School violence, active shooters, and swatting (hoax calls) are becoming increasingly common occurrences in schools. In the face of these tragedies, it is our community’s responsibility to learn more and make sure that we do everything we can to protect our Nation’s children.
Controlled F.O.R.C.E. has developed an approach, Operation Safe Harbor and Critical Response to an Active Threat Environment (CRATE) training course, in response to past events to continue making safety and security our highest priority in 2023. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of security measures and how you can take advantage of Controlled F.O.R.C.E.’s emergency preparedness initiatives and make a difference.
An Increase in Security Presence at Schools
The presence of police officers, security guards, and military members can act as a deterrent for potential threats while adding an additional layer of protection should a lockdown be required. As an added measure, having officers at entrances to check IDs allows for further control over who enters the building, thereby safeguarding students and faculty within. These practices may help increase safety without sacrificing student freedom too heavily.
Better Training and Knowledge
Our school faculty members need the extra training it takes to save lives in emergency situations, specifically with drills and knowledge of potential situations.
On-site police officers and security officers also need to have training in emergency preparedness in the event of violence or a school shooting. This training should include humane instruction on building searches, takedowns, close-range subject control, weapon control, responding to and containing violence, formal debriefing procedures after incidents, recognizing tips and warning signs of an imminent attack, and other key elements of the protocol.
With this type of proactive training, personnel will be more likely to anticipate the potential for a dangerous situation before it escalates and take proactive measures to keep students and staff safe.
In 2022, Controlled F.O.R.C.E. launched a new training course for law enforcement departments, security agencies, and military branches. The Critical Response to an Active Threat Environment (CRATE) course was designed to train students with the tools needed to do better at responding to school violence and active shooter scenarios while still creating safe learning environments.
The program was created in response to the growing number of incidents that have taken place in schools across the Nation in recent years, with a focus on improving physical security, emergency preparedness, and critical response strategies.
View our training calendar to see all of Controlled F.O.R.C.E.’s upcoming training courses: https://controlledforce.com/training-calendar/
Controlled F.O.R.C.E.’s Operation Safe Harbor For Schools
To address violence in schools head-on and prevent future incidents from occurring, Controlled F.O.R.C.E. launched Operation Safe Harbor. This program focuses on improving physical security measures; lockdown drills; visitor access control systems; collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and public safety officials; mental health resources for students; active shooter training; and more. Since the operation was launched, Controlled F.O.R.C.E. instructors have engaged with several school districts to begin implementing Operation Safe Harbor.
The Bottom Line
It is our duty—as parents, teachers, administrators, law enforcement officials, security officers, military members, and people in the community—to make sure that our Nation’s children are safe while attending school each day. Increasing security measures and getting better training will help protect our schools and prevent potential dangers. Our communities can and will do better in 2023.