School Security Consulting

School Security: Working Against Us?

2012-01-09T17:27:00.000-08:00

Security guards team up to steal laptops, cell phones, and cash from a Middle School - http://tinyurl.com/6n292o2.
One of the potential weak links in the typical school security program, as ironic as it sounds, is Security Personnel. Whether outsourced or in-house, security personnel are often modestly compensated and untrained. Think about it... Is the typical security guard, safety monitor, or "rent-a-cop" viewed by administrators, students and staff with R-E-S-P-E-C-T?
Does it make sense that somebody positioned on the "front line" as a first responder is not certified in CPR/First Aid/AED? In conducting Limited Scope Performance Testing ("Secret Shopping"), we have found security personnel reading newspapers, ignoring unauthorized visitors, snacking in storage rooms, etc. Who is holding them accountable?
Should we be surprised by this story? Not until we make some changes at the top!
I recommend making security effectiveness part of an administrator's performance evaluation. UNTIL that happens, schools will continue to foster a culture of security as a necessary evil. Security personnel will be marginalized and produce to the level of low expectations UNTIL there is a legitimate change in the view from the top.
We need security. Let's act like it!

School Security Depends on Effective Access Control

2011-11-22T11:54:00.000-08:00

Princeton High School Near Miss -

Take a look at the follow-up access control measures that Princeton High School is implementing in the wake of the near-miss gun incident last week - http://www.newstrib.com/articles/news/nci/default.asp?article=30888&aname=Princeton+High+increases+security+after+shotgun+incident.

Those new access control measures (i.e. closed campus, visitor management, IDs on lanyards) should be SOPs for all schools!

Don't wait for an incident to occur! Be proactive and address your access control issues now!

Please share your experiences and ideas here or on out facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Paul-Timm-PSP/122272757334.

2011-10-25T09:19:00.000-07:00

Recently I presented a School Security Seminar in Kansas, near the border of Missouri. In attendance was a safety coordinator from the Joplin Schools - Jim Hounschell. As a reminder, Joplin, MO was devasted by a tornado this year on Sunday, 05/22.

When asked to relate an important "lesson learned," this was Jim's response.

"We, for literally decades, have pulled students out of classrooms and placed them in the hallways during severe weather warnings or drills. We lined students up against the hallway walls and put them in the kneel and duck position. May 22nd changed all that. With video cameras in Joplin High School and East Middle School, we were able to go back and see what would have happened in those designated shelter areas had students been there. Large debris from street signs to car bumpers were effortlessly tossed down the halls. In some areas, classroom walls fell into the hallway. Each hallway became a wind tunnel. It was obvious to us that many lives would have been lost in our schools had the storm come through during school hours. With that knowledge, we no longer use hallways - period. FEMA has placed shelters at schools that were damaged in the tornado, but we still have many other schools that do not have FEMA shelters. In those buildings, we have cleaned out the old, musty basements that were being used for storage so that we can put as many kids in them as possible. In schools that need more room, or do not have basements, we are using "interior rooms" - rooms that do not have any walls that are exterior walls. As a last resort, we will use rooms that may have an exterior wall, but no windows or exterior doors. In looking at the damaged schools, these areas fared much better than the hallways."

Now is the time to use this vital "lesson learned" to make necessary adjustments to your shelter-in-place procedures.

Please post your thoughts and comments.

National Safe Schools Week

2011-10-19T09:31:00.000-07:00

"Your Attention, Please."

We are right in the middle of National Safe Schools Week (10/16-22) - http://www.safeschoolsweek.org/index.html. Don't wait for a security incident on your campus to be the motivation for improving your security program! Utilize initiatives and awareness campaigns like this one to move forward.

This annual campaign offers student violence prevention design contests, compelling security statistics, and a reminder to make use of an anonymous tip line - 866-Speak-Up.

How are your educating and involving your stakeholders? Share your ideas!

Piling On School Security

2011-10-03T08:23:00.000-07:00

It's not often you find a story that contains all the drama of electronic name-calling, a political hot button issue, and accusations of bullying!

This brief story, from Tulsa, Oklahoma, has it all. Tak a look: http://news.yahoo.com/okla-school-official-tweets-educators-dirtbags-233417629.html.

Do the math! Technology (Twitter) Risks + School Voucher Lawsuit + Bullying Accusation = School Security Issue(s).

Issue Raising Questions (props to Paul Baltz) -
How are you handling/addressing technology use and indiscretions? To whom do your policies/practices apply? Students? Staff?
What are your policies regarding media coordination? How often are those policies disseminated?
Do you have a documented bullying policy? How 'bout a full-fledged bullying prevention program? To whom does is apply? Students and staff? Others?

Share your thoughts!

Teacher-Student Facebook Ban Overturned

2011-09-09T13:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest salvo in the facebook ban wars that are raging in the state of Missouri - http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/missouri-facebook-law-injunction-granted-law-ban-teachers/story?id=14388569.
While I have not read all of the language in the original law or details of the teachers' union protest to the ban, let me be clear about one thing - I AGREE WITH THE BAN, IN PRINCIPLE!!!
I think there are ways (i.e. departmental facebook fanpages) for teachers/coaches to communicate with students without wading into the murky waters of "private" correspondence. Classrooms are public places because windows in classrooms doors are mandated. Let's add windows to social networking, as well.
Your thoughts?

Banning Teacher-Student Electronic Correspondence

2011-08-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

Check out this story detailing a potential statewide ban on student-teacher electronic correspondence (texting, social networking, etc.) in Virginia - http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/virginia_poised_to_ban_teacher-student_texting_fac.php.
We think these restrictions have merit. What are your thoughts? Where do you stand?

Guns on Campus

2011-08-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Where do you stand on the issue of whether or not individuals should be permitted to carry guns on campus? Recently, I was given the opportunity to share my opinion! Here is a brand new article from Security Management magazine that addresses the issue - http://www.securitymanagement.com/article/carry-or-not-carry-008824.
Do you agree with me? Why or why not?

Sunday Vandalism - Summer Vandalism?

2011-06-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

This story about a 13-year-old caught vandalizing the local Middle School in Seattle, Washington on a Sunday afternoon (http://www.kirotv.com/news/28139921/detail.html) should cause us to consider our summer operations.
How does a weekend vandalism incident relate to summer operations? In both instances, we face difficulties with access control and supervision.
How are you addressing those difficulties? What practices and measures do you have in place to make this a safe summer?

Enjoying Those Graduation Ceremonies?

2011-06-06T13:07:00.000-07:00

Check out this story where 14 people were FINED for interrupting the reading of names during a graduation ceremony in South Carolina - http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2011/05/26/20110526loud-cheering-graduation-ticketed-disorderly-conduct.html?source=nletter-entertainment.
I have attended numerous graduation ceremonies where yelling, excessive cheering, and air horns have not only kept the following graduate's name from being heard, but flat-out annoyed other attendees.
At first blush, this story might make it seem as though the concept of fining for bad behavior is too heavy-handed, but... When the announcements (both written and verbal) clearly call for courtesy during an event that is already too lengthy, I applaud the use of appropriate consequences.
Please note, however, that my applause is figurative only!
What are your thoughts?

Terrorism Threat Level Colors Change

2011-04-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

What color terrorism threat level are we currently operating under:

A) Yellow
B) Orange
C) Red
D) None of the Above

If you answered "A," you are mostly right. If you answered "B," you are right only for the Transportation Sector (i.e. flying). If you answered "C," you are wrong! If you answered "D," you will be right effective 04/26.

Read this article and post your thoughts - http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704570704576274982202887072.html?KEYWORDS=security.

Another School Shooting

2011-03-28T11:27:00.000-07:00

Here is the link to the Middle School shooting in Indiana last Friday morning: http://www.news-leader.com/article/20110326/NEWS07/103260326/-1/RSS. Once again, the student who committed this act of violence had been expelled and should NOT have been on campus. This is now the third school shooting in 2011 that involved a perpetrator that had been expelled or relieved of work duties. Let's learn lessons from these incidents! What are your separation procedures? How are local responders notified and involved? Under what conditions are separated persons permitted to return? Please add your thoughts and suggestions.

School Shooting Game

2011-03-07T09:20:00.000-08:00

HOUSTON, TX
Look out for a new video game called "School Shooter: North American Tour 2012." More information can be found at: http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/entertainment/games/110301-school-shooting-spree-game-making-waves and http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/108065-Inside-the-Sick-Mind-of-a-School-Shooter-Mod.
Not yet released, this "game" by Checkerboard Studios will enable players to indiscriminately kill students on a school campus.

What effect do these kind of violent games have on kids?
How should school stakeholders respond?

School Security Investigation

2011-03-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

MARINETTE, WI
After a three-month investigation, police released a rather anticlimactic final report last Friday regarding the hostage/suicide incident that occurred in northern Wisconsin high school last November - http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110304/ap_on_re_us/us_wisconsin_classroom_hostages_3.

While this may be one of those instances that was not "foreseeable" or even "preventable," I would like to know your suggestions for improving the following two critical areas.

Access Control
Emergency Preparedness

What are your thoughts?

Avoidable School Shooting?

2011-02-03T11:21:00.000-08:00

Here's the link to another school shooting where the perpetrator is allowed access to an administrator's office AFTER an earlier separation meeting: http://www.rgj.com/article/20110203/NEWS13/110203006/1321/NEWS/California-sheriff--Placerville-principal-had-just-fired-janitor-before-the-shooting.
Less than 30 days ago, a very similar incident occurred in Omaha after a student was suspended and permitted to come back a couple of hours later to meet (one-on-one) with the administrator who had suspended him.
We must have better "separation" procedures. What are your thoughts?

Omaha School Shooting Timeline

2011-01-10T12:21:00.000-08:00

This information was posted in the Lincoln Journal Star last week:

"Omaha police released a timeline of the Wednesday (01/05) shooting at Millard South High School in Omaha.

8:10 a.m. Student called out of class to speak with Vice Principal.

9:23 a.m. Student escorted out of building by security; he was cited at 12:20 p.m. Jan. 1 for criminal trespass for driving his car on the school's football field and track.

12:45 p.m. Student walks into main school entrance and signs in to talk with Vice Principal, then spends about four minutes in her office with the door closed.

12:45-12:50 p.m. Student shoots Vice Principal in her office, then shoots Principal; in hallway, he fires at a school custodian and misses; debris from shot hits school nurse.

Unarmed security officer looks through office window, sees student walk out; student points gun at guard, who takes cover.

School resource officer, in his office at time of shooting, determines after second volley that the sound heard is gunfire and puts out "help an officer" call, then checks office area for suspects and heads for exit after seeing security guard out front. Security guard relays suspect's name and vehicle description to school resource officer, who puts information on police radio.

12:50 p.m. Officers respond to 911 call; Principal, 45, is taken to Creighton University Medical Center by ambulance, Vice Principal, 58, by Life Flight. All Millard schools are placed on lockdown.

1:35 p.m. 911 gets call about suspicious vehicle matching student's car at 3909 S. 147th St. Officers and ambulance arrive to find student, shot, in his 2000 Honda Accord, which is running.

2:45 p.m. Millard South begins to release students to parents waiting at Divine Shepherd Church, 15005 Q St."

Please let me know your thoughts.

Board Meeting Security

2010-12-14T19:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the first link that I found regarding the shooting at the school board meeting in Florida tonight -
http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/12/one-dead-after-shots-fired-at-fla-school-board-meeting/1
Board meeting security is notoriously non-existent. What measures do you have in place?

Disaster Planning

2010-11-29T07:10:00.000-08:00

Here is a link to an article I had published in this month's issue of School Planning & Mangement magazine.

This is a synopsis of the article:
"Because we are so accustomed to hearing people engage in the art of exaggeration, we often don't worry when someone relates a minor disappointment and refers to it as a "complete and total disaster." Where school disaster planning and preparedness is concerned, however, we cannot afford to take the topic lightly. Unfortunately, many school districts do just that. Let's discuss some of the reasons why this may occur, propose some remedies and provide some resources."

I hope the article will be of assistance to you. As always, your comments are welcome.

PT

Facebook Security Issues

2010-10-19T09:17:00.001-07:00

"More Questions for Facebook"
Wall Street Journal (10/18/10) Fowler, Geoffrey A.

U.S. Reps. Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Texas) have sent a letter to Facebook Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg asking him to provide information about the latest security breach at the social networking site. The breach consisted of third-party applications gathering and transmitting personally identifiable information about Facebook users and their friends--including identification numbers, which can be used to look up a user's real name and find other information users have made public--to advertising and Internet tracking companies. The letter asks Zuckerberg to disclose how many users had been affected by the breach, when Facebook became aware of the problem, and what steps the social networking site plans to take to deal with the privacy issue. A Facebook spokesman said that the company wants to work with Markey and Barton in order to address any confusion surrounding the incident, but said that passing a user ID to an application may not constitute a "breach." Meanwhile, Facebook executive Mike Vernal acknowledged that user IDs were passed on to advertising and Internet companies inadvertently in violation of the company's policies. He added that while knowing a user's ID does not allow anyone to access a user's private information, Facebook is taking steps to ensure that applications comply with its privacy policy and to prevent even the inadvertent passing of user IDs to third parties.

2010-10-15T08:52:00.000-07:00

San Diego, CA -
Children in Carlsbad ran for their lives last Friday after a gunman — whom a witness described as deranged — scaled a fence and opened fire. The heroic actions of a neighbor and a pair of construction workers finally put an end to the terrifying ordeal. The shooter reportedly leapt a fence to gain access to the campus at about 12:10 p.m. Police later confirmed that two children, who had been playing outside at recess at Kelly Elementary School, were “shot in the extremities” and had “non-life-threatening wounds.”
Lesson: Now is the time to improve your exterior activity monitoring practices! Ensure that an adequate number of staff are positioned along the perimeter of the activity. In addition to being equipped with two-way radios and First Aid supplies, staff should be clearly marked with reflective safety vests or arm bands.
What other practices have you implemented?

18,000 Texts?!?

2010-10-09T08:03:00.000-07:00

OMG!!!

A recent Pew Internet and American Life Project study found that the typical teenager sends 50 text messages a day! That translates into 18,000 per year! In fact, texting is the NUMBER ONE form of communication for those between the ages of 12 and 17. BTW - the study also found that girls send three times more texts than guys. Hmmm...

R U UP 2 SPEED?

Bomb Threat

2010-09-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

Here is an excerpt from a Chicago Tribune article last week:

"We can think of few things more unsettling than learning that a headless body — alongside an unexploded pipe bomb — has been discovered near your child's middle school.

That's what parents in Evanston faced Tuesday (09/14), after a man walking his dog made the grisly find at a park adjacent to Nichols Middle School. Parents were especially upset that they heard about it only when they arrived to drop off their kids for school — or when the school bus returned the youngsters to the bus stop with the news that classes were canceled. The school remained closed the next day, and questions from parents were flying much faster than answers from school officials or police.

We share parents' alarm, their concerns for their children's safety and yes, their curiosity. But their dissatisfaction at the pace of information strikes us as a sign of the times. Thanks to the cell phone and the BlackBerry, to e-mail alerts and text messaging and continuously updated Internet news sites, we've come to expect nearly instant communication.

The timeline of events is not so damning. Though the explosion was reported at 3:53 a.m., police who searched the area couldn't find anything to explain it. They left. It wasn't until around 5:15 a.m. that the dog walker found the body; by the time he got home and notified police, it was 5:48 a.m.

The body was found near the city tennis courts and play lot, at the south end of the block; the school is at the north end. It's fair to assume the responding officers had their hands full. The area was taped off, but it was more than an hour — 7:15 a.m. — before police sat down with school officials. The call to close the school was made around 7:30 a.m., a notice was placed on the district Web site by 8 a.m. and an e-mail blast was sent to parents 10 minutes later.

No, that wasn't enough notice to prevent many people from showing up for an 8:30 a.m. start. But it doesn't sound like anyone was being lackadaisical or indecisive. And those who showed up for school weren't allowed anywhere near the crime scene. They may have been inconvenienced, but they weren't endangered.

A very few years ago, the district's ability to notify parents of the emergency would have been far more limited — the local radio station, a rudimentary phone tree. If you rewind the years (or months) to mark your own technological milestones, you may be surprised to realize how recently you learned about texting or how little time has passed since the entire family relied on a single land-line phone. This drama would have played out very differently even five years ago. Then, as now, nobody would have gotten hurt. Nobody would have complained that the e-mail came too late, either.

Evanston school officials have had blessedly little experience with headless bodies on the playground. Short of staffing a 24-hour crisis line, we're not sure they could get the word out much faster, though this week's lessons — and tomorrow's technology — might change that. Let's hope we never find out."

Congratulations, José M. Osorio (author of the aricle). I consider this to be responsible journalism.

What are your thoughts?

Security Practices for Volunteers

2010-09-08T12:34:00.000-07:00

Chicago, IL - According to a suburban police report from this past weekend, a female volunteer at a local catholic school/church was robbed and assualted as she prepared to sell fundraiser gift cards.
The offender approached the victim, who was alone at the time, and demanded money while displaying a black semi-automatic handgun. The victim complied by retrieving $4.00 from her purse. The offender became irate and struck the victim underneath her right eye with a closed fist. He then demanded and stole the "manna" fundraiser gift cards (for grocery stores and gas stations) from the victim.

What kind of thoughts does this story bring to mind? How could this incident have been avoided? What staffing and cash handling practices do you have in place to guard against this kind of situation?

2010-08-11T06:39:00.000-07:00

Chicago, IL - According to a recent Chicago Sun-Times article, the families of nine elementary school girls who were molested by a band teacher in a suburban school district have been awarded $3.5 million.
The band teacher pleaded guilty four years ago to kidnapping and sexually abusing more than 20 girls. The lawsuit claimed that one of the school's principals was aware of the alleged activities, did not report the abuse, and hid evidence from the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services.
Local police reportedly found letters from school officials during a search of the band teacher's residence warning him to stop inappropriately touching students.

This story may not be so much about the perpetrator as it is about school practices for handling allegations. I think school communities would rather know about potentially serious issues and how they are being addressed than find out about them after "damage control" efforts fail.

What kind of thoughts does this story bring to mind? How could this lawsuit have been avoided? What practices do you have in place to guard against this kind of situation?

2010-08-08T19:18:00.000-07:00

Under the heading of "Sure to Go Viral" ------------------

We are selling Classroom Emergency Backpacks - http://www.retasecurity.com/pages.asp?pageid=94202 - and considering ways that we can give away backpacks to economically challenged schools, churches, etc. when those that have means make purchases of certain quantities. Any ideas that you might have in that endeavor would definitely be welcome.

Thanks in advance!

2010-07-13T08:13:00.000-07:00

Check out this article I co-authored recently on the importance of critical communications:

http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=2627

Your thoughts?

Financial Issues

2010-07-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

According to a recent Los Angeles Times article, 14 school districts in the state of California have been financially classified as "in especially dire condition." For many of these districts, teacher lay-offs are just the tip of the iceberg. "Schools on this list are now forced to make terrible decisions to cut programs and services that students need or face bankruptcy," said state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell.

Unfortunately, school security budgets in California, and across the nation, are also being negatively impacted. At RETA Security, however, we recommend numerous low-cost/no-cost ways to provide a safer learning environment. For example:

Better Visitor Management Procedures
Committing to a "Closed Campus" Practice (or "Close Campus" in Certain Cases)
Improving/Optimizing Communication Systems
Undertaking a Collaborative Approach (i.e. Security Committee)

Obviously, some of these recommendations require explanation. Please contact us at info@retasecurity.com for more detail. Please post your ideas, as well.

School Violence Statistics

2010-07-07T11:12:00.000-07:00

I recently came across the following statement on governmentvideo.com:

"In the past 10 years, 284 people have been killed in U.S. school-associated violent deaths. Of those, 130 were shot; others were stabbed, beaten to death or committed suicide."

Now, who can identify the number of students that have been killed in U.S. school-associated fires over the last 10 years? How 'bout the last 25 years? How 'bout the last 50 years?
The answer to all of those questions is ZERO! The reason that there have been no fire-related fatalities can only be attributed to the fact that schools must comply with stringent safety codes and standards. Mandates have indeed paid off!

On the other side of the coin, we have yet to benefit from codes and standards that could govern security practices such as visitor management, access control, communications, door hardware, etc.

How much more violence is it going to take until security codes and standards are also in place? While we may not be able to answer that question with certainty, it's high time that schools pursue a proactive approach to protecting students, staff, and visitors!

Your thoughts?

2010-06-09T07:28:00.000-07:00

PORTLAND, OR - Visitor management practices are "center stage" in the Portland Public Schools after a Skyline Elementary School student disappeared last Friday during the school's science fair.

KATU.com reports that visitors are now required to sign-in upon entering the school. In addition, school officials are looking into security procedures for releasing students as they leave school.

7-year-old Kyron Horman disappeared last Friday morning. He was last seen walking around with his stepmother to view science fair projects around 8:45 a.m., according to CBS News.

Kyron Horman and his step-mother, Terri Moulton Horman, arrived at Skyline Elementary School around 8 a.m. Friday and attended a science fair at the school. Around 8:45 a.m. Terri said goodbye to Kyron and watched the second-grader walk down the hallway toward his classroom. Police say that the last time the boy was seen was about 9 a.m. At 3:45 p.m., when the school bus arrived at Kyron's stop without him on board, his step-mom called the school. She was told he was marked "absent" by his teacher. She called 9-1-1 just before 4 p.m. and the search effort was launched. Portland schools then sent an automated message to parents in the school district that the boy was missing. Local police walked the school grounds with K-9 tracking teams, searched every room and closet inside the school, and even checked the roof.

How effective are your visitor management practices? How do they change during special events? Please post your thoughts.

2010-06-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

CARMEL, IN - According to recent news reports, the family of a 14-year-old Carmel High School student, who alleges being abused by other student athletes, is planning to sue the Carmel Clay School District for $2.2 million. The investigation into the alleged abuse, which was said to have occurred on a school bus and in a locker room, has been going on for months. The four student athletes who have been accused of the abuse were initally arrested and released on bond. They were also suspended from school.

What safety issues and/or questions does a story like this bring to your mind? What measures have you put in place to address the monitoring of difficult areas such as buses and locker rooms?

School Security Attacks - China

2010-05-12T14:51:00.000-07:00

CHINA, 05/12 - Eight people were killed and 20 others were injured in a knife attack at a kindergarten in northern China. The attack began at 8 a.m. when a 48-year-old man simply walked into the private school.
At least 17 people have been killed and dozens injured in a series of alleged "copycat" attacks, which began in March. In each case, a middle-aged man acting alone attacked children with knives or tools.
Some speculate that these attacks are the result of lack of physical security measures, some feel they are the result of frustration with corrupt government officials, and others blame the lack of treatment for people suffering from mental illnesses.
What are your thoughts?

Student Involvement in School Security

2010-05-03T08:07:00.000-07:00

Here is an exerpt from David Timm's article that addresses how to involve students in the school security program. It appeared in this month's issue of School Planning and Management magazine.

"In security, risk minimization is everything. You can never completely eliminate the possibility of a school shooting or other types of breakdowns in security, but you can make the system as secure as possible by using your resources efficiently and using them cohesively, or as a unit. The most important resource administrators miss when factoring in all of their options to make school security more effective is the student body."

What are your thoughts?

KARE-TV School Security News Story

2010-04-30T06:27:00.000-07:00

Here is an exerpt from a KARE-TV (Minneapolis, MN) School Security news story I was involved in recently:

"HASTINGS, Minn. -- When a student with a handgun broke into three classrooms at the Hastings Middle School the day after Easter this year, not everyone made the connection to the school shootings at Red Lake High School five years earlier. Missy Dodds could think of nothing else. "I was angry," said the former Red Lake teacher, who witnessed the murders of a co-worker and five of her students. "I just couldn't believe it would happen again like that." Dodds yelled to her husband to come to the television when she heard the reports from Hastings while at her home in Bemidji. A security failure at her school had now become a failure at another. She wondered when someone would come to the same conclusion she'd reached years ago: a lockdown does no good when an armed intruder can simply break a window at the classroom door.
At one time nearly all interior school windows were made of plate glass. It was cheap, but when shattered, broke into shards that could cut students. Eventually states, including Minnesota, altered their building codes for new schools to require tempered in student traffic areas. Smash it, and tempered glass breaks into tiny blunt pieces that won't cut anyone - much better for school safety, but still lacking for security.

"My bottom line is this, I don't like tempered glass," said Paul Timm, a school security consultant with RETA Security in Lemont, Illinois. "I don't like tempered glass because if you hit it hard enough it's going to be able to break and then I'm going to be in."

Instead, Timm believes impact resistant laminated glass -- similar to the glass used in car windshields -- should be required by building codes for use in and near classroom doors. Laminated glass will still crack when struck hard with a baseball bat or crowbar, but unlike plate or tempered glass, laminated glass will maintain its integrity through multiple blows.

Another option for existing windows is impact resistant film applied on the outside of glass. Like laminated glass, the film, made by 3M among other companies, keeps windows in one piece even when the glass underneath shatters. Hastings school officials needed no convincing after their brush with tragedy at the middle school. Last Friday they began the replacement of plate glass in 35 classroom doors with laminated glass. Total cost of the project: $2100, or roughly $60 per door. That price was virtually the same as replacing the windows with tempered glass, according to Jim Johnson, the owner of Midwest Glass, the company doing the work at Hastings. If the same set of circumstance were to reoccur in Hastings, Johnson expressed confidence, "he wouldn't be able to punch through." In fact Hastings got a firsthand look at what happens with more impact resistant glass. In addition to the three classroom he broke into, the armed student tried to gain entry into two classroom with wire mesh in the glass. In both cases, the glass cracked but stayed in place because of the wire. The student moved on. Wire mesh is no longer recommended by safety officials because students can suffer serious cuts during accidental breaks. None of this means laminated glass is bullet proof. It does, however, tend to remain in its frame as bullets pass though, again denying access to an intruder.

Timm said Minnesota, of all places, should be taking a lead on impact resistant glass. "For it to happen once in this state is too much. for it to happen twice I start to say, when are we going to take action?"

But Timm's call for code changes is a recommendation not shared by the Minnesota School Safety Center, a joint project of the state departments of public safety and education. For her part, Missy Dodds can't figure out why the state would allow any new school to be built with plate or tempered glass in the doors. "My classroom was brand new. First year in use. Brand new building." Having witnessed the deaths of a co-worker, five of her students and the shooter by his own gun, Dodds remains in therapy."

What are your thoughts?

"Schooled in Preparedness"

2010-04-01T11:08:00.000-07:00

RETA Security's Randy Braverman is frequently quoted in Security Management magazine's April issue in an article entitled, "Schooled in Preparedness" by Ann Longmore-Etheridge. The article was summarized as follows: "a federal grant allowed the East Aurora (Illinois) School District to create and implement a top-notch all-hazards emergency management plan."

So, in this feature article, Longmore-Etheridge gives an "A-Z" description of how East Aurora won the grant, RETA Security's involvement, Randy Braverman's facilitation efforts, and numerous specific outcomes that have been achieved as a result.

Here's a sample:

"Timm also conducted vulnerability assessment training for 44 district administrators and building and grounds personnel. 'He showed them how to do a physical site assessment at their buildings so that they could do it themselves as well as go back and train others,' states Braverman."

Take a look at the article in print form and post your thoughts!

Article on Convergence

2010-03-09T04:27:00.000-08:00

Check out this "hot off the presses" article in School Planning & Management magazine. I am quoted a couple of times. The topic in this latest edition has to to with "convergence." If you are not sure what convergence (coming together of physical and IT security) is all about, read on. Here's the actual link if you need to copy and paste - http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=2517. Share your thoughts...

The Impact of Screens on Security

2010-02-13T18:59:00.000-08:00

A recently released study by the Kaiser Family Foundation entitled, "Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8-18-Year-Olds," found that youths ages 8 to 18 spend an average of 7 hours and 38 minutes a day using entertainment media! In other words, today's students spend the majority of their waking hours in front of some kind of screen (i.e. computers, smart phones, gaming systems). That screen time is up from 6 hours and 21 minutes in 2004. Even more amazing - the study did not include texting!

What impact is this making on security? How does it affect your ability to provide a safe environment? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Website Upgrade

2010-02-01T18:47:00.000-08:00

The RETA Security website upgrade is nearly complete - www.retasecurity.com. Please give us feedback ASAP!

2009-12-31T14:34:00.000-08:00

Hello all, Dave here, what kind of technology has been making trouble for you in your school lately? I'd love to hear about it. Let me know.

School Security Article

2009-12-12T11:11:00.001-08:00

The following school security excerpt is from a Wall Street Journal article I was quoted in earlier this year. The full AASA school security survey that I developed is available at www.retasecurity.com. As always, I welcome your comments.

In a recent survey of 445 educators conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), nearly 80% of respondents called school-safety funds "stretched" or "inadequate." Yet many also said they left quick, inexpensive fixes undone. More than 15% reported that their school entrances are neither locked nor monitored. A third confessed to propping open doors, giving intruders easy access. One in five didn't equip recess and field-trip monitors with walkie-talkies to report suspicious sightings or brewing conflicts.

And 29% either had no safety committee or indicated doubts about its effectiveness. Such committees are intended to bring together parents, teachers and local law enforcement at regular intervals.

"Many, many districts still have the Mayberry mentality -- we're nice and quiet and it won't happen here," said Paul Timm, President of consulting firm RETA Security.

Schools hold regular fire drills because they are mandated by law. They work; no student has died in a school fire for decades. But Mr. Timm says far too few schools hold lock-down drills, or run tabletop simulations of a crisis with police and paramedics.

What are your thoughts?

-------- Paul Timm, PSP

School Security Article

2009-11-07T18:44:00.001-08:00

Take a look at the article on school security that I wrote for the latest issue of School Planning & Management magazine - http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=2381. Your thoughts?

Call for Stories

2009-09-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

I am looking for stories/lessons about school security that can be included in a book I am writing called "School Security Lessons." Please feel free to share your story (or stories) with me and, if I select it for inclusion, I will give you credit for submitting. Thanks, in advance!

David Timm's School Security Articles

2009-09-08T18:42:00.000-07:00

Here are David Timm's school security articles - http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/Articles/?ArticleID=280 and http://www.peterli.com/spm/resources/articles/archive.php?article_id=2256.
Needless to say, I am proud of him both personally and professionally. Please read them and tell me what you think.

Security Publication

2009-09-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to "ASIS Dynamics:" http://www.asisonline.org/membership/resources/dynamics/2009_09_10.pdf. Paul Timm, PSP (that's me) is featured on page 5 of this September/October issue. I noticed that Vincent Bove, CPP is also featured. He and I regularly contribute to this "Member News" section. I have often wondered why, if security professionals want more status in their organizations, there are not more contributors... Your thoughts?