We often encounter school clients unsure about where to start the safety and emergency preparedness process. We strongly encourage conducting a safety and security assessment to identify the operational, environmental, regulatory or technological risk factors to define a planning baseline. We analyze existing plans and procedures to begin identifying gaps immediately.
Our consultants possess all-hazards emergency management planning and law-enforcement experience. We continuously enhance our assessment approach to ensure we incorporate the latest recommendations and lessons learned in school safety (e.g., Sandy Hook Advisory Commission Interim Report, Virginia Governor’s School and Campus Safety Task Force).
Every client is unique, and as such, we tailor our site visit to individual campus needs. Our methodology applies across market sectors enabling CMCG to use lessons learned on new engagements. Our assessment reports identify campus-wide and building specific recommendations to improve safety and security through changes to infrastructure, as well as policies and procedures. Our recommendations attempt to balance our clients desire to remain a welcoming and open educational environment with the changing security needs of today’s evolving risk environment.
Our consultants typically evaluate the following safety and security areas:
- Crisis and emergency preparedness plans and policies
- Security, crime and violence prevention policies and procedures
- Physical security measures including fire suppression, access control, communications capabilities, intrusion detection systems, perimeter security, after hours security, physical design, and other related components
- Crisis and emergency response capability through school community (e.g., students, staff, parents) training related to school safety and emergency planning
- Assessing existing infrastructure support in school safety, security, and emergency planning including facilities operations, food services, transportation services, pupil services, physical and mental health services, technology services, and associated school departments
- School security and school police staffing, operational practices
- Linking of security with prevention and intervention services
- Personnel and internal security
- School community collaboration, school and public safety agency partnerships, and school community relations issues on school safety
Our final report includes a recommendations implementation matrix clients use to track progress.