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school lockdown drills currently in use, “do not make kids more thoughtful, compassionate, or empathic,” (i.e., help them protect themselves and each other) but instead “do just the opposite.”
Situational Awareness
Let us assume that these last observations are correct. Instead of lockdown drills for students, what if teachers were given more training on handling—and, if necessary, defusing—an emer- gency in a school?
According to Mike Keenan, a security and risk management specialist with TAL Global, an international risk management con- sulting firm working with educational facilities around the globe, the first thing we need to know is that “every situation is different.”
That said, even though the particulars may be different, teachers and other adults working in schools should follow stan- dard “situational awareness” steps when an attacker or shooter is in the school. These are usually the same in every situation and include the following:
• Know ahead of time the location of all the school’s exits.
• Know where first aid materials are stored in the school.
• Be aware of areas where students, teachers and staff can hide
in an emergency, both inside and outside the school.
• Stay calm, walk and act with confidence.
• If there is an active shooter, yell to others, “active shooter!”
Then, provide instructions as to where to hide or evacuate.
• Do not assume anything to be nonthreatening; always assume
there is danger.
These emergency steps should be taken when there is (or
might be) someone in the school with the intent of doing harm. But let’s take the next step. What if there is an opportunity for the teacher, or an adult in the school, to talk to the active shoot- er? Especially if the shooter is a student, according to Keenan, the following de-escalation technique can prove very impactful.
“It's called the L.E.A.P. formula,” Keenan said. “This is a strategy that works well in a number of situations when dealing with angry or threatening people and is frequently taught to law enforcement professionals, including those in the FBI.”
As described by Keenan, the L.E.A.P. acronym stands for:
• Listen: Understand where the person is coming from. Possibly, they are mad at a teacher. Understand what is triggering the event. • Empathize: Showing genuine sympathy with the attacker can be a big step in quelling the situation. Say something like, “I understand how you feel. I probably would feel the same way.” • Ask: Ask the person how the problem can be resolved safely
and without violence. Ask, “How can I resolve this for you?” • Paraphrase: Throughout the discussion, repeat back or sum- marize what the attacker has said. Repeating their words back to them shows you have listened and understand. Again ask,
“How can I resolve this for you?”
“While [the L.E.A.P formula] can prove very effective, teach-
ers should always also be aware of their surroundings and pro- tect themselves in the process,” added Keenan. “When speaking with the attacker, stay a few feet away, and stand at a 45-degree angle. This is less threatening to the aggressor.”
Protecting the School Package
We have covered a lot of territory here. We have suggested that more emphasis should be placed on the steps that teachers and staff, instead of students, can take when a serious emergency arises. Situational awareness teaches us how to analyze our surroundings and deal with an emergency as it unfolds. The L.E.A.P. formula also provides ways to defuse a tense situa- tion—at least until law enforcement arrives.
But what about the “school package”? What steps can we take to protect the school facility? Doing so will also help pro- tect those who use the facility.
Keenan advises taking the following pre-emptive steps to ensure the safety of the property as well as everyone inside it:
• Use a drone to photograph the entire school property. “This
can uncover openings and weak points school administrators
may not even be aware of,” Keenan said.
• Strategically place and install high-definition, zero-light
“smart” cameras. These cameras are triggered by movement and can take crystal-clear video footage of surrounding areas, day or night.
• Consider the use of geo-fencing. These systems create a “virtual boundary” around critical areas of the school property. They can trigger a warning if, for instance, a child suddenly leaves a secured area, or if an unknown person enters a secured area.
• Conduct a risk assessment. This process helps identify weak spots and unidentified openings where an attacker can en- ter the school property. Keenan added that it is his experi- ence that an outside source should conduct risk assessments. “Teachers and adults that work in the school every day tend to lose touch with their surroundings,” he said. “Fresh eyes can point out problem areas that are often overlooked.”
Robert Kravitz is a frequent writer for the education industry. spaces4learning.com | SPRING 2021 35