2 min read

School Risk Management: Protecting Students Abroad

By Gibson on Jan 27, 2016 6:30:00 AM

What could be more educational than a trip to a foreign country? Students can put what they’ve learned in language class to the test. They can see historical sites they’ve only read about. Even trying new foods, riding a bus or subway, or buying something in a store can stretch them educationally in ways no classroom could.

Topics: Risk Management Schools
2 min read

School Safety: The Need For Comprehensive Risk Management

By Gibson on Feb 9, 2015 6:30:00 AM

Active shooter incidents are scary. These stories flood the news and make us worry about the safety of our children. Yet despite its overwhelming presence in the media, active shooter incidents are not the highest cause of death in schools.

They are extremely serious matters. Schools should take steps to prevent active shooters and train staff on how to respond should an incident occur. But it is critical not to overlook the often quieter, more frequent causes of school fatalities such as school transportation, homicides, and suicides.

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
4 min read

Best Practices For Developing Your Workplace Violence Program

By Gibson on Jan 12, 2015 6:30:00 AM

The threat of violence is a reality in the modern workplace. Every organization is vulnerable to it. From 2000 to 2010, there were an average of 588 work-related homicides each year and 18,000 assaults per week. That is over 936,000 workplace assaults annually. Wow.

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
4 min read

Crisis Recovery: The Reunification Process

By Gibson on Dec 17, 2014 6:30:00 AM

Acts of violence, acts of terror, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, fires. Crisis happens. And these emergencies ignite anxiety. Preparing plans for crisis communication and how to reunite families before an incident helps you from further complicating the chaos.

Though this discussion focuses on schools, these strategies can also be applied to incidents in the workplace.

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
3 min read

Create A Safer Workplace: Strategies For Conflict Resolution

By Gibson on Dec 1, 2014 6:30:00 AM

The threat of workplace violence is real. We see incidents in the news every week and those are only the severe and high-profile stories. Many more incidents can go unreported each year. If you recognize indicators of potential violence in your workplace, how should you handle them? How can you help de-escalate a situation?

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
3 min read

Preparing Your Workplace For Potential Violence

By Gibson on Nov 24, 2014 6:30:00 AM

Workplace violence can happen anywhere…and at any time. No one is immune. It comes in many forms from threats or acts of physical violence and verbal abuse, to homicide or active shooter incidents. Training your employees to develop a mindset of situational awareness can help better prepare your organization.

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
2 min read

What To Consider When Approaching The Question: To Arm Or Not To Arm?

By Gibson on Aug 14, 2014 2:00:00 PM

This post summarizes Matthew Moore and Thomas O’Neill’s presentation titled “To Arm or Not to Arm” from the August 6, 2014 Securing & Surviving The Active Shooter Epidemic Seminar. It is meant to convey his ideas and opinions without endorsement or criticism. Therefore, the ideas and opinions in this post are not necessarily those of Gibson.

As active shooter events become more prevalent—not just in schools but in workplaces too—we need to do something to make where we work safer. One idea schools and businesses are considering is arming their employees. It’s an option that elicits strong and passionate arguments both pro and con. But those arguments often fail to consider the risks associated with arming (or not arming) employees or the controls necessary to undertake arming employees properly.

Ultimately, there is no “right” answer; there is no “easy” answer. It’s a decision each organization must make on its own. But when an organization weighs the option to arm its employees, it must consider all the risks and controls to make sure arming is the right decision for its workplace.

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
3 min read

How Do You Respond In An Active Shooter Event?

By Gibson on Aug 14, 2014 11:30:00 AM

This post summarizes Andy Barker’s presentation titled “Active Shooter Response” from the August 6, 2014 Securing & Surviving The Active Shooter Epidemic Seminar. It is meant to convey his ideas and opinions without endorsement or criticism.

Shootings can occur anytime, anywhere, and to anyone. When they do, they will likely be over in 5–15 minutes—before law enforcement can intervene. So people on-site are the first line of defense; they must be ready to protect themselves. Would you be ready to take action to survive?

Topics: Commercial Insurance Risk Management Schools
4 min read

Never Lose Your Sense Of Outrage

By Gibson on Aug 14, 2014 9:30:00 AM

This post summarizes Lt. Col. Dave Grossman’s presentation titled “How Kids Are Learning To Kill” from the August 6, 2014 Securing & Surviving The Active Shooter Epidemic Seminar. It is meant to convey his ideas and opinions without endorsement or criticism. Therefore, the ideas and opinions in this post are not necessarily those of Gibson.

School Violence As We’ve Never Seen Before

How many students have been killed by school fires in the last 50 years?

Zero.

What about school violence in the United States?

In the 2006-2007 school year alone, 63 students were killed.

Topics: Risk Management Schools
3 min read

Six Principles Of Threat Assessment

By Gibson on Aug 4, 2014 6:30:00 AM

How do you handle a threat of violence made by a student? What if a teacher reports suspicious behavior, what can you do to evaluate this threat? How do you determine if a threat is legitimate?

The U.S. Secret Service developed the process known as “threat assessment” as a framework for assessing the potential for targeted violence. After the school shooting at Columbine in 1999, the Secret Service partnered with the U.S. Department of Education to better understand school shootings. What came out of this Safe School Initiative was a variation on the Secret Service’s threat assessment process to more appropriately apply to schools and the risks they face.

These six principles that were developed help establish a structure for identify, assessing, and managing individuals who may pose a risk of targeted violence to schools.

Topics: Risk Management Schools