for his unique school security planning and operational experience using technology and human behavior techniques to thwart mass attacks. Matranga has been a pioneer in school-based security practices, even leading to legislation being written per his recommendations.