BACKGROUND: The Columbine High School massacre occurred April 20, 1999. Seems like yesterday. According to Post Data, there have been 417 school shootings since Columbine which reportedly exposed over 383,000 students to school shooter violence and trauma.
So, you ask, what have we learned in the past 25 years about school shootings? Here are some thoughts:
One, we obviously have little or no on-going deterrence in the majority of school security programs.
Two, the majority of schools rely almost entirely on local law enforcement to respond.
Three, this “911 outside-in” concept of operations will inevitably result in first responders arriving on the scene in some number of minutes after it is determined a shooter is on campus.
Four, in most cases casualties from the shooter have occurred before first responders arrive.
Five, multiple law enforcement organizations will show up; police, Sheriff’s deputies, highway patrol, fire department, etc. Result, no one is in charge. First responders may not be familiar with the area of operations. What does “left wing third floor of building B” mean to the first on-scene arrivals? Who is going to brief the arriving first responders?
I refer you to the Uvalde TX massacre 24 May, 2022 at the Robb Elementary school. There were 376 responders and no one in charge. A 600-page report revealed that the shooter was locked in a classroom with 9-and 10-year-old children for 37 minutes. Armed law enforcement officers were outside the classroom waiting for a key to unlock the door while the shooter was executing 19 children and 2 teachers. And how many similar shooter incidents have there been with the same after-action reporting of delays and incompetence since Uvalde?
I rest my case as I outline what needs to change.
THESIS:
The 61 million parents of school-age children and the 82,423 School Board members are all hoping there will not be a shooting in their school. When there is a shooting, and there will be a next time, everyone hopes the first responders will get there quickly. Everyone is also hoping there will not be casualties.
News flash…….” hope “is not a process!!
The first responsibility of all school administrators is to provide a safe and secure environment for learning. The first responsibility of school-age parents is to demand safety as the first priority in their school.
Wake the hell up America, the “911 outside-to-inside in minutes” concept of operations, while well intended, has not worked for the past 25 years and won’t work for the next 25.
All of this begs the question, is it possible to have an “inside-to-outside security force concept” which can and will respond to a shooter incident in seconds? Yes, it is within the art of the possible and I can recommend that concept to all 129,000 schools across the country.
WHERE TO BEGIN WHEN BUILDING A NEW CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS?
The concept can take on a life of its own by working from three simple questions.
One, what are the tasks to be performed?
Two, what are the conditions in the area of operations?
Three, what are the standards of performance that will result in success?
Tasks/conditions/standards is a proven starting point for solving complex multifaceted operations involving people as the operators.
The tasks: Have in place a continuous, internal, all-encompassing, highly trained security force that is capable of reacting in seconds to any potential or actual on-campus shooter. From this, there will be lists of individual and leadership tasks for everyone involved for which they must sustain proficiency.
Conditions: The conditions for this operation are consistent and relatively unchanging. Daylight operations. Large, perhaps multiple-floor buildings with many hallways. And a target-rich environment with at least hundreds if not a few thousand students, faculty and staff on site every school day.
Standards. An organization without standards is a failed organization. With a concept based on proactive response in seconds, this will then dictate the levels of training to ensure the overall objectives are met every time.
THE DOWNSIDE OF AN INSIDE-OUT SECURITY OPERATION.
The thought of having armed faculty on site every school day just does not have a good feel. However, it is possible to develop a security force operation wherein a weapon will never be visible until the moment it becomes necessary to engage a shooter.
THE INTERNAL ON-SITE SECURITY FORCE:
The size will be dictated by the size of the building, number of entrances and numbers of students.
For this scenario let’s say the force consists of a leader and eight operators. The leader should be a person of authority on the staff every school day. The best solution is to assign security operations to the Vice Principal as his/her highest priority responsibility.
The operators should all be volunteers for this additional duty and will work in two-person teams. The team approach provides increased confidence that my team mate has my back at all times and an operator will feel more confident about using deadly force without hesitation when it is called for.
Team schedules must be constantly coordinated so that at least one member will be in the school house while classes are in session.
Security force members will train to the extent that they are as comfortable with their weapon as they are with their tooth brush.
Seek training assistance and training facilities from the County Sherrif and/or the local Chief of Police.
All potential team members in training will undergo a psych evaluation. The purpose is to determine if the operator has, under certain circumstances, the will to inflict deadly force on a shooter.
OPTIMIZE THE ENTIRE AREA OF OPERATIONS, some examples:
Make it user friendly, optimize relevant technology, limit the number of entrances, preferably to one with metal detectors.
In compliance with fire safety regulations, the fire exits should all be covered by a continuous-feed camera and an alarm system for whenever that door is opened and that reports continuously to the operations center.
For operational reasons name every potential entrance with a letter designation; door “A” will be Entrance Alfa or Bravo, Charlie etc.
All of the technology will flow to the Operations Center. Best case, the center will be the Vice Principal’s office or adjoining room. Additional long-range cameras will continuously provide a view of the parking areas.
Again, for operational clarity, every hallway should be named. For example, use states. Hallway Iowa, Colorado, etc. For example, “Entrance Charlie just breached, shooter is moving down Nebraska towards the intersection with Minnesota.”
There should be a “shooter alarm” on the wall with every fire alarm, both covered by a camera.
COMMUNICATIONS DISCIPLINE
Every security team member and their leader will be equipped with a small radio that will be turned on and will be on their body every minute they are on the campus.
Each day will begin with a comms check of every radio with the ops center. There will be absolutely zero chatter on the radios ever. The only time there is a transmission it will be to activate the teams and cause them to immediately deploy to their first designated station, according to the standard number of seconds.
EQUIPPING SECURITY OPERATORS
Every team member will have at their place of work, be it a classroom or office, a secure immovable “box.” It will have a digital panel that will open in a couple seconds with a 3-digit code known only to the operator.
Every box will hold a pistol, loaded with a round chambered and the safety on. There will also be a second loaded magazine. Additionally, there will be a lanyard to put around their neck with a master key to open every door in the building. Why the key? Remember the law enforcement personnel outside a classroom in Uvalde waiting for a key to unlock the door and thereafter engage the shooter.
Hanging next to the box will be a red, armored vest with “SECURITY” in big letters front and back. The vest will have a special pocket for the extra, fully loaded, magazine.
The point of explaining the above is that within a few seconds after a breach has occurred, the ops center will know it and seconds later phone calls go out simultaneously to every operator. When the operators’ phones go off, they immediately get to their vest, open the box and out the door, armed and deploying to their first position perhaps within 10-15 seconds.
AN EXAMPLE SCENARIO
An alarm goes off in the ops center. The Vice Principal (call sign, Security 2) sees an open door from the reporting camera at fire exit Charlie and yells into the phone, “breach, breach at fire exit Charlie, I say again, breach at fire exit Charlie.”
Through multiple training scenarios Team 2 knows they are closest to fire exit Charlie and deploy directly towards that location. All teams will deploy to a location associated with a breach at exit Charlie. All teams will be reporting to the ops center via phone.
“Team 4 out the door” Each team reports “out the door” and subsequently report when at their assigned destination.
About now the Vice Principal, Security 2, has sounded the campus-wide alarm for possible shooter on site. All teachers and staff immediately lock their doors and everyone is on the floor face down.
Security 2 also calls 911 to report a possible shooter and tells the operator to stay on the line for in-process reports. . “Fire exit breached, all operators are armed and deploying with red vests.”
“This is team 2 at Charlie, door open no one in sight.” If a shooter entered from Charlie, he/she will most likely be moving down Alabama hallway. So, under the Charlie scenario, Team 4 knows they are to deploy to Alabama.
“This is Team 4, one male on Alabama headed for Texas, has a long gun.”
Security 2 to 911 operator. “Shooter sighted inside armed with a long gun.”
Each of the Security Teams deployed to a designated area that was associated with a breach from Charlie. Similar but different scenarios exist for breaches at Exit Alfa, Bravo, Delta, Echo, etc. etc.
The Security Teams will have trained to every scenario and know without radio conversation where to go. Based on those exercises the Security Leader will know within about 5 seconds what time every team will be in place. THAT’S WHAT TRAINING TO ESTABLISHED STANDARDS IS ALL ABOUT and it is not rocket science. It’s common sense.
The Principal (call sign Security 1) also has a radio and is monitoring all the action. He/she is the logical one to get outside to meet and brief the arriving first responders so they can assist but also so they do not get in the way.
Back to the action:
“This is team 4, the shooter has seen us and is running to evade or escape. He will be at Team 3 location in seconds.
“This is team 3, roger all, ambush set, IPRF (in position ready to fire), OUT. The “OUT” signals to everyone that radio silence is now in effect and the next transmission will be from Team 3.
“This is Team 3, shooter down, alive, need medics.”
When shots were fired, all teams abandoned their current locations and moved toward the sound of gunfire to assist if necessary.
Security 2 reports this to 911 operator who is keeping the deploying first responders in the loop.
“This is Security 1, just informed first responders are on the way. Team 3, your location and shooter status please.”
“Team 3 located at the end of Montana. Shooter with leg injuries, bleeding heavily, applying pressure.”
This is Security 1; I will escort medics to your location ASAP.
Security 2 informs 911 operator that the shooter is wounded and in custody.
“Security 2, this is Security 1, give the all-clear over the campus intercom. Tell all personnel to remain in their locked rooms until told to do otherwise. Also provide this public address to 911 for immediate release……..A shooter at Smith Elementary is in custody as of 0942 this morning. The shooter did not have contact with any students. No one was injured. All classes have been cancelled for the day. Students will be released at 11 o’clock. Students not having transportation will be kept in the dining hall.”
“Security 2 this is Security 1, all security team members are to report to the end of Montana immediately to debrief law enforcement when they arrive. Also, the entire security team will attend the AAR in the conference room at 1230.
SITUATIONAL AWARENESS
Timely situational awareness is a critical factor in any operation; the larger the organization the more difficult it becomes. But in this case, with a limited number of security personnel and with all of them hearing every phone transmission in real time, situational awareness becomes a positive as long as strict communications discipline is maintained.
RULES OF ENGAGEMENT
Every one associated with security must know the ROE and train to them.
First: The first rule of ROE is the right of self-defense.
Second: if a shooter is obviously armed, preemptive fire is allowed.
Third; there are two levels of attack, to disable the shooter or use deadly force.
If the shooter has not raised his weapon to fire, consider incapacitating him/her by firing rapidly below the waste. If the shooter gives any indication, they are about to fire, aim for center of mass with deadly force.
In the above scenario Team 3 observed the shooter moving rapidly towards an exit with his rifle pointed down. Team 3 opened up rapidly firing their semi-automatic pistols at the shooter, waste down to incapacitate him.
TRAIN THE STUDENTS AND FACULTY
Hold periodic mandatory assemblies for everyone on campus. Go over the concept. Everyone must know to lock their door and get on the floor. Everyone will be expecting to hear rapid movement by the Security Teams in the hallways. Everyone will know there is a possibility of hearing shots fired. Everyone knows they are to remain in place until they get an “all clear” from the principal only on the campus-wide speakers.
Drill into the heads of everyone at the assembly that it is important that, IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING. IF YOU HEAR SOMETHING, DO SOMETHING. Tell them exactly what to do. Make the points by providing some examples. For example, have a student walk across the stage with a jacket on and it appears that the butt of a pistol can be seen outside the pocket. Tell them that if they see a gun of any kind anywhere on campus and the person is not wearing a red security vest, they have permission to pull the nearest alarm located in the hallways.
Explain that the words “gun” “rifle” and “pistol” are absolutely verboten on campus even if used in jest.
TRAIN THE STAFF AND FACULTY
Insure they know and understand the operations plan in detail and are 100% committed to it. If they are not, they must go do something else.
Emphasize that if a student sees or hears something they are likely to tell their teacher. Tell the staff and faculty what they are to do immediately.
TRAIN THE PARENTS
Hold a series of Parent Teacher Association evening meeting at the school early in the school year and do as many as necessary in order to have some assurance that everyone has had an opportunity to attend.
Explain the “Inside to out in seconds” concept in detail, emphasizing that the “911 outside to in in minutes” will not keep your children safe. Explain the Uvalde TX mess ending with 17 small children killed and hundreds more traumatized.
There undoubtedly will be some loud-mouth parent preaching to the audience that the school has no right to have armed teachers. Plan on it and be prepared to deal with it.
UNANNOUNCED EXERCISES.
One and only one person will know there is going to be an unannounced exercise this morning. The Principal will call the Sheriff and Chief of Police at 0930 on a school day and tell them that he/she will begin the exercise in a few seconds.
The Principal gets on the campus intercom and says, “this is an exercise, this is an exercise. There has just been an exercise breach at Exit Charlie. I repeat this is only an exercise but everyone is to take actions as if it was real.” Then the stop watches come out, the Vice Principal calls the operators on the phone, activates the campus-wide alarm, calls 911 all the time emphasizing it is an exercise only.
When it is concluded all the times the operators checked in on their phones; “Team 3 out the door”, “Team 4 at first location”, etc.
When it is over, from the ops center calculate how many seconds it took for every team to call in their repots and actions.
CONDUCT THE AAR IMMEDIATELY AFTER SCHOOL
An After-Action Review, AAR, is a tool developed by the U.S. Army and advertised by Havard Business School as a valued technique to get important immediate feedback from any group or organization-wide activity that can be fed back into improvements. The “R” in AAR does not stand for “report”. A report can take days to months to prepare and may be keyed on finding fault and placing blame. While the AAR keys on individual accountability and immediate fixes.
An AAR is a gathering of the key players to answer three questions.
One, what did we do good? In this security exercise the answers would key on the timing of all the communications and deployments.
Two, what could we have done better? Team 3 is new and missed the standard time of getting out the door. Team 2 initially deployed to the wrong destination. The Sheriff’s deputies didn’t arrive for 20 minutes after the 911 call. Etc. etc.
Three, how do we institutionalize the fixes? Saturday morning, we will go through all the breach scenarios again to improve timing and communications. Etc. etc.
An AAR is not a blame game. A successful AAR is based on honest accountability from every leader and player.
Hundreds of AARs take place throughout the U.S. Army every day.
A SALARIED SECURITY OFFICER ON CAMPUS
There is a role they could play. Be visible at the main entrance every morning to monitor the metal detector. Conduct the morning radio comms check. Physically visit every entry point to ensure they are locked and alarms and cameras are functioning. Occupy the operations center when the Vice Principal is absent. Stand in for a missing security team member.
CONCLUSIONS
Many schools across the country have a retired law enforcement officer on salary and have thereby declared themselves to be “secure.” They are not secure. One person simply cannot be more than one place at a time to successfully deal with a breach of security. Security will result from a highly trained and capable multi-person security force.
Local law enforcement first responders can never match the reaction times of an internal security force that is in-place every minute of every school day.
Once the equipment is in place, this is not an expensive operation by a group of faculty volunteers.
This proactive inside-out in seconds concept of operations can in and of itself be a deterrent to potential shooters. Credible deterrence is a powerful and effective force.
BOTOM LINE
Lessons that should have been learned at Columbine 25 years ago have never replaced the 911 outside-in concept. We can and we have to do better to stop killing kids in our schools.
This is not a federal or state government issue. God help us if the Departments of Education get involved with thousands of bureaucrats and reams of regulations to guide us. This is a local issue that can and should be solved locally. Just do it.
There is an old saying that sort of defines what is going on with respect to school security. “If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.” What we “got” is more dead kids. There is one more that is apropos when dealing with an organization (such as a school district), “Change or die.” in this case literally more kids will die of we don’t change.
Note to subscribers. If you agree with this concept, please take the time to get a copy to your local Board of Education and Superintendent of schools for their consideration.
Marvin L. Covault, Lt Gen US Army, retired, is the author of two books, Vision to Execution and Fix the Systems, Transform America as well as the author of a blog, WeThePeopleSpeaking.com