Safe Havens International
A 12-year old student got into trouble at Hale Junior High in Tulsa, OK, and his guardian was called to the school.
She was buzzed in while hiding an axe handle and some cable behind her leg. Upon reaching the boy in the school office, she assaulted him with the axe handle and cable. School police had to pull her off of the boy, who was left with welts and bruises on his arms. The boy has been removed from the woman's home, and she was arrested and charged with felony child abuse.
Analysis
Without knowing all the facts in the case, it is unknown what level of training the office personnel had received in the use of their electronic access system. It is important to note that visual weapons screening, and training in pattern-matching and recognition is a necessary addition to any training for electronic access. Such systems are only as good as the people who implement them, and the training they receive.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Victims of Bullying More Likely to Bring Weapon to School
Red Orbit
A report presented to the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, Canada states that teens who have been repeatedly victimized are 31 times more likely to bring a weapon to school than those who have not been victimized.
Researchers used the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from the CDC to track if they had been harassed, and if they had brought a weapon onto school property.
Study author Dr. Lana Shapiro of the Cohen's Children Medical Center of New York, has called for greater efforts to reduce bullying in all of its forms.
Analysis
Schools should, as part of their security audits, include climate surveys. They should particularly include students in these surveys. If the student perception of safety is different than the staff perception, this could be a sign of a disconnect. Rapport -building with the student body can be instrumental in developing the trust between students and staff that can lead to information on dangerous behavior being brought to light before a disgruntled student makes a life-altering decision.
A report presented to the Pediatric Academic Societies in Vancouver, Canada states that teens who have been repeatedly victimized are 31 times more likely to bring a weapon to school than those who have not been victimized.
Researchers used the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from the CDC to track if they had been harassed, and if they had brought a weapon onto school property.
Study author Dr. Lana Shapiro of the Cohen's Children Medical Center of New York, has called for greater efforts to reduce bullying in all of its forms.
Analysis
Schools should, as part of their security audits, include climate surveys. They should particularly include students in these surveys. If the student perception of safety is different than the staff perception, this could be a sign of a disconnect. Rapport -building with the student body can be instrumental in developing the trust between students and staff that can lead to information on dangerous behavior being brought to light before a disgruntled student makes a life-altering decision.
In the study, researchers reviewed information from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
– a nationwide representative survey of greater than 15,000 US high
school students carried out by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC).
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
has
confirmed that teens who have been picked on numerous times are as much
as 31 times more likely to take a weapon to school than those who have
not been victimized.
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
has
confirmed that teens who have been picked on numerous times are as much
as 31 times more likely to take a weapon to school than those who have
not been victimized.
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
has
confirmed that teens who have been picked on numerous times are as much
as 31 times more likely to take a weapon to school than those who have
not been victimized.
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
has
confirmed that teens who have been picked on numerous times are as much
as 31 times more likely to take a weapon to school than those who have
not been victimized.
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
Read more at http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/1113138039/bullied-kids-bring-weapons-to-school-050514/#3o2lAYefSAk3qJ58.99
Monday, May 5, 2014
Keeping it Real
Reynoldsburg High School
First responders in Reynoldsburg County, Ohio conducted a full-scale exercise last week. The training exercise started with a bomb threat at a Reynoldsburg library. Then, vapor was reported leaking from a suspicious vehicle near the high school. That was followed by an explosion in the parking lot. After that, a gunman forced his way into the school, shooting those in his path.
For several hours, first responders from about a dozen agencies in Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Whitehall and Bexley, and Franklin, Fairfield and Licking counties cooperated to evacuate students, rescue victims and neutralize the threats.
Analysis
Students were present during the exercises, being exposed to the sights, sounds and chaos of the situation. Whether students should be present or not is a topic for another debate. What I would like to address is the exercise itself.
This blog is not about analyzing right or wrong in the above exercise, but to take a moment to share with schools what their exercise program should look like.
FEMA and Homeland Security have established that a robust, progressive exercise program is best practice for emergency management, especially in schools. Being progressive means that each type of exercise is preceded by another, with each exercise developing skills that build upon skills learned in earlier exercises. There are various types beginning with the very simple, to the very complex, and increasingly hazardous.
For schools, any exercise program should begin with an orientation. This is where all patrons are alerted to the various types of protocols their district has, and their role in those protocols. This can be done in a classroom, using a lecture format. Many schools do this at the beginning of the year. Remember to document attendance, and to provide a similar orientation for substitute teachers.
Drills are used to practice a specific skill. For example, an evacuation drill practices the act of getting students out of the building as safely and quickly as possible. If you add additional skills to be practiced, it ceases to be a drill, and becomes an exercise. Remember, drills focus on one skill. What skill is being practiced requires assessment and planning.
Tabletop exercises are a low-stress way of practicing a developed protocol. They can range from a formal type using multiple agencies, to scenario-based exercises that ask the important question, "What do I do when.....?" It is not necessary to hire someone to conduct a tabletop for you, as they are relatively simple to plan and execute. If you do hire someone, make sure they are building internal capacity. Take a hard look at vendors who insist on returning for "recertification".
Functional exercises are more complex, and introduce more stress through realistic messages. For example, calling a school to deliver a bomb threat (Make sure they know it's coming!) and then having that person call 911 to report it trains the school personnel to react under simulated stress. The scope is still relatively narrow, but operating correctly under stress increases confidence, and identifies issues with the protocol that may not have been identified otherwise.
Full-scale exercises should only be conducted after all protocols and procedures have been rigorously tested by prior exercises and drills. They use full mobilization of resources, thus increasing the complexity and danger. They are not something to just do to show everyone that you are doing something. They require careful planning, preparation and communication with all stakeholders.
Information on Exercise Design can be found at FEMA's EMI Institute. The courses are free, and well worth the time.
First responders in Reynoldsburg County, Ohio conducted a full-scale exercise last week. The training exercise started with a bomb threat at a Reynoldsburg library. Then, vapor was reported leaking from a suspicious vehicle near the high school. That was followed by an explosion in the parking lot. After that, a gunman forced his way into the school, shooting those in his path.
For several hours, first responders from about a dozen agencies in Reynoldsburg, Pickerington, Whitehall and Bexley, and Franklin, Fairfield and Licking counties cooperated to evacuate students, rescue victims and neutralize the threats.
Analysis
Students were present during the exercises, being exposed to the sights, sounds and chaos of the situation. Whether students should be present or not is a topic for another debate. What I would like to address is the exercise itself.
This blog is not about analyzing right or wrong in the above exercise, but to take a moment to share with schools what their exercise program should look like.
FEMA and Homeland Security have established that a robust, progressive exercise program is best practice for emergency management, especially in schools. Being progressive means that each type of exercise is preceded by another, with each exercise developing skills that build upon skills learned in earlier exercises. There are various types beginning with the very simple, to the very complex, and increasingly hazardous.
For schools, any exercise program should begin with an orientation. This is where all patrons are alerted to the various types of protocols their district has, and their role in those protocols. This can be done in a classroom, using a lecture format. Many schools do this at the beginning of the year. Remember to document attendance, and to provide a similar orientation for substitute teachers.
Drills are used to practice a specific skill. For example, an evacuation drill practices the act of getting students out of the building as safely and quickly as possible. If you add additional skills to be practiced, it ceases to be a drill, and becomes an exercise. Remember, drills focus on one skill. What skill is being practiced requires assessment and planning.
Tabletop exercises are a low-stress way of practicing a developed protocol. They can range from a formal type using multiple agencies, to scenario-based exercises that ask the important question, "What do I do when.....?" It is not necessary to hire someone to conduct a tabletop for you, as they are relatively simple to plan and execute. If you do hire someone, make sure they are building internal capacity. Take a hard look at vendors who insist on returning for "recertification".
Functional exercises are more complex, and introduce more stress through realistic messages. For example, calling a school to deliver a bomb threat (Make sure they know it's coming!) and then having that person call 911 to report it trains the school personnel to react under simulated stress. The scope is still relatively narrow, but operating correctly under stress increases confidence, and identifies issues with the protocol that may not have been identified otherwise.
Full-scale exercises should only be conducted after all protocols and procedures have been rigorously tested by prior exercises and drills. They use full mobilization of resources, thus increasing the complexity and danger. They are not something to just do to show everyone that you are doing something. They require careful planning, preparation and communication with all stakeholders.
Information on Exercise Design can be found at FEMA's EMI Institute. The courses are free, and well worth the time.
Friday, May 2, 2014
Staying Alive Companion Videos
Safe Havens International has created videos to go along with our book. They expand upon the concepts in Staying Alive, and introduce you to some of the people who's stories you've read about.
Safe Havens International
Please take a look!
Safe Havens International
Please take a look!
A link between social media and suicide clusters?
Indy Star
Last Monday, April 28, several students in Zionsville, IN re-posted a video of an eighth grade student posted on Google+ in which he discussed his thoughts on suicide. On April 25, he hung himself. The day after he died another Zionsville student attempted suicide by overdose.
Dr. Adelaide Robb, director of psychiatry research for the Children’s National Medical Center, said when teens see someone talk about suicide on social media — and go through with it — it can appear to give permission for others to do the same.
Therefore it's important for parents to be vigilant. Katherine Kivisto, a University of Indianapolis professor of psychology, said suicide threats on social media are rarely a false alarm. They are a cry for help, and it's important for parents to know the signs and intervene in a timely manner.
Indianapolis psychologist Robbi Crain says, “The key thing in responding to those suicidal threats or talks is not to overreact, but also not to under-react.”
Drug and alcohol use, change in eating and sleeping habits, verbal or physical aggressiveness, loss of interest in activities they used to like, and physical symptoms, such as stomach aches, head aches and fatigue, can all be warning signs, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
"See something say something" is a Staying Alive mindset especially when raising, or working with, teenagers!
Last Monday, April 28, several students in Zionsville, IN re-posted a video of an eighth grade student posted on Google+ in which he discussed his thoughts on suicide. On April 25, he hung himself. The day after he died another Zionsville student attempted suicide by overdose.
Dr. Adelaide Robb, director of psychiatry research for the Children’s National Medical Center, said when teens see someone talk about suicide on social media — and go through with it — it can appear to give permission for others to do the same.
Therefore it's important for parents to be vigilant. Katherine Kivisto, a University of Indianapolis professor of psychology, said suicide threats on social media are rarely a false alarm. They are a cry for help, and it's important for parents to know the signs and intervene in a timely manner.
Indianapolis psychologist Robbi Crain says, “The key thing in responding to those suicidal threats or talks is not to overreact, but also not to under-react.”
Drug and alcohol use, change in eating and sleeping habits, verbal or physical aggressiveness, loss of interest in activities they used to like, and physical symptoms, such as stomach aches, head aches and fatigue, can all be warning signs, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
"See something say something" is a Staying Alive mindset especially when raising, or working with, teenagers!
Frightening School Attack Plot Revealed
Safe Havens International
A chilling plot of a 17-year old high school student to kill his family and then attack his school was revealed May 1, 2014. A concerned citizen noticed a "suspicious" person lurking at a storage facility and called the police.
A police officer responded and found bomb-making materials in the storage facility. He arrested the teen. The subsequent investigation uncovered horrifying details of what the teen hoped to accomplish.
The teen had a 180-page notebook with intricate details of what he was going to do, beginning with the murder of his family. He was then going to set a fire in a field to distract first responders, and assault his school. He was going to set off pressure-cooker bombs in the cafeteria, then use Molotov cocktails and guns to kill as many students as he could before SWAT took him out.
The investigation began in late March when three explosive devices were found on an elementary school playground, and culminated with the call from a concerned citizen.
In Staying Alive, we address the issue of the concerned citizen. People often do not call the police for fear of being wrong, but law enforcement would rather look into a suspicious person or incident than to respond to a mass casualty incident at a school.
"See something, say something" is a mindset that can help people to "Stay Alive".
A chilling plot of a 17-year old high school student to kill his family and then attack his school was revealed May 1, 2014. A concerned citizen noticed a "suspicious" person lurking at a storage facility and called the police.
A police officer responded and found bomb-making materials in the storage facility. He arrested the teen. The subsequent investigation uncovered horrifying details of what the teen hoped to accomplish.
The teen had a 180-page notebook with intricate details of what he was going to do, beginning with the murder of his family. He was then going to set a fire in a field to distract first responders, and assault his school. He was going to set off pressure-cooker bombs in the cafeteria, then use Molotov cocktails and guns to kill as many students as he could before SWAT took him out.
The investigation began in late March when three explosive devices were found on an elementary school playground, and culminated with the call from a concerned citizen.
In Staying Alive, we address the issue of the concerned citizen. People often do not call the police for fear of being wrong, but law enforcement would rather look into a suspicious person or incident than to respond to a mass casualty incident at a school.
"See something, say something" is a mindset that can help people to "Stay Alive".
Teacher makes bomb threat
Safe Havens International
May 1, 2014
Michelle Smith, a teacher at Calhoun County High School in Jerseyville, IL, was arrested after a typed note was found in the school restroom. The note threatened an explosion. The school was evacuated, but no explosive device was found.
This is a good time to review your own bomb threat protocols. Spring is often a time for students to make false bomb threats to get a break from class, and get some outdoor time.
Always take bomb threats seriously! Take life-saving steps as found in the Window of Life, and call 911.
May 1, 2014
Michelle Smith, a teacher at Calhoun County High School in Jerseyville, IL, was arrested after a typed note was found in the school restroom. The note threatened an explosion. The school was evacuated, but no explosive device was found.
This is a good time to review your own bomb threat protocols. Spring is often a time for students to make false bomb threats to get a break from class, and get some outdoor time.
Always take bomb threats seriously! Take life-saving steps as found in the Window of Life, and call 911.
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