Children are precious. You send them off to school each day and you expect to either pick them up yourselves when school lets out or they'll travel in a school bus that drops them off at home or at after school program sites you've already arranged. While they're in the classroom daily, school authorities are their guardians. Do the guardians have protective security ready and know what to do if the schools are attacked by homegrown terrorists or foreign terrorists with bad agendas? Are the schools prepared well enough to ensure that your children's lives, as well as the lives of teachers, principals, and other support staff, are arguably safe every day? Ask the schools pertinent safety questions.
Annual Review Of Emergency And Crisis Plans
Even if it's not mandated in the state you live in, your child's school should complete an annual review and updating of their emergency and crisis plans. This is referred to as guidelines. A school safety component should be included in your back-to-school planning for each season. Why should that be done? School safety as a component should be open for discussion for 10 to 15 minutes on a schools agenda meeting. When this item is discussed, the school's entire staff, including support staff, should be reminded to review their written guideline documents on this issue.
Proper Safety Training And Planning
School administration must give proper school safety training and planning and not rely on security tools alone. This approach further ensures that your children are in safe hands when they're at school. That planning should also include security when your kids are on recess breaks outside. So freely discuss any concerns you have with your children's schools.
How About Integration of Internal Security Specialists?
Find out from your school and public safety officials whether they use internal security specialists as well as outside public safety functionaries to develop crisis guidelines and safety plans for your children's schools. It's okay for you to press for information about their planning and how it integrates with other forces. Are they working in unison with police, fire, and other safety agencies like Security Services Northwest, Inc? They should also have formed school safety committees and teams in coordinated efforts to have a sensible and ongoing safety plan in place.
Presenting The Subject Of Safety To Your Children
Develop a practical approach of how to discuss safety and present the subject to your children. Give them the correct information without underestimating or overestimating the facts to them. Above all, do not frighten them. Handle the subject calmly, and your children will come to you when they have concerns later on.
