Greetings,

Although, I have been with the Center for Safer Schools (CFSS) since March 2016, as you may know, I took over as Executive Director in February 2021. The CFSS has been privileged to serve you in 2021, and as we close out the year, I would like to recap some of our highlights:

• Created and disseminated a video for child safety in partnership with NC SBI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and The Third Talk, Inc.
• Partnered with the NC SBI BeTA Unit to support school districts in creating and implementing “School Behavioral Assessment Unit Training”
• Co-Hosted a Back-to-School Safety Summit with NC DPS Juvenile Justice
• Met with stakeholders in McDowell, Catawba, and Rutherford counties on building relationships between schools and local law enforcement
• Partnered with NC Emergency Management to support school districts in providing their schematics and comprehensive safety plans in SERA & SRMP respectively
• Hosted CFSS's first SAVE Week - September 20-24, 2021
• Partnered with Gang Free NC to develop curriculum to help children make better decisions
• Launched the CFSS monthly newsletter to help keep our stakeholders Informed

And the Grand Finale…the General Assembly has approved funds to create and operate a Center for Safer Schools Training Center! We are appreciative of the confidence that the legislature has in us and will work hard to ensure that they have sowed in “good ground."  We are looking forward to including our many stakeholders in the planning of our new training center.

Again, the CFSS would like to thank you for your support and we look forward to working for you in 2022. On behalf of the CFSS team, I also want to wish you and yours a MERRY CHRISTMAS, Happy Holidays, and a prosperous New Year!

Regards,

Karen W. Fairley

Gaggle Tips

Did you know you can put the tips submitted through Gaggle* into the Say Something Anonymous Reporting System (SSARS) app platform? Just cut and paste the Gaggle content into the tip on the app and indicate it was from Gaggle. SSARS crisis center staff will then use their protocols and procedures to investigate this information. We've received helpful tips from Gaggle regarding suicide, shootings, weapons, and other areas of concern.

*What is Gaggle? LEARN MORE

Dispositions

We have seen a significant increase in the disposition of tips. That's great! Please make sure you are utilizing the drop box at the top of the page and mark it as "Closed" (see below) or "Action Being Taken."

Carl Wilkins (right, bottom) and Mike Anderson (right, top) of the NC Center for Safer Schools attended and presented at the NC SAVE Promise Clubs Regional Trainings in Smithfield and Mooresville North Carolina on November 16th and 18th respectively.

These events were for school SAVE Promise Club Teams, which are comprised of advisors, counselors, teachers and students.

Participants learned about Sandy Hook Promise programs (e.g., Start With Hello and Say Something) as well as potential activities and resources for SAVE Promise Clubs.

*Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Clubs are student-led organizations that encourage young people to take charge of keeping their friends, schools, and communities safe.

To learn more, please contact Carl Wilkins (Carl.Wilkins@dpi.nc.gov; 984-236-1040) or Mike Anderson (mike.anderson@dpi.nc.gov; 984.236.2242).

Incidences have recently occurred across the state that have prompted school “lock-downs” and they are often reported in the media. Hearing that a school is on lock-down can be concerning— and under certain circumstances they are—but it is important to remember that a lock down does not always mean there is an imminent threat.

The Center for Safer Schools does not dictate to districts and schools what they must do regarding lock-downs or assessing threats; we provide training, information, technical assistance, and other resources that are helpful in developing associated protocols. Recommendations on school lock downs are provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) as outlined in their 2019 Crisis Management for School-Based Incidents for Key Decision Makers. At the state level and according to NC legislation, schools are required to submit their School Risk Management Plans (SRMP), through a system provided by the NC Department of Public Safety’s Emergency Management Division. The information requested thorough the system is what schools are required to submit in terms of their school safety plans, which should include lock-down procedures. Also, lock-downs are not just for incidences involving threats of violence, they also pertain to events such as tornadoes, floods, fires, hazardous substance exposures, and others.

Although schools have the autonomy to alter or combine steps regarding lock-down procedures in their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and/or Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs), typically, there are three primary levels of response:

• A Level 1 lock-down—or a soft lock-down—may be initiated when a potential threat exists outside of the school building. The response in this case is to limit or eliminate entry from someone from outside. Students are brought indoors, exterior doors are locked, and access to the facility is limited. A Level 1 lock-down would be put in place, for example, when a crime is committed near a school and the status of the incident or the whereabouts of the offender is unknown.  
• A Level 2 lock-down may be initiated when there is a possible threat inside of a school, but there is no reason to believe students and staff are in immediate danger. Examples include a domestic type situation in the front office, a fight involving multiple individuals, or a medical emergency.  In Level 2 lock-downs; hallways are cleared; students and staff should report to classrooms; exterior windows and doors are locked; all students, staff and visitors are accounted for; and students do not change classes until the potential threat has passed. 
  
  Level 1 and 2 lock-downs are both precautionary in nature and students essentially carry on with their normal school activities with limited changes. So, some schools or districts may combine them into a single lock-down procedure.
• A Level 3 lock-down is deployed in situations where there is an immediate threat to students, staff, and/or visitors. Staff should employ the response steps identified in a Level 2 action; plus, they should turn of lights, silence all media devices, remain silent, and have everyone move, if possible, to an interior lockable area (bathroom, supply room, etc.) and/or barricade doorways using desks, drawers, furniture, and anything else that is available to create or secure a barrier.    

Some school systems may assign colors to the various steps that are taken to assist its staff, students, and community partners to assist in a rapid response. Other school systems may choose other response identifiers. It is recommended, however, that whatever terminology is used, it should sufficiently describe the nature of the situation and be easily understood versus code words that may not adequately communicate the severity of the situation. It is also important for school systems to inform its stakeholders and community in advance how they identify and report lock-down procedures. 

If you have questions or want additional information, please contact Jay Jackson, State Safety Coordinator at 828-244-5858 or jay.jackson@dpi.nc.gov.