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Schools are often vital parts of community emergency response, as seen with the mass feeding programs during the initial COVID response or evacuation points during the 2020 hurricane season. Educators and school staff are legally and morally responsible for the safety of children. Teachers, administrators, school police and security officers, and other staff are the ultimate first responders for protecting their campus, their students, and themselves.
There is optimism about expertise to improve school safety. Parents and educators believe their schools have the expertise to improve school safety. In fact, 76% of educators agree that schools have the expertise to improve, while 59% of parents agree. They both feel a sense of optimism which reveals a sense of confidence in school systems.
Nevertheless, threats are persistent, and so, too, must our efforts be to maintain the safety of school students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This is why mitigating hazards in school facilities should be planned and implemented by those who know the school and its community best – school and district staff in alliance with local emergency responders and the school community. After all, Homeland Security begins with hometown security.
