Returning Safely: Navigating School Safety and Emergencies
Schools will be back and mostly open for in-person learning in a few weeks. As students return, the importance of navigating school safety and dealing with emergencies remains paramount. So, how can schools be prepared?
Offering his expert perspective, Frank Kitzerow, Retired Chief of Police and District Security for Palm Beach County School District, spoke with School Safety Today host Shelby Skrhak. Kitzerow had a 40-year career in law enforcement.
“In looking at the safety aspect, there are lots of questions. One thing I learned was to pay attention to the community, because schools are a microcosm of that,” Kitzerow said.
While leading the Palm Beach County School District, Kitzerow established a school safety ecosystem. “It’s about staying left of the X, with X being a catastrophic event. It’s a focus on prevention, intervention and diversion to stop a potential attack.”
The planning part of school safety is essential, according to Kitzerow. “You want to have a robust toolbox to respond quickly if that day occurs. A plan for this involves communication, unified command and technology.”
Developing a response plan requires lots of stakeholders. It’s parents, students, teachers, administrators, law enforcement, fire and rescue, and more. Kitzerow established such a program involving all these parties focusing on effective communication, situational awareness, and technology tools.
“One of the heaviest lifts in communication is reunification, matching students to family, which is often a lot of people, and there’s no room for error. Emergency management platforms support this,” Kitzerow noted.
Such technology can also play a role in communicating with teachers during an incident.
Kitzerow also urged districts to practice the plans, not just create them. “Make sure everyone is well-versed. What you invest on the front end, you’ll take on the back end.”
Follow us on social media for the latest updates in B2B!
Twitter – @MarketScale
Facebook – facebook.com/marketscale
LinkedIn – linkedin.com/company/marketscale
Latest
Bridging the Gap Between the Commercial and Residential Audio Communities
In this episode of “Pro AV Today,” host Ben Thomas sits down with Audra Kinsley of Sonos Professional to unpack a topic that’s causing (sound) waves in the audio industry: the fusion of commercial and residential audio systems. As we navigate through a landscape where consumer and professional audio worlds are increasingly intersecting, Sonos steps […]
Unleashing Educator Brilliance: Transformative Thought Leadership in Education
In an era where education stands at the crossroads of tradition and innovation, the potential value of thought leadership becomes the guiding star for progress. “Just Thinking” dives into this potential with host Kevin Dougherty and guest Evan Edwards, a Professional Learning Specialist at 806 Technologies who exemplifies the transformative impact of visionary guidance […]
Exploring Strategic Scheduling with Timely: A Key to Managing Educational Fiscal Challenges
Author: Michael Horn Educational institutions today are facing a financial precipice, with declining enrollments and funding cuts. Many schools are struggling to adapt to these fiscal pressures, highlighting the need for transformative solutions. This scenario raises an urgent need for innovative strategies like strategic scheduling to manage resources efficiently. What innovative approaches can districts […]
