December 2021 School Safety Blog
I have started this month’s school safety blog many times. Many times. A tragedy occurred, yet another school shooting. The focus of this blog changed. I have been talking to educators, parents, and others. I have been reading, seeing, and listening
to stories. I am sure that you have, as well.
Several themes seem to be playing out once again. We hear things like:
- Pictures were posted on social media.
- He’d been bullied.
- Guns don’t kill people; people kill people.
- Copycat.
- We never thought it would happen here.
- Safety is our top priority.
- Out of an abundance of caution.
- And many more phrases we've heard far too many times.
As time goes on, I have no doubt that more details will come out surrounding this terrible event. But even as the story has been breaking, there have been some positives. There were warnings that something was ‘wrong.’ Although students and staff seemed to have tried to “see and say something,” events happened way
too fast. Yet, school staff and students had practiced appropriate responses to emergency situations. They had practiced lockdown protocols. What they did to protect themselves and others worked. The lockdown protocols saved lives.
Lessons learned: be prepared. Plan ahead. Think prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery. Assess your threats and hazards. Include the behavioral health of your students in that process. Have your Threat Assessment
protocols in place. School comprehensive safety plans, aka emergency operations plans (EOPs), help prepare for all emergencies and help ensure the safety of your students and staff. That preparation is meant to help you prevent,
mitigate, protect, respond to, and recover from a variety of events.
Finally, as I mentioned last month, you are not alone. The School Safety Teams at OSPI and at each of your ESDs are here to help. Please call on any of us. For any questions, feel free to email me or visit the School Safety Center website.
As 2021 come to a close, please find time to take care of yourself and your loved ones. Enjoy the holiday season ahead of us. And plan for a joyful, peaceful 2022 New Year.