See Something, Say Something

School Terror?

A man in Zion, IL was shot and killed by police after a foot chase and a struggle with police.  The police were called to a school because a man was reportedly photographing the school.  Several nearby schools went into lockdown during the incident.

With everything going on around the world, the Paris attacks, the San Bernardino attack, and a new attempted attack in Paris, it is easy to conclude that this was part of a terror plot.  It is much too soon to make that conclusion, but it serves as a cautionary tale.

Homeland Security

The Department of Homeland Security is frequently telling people, “If you see something, say something.” The incident in Zion, IL is a perfect example of how this works.  Taking pictures of a school is not an illegal act.  However, someone in the neighborhood thought that the way the man was acting, along with the focus of his pictures, was enough to call the police to check him out.

Too often people will think something is odd, and do nothing.  Gavin de Becker, in his excellent book The Gift of Fear, outlines why we do this, and provides useful techniques for training ourselves to get back to trusting our instincts.

People will often not say something out of fear of being wrong.  School administration should empower their staff to report suspicious activity, to activate any safety protocol, and to take personal responsibility for the safety of their students and their school.  If their suspicious are unfounded, there should be no repercussions.  Look at it as a practice for your safety protocols.

see something, say something

The November 2015 issue of School Safety Monthly is on school terrorism

Most states have mandatory reporting laws when a school staff member suspects a child is being abused.  The staff member who sees signs of abuse must report it to the agency tasked with looking into the suspicions.  Are there any repercussions for a staff member whose suspicions are unfounded?  This is no different.  If we are truly about the safety of our children, then we owe it to them to check out our suspicions

If you see something, say something.

 

Special Education Students in School Safety: Include or Not?

The Special Education Dilemma in School Safety

The Learning Connection is on online community through the Indiana Department of Education.  Recently a question was posted that gives much food for thought for students in special education.  “Has any school dealt with students who are unable to participate in fire drills?  If so, what procedures have you put  in place to accommodate the children while satisfying the requirement to engage all students in the drill?”  Schools with special education students often struggle with including such students in their safety plans.  When do the needs of the students outweigh the safety needs of the school?  Or do they?

Special Education

Special Education students should be included with the rest of the students in safety drills.

Practice Realistically

There is an old sports saying, “Practice as you will play.” This basic truth is relevant to school safety. Everyone should practice safety drills as they would actually happen. It helps reduce errors, and will better assist in identifying gaps in planning.

This is especially true for students with special needs. I have seen some schools warn, some of their special education classes, about drills ahead of time. They feel it’s necessary to reduce the stress some of these students feel with the loud noises and world changing activity that occur with drills. While the concern is understandable, does it help them in an actual emergency? Emergencies occur without notice. Precious seconds can be lost attempting to assist students who react negatively to a sudden change in their routine. Not exposing these students to such situations until a real event, can put them and others at risk.

Individualized Education Plans and School Safety

Under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), special education students are required to have individualized plans. Different districts call them by different names, but the result should be the same. Identifying each child’s needs and a written plan specifying how their requirements are met, including emergency and safety issues. For children in special education programs, this requires additional scrutiny and thoughtfulness.

Will a special education student need more than one staff member to assist them? If so, who will it be? Will the student require special equipment, such as an evacuation chair to get a student down stairs? Will they need noise-reducing headgear to reduce audio stimulation? These and other similar questions may not be something considered for most students but for those with special needs they can be critical factors.

Just as a building’s age and characteristics would be considered in a facility’s safety plan, so should the uniqueness of special education students when identifying their safety requirements. In special education, individual needs are identified by a case conference committee, which includes the parents. This committee should then create a safety plan that includes the student’s involvement in safety drills.

As with all safety plans the input of local first responders should be sought whenever changes are made. This helps to ensure compliance with local, state and federal regulations. Never forget, the goal is to keep ‘everyone’ safe!

Social Media’s Role in Safety

Social Media in Committing a Crime

Today a man, reportedly upset over a negative job situation, used social media to plan and carry out a shooting of a TV news crew in Moneta, VA.  The man came up on WDBJ 7 reporter Alison Parker, who was interviewing of Vicki Gardner, a local Chamber of Commerce chairperson.  In a video made by the gunman, he points the gun at Alison, calls her a name, and then lowers the gun.  He seemingly waits until the cameraman has his camera on her, then opens fire.  Alison and Adam were both killed, while Vicki was hospitalized, reportedly with a gunshot to her back.  The shooter flees, and then posts the video to Twitter.

social media picture

Alison Parker
(Photo courtesy of Fox News)

social media picture

Adam Ward
(Photo courtesy of Fox News)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Social Media in Responding to a Crime

The use of social media during this incident highlights the many pluses and minuses of social media.  When it happened, the news of what happened spread quickly, mainly due to Twitter and Facebook.  The shooting occurred right before 7:00am Eastern, and by noon the identity of the shooter was known.  While the use of social media to aid in communication seems a natural use of its capabilities, this must be tempered with the loss of context that often accompanies near-instant communication.

Many news outlets censored the footage of the interview and shooting, but the shooter had taken his own video and posted it to Twitter.  From there it went to Facebook and other social media, giving people unedited access to the carnage.  Whether this is good thing or not is for another time.  However the importance of social media cannot be over-emphasized.

Social Media in Safety Planning

Anyone responsible for the safety of others should incorporate the uses of social media into their safety plans.  It is a tool, and should be used as such.  Planners should also prepare for the negative effects of social media, mainly disinformation and lack of context.  Media protocols can be as important in responding to an incident as any other protocol, as the wrong information can increase the difficulty in responding to the incident.

Information travels so much more quickly today than ever before.  We safety planners need to get a handle on this concept and use it to our advantage, or it will surely use us.

As with any such tragedy, let’s take some time to care for the wounded and grieve for our losses.   Then let’s learn what lessons we can and make ourselves better.