Page 116 - Security Today, July/August 2022

campus), all students and staff could be safely shielded within sec- onds. We also installed larger pods in our cafeteria (to protect 175 occupants), gym, band room and library to further fortify the safety of our students and staff.
Interestingly, the Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety, released on December 18, 2018, in response to the Parkland tragedy, recommended the creation of “secure places within classrooms where students and teachers can shelter in the case of an active shooter.”
How proud we were to have already put this wise recommendation in place!
Run-Shelter-Wait’
After the Sandy Hook shooting, the FBI came up with the “run-hide- fight” protocol as a response measure for anyone confronted by an active shooter.
Although this measure does provide a basic response framework and is certainly better than doing nothing, it can now be vastly improved upon with the presence of the safety pods we found. The “run-hide-fight” response potentially puts individuals in danger, as it recommends that they should first run (which is essential) and hide somewhere (the “somewhere” may not be immediately accessible nor provide adequate protection) and, if discovered, be prepared to fight an armed assailant. Hardly an ideal solution, especially for young children.
The utilization of immediately accessible safety pods, however, now allows the creation of a superior active shooter response proto- col: “run-shelter-wait.” Those in harm’s way first run to a nearby safety pod, shelter from the danger, and wait in safety for help to arrive.
The key improvement is the “hide” versus “shelter” step. Hiding places (like in a closet, under a desk, or huddled in a corner) can turn people into sitting ducks. However, a safety pod is designed to pro- vide immediate, near-absolute protection—clearly, a superior option expressly designed to save precious lives.
Save Lives—Add Peace of Mind
The above claim notwithstanding, let me frankly acknowledge that no one, and no measure, can absolutely guarantee that there will be no victims from an active shooter event in a school. Variable and unpre- dictable circumstances (such as faulty or non-existent alert systems) may contribute to less-than-perfect outcomes.
Nevertheless, the use of classroom safety pods in schools adds a superior level of protection that will at least mitigate the number of victims—and could potentially eliminate them altogether. In addi- tion, students, parents and teachers can now be imbued with a new- found peace of mind that, prior to now, was virtually unattainable.
Gracie, one of our former high-school students, revealed when interviewed that she felt “safer at school than I did at home” since the addition of safety pods on our campus. One parent said, “I’m so glad my children are here so they and I can have the peace of mind know- ing that whether it’s a tornado or a nut with a gun, my kids are pro- tected!”
Unexpectedly, our student enrollment has increased by more than 20 percent since the installation of the safety pods. Many parents have told me personally the reason they chose our district was due largely to the presence of our safety pods. Parents desperately want to send their kids to a school they feel is safe.
Thinking It Won’t Happen Here’ is Dangerous
On June 9, 2022, a potential intruder at an elementary school in Gadsden, Ala., was shot and killed by a police officer. The superinten-
dent said, “You don’t think that something like this is going to happen at your school.” There is no place for such a potentially deadly fallacy, which is all too common among school administrators. It must change. Lives are at stake.
Since the Sandy Hook massacre in 2012, there have been 944 inci- dents of gunfire on school grounds, killing 321 victims! School administrators cannot ever think that a school shooting will not hap- pen on their campus. Who of us would buy a new car without seat- belts or air bags? We don’t anticipate having an accident each time we drive, but we do acknowledge and prepare for the possibility. It’s the sensible thing to do, and the precaution does save lives.
When you are charged with the safety of someone else’s kids, you must similarly prepare for the worst. School shootings will continue to happen. No one knows when or where the next one will be. But this much we do know: It will happen again on someone’s campus. School districts must accept this reality and prepare for it.
Combining this acceptance with the creation of immediate access to safe places in the classroom is the formula that will keep students and staff from becoming sitting ducks during an active shooter event. Administrators and school boards, if you employ this formula, you will sleep well at night knowing your students and staff have the best chance of surviving a school shooting.
Dennis Truxler has spent the past 25 years as a school administrator and currently serves as the superintendent of the Quitman, Ark., school district. He also drives a school bus and coaches the girls’ volleyball team.
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