Back to School Safety & Security – K-12 Update

As experts in school security, AEGIS Security & Investigations in Los Angeles, California is constantly searching for the latest technologies and methods intended to enhance campus safety. In the last week, several reports have come out about K-12 campus security and potential holes that exist in current systems. Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) has been a prime candidate for review, and as a Los Angeles-based security company, we find it critical to stay up-to-date on the latest trends and work to close security gaps.

According to a report issued by City Attorney Mike Feuer’s Los Angeles School Safety Blue Ribbon Panel, as reported by CBS Los Angeles, metal detectors have been found ineffective at LAUSD campuses. Essentially, metal detectors may be useful to find and confiscate weapons on students the day they are brought to campus, but it is more critical to check-in with students from a mental health standpoint. For our full story, click here.

AEGIS Security & Investigations offers seminars in security-based topics, particularly active shooter trainings. In our time as instructors, we’ve found that that many schools are not well-prepared for obstructions of safety, including suspicious people on campus, student bullying, and active shooters. Part of this is due to a lacking knowledge on the part of students. Parents, teachers and administrators: we want to help.

When it comes to preparing your school for the back-to-school rush of safety briefings, there are several steps. The first step is conducting a professional security audit that includes a full policy review. including emergency management, active shooter response, local law enforcement and medical response capabilities, training, policies and procedures, communication systems, adherence to safe schools regulations, anti-bullying initiatives, the school wide positive behavior support plan, memorandums of understanding, and mutual aid agreements.

The second step is conducting a full vulnerability assessment of the physical property to include access control, screening, lighting, camera systems, the use of contractors, visibility, environmental factors, and targeting.

The third step is conducting an analysis of each observation, assessing its individual characteristics and then classifying it for further action. Once the analysis is complete, countermeasures should be defined for each shortfall.

The fourth step would be penetration testing. This would be a real test of security arranged by the security consultant and administrators. This test is not designed to scare students or faculty but rather to determine vulnerabilities and readiness.

The final step in the initial process is education of school faculty and staff related to understanding the warning signs of various kinds of bullying as well as psychological disorders. The only way we can begin to resolve school violence in the long term is with better recognition and treatment.

AEGIS Security & Investigations offers active shooter training programs designed for people at all levels within any organization. These trainings are the first step in understanding you and your organization’s capabilities and responses to an incident. Taking the steps to become better prepared in hostile situations cannot only save your life but help save the lives of those around you. In addition, our school security services meet and exceed state mandated requirements, which may include the SB 1626 School Security Training and American Red Cross First Aid, CPR, & AED Training, further enhancing the security of schools we serve.

The civilian active shooter training provided by AEGIS are intended to build on “run, hide, fight,” the long-standing method of saving yourself in these events. Workshops run from an hour to several hours dependent on the needs of the organization and individuals. Our most highly sought after workplace violence training program is our one-hour plus add-on Run, Hide, Fight Live Fire Demo; participants begin with a lecture and basic training on how to handle the situation and are then exposed to sample scenarios in which they practice those same skills. The effectiveness of this scenario can be viewed when on CBS here.

AEGIS Security & Investigations is a Los Angeles region company that is licensed and insured in the State of California to provide high-end armed and unarmed regular and temporary off-duty police officers, bodyguards, security officers, loss prevention agents, and event staff. Additionally, we offer services for private investigation, consultation, people locates, and background investigations. Our trainings and workshops in the field of security licensure and counter-terrorism have been featured in news media and are renowned for their efficacy. For more information or to contact us, visit www.aegis.com.

By Chelsea Turner & Jeff Zisner