Senseless violence in schools is now an unfortunate reality, and experts have yet to determine a predictable profile of shooters. However, there are actionable steps your school can take to mitigate the impact of an armed intruder incident.
See the right side of this page for resources that support school preparedness and response after a traumatic incident. Continue reading for tips from a school safety expert’s presentation, attended by WCRIS staff.
School safety resources and funding are always changing. If you have questions about what is available to your school, please contact WCRIS.
Mike Clumpner, CEO of Threat Suppression, Inc. from Charlotte, North Carolina, is a sworn law enforcement officer and recognized by the the federal government as a subject matter expert in active shooter response. He has trained 60,000 first responders on three continents. See highlights from his presentation below:*
Quick Facts
- School attacks are well-planned and often years in the making. Students study the law enforcement reports on past shootings, which are easily found online.
- Beware of students who express interest in school shooting topics or events for writing or other research assignments. Past shooters have used such pretenses to gather information about school security measures. When such things arise, notify local law enforcement.
- Dozens of shooters have been stopped and their plots have not made headlines. Some of the suspects have been female.
- The first period of the school day and lunch break are the most popular times for an attack.
- The average attack lasts three minutes. The average police response is three-five minutes. Having your staff trained in emergency response (lockdown) helps buy time for police to arrive.
- The loss of a relationship with a key person in a child’s life is the most significant marker for teen violence.
Things School Leaders Can Do
- Invite local law enforcement into your building for a tour so they know their way around the building.
- Encourage your school district to provide training to bus drivers on how to deal with a potential shooter; where to take a busload of children if a school is locked down before they get there; and protocols for releasing those children to parents in such a situation.
- If your school is physically connected to a church, get the church involved in security protocols and have church personnel (ushers, etc.) trained for possible violent events.
- When students experience significant loss or trauma in their life, work to make sure they have access to a support system, counseling and an anchor person who can help them.
- Test that a 911 call from each school building shows the correct address of the campus to the dispatch center.
- Once-a-year training is not enough. Consider using quick training tips for 10 minutes each month at a staff meeting.
- Solid core doors with a normal deadbolt are the best defense to slow a perpetrator. Be wary of special locks and door braces being marketed to schools as effective in stopping armed intruders.
- Avoid “code words” for announcing trouble. They lead to confusion and are meaningless to visitors and substitutes. Simple, straightforward announcements are preferred: “Lockdown. Avoid the Gym area.”
- Encourage staff to question authority and people who come unexpectedly to the school.
- Vehicles are being used as weapons. Examine your student arrival and dismissal traffic patterns to mediate the ability of a vehicle to plow into a crowd of students or families, whether during a school day or at extra curricular events with large groups of people.
*Source: Attorney General’s School Safety Summit, Wisconsin Dells, June 14, 2018
