Growing threats to student safety make emergency preparedness more essential than ever before. About 1 in 4 U.S. teachers say their school went into a gun-related lockdown during the 2022-23 school year, according to a Pew Research Center survey.
Additionally, 59% of K-12 public school teachers are at least somewhat worried about the possibility of a shooting at their school, including 18% who are extremely or very worried. With school shootings at a record high of 82 in 2023, the need for comprehensive safety training for school staff has never been more urgent.
While no one likes to imagine the dangers our students and staff face, it’s reassuring to know there are effective measures that can be taken to ensure your school and its faculty are prepared for worst-case scenarios.
One of the most effective ways to ensure your school is ready to respond appropriately to emergency scenarios is through school staff safety training. However, many schools remain unaware of how beneficial these training programs can be.
What is School Staff Safety Training
The primary goal of these safety trainings is to ensure that school staff are prepared to react and respond to a school emergency. Having the highest possible level of preparedness ensures the greatest chance for safety for students and staff alike.
Often, the best way to respond efficiently to a threat is to have well-known and long-practiced procedures in place before the emergency occurs. This process starts with understanding what an ideal emergency procedure looks like and what each staff member needs to do to ensure it works successfully.
Safety training programs will inform school staff members of the ideal responses to different types of emergency scenarios, including active shooter situations, lockdowns, and more. Taking the time to learn these best practices keeps everyone as safe as possible and may even save lives in extreme cases.
What Are the Best Comprehensive School Safety Training Programs?
As the need for emergency preparedness in schools continues to grow, choosing the right training program has never been more critical. Finding a program that equips staff, students, and the broader school community with the skills and knowledge to handle crises effectively is essential.
At LockOut, we provide specialized safety training programs designed to address the unique challenges schools and staff face, such as:
- SmartBoot System® Lockdown Training
- Armed Assailant Training
- Evacuation/Re-Unification Training
- Incident Command Training
- Workplace Violence C.A.R.E. (Collaborate, Assess, Respond, Emerge)
Our programs go beyond standard training by offering comprehensive, reality-based scenarios and practical tools to prepare your staff and students for a wide range of emergencies.
With LockOut, your entire school community—staff, students, and families—will gain the confidence and tools they need to navigate emergencies effectively, fostering a safer environment for everyone.
Additional Ways to Ensure School Safety
Training your school’s staff is an excellent way to enhance safety. However, it is far from the only measure you should take when preparing for an emergency scenario. The list below reveals a few additional elements you should include in your emergency planning:
- Regular drills: After learning the best procedures for responding to an emergency, it’s critical to practice them regularly. Emergencies provoke strong emotions that make it difficult to make wise decisions at the moment. Thankfully, drills help staff and students feel prepared and confident in what to do in an emergency. Ensure your school takes time each year to practice safety drills with students, staff, and local first responders.
- Implement safety policies: Drills and training are not the only way to increase school safety. It’s also highly beneficial to implement specific policies that lessen the odds of an emergency occurring in the first place. For example, one of the best policies you can use is called the “see something, say something” policy. This policy is a national campaign that helps everyone remain alert to danger by noticing and reporting suspicious activity as soon as possible. If your students and staff are skilled in following this policy, you stand a much greater chance of preventing disastrous scenarios.
- Invest in the best safety equipment: Just as staff safety training has evolved over recent decades, so have school safety equipment options. In fact, there are now some incredible products that your school can install to dramatically enhance safety during lockdowns and other emergencies. These products leverage the latest safety technology to easily create secure zones in your school and communicate with law enforcement and first responders as effectively as possible.
School safety plans are not one-size-fits-all. Instead, it’s the responsibility of each school to introduce safety measures that meet the unique needs of their facilities. Taking the time to utilize the ideas in the list above, along with training, gives you the best chance at creating a comprehensive safety plan.
Contact LockOut Co to Make Your School Safer than Ever Before
School staff safety training is a highly effective way to increase emergency readiness. Additionally, investing in cutting-edge safety equipment for your school’s facilities ensures an added layer of protection and comfort for staff, students, and parents.
If you’re interested in learning more about the best safety products and training for your school, contact LockOut Co today. Our suite of safety products and training programs work hand in hand to keep students and staff as safe as possible.
