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Tag: School Safety

A-Multidisciplinary-Approach-to-School-Safety-2-1
April 25, 2022

A Multidisciplinary Approach to School Safety

It is undeniable that school shootings have become all too common across the country over the past two decades. Each time one of these tragedies dominates our national media, schools everywhere are left pondering, “Was there anything that could have prevented this?”

The answer to this question is as complex as the issue of school safety itself in an era of lightning-fast technology development and increasingly complex social issues. In a time of unprecedented uncertainty, schools are starting to expand to a multidisciplinary approach to school safety.

In 2020, the U.S. Department of Justice partnered with multiple law enforcement agencies to identify from a law enforcement perspective the ten most essential actions schools and districts can take to prevent mass casualty events and respond when the unthinkable happens. These multidisciplinary actions included:

  1. Comprehensive School Safety Assessment

School safety plans must be kept up-to-date and relevant to changing circumstances. Many times, schools fail to include essential elements in their plans, such as emergency mass communication, family reunification, and consistent long-term mental health support. Safety plans should be updated yearly at minimum and reviewed thoroughly with faculty and staff. 

  1. School Climate

Preventing violence and bullying at school starts with an environment of trust and positive relationships. Everyone at a school is responsible for cultivating an environment where students feel safe and where communication stays open. The more comfortable students feel communicating at school, the more likely they are to speak up when a dangerous situation arises.

  1. Campus, Building, and Classroom Security

Having a physically secure campus is perhaps one of the most important and actionable preventative measures a school can take. Secure locks, access control, and video surveillance are vital to school safety. Silent alarms, such as those activated by apps like nSide|Lockdown™, are also life-saving tools in an emergency situation.

  1. Anonymous Reporting Systems

Reporting a potential threat can be difficult, especially in a situation that puts the reporter at risk. Anonymous reporting systems have proven to be very successful in states like Colorado, where their program Safe2Tell had over 1,500 reports of suicidal threats in just one semester (2018). Anonymous Reporting Systems give officials a way to intervene before an incident even occurs.

  1. Coordination with First Responders

Many schools have SROs (School Resource Officers), but partnering with local law enforcement and first responders can be hugely beneficial for any school. Having mutual training with first responders and school officials can help build an understanding of safety from both sides. It is also important for local first responders to have access to school maps with locations of classrooms and safety equipment easily identifiable when given directions at the time of an emergency.

  1. Behavior Threat Assessment and Management Team

According to the U.S. Secret Service, threat assessments of a child’s concerning behaviors are most effective when including a multidisciplinary team that includes teachers, administrators, school resource officers, and school mental health professionals. Choosing members of a threat assessment team is a delicate process, understanding that all members must be highly-trained but also from a variety of backgrounds to provide support for an at-risk child from multiple fronts.

  1. School-based Law Enforcement

Only around 42% of schools in the U.S. have at least one SRO (School Resource Officer) on campus. SROs are specially trained to work in a school environment and to respond to school-specific situations. When hiring an SRO is not possible, schools also have the option to partner with local law enforcement to see what they recommend. It is crucial for any security personnel to be properly trained in school-specific situations with a focus on adolescent development, de-escalation, trauma-informed response, and crisis intervention. 

  1. Mental Health Resources

There is no doubt that mental health issues play a key role in school shootings and other violent situations on school campuses. Unfortunately, schools have historically been understaffed in mental health positions. Mental health professionals are crucial, not only for trauma response in the aftermath of a violent event, but also for prevention of violent events with regular mental health monitoring and intervention.

  1. Drills

Most school children are no strangers to fire drills, weather drills or even lockdown drills, but it is important for schools to evaluate necessary and appropriate drills for their particular location and population regularly. In addition, school faculty and staff should be trained in expanded drills to include family reunification efforts, communication during an event, as well as locations and use of emergency and first aid equipment. 

  1. Social Media Monitoring

While most social media activity by children and teens is harmless, it can be used in a way to escalate negative social situations, especially with cyberbullying. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, social media alerting systems “provide constant online scanning of messages within a geofence around a school or school district to identify threats and at-risk behavior including cyberbullying.” With appropriate safeguards in place to protect privacy, these monitoring tools can be extremely effective at mitigating a potential threat. As always, these systems work best when accompanied by accountability from parents and the community.

nSide, Inc.™ is proud to offer a platform to house your school’s multidisciplinary safety plans. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with all we have to offer to help keep schools safe.

Email us at help@nside.io so that we can help you build the best safety plan for your school!

Sources:

https://cops.usdoj.gov/RIC/Publications/cops-w0891-pub.pdf

https://www.nasro.org/

April 25, 2022
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6 things you can do with alabama cares act funding
May 6, 2021

Six Things your Alabama School can do with their CARES Act funding

The recent passage of the CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act is something that brought many American households hope and tangible financial assistance. However, as with many similar bills, the verbiage can feel complex, and many people may not realize that the act offers additional help in other sectors. When it comes to school safety, we always get excited over anything that helps schools update or improve their security, but we REALLY love the benefits of the CARES act: over $899 million dollars in funding for technology upgrades! What does this mean for you and your school? Only the best news ever! You can now receive nSide products AT NO COST because of this funding and its implications. 

In accordance with the guidelines laid out by the CARES Act, our products and services meet the criteria, such as developing procedures to improve response efforts of local agencies, facility upgrades, repairs or improvements that can support student’s health needs, and purchasing educational technology. To get started, claim your funding HERE, then read on to find six things you can do with this important money:

Start planning ahead with the nSide Base Platform.

  1. This is our signature product, and it works in tandem with all our other products to enhance your emergency planning and communication. It includes components like mapping and 360 degree views of your campus, creating and storing your emergency plans, help with compliance for state and local guidelines, and training for your school community (staff, students, and educators) in protocols and procedures. 
nSide Base Platform

Be more prepared with nSide|View.

nSide|View is like a digital blueprint of your school. It links images and photographs together to create a virtual walk-through of the structures, and provides first responders with accurate and detailed exits, entrances, and anything else they’d need to know. It also helps you base emergency decisions on more than old paper maps of your school’s rooms, hallways, and more. 

nSide | VIEW

Gain extra insight with nSide|Live.

Ever wished that you had an extra set of eyes (or two)? That’s what you will gain when you use the nSide|Live platform: extra viewing abilities to help in an emergency, to help protect students from bullying, drugs, and crime, and a secure way to view happenings on campus. Best of all, this data can be provided to first responders in an instant, giving them potentially life-saving information rapidly and in real-time. 

nSide | Live

Monitor your school bus systems with nSide|Fleet.

This comprehensive way to keep track of your students and drivers keeps them safe and allows emergency personnel to reach them in the event of a crisis. You can also view reports that show fuel levels, maintenance issues, and geofencing to ensure the utmost safety for the children under your care. 

nSide | Fleet

Close off your campus with one-touch with nSide|Edge.

This amazing piece of technology gives the ability to lock down the campus doors with just one click. This is effective in the event of active shootings, or any instance where an immediate lockdown would be needed. You can also schedule when doors are locked to coordinate traffic flow through your building. Be assured that the ability is completely secure, so only authorized personnel would be able to initiate the lockdown procedures! 

nSide | EDGE

Reach the most critical audience with nSide|Notify.

When you need to reach parents, students, or staff in a hurry, you will want a quick, cohesive way to do so in a professional way, and nSide|Notify is the answer. It uses the existing communication standards at the school, and integrates them to decrease lag time in an emergency and allow mass communication in a smooth manner. It saves you time when moments matter!

This funding can make a huge impact on your school, and the process to receive it is simple and straightforward. If you’re unsure if you can integrate or install our products or services, we would love to connect you with our team members. They can walk you through the steps to decide which products meet the guidelines for your specific campus, and how to get started! 

May 6, 2021
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School safety in bad weather blog
April 23, 2021

School Safety in Bad Weather

The age old saying that, “April showers bring May flowers” is true. It evokes visions of beautiful tulips and bright yellow rainbows, with blue skies and sunshine just around the bend. However, there is another aspect of springtime that is less obvious…and more deadly: bad weather that can threaten school buildings and the children inside of them. School safety is what we specialize in, and weather is another aspect that can be overlooked, yet is just as important to protect from. Depending on the part of the country you live in, the difficulties of bad weather can include things like flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, and ice storms. These can happen throughout the year, but springtime is the perfect opportunity to reassess the safety measures in your school, and prepare for whatever may come your way via Mother Nature. Here are our best tips to building a safe and secure plan for severe weather: 

Educate yourself about the weather and communications

Do you know the difference between a “watch” and a “warning”? Knowing the terms that meteorologists use when they communicate risk and threats can help you know when it’s time to alert your school or staff, and when you have time to wait. How do you become more educated? We like this little guide from ABC News that outlines some basic weather lingo, including information on how tornadoes are staged and measured, and what the difference is between a funnel cloud and a tornado (pro tip: they’re actually not the same thing!). Accuweather is one of the best websites and apps for quick news and updates. Bonus: it shows hourly rain levels! Hazardous Weather Outlooks are notices issued from the National Weather Service, so knowing how to access these will also be helpful (find those HERE). 

Decide on a cohesive chain of command

If you are an administrator, you need to be sure your team is on board with the who, what, when, and where for disseminating all of the crucial information when the time comes. Time is of the essence when it comes to severe weather, and you will not have time to waste figuring out things like: Who is sending texts or alerts to parents, and what level of severity will trigger those? How long before an event like a tornado or super storm will you decide to close or shorten a school day? How will you alert those on the campus, and who will be in charge of executing that job? Not only do you need to make these decisions ahead of time, but be sure to communicate frequently and thoroughly so that everyone knows their role, and when they’ll need to step into it. If members of your response team are also teachers, don’t forget to make a secondary plan for where their classes will go if they need to step into an emergency role during the school day. Don’t forget to also designate two people who know how to turn off the electricity and gas if the school sustains damage (in fact, assigning tasks to two people is always wise, in case one cannot get to the building or isn’t on campus). 

Don’t forget the school busses

Transportation happens all through a school day, depending on how your bus routes run and their timing. Because storms or tornadoes can happen rapidly and events unfold quickly sometimes, your bus routes need to be considered in your plan of action as well. Coordinate with your drivers about what they should do if a tornado watch is issued, and come up with a few shelter options (such as caves, structures) along the daily routes. You can find out more about nSide’s fleet systems HERE, which offer schools an extra layer of protection and communication. 

Examine your structure or plan for new structures

Whether you are building a new school or are in a decades-old structure, knowing the blueprints, exit routes, and stability of the buildings is one of the most crucial steps during a weather warning or evacuation. Roger Edwards from the Storm Protection Center explains that this is important because it can save lives. He recommends consulting professional architectural engineers to find the “weak spots” in your building, and know where NOT to send students for shelter. He also explains that if you are building a brand-new structure, referencing guides such as the FEMA tornado shelter guide is a helpful primary step. If you don’t have the budget or ability to build brand new classrooms, you can hire someone to line some of the interior rooms with concrete. He cautions that this can be costly if you are adding them onto an existing building, so you will want to estimate costs for new and retrofitted choices. Lastly, Edwards emphasizes that children should never be sheltered in place in portable classrooms, which are dangerous, and should also not be ushered into large rooms such as gyms or auditoriums. These rooms have structural weaknesses that can cause them to collapse with even low-level wind speeds. 

Plan for power failure

Many emergency plans hinge on the idea that you will have access to electricity. With most school buildings having generators meant to turn on when the power fails, it can be something you take for granted, but losing power can become a reality very quickly. Experts from the Weather Service recommend that you not only make a structured plan, but have a backup plan that can be executed without power. For example, if your school uses a tone or alarm system to warn students or staff, after losing power, you will not be able to reach a large number of people using that strategy. Keep a compressed air horn or portable megaphone on campus, which can be used to alert the people around you to an emergency. 

Let parents know what to expect

One of the things that sends parents into chaos very quickly is a lack of communication. If your child is in danger, or you perceive that they may become threatened, you want answers and to know who is in charge. Issuing instructions before the school year begins will give parents a clear expectation of who will be contacting them, how (such as text messages, emails, etc.), and under what circumstances their child may be kept late at school. Research shows that children are safer within the walls of secure and reinforced school rooms, rather than on a bus or in a car, so many schools opt to keep children longer during severe weather. A simple PDF, sent to all parents or guardians, can be easily accessed and stored on the school website if parents need to find it, so they can understand the process of notification. If you are able, designate a specific phone number or email and someone who can man it, so parents can reach someone to find out information. When things are resolved or the storm has passed, don’t neglect to send out an “all clear” or message of finality to parents so they are aware the danger is no longer present. 

After the storm has passed, your job isn’t over! 

Assessment after the danger is no longer a problem is one of the best things you can do to prevent problems in the future. The National Weather Service recommends that you have staff check all the buildings for damage before you release students to go home or leave the campus, and that you have a system in place to let them know when it’s safe to exit. They also recommend periodic practicing of plans such as tornado drills so it doesn’t alarm children when it’s the real deal (with younger children, this can be traumatic, so you want to be clear about what is a practice and what isn’t. It’s also beneficial to alert parents when you will be doing drills, so they can discuss with their children about any fears they may have). Finally, sit down with your disaster team or staff and go over what can be improved, and what worked well. Stay positive and open-minded during these reviews so everyone feels that their opinions can be heard and implemented when appropriate. Make notes about things that didn’t work, so they don’t get repeated. 

Keeping students safe in severe weather can feel intimidating and like a ton of pressure. It is always a big responsibility to be in charge of other people’s children, but preparation is the key component to running a smooth plan of action in a crisis. Since we specialize in safety here at nSide, we understand the demands on school administrators who are in charge of campuses, and that’s why we want to come alongside you. Together, we can strengthen your safety plan and build your confidence so that when the time comes, you will know exactly what to do! Visit our website today HERE to find out how you can be matched with one of our professionals and assess your school’s safety plan! 

Sources: 

https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/school.html

https://www.weather.gov/grb/schools

https://abcnews.go.com/US/weather-terms-season-abc-news-meteorologists/story?id=54361705

https://www.accuweather.com

https://www.fema.gov/sites/default/files/2020-07/safe-rooms-tornadoes-hurricanes.pdf

April 23, 2021
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nside blog images
April 16, 2021

How Camera Systems Can Improve School Safety

How safe is my child’s school?

This is an unsettling question that many parents have found themselves asking more frequently over the last twenty years. It’s not a comfortable topic, but after the shootings at Columbine High School in 1999, school safety was thrust into the spotlight. Today, gun violence, bullying, and other related issues are paramount in the public school sector, and can leave parents and educators wondering how school safety can be improved or enhanced. It’s one of the things that we here at nSide have set out to do: build confidence in the school systems, so they are well-equipped to handle anything that comes their way. 

Are schools truly unsafe?

There are many issues facing school administrations today. Depending on the region in which a K-12 school is located, some of these include: 

  • Bullying and Cyberbullying
  • Gun violence
  • Student and Teacher Mental Health
  • Natural Disasters (such as hurricanes or tornadoes)
  • Threat Assessment and School Climate (the emotional environment of a school)
  • Recovery from a disaster or crisis (dealing with the aftermath

Each year, there are multiple resources and studies done to assess the safety of elementary and upper level schools, including the School Survey on Crime and Safety. This comprehensive study is comprised of 4,800 randomly selected schools, and provides estimates of school crime, incidents, disciplinary issues, and covers crime prevention and school security as topics. The very latest version, which occurred in 2019, showed some of the following data (Source: SSOCS)

  • From the period of July 1, 2016-June 30, 2017, there were 42 fatalities that were school-related. These include students, staff and school personnel. 
  • In 2018, there were 836,100 violent victimization crimes (theft and non fatal violence) that occurred among students who are 12-18 years old. 
  • From 2018-2019, there were 66 reported school shootings. These include 29 shootings that had casualties, and 27 that had injuries reported. 
  • In 2016, twenty five percent of the reporting fifth graders were at schools where physical conflicts were occurring between classmates at a minimum of once per month. These same fifth graders had lower reading, science, and math scores than the percentage who did not have physical conflict at their school. 

Although these are certainly alarming trends, national data concludes that between 1992 and 2017, crime and violence are actually on a downward trend. This can be confusing, because the amount of school shootings is disproportionately higher, and can feel emotionally difficult for parents and educators. Of course, no level of violence in the school environment would be considered appropriate, but there are many factors which have led to a reduction in non-violent and violent crimes alike, and one of these is the addition of security personnel and cameras (Source). 

How Cameras Can Keep Schools Safer

 After 1999 (which was the year when the Columbine shooting occurred), the number of schools that reported using some type of security camera increased, rising from just 19% to 83% in 2018.  In August 2020, a joint effort from the Department of Justice and the Office of Community Oriented Policing suggested ten things that schools can do to improve their safety, and they listed campus and classroom security as third highest priority. The highest priority item was comprehensive school safety assessments, which we will discuss later. 

  1. Video camera monitoring can minimize students using or selling drugs on campus, and can deter theft. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (Source) suggests that installing cameras in locations such as parking lots can capture student interactions, or mitigate drug-related behaviors from high-risk students. As far as thefts, cameras have been shown to deter would-be burglars from things like locker thefts or parking lot thefts (student or staff vehicles). This applies to cameras that are installed with accompanying signs announcing their presence. 
  2. Video cameras in schools have also been shown to reduce bullying, which is a high concern for many parents and educators, and can lend itself to a feeling of instability for students. In some cases, installed cameras on school campuses reduced recorded instances of bullying up to 70%. The National Center for Education Statistics found that students were fearful of certain places on their campuses which did NOT have cameras or adequate camera surveillance, such as outside on school grounds. They also found that students avoided these areas out of fear of being targeted. 
  3. Video cameras can monitor and help identify shooters on a school campus. Surveillance cameras can be very useful to law enforcement when there are intruders or shooters, and capture vandalism and other non-violent offenses. It can also lower the liability for educators and schools, as their positive actions during a crisis are viewable.  

Why Schools May be Reluctant to Install Cameras

With any new advance in technology, there can be hindrances of many types, but the top three reasons that schools may be hesitant would be: concerns about student and teacher privacy, the cost of such a service, and making students or teachers feel suspicious about one another. We understand these are genuine concerns, and specifically want to address the issue of privacy. Our unique systems are made up of live monitoring systems that are only accessible to those who need to view it, such as law enforcement or other safety personnel. And in regards to cost, our technology  can use your existing cameras (if you have them) and integrates them into our system. If you do need new cameras, we can help guide you to the solution that suits your budget and needs. Lastly, the trust of students and staff has been shown to be highest in schools where the “school climate” is one of safety and security. This works hand in hand with your security plan and installation, fostering an overall environment of trust. 

How nSide | Live Works

First, our qualified team will assess your current needs. This is relevant to the findings we mentioned above, which include making a comprehensive safety assessment and plan for your place of education. We will help you decide if you need new equipment, and make sure your current installations are working and in good order. Then, we will make sure your team is trained in using our systems, called nSide|Live. It’s live-time monitoring of your existing (or new, if you need them installed) cameras, and it can be viewed by high level administrators (school safety directors or principals with access) even from afar, and is safe and secure. You won’t need to worry about any unwanted visitors hacking into your secure systems and spying on teachers or students. 

In the event of an emergency, you will be able to grant access to first responders and emergency workers. This will get aid to your students, or help you intervene with an emergency situation, immediately. As an administration, you will be able to control who has access and when. Our system is different, because of the ability to grant and revoke access that is needed, based on the situation at hand. Many systems make it much more complicated, and leave their camera systems open to security gaps. No matter what your security camera needs are, we can assist you!

Safety Benefits Everyone

The findings from the most recent SSOCS report continued to affirm that the safer that students feel, the better they are able to focus and meet academic standards. Both students and the staff benefit from safety improvements such as installing cameras, and the long-term benefits of students who are successful in school stretch into the community. Without these safety standards implemented, students not only experience violence, they can also witness violence (which has lasting emotional and psychological effects). With a comprehensive safety plan, curating a secure and stable environment is possible and can help students and staff thrive in their roles. 

If your school is ready to take the next step, and assess the systems already in place, please let us know. We would love to sit down with you, address any security gaps, and help you move forward with a concrete plan to keep you, your students, and your staff members safer than ever. 

Sources: 

April 16, 2021
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nside_temperature_screening-1-1024x614
August 11, 2020

nSide Releases Elevated Temperature Screening for Schools

nSide Releases Elevated Temperature Screening for Schools

nSide|Live + ETS

As schools begin to reopen, temperature checks are becoming a critical demand in the welcoming of students to in-person, classroom curriculum. Many schools are seeking the best routes to mitigate risks and engage in biological hazards planning. In an attempt to follow these plans and curb the spread of COVID-19, these temperature detecting technologies will provide an opportunity to care for students that are unable or unwilling to continue distance learning. 

But the question being raised is: How can schools safely scan the temperature of each student that walks in the door? In an effort to save your school’s time, and maintain the safest measure of social distancing possible, our team is partnering with a new Eagle Eye solution. 

We are committed to helping schools ensure the health of all students, so after extensive research we are equipping a new, nSide|Live + ETS (Elevated Temperature Screening) product to support efforts necessary to tend to this pandemic. Typical protocol for scanning temperatures will include checkpoints prior to students stepping on buses, as well as lobby check points for students approaching the main entrance. In doing so, schools have the ability to send students to a designated isolation area, with a school nurse, until the student may be dismissed without threat of potential spread. 

Our solution uses cameras, installed with thermographic imaging, to scan the temperatures of up to 45 students at once. As multiple students are scanned, while maintaining social distance, our system will automatically detect temperatures above 100°F with use of infrared cameras and AI systems. nSide|Live + ETS locates and scans each person’s eye ducts, providing the core and most accurate body temperature possible. Rather than expose door monitors to face-to-face screening, this solution will immediately send alerts of any raised temperature to the administrators. By locating people with symptoms of COVD-19 before they enter the school, everyone stays safe and healthy – 100% passive and in real-time!

When students wear glasses, the detection will jump to the forehead to read temperatures, and this screening can take place while a steady stream of students and faculty step through the door. Our team at nSide is here to supply schools with the smartest and safest solutions, and we confidently believe that this technology will further protect all students, teachers, administrators, and staff. As communities begin tailoring their approach to COVID-19, we hope to be of help and reassurance that our schools can operate in the safest manner possible.

If you have any questions regarding this new solution or are in need of any guidance resources for schools reopening, please contact our team by emailing help@nside.io or by phone at +1 (800) 604-1822.

August 11, 2020
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See-You-There-School-Safety-Summit-for-Alabama
November 25, 2019

Introducing Speakers for the 2019 School Safety Summit for Alabama, hosted by nSide – The School Safety Platform

Introducing Speakers for the 2019 School Safety Summit for Alabama, hosted by nSide – The School Safety Platform

We are just a few days away for the 2019 School Safety Summit down in Orange Beach on December 2nd and 3rd. There is a jam-packed schedule for a plethora of school safety topics, including:

  • State Initiatives on Prevention, Communication, and Response 
  • Threat Assessment and Crisis Intervention
  • Signs and Wayfinding
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Stop the Bleed and Tourniquet Use

There will also be specialized training from the Alabama School Safety Task Force and the nSide team. Check out the registration page to download an agenda.

We are excited to have the following speakers and presenters sharing their knowledge, training, and experiences with school safety:

  • Dr. Joseph Erardi
    • Dr. Joseph Erardi, a former executive board member of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), recently retired after 40 years of service to CT children. Dr. Erardi served as a school superintendent for 20 years and spent the last four years of his career leading the rebuild and recovery of the Newtown, CT school district. Dr. Erardi continues to make a difference in the lives of children by speaking across the country on school safety and consulting on best practice with security, social-emotional learning, and positive climate and culture. Dr. Erardi has been named as the CT Supt of the Year (2017), the CT PTA Supt of the Year (2016), and the outstanding CT Administrator of the year by both the University of Hartford and Central CT State University (2016). Dr. Erardi remains active in education as an adjunct professor in the CT State University System and by working with numerous Boards of Education as they look to hire their new superintendent.
  • Judy Crowley
    • Judy Crowley is a native of Fort Payne, Alabama and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Tulane University and Boston University where she earned an MBA and a Master’s Degree in Education.  From 1978 until 1991, Mrs. Crowley worked for the U.S. Department of Defense in Europe in several capacities including a school principal for DODDS schools and as the Director of Personnel and Community Affairs for the U.S. Army V Corps.  In 1991, she returned to America and was the Regional Administrator for External Activities for Flowers Hospital until 1998 when she was selected to be the first Executive Director of the Coffee County Family Services Center. In 2018 alone, the Coffee County Family Services Center assisted more than 12,500 Coffee County and Wiregrass citizens.  The Family Services Center continues to reach out to the Coffee County community in innovative ways to help its citizens reach its goals for good health, education and family stability. Judy is married to John Crowley, a retired Army aviator, and they have two children, Dr. Dorothy Crowley, 26 years old and Maggie Crowley, 24 years old.
  • Lt. Proncey D. Robertson
    • Lt. Proncey D. Robertson served 4 years in the US Air Force and is a veteran of Desert Storm/Shield.  He began his career in law enforcement while in Arkansas in 1992 and was hired at Decatur Police Department in 1994.  He has remained in Law Enforcement for over 25 years. He is a graduate of the Arkansas & Alabama State Police Academies.  In 2007, Lt. Robertson was deputized as a Special Deputy-US Marshal and served on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Huntsville for 6 yrs from 2007-2013. Lt. Robertson has a long record of documented law enforcement training and experience in a number of subjects. He is a certified instructor in a number of subjects including multiple instructor certifications for “Active Shooter” response for local law enforcement, which includes; ALERRT, SOLO, ALICE & Run, Hide, Fight. He spent over 20 years on Decatur’s SWAT team serving in multiple team positions as well as team commander for 10 years. He is a certified instructor for the National Incident Management System (NIMS), Incident Command System (ICS), and the Homeland Security Course Surveillance Detection.  Lt. Robertson has also served as a member of the Alabama All-Hazards Incident Management Team. (AHIMT) and currently serves on the Alabama School Safety Task Force. Over the years, Lt. Robertson has served and supervised multiple specialized units at Decatur PD to include The Street Crimes Units called Street Hawks, Anti-Crime, Organized Crime, Special Response Unit, (SWAT) Robbery Homicide, Crime Scene, and Community Policing Unit & Sex Crimes.  Lt. Robertson has served as the Public Information Officer for the Decatur Police Department and supervised the School Resource Officer Unit (SRO’s) as well as the Safety Education Unit at Decatur PD. Lt. Robertson joins the nSide team as a subject matter expert on a variety of school safety topics, including emergency response, and has developed curriculum, offered consultation, and  instructed various programs, such as the Warning, Information, Choices, Communication/Command (WICC) training; Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT); Single Officer / Loan Officer Responds to Active Shooter (SOLO);  Run, Hide, Fight (RHF);  Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE); and Colorado Threat Assessment.
  • Cynthia Forsythe, Ed.S.
    • Cynthia Forsythe has been an educator for 27 years, most recently as an administrator/supervisor/coordinator for the Franklin County School District.  She has worked as a teacher, coach, coordinator, building level administrator, and central office administrator.  Ms. Forsythe served as the district safety coordinator for 11 years and collaborated and worked diligently with the Sheriff’s Department to secure and develop the school district’s first School Resource Officer (SRO) program.  She also leads the development and implementation of the Franklin County Schools Closed Point of Dispensing Sites (PODs) that was the first and only school system within Alabama that has been approved by the Alabama Department of Public Health.  She currently serves as an advisory board member to the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH)-Area 1 Franklin County Healthcare Coalition, the Franklin County Children’s Policy Council, and the Franklin County Special Programming for Achievement Network (SPAN) Program.  She has specialized training in the Colorado Threat Assessment, Warning Signs of Destructive Behaviors and Multidisciplinary Threat Assessment, ALICE, REMS, and Homeland Security All-Hazards Surveillance Detection, to name a few. Cynthia also serves as a Regional Administrator for the Alabama Department of Education and has conducted many trainings for the Colorado Threat Assessment.
  • Dale Stripling, Ed.D.
    • Dale Stripling holds a Doctorate Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Alabama, a Bachelor’s Degree in Secondary Language Arts from UAB, a master’s in Educational Administration from UAB, and an Educational Specialist Degree from Montevallo. Dale has served as a teacher, coach, assistant principal, principal and a Student Services Supervisor for the Jefferson County Board of Education in Birmingham, Alabama. He currently serves on the Alabama School Safety Task Force. Dr. Stripling is a member of the Alabama Department of Education’s Central Office Task Force on School Safety and regularly assists in regional safety trainings throughout the state. He has served as a judge on the Attorney General’s Blue Ribbon Council for safe schools. He is a certified trainer in the Colorado Threat Assessment protocol and experienced in the REMS School-Based Threat Assessments.  Dale has been affiliated with The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers since 2003. He has served as a district education representative and currently serves as the Executive Education Advisor.
  • Mike Cowart
    • Michael Cowart served in law enforcement for 33 years with the Decatur Police Department. There, he served as a School Resource Officer Sergeant, Patrol Sergeant, Anti-Crime Unit Sergeant, and Crime Prevention Specialist. Among Michael’s activities, he supervised 8 School Resource Officers that covered 18 campuses, was the liaison between Decatur City Schools and the Decatur Police Department, conducted lockdown and safety drills (over 9,000 students and 1,000 staff), and developed scenario-based drills and lockdown procedures, to name a few. Mr. Cowart is currently a Regional Safety Administrator for the Alabama State Department of Education, focused on training schools with the Colorado Threat Assessment protocol and identifying student indicators, threats of violence, and scenario-based events.
  • Dwight Satterfield
    • Dwight is currently the Operations/Safety Supervisor for Decatur City Schools in Decatur, Alabama. He is a 25 year veteran of education in Alabama, including coaching, teaching, building level administration, and central office administration. He was awarded the 2011 Secondary Principal of the Year by the Council of Leaders in Alabama Schools (CLAS). He has served on numerous leadership and state committees including the Alabama Attorney General’s School Taskforce, the Alabama Department of Education School Safety Taskforce, and the ALSDE Positive Behavior Interventions and Support Advisory Team. It should be noted that Decatur City Schools has been awarded 22 Attorney General Awards related to school safety. He enjoys working and developing school safety plans with school systems across the state.
November 25, 2019
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October 24, 2019

ALSDE, ALEA and nSide Announce Launch of AEASE Program

ALSDE, ALEA and nSide Announce Launch of AEASE Program

MONTGOMERY, AL – October 22, 2019 – Members of the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE), Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), and nSide announced the official implementation of a new program for mass communication systems within schools. After assessing local and district wide systems, nSide proposed an effort to expand connection across a broad scope of officials while minimizing the disruption of existing procedures at-hand.

This project, named the Alabama Emergency Alert System for Education or AEASE, is a mass notification system that aims to integrate school systems into one unifying platform. AEASE, powered by nSide|Notify, is a critical foundation for the following: threat assessment, tips, direct alerts to 911 call centers, event analysis, trend spotting, and the progression of future tactics.

Dr. Steve McKinney, nSide Founder and CEO, shared this remark, “We have created a network that leverages every mass communication system, in every school in the state of Alabama, and hooks them all together into a singular network that allows first responders, from the state level to the local level, to have a better picture of what’s going on in real time.”

McKinney advised Alabama schools to complete their next-step, by adding a phone number to their existing rapid notification system. In turn, allowing the new platform to receive all emergency alerts for widespread data compilation and alerts communication. Alabama is first in the nation to utilize this safety platform and begin establishing fluid communication between law enforcement and schools in the event of any emergency. 

nSide looks forward to the completion of phase one and their continued collaboration with ALEA and ALSDE. For more information on this project, contact Dr. Steve McKinney at help@nside.io or at 1-800- 604-1822.

Watch the Full Press Conference:

October 24, 2019
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August 27, 2019

The School Safety Summit for Alabama — December 2019

The School Safety Summit for Alabama — December 2019

Hello!

You’re invited to the 2019 School Safety Summit of Alabama. The Summit is an excellent opportunity to network with first responders and education officials, while brushing up on the latest school safety advancements and resources. This year, we have a diverse group of presenters for the topics most important to today’s K-12, college, and university administrators.The conference will be held December 2nd — 3rd, in Orange Beach, AL. Early registration begins now, so be sure to reserve your spot!

A couple of topics to be presented and discussed by subject matter experts are:

  • State Initiatives on Prevention, Communication, and Response
  • Threat Assessment and Crisis Prevention
  • Signs and Wayfinding
  • Mental Health First Aid
  • Stop the Bleed and Tourniquet Use

Registration is Open!

The Early Bird Special goes until December 1st! There is a $10 savings to everyone who registers and pays before then.

Register Here!

We have negotiated great room rates with multiple hotels for the period of December 1–4, 2019 in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area!

When? December 2nd, 8:00 am to December 3rd 5:00 pm, 2019

Where? Orange Beach Event Center at the Wharf

Hotel Accommodations? CLICK HERE

August 27, 2019
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June 30, 2019

The Essence of nSide: Summer Conferences in Review

The Essence of nSide: Summer Conferences in Review

Our team has been on the move from one conference to another across Alabama, seeking to gather and provide information as to how we can better foster your school’s safety. nSide team members attended a multitude of events, all of which further the same common goal to promote safe and secure environments through efficient preparations. To share with you our experiences, we asked a series of questions among attendees from the nSide team. In recording their accounts, we hope you will gain insight to the essence of nSide and our genuine desire to fulfill your needs.

Interview Questions:

What were some general highlights of the conference and information you shared?

Were you surprised by any discussion, or able to better learn from your interaction within the event?

What did you find most rewarding about representing nSide at the conference?

TAASRO

The Alabama Association of School Resource Officers placed their 20th Annual “Safe Schools” training conference June 3–7, in Orange Beach, Alabama. The theme for the weekend was “Proactive ways to avert School Violence,” which covered a variety of topics, such as faculty awareness and precautionary methods to secure school safety. nSide School Safety Specialist, Proncey Robertson, volunteered a short summation.

  • “We had administrators, nurses, law enforcement, mental health workers, and social workers, all present with the interest of protecting our schools and learning more about how to work together as a collaborative team. In that course, our job is just to make sure they’re familiar with our platform and see if there’s any way we can better serve their communities and schools.”
  • “Probably one of the biggest challenges is that there’s so many people getting involved in school safety that still don’t know a lot about the tools that are available to them within the nSide School Safety Platform. A lot of our time was spent making sure they know where to find information within their Emergency Operations Plans. The more they’re involved in that the better, and we have to make sure they know how to gain access to those procedures.”
  • “Again, it’s an opportunity to interact with those folks who actually have to do the job on the ground. To learn what they are facing, what their challenges and concerns are, so that we can better react to their needs. I guess the biggest benefit of being at the conference is to learn, because we really do want to be a help. This is not just about selling them a product. It’s about giving them tools that they can actually use in a practical sense. So to do that, we have to talk to them one-on-one and learn about their needs.”

ASTA

The Alabama School Transportation Association’s 77th Annual Conference took place June 3–7, in Mobile, Alabama. The conference provided training for personnel involved in local transportation programs, as well as discussion over hands-on topics. nSide Account Manager, Alan Bentley, shared with us his takeaways from the event.

  • “The conference provides its members an opportunity to attend educational, as well as hands-on, sessions dealing with current school bus transportation topics. I had a booth at the conference representing nSide|Fleet™, our tracking and routing hardware/software for school buses. So, some of the general topics I covered were live bus tracking, route history, bus routing software, how trackers work, and our all-in-one cost.”
  • “I was surprised to receive a question about possible access to bus cameras live, while the bus is on route. Some districts have been interested in this, in case of an emergency, but it’s one of those things that could cost an arm and a leg to accomplish. Since the question has been asked, we’ve taken measures to research with one of our partners and pair together with another company. We’ve been striving to help provide solutions for this feature within nSide|Fleet™. So, now, there’s two options that will allow users access to camera feeds on buses en route.”
  • “What I enjoy is the relationship building aspect. I think it is important to have a strong, trusting relationship. When you reach that point, people feel comfortable enough to call on you.”

ALET

Alabama Leaders in Educational Technology held their summer conference on June 4th, in Hoover Alabama. nSide CTO , John Sercel visited the event and spoke well of their objective for “Alabama EdTech leaders to discuss system-level challenges and solutions.”

  • “What we’ve been talking about is the new Technical Point of Contact program to get technology leaders at different school districts access to nSide organization administration. So, they’ll be able to manage their own users and districts in the nSide School Safety Platform. We had pamphlets there, as well, to generate interest in Verkada cameras and ask them about what their current camera systems are.”
  • “It was interesting to learn what they knew about their camera systems. Schools will have a wide variety of cameras from all different manufacturers, some of them are going to be older, some of them have limited connectivity to local DVR systems, some may be newer and have web views. But the Verkada are much more secure, use newer technologies, and connect automatically to the web. They even connect to where they don’t have to have any other technical infrastructure on-site. So, they can plug these cameras in and access them through the website, and it’s a newer generation of camera technology with a lot less direct technical work.”
  • “Any time we get out in the field, with a different group of people connected to the nSide platform, it fills in a little more of what we, here in the office, don’t know. We interact with individual users and, a lot of times, we don’t get to see the big picture. It’s very helpful for us to get out and just hear from a completely different group of potential users. We get the opportunity to understand what their problems are, what they deal with in managing their own systems, and how we could address some of their needs.”

SSA

School Superintendents of Alabama hosted a summer conference for Meaningful Collaboration and Networking June 16–19 in Point Clear, AL. They are a professional association, geared towards school system executives and their leadership teams. nSide Founder and CEO, Steve McKinney, sat down with us to offer his perspective.

  • “More than anything, I wanted time spent in person and the opportunity to cultivate relationships and hear a lot of their problems. We did talk a lot about security in the form of physical measures, like cameras and access control, because that’s on a lot of people’s minds. But we also talked about things like school buses and the issues that they face with logistics and transportation, which was a bit of a departure from traditional school safety conversations. So, it traversed across a wide array of topics. But that’s what I hoped it would do, because every district is different. Every relationship is different. And when you reach the point, with a superintendent or any client, when they’re able to view you as a confidant and a partner, then you’ve achieved something.”
  • “So, this is the first time that a superintendent (and several of them did it) brought their architects over to meet with us. And that was different. Some of what I learned in that engagement is that a lot of the new schools are moving towards a different type of power system. They’ve recognized that this Digital Age is rapidly moving, which means they’re in need of not only normal power structure in buildings but also low voltage power structures. All of that leads to having additional sensors, effectively put inside the operations of these facilities as they become more and more ubiquitous in the new power message.”
  • “For the most part, these are tried and true friends or people that I’ve worked with for years. So, it’s a very cordial kind of environment, even though it’s formal. When it’s that way, it’s less about your introductory message, and it’s more about their day to day problems. Anytime you’re building a relationship, it is about being a person that they can confide in, in such a way that no one is. To the extent where if you don’t have a solution then it’s between you and them, but if you know of any possible solution, you offer it, regardless of whether it’s beneficial to you or not. And that’s what we try to cultivate. It’s good to have a common mission with people that you genuinely do care about.”

We are always grateful for the opportunity to exchange ideas, and we strive to do so among others that share our affinity for refining school safety. nSide firmly believes that growth is spurred on through active participation of community members and school administrators and staff alike. So, we encourage you to look into any of the above organizations for future events, or join our community page for further discussion!

As is discernible throughout this collection, we feel that conferences are best met with problem-solution mentalities and client-first care. If you happen to see us at an upcoming event, we encourage you to continue getting to know us and the greater depths of our mission. We hope this post is valuable to your understanding of our team at nSide, and we look forward to the new school year ahead!

June 30, 2019
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June 10, 2019

Is Narcan Administration Part of Your Emergency Operation Plan?

Is Narcan Administration Part of Your Emergency Operation Plan?

CBS News released a story discussing the newest precautionary methods to prevent opioid overdose among schools in Alabama. In 2015, more than 400 overdose deaths were linked to opioid usage in state. Faculty in schools have taken initiative to instill widespread training and preparation of Narcan (naloxone), a medication designed to reverse opioid overdose, in order to ready themselves in the event of a medical emergency.

How Narcan (naloxone) is Issued

Narcan administered in school systems requires simple instructions, provided verbally by the device to the user. Although there are multiple methods, EVZIO is the chosen auto-injection device that faculty and emergency personnel are being trained to use. Once injected into the outer thigh, the device automates a countdown to secure the time necessary for disbursement.

How can you better familiarize yourself with the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose? How does naloxone inverse these effects? The National Institute of Drug Overdose produced the video below to provide guidance on these topics.

nSide in Action

nSide — The School Safety Platform is a crucial organizational element and aid to enhance school safety. With our virtual mapping process, your facility receives immediate access to location of medical kits, emergency exits, campus layout, and more. With digitization of these features and documentation of safety exercises in the EOP section, adjustments to preparation are easily manageable.

When developing a new procedure, it can often be difficult to establish a pragmatic method with adequate support. However, the nSide team is here to help. We encourage you to plan, prepare, and practice guided approaches that ensure safety for your organization and community. These three steps are recycled endlessly, to secure the emergency operation plan and strengthen the alertness and response of your team.

  • Plan your emergency procedure, to establish a firm foundation and smooth implementation of policy.
  • Prepare, by assessing any resources necessary to fulfill your plan.
  • Practice the plan you have constructed and fine-tune any miscued steps.

Is Narcan administration part of your school’s EOP?

The Emergency Operation Plan portion of nSide is where the school safety and emergency planning team document safety plans related to various crises and events that could potentially happen. Has an opioid overdose been considered as a part of your team’s emergency planning? Who would be in charge of the different elements of response in the case of such an event? Who is trained to administer Narcan to a person who has overdosed? Would you and your team know where to find a kit in the building if it was needed?

Introducing new mapping icon

With so much attention being brought to the opioid crisis nationwide, and proactive training by some schools in Alabama, the nSide team has created a new mapping icon for Narcan. This icon can be used to quickly designate the location of devices and kits on the map of your facility. Simply contact our support team on our live chat to get this added to the Emergency Equipment layer on your map.

June 10, 2019
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