School Safety: To Plan, or Not to Plan.........

Well I was completely unaware that Ronald Reagan was a school teacher somewhere between his film career and that of being a politician.... That pic belongs in the Courtroom, not this thread.

But I welcome you to the discussion Raees, and hope you'll see fit to offer solutions and keep politics within reasonable "check". You did present this possible solution I'd like to offer some thoughts on.

Raees wrote: How about retrofitting all schools with some sort of sleeping gas dismemberment system? Gunman in a classroom? Press a button and put them all to sleep?

Being that LE/SWAT tends to use things like flashbangs, and of course pepper gas, many gunmen already bring gasmasks such as the Aurora theater shooter. (Though that statement is more correct of other situations than schools at this time.)

Your proposal sort of reminds me of the Moscow theater hostage situation that, if memory serves, took place around the early 2000s some time. Some Chechnyans (sp?), basically went into a live performance theater, armed and some strapped with bombs and were demanding Russia put an end to a war with their country. (I'm sure there's more to that, but I'm not Googling right this second.) The Spetsnaz pumped some sort of chemical through the ventilation system which largely incapacitated almost everyone. There was still a bit of a firefight, but the bombs did not discharge. The problem was the chemical's toxic consistency also lead to the death of most of the hostages as well. (Over a 100 if I'm not mistaken).

So the reason I bring this up is not to laugh at your suggestion, far from it actually, but simply to state that if such a "sleeping gas" did successfully exist, I'm sure Russia would have opted for that first instead of the deadly mix they ended up using. The flip side to that coin is what if someone is allergic to it even though to the majority of people its relatively harmless? The liability issue. So while I think its a worthwhile suggestion and I thank you for bringing it up, I don't see the practicality of it at this time. But please keep ideas flowing. (Edit to add, I have honestly pondered a defensive system that incorporates pepper gas so that if a gunman is not around innocents and by camera does not appear to have a gas mask, it can be deployed in certain areas. One problem is the shelf life of said gas, but I'm quite literally working on a blueprint to make it a viable thing as a two part chemical reaction with a far greater shelf life. So your idea isn't far fetched at all.)

On the issue of arming teachers, there seems to be some misconceptions with that theory and yet another reason I've mentioned that it should only be an 'option' for teachers.

1. If its made mandatory to arm all teachers, then its obvious "where" to obtain a firearm for someone wanting to cause harm. But that's the beauty of concealed carry. You don't necessarily know if the teacher is armed or not. Its not locked away, merely out of sight and on his/her person. Someone wanting to cause harm now has to play a guessing game, and it could be 50/50 if the teacher carries or not. This becomes a potential deterrent for many. (I should mention, yet again, that those who have taken a concealed carry class, were instructed in some training, and were more than likely given a bunch of resources for further training. No one is carrying, simply because they 'think' they're qualified, a concealed carry permit is not randomly given, it is a test, one that MUST be passed before the permit is issued and that includes a Federal/State background check.)

2. A teacher that isn't confident or capable is as much a danger to themselves as they are anyone else including the students. This type of person should not carry, even if they want to. They need training first, see above. A school can also weigh the balances, if they wish that because X number of teachers are carrying, they can minimize the SROs they feel is necessary, or vice versa, the school has such options.

3. The teacher's primary purpose is to of course educate the students. Some of the best teachers are perhaps not the most tactical ones and I'm just fine with that. The SROs should have the necessary training for such situations. The teacher should be trained in proceedure of course so that safety is optimized.

And lastly, (I've written another novel here...) students need to be informed. The obvious reason is to reduce potential panic which could make a 'non situation' a 'situation'. If School B goes on lockdown because School A across the state has something go down, School B's students are wondering if the danger is right outside their own door. Even if the students are reasured that they're safe, they need to know the reason for lockdown and what expectations are. In the mean time, the teachers of School B SHOULD continue to educate, that is after all what they're getting paid for, and I'm sure the SROs are getting paid to insure the safety and find reasonable time to end lockdown to keep schedules flowing.

Badger

Sharing this blog post (yes, I authored it) because I believe it is relevant to designing, developing, and implementing full spectrum emergency management programs regardless of where and to whom they might apply:

http://thepeacechallenge.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-story-not-about-jed-or-brady-bunch.html

Badger, sharing your last post on other Community Bound sites and in our website "Forums" page (like it or not. ).

Please keep it coming.
ZHawke

ZHawke wrote: Badger, sharing your last post on other Community Bound sites and in our website "Forums" page (like it or not. ).

Please keep it coming.
ZHawke

Badger

My wife had an idea that definitely makes a very valid point and hopefully not a laughable one. (I saw the merit in it anyway.)

We've mentioned the door barring device, first aid, and other things that should be in classrooms should a lockdown prove necessary. She asked, "What about a potty?" and you know I definitely have to agree with this one. If escape/evade is not available or an option at that time, it would be unreasonable to think that all humans are capable of 'holding it' for what could be hours.

So we discussed a composting style toilet quite similar, if not the very same, as some of the popular camping models. It would also be nice to use this in conjunction with some sort of privacy 'tent' or screen. I realize that some classrooms are relatively small, but these things shouldn't take up too much space, and in a situation that justifies its use, desks can be rearranged and an area designated for its use.

Also, water. Hydration is important even in a casual/daily setting. It would be costly to retrofit all classrooms with a sink, and running water, but a simple water dispenser with the bottle on top would suffice. Just a couple quick thoughts.


Badger

BadgerKustoms wrote: My wife had an idea that definitely makes a very valid point and hopefully not a laughable one. (I saw the merit in it anyway.)

We've mentioned the door barring device, first aid, and other things that should be in classrooms should a lockdown prove necessary. She asked, "What about a potty?" and you know I definitely have to agree with this one. If escape/evade is not available or an option at that time, it would be unreasonable to think that all humans are capable of 'holding it' for what could be hours.

So we discussed a composting style toilet quite similar, if not the very same, as some of the popular camping models. It would also be nice to use this in conjunction with some sort of privacy 'tent' or screen. I realize that some classrooms are relatively small, but these things shouldn't take up too much space, and in a situation that justifies its use, desks can be rearranged and an area designated for its use.

Also, water. Hydration is important even in a casual/daily setting. It would be costly to retrofit all classrooms with a sink, and running water, but a simple water dispenser with the bottle on top would suffice. Just a couple quick thoughts.


Badger

Definitely something to think about. Our Son was trapped in the Science wing during the rampage at Columbine for over 4 hours. I've wondered how he and his classmates were able to get along for that length of time without having to use the bathroom. He hasn't talked about his experiences much at all. Maybe I need to ask him what he thinks about this.

The water is a planning issue, too. Some elementary classrooms have water sinks right there already. Science labs would probably also have them at the Middle and High School levels, but the rest of the classrooms in a school don't generally have anything.

Good ideas, and sharing again (like it or not )

In future school shootings I don't think students will be stuck "for hours." LE has learned to get into the school as quickly as possible and neutralize the shooter. (except in the case of Columbine and Platte Canyon).

Raees wrote: In future school shootings I don't think students will be stuck "for hours." LE has learned to get into the school as quickly as possible and take the shooter out. (except in the case of Columbine and Platte Canyon).

I sincerely hope you're right.

The response at Columbine was based on, and conducted in accordance with, standard Incident Command System protocols at the time, resulting in what many consider to be a "delayed response" that could have saved some lives if the responders had been allowed to go in right away (it's my understanding there were some LE, one of whom was a parent of a student inside the school, that were physically restrained from going in by themselves, right or wrong). The EMTs who saved my daughter's life actually went in under fire not initially knowing the area had not yet been "secured". When they realized it, they decided to go in anyway. My daughter and other Columbine students shot in the same area are here today because of their heroism.

PCHS was a hostage situation that "required" negotiations between LE and the "perp" that lasted for hours. Unfortunately, this tragedy resulted in Emily Keyes losing her life. The response at PCHS was based in large part on lessons learned from the response at Columbine.

Each situation warranted their own unique responses to the incident. Both have served to "enhance" future response actions via "lessons learned". Every single emergency and/or disaster event that occurs, regardless of whether it's at a school or has a much broader affect, has their own unique characteristics requiring responses to them based on an evaluation/assessment by first response organizations. That's why we advocate for nothing being taken off the table as far as planning for any kind of event beforehand is concerned. If the planning group decides together a particular planning issue isn't worth the time, effort, and/or cost, then, and only then should it be taken off the table.

The "Best Practices" fallacy......

Has anyone heard of this term, "best practices"? Perhaps some have heard, "best practices and standards"? Maybe even, "commonly accepted practices and standards"?

From a legal perspective, my understanding is that the "owner" of a hazard pretty much has legal immunity if they can prove, following an incident in which loss of live or damage to property has occurred as a result of their hazard affecting someone, that they were in compliance with and actually using "best practices" at the time of their response.

While that may not, and often times does not, preclude them from having suit brought against them, courts historically, from what I understand, have found in their favor.

So what does "best practices" actually mean? Well, according to Black's Law Dictionary http://thelawdictionary.org/best-practice/ , "best practices" are defined as:

The way that shows results every time. Its the benchmark. Refer to best in class and leading practice.

Based on this definition, and on my own personal interpretation of "best practices", it all depends on who is ultimately responsible for defining "best practices" for a specific and individual event. Which, by its very own definition, leaves the interpretation open ended.

Thoughts?

The "pathos of fear":

Offering this article (sent to me by my wife) to consider when organizing for PEACE:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/13/1178631/-Fear-Itself-An-Anecdote-and-The-Better-Alternative#

From the article:

Love and empathy: it is the only way to a better world. Let's tear down those walls. Unhinge those doors. Shake the hands of our neighbors.