Advertise
Resources
Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
VIOLENCE in any form is deplorable, but it is especially heinous when it is perpetrated against children. The series of fatal shootings at schools around the country over the past two months is both shocking and frightening, because it shows a serious problem that seems to have no ready solution.
Attacks on schools by armed intruders are risks that demand action. But what can school district risk managers do that they aren't already doing? Crucial steps include requiring visitors to register, locking doors and implementing emergency response plans to notify police and account for students and faculty. Greater awareness and reporting of suspicious people or activity also play key roles in assuring safety.
As we report in a story beginning on page 1, it only takes someone propping open a door for convenience to compromise a school's safety efforts. Good risk management requires all in an organization to do their part. After all, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and when it comes to protecting children, no link should be compromised through unwitting carelessness.