OFM_School Safety DEPT_1224_DEPT 11 / 14 / 24 12 : 41 PM Page 1 preparing for these incidents , ” affirms Windermere Preparatory School Head of Security Ray Nappi . E D U C A T I O N “ OrangeCounty Public Schools ( OCPS ) has been improving school security to meet or exceed the requirements set forth in state E statutes , Florida Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools and the Florida Administrative Code . OCPS has various school safety procedures and protocols in place to pro - vide for a secure environment and mitigate the A impact of an actual emergency , ” adds an OCPS spokesperson . Some of these implements include random - ized weapons screenings and detection systems , video surveillance installations , shatter - resistant film being applied to certain surfaces , the addi - Nightmare tion of perimeter fencing , and partnerships with local law enforcement to provide two school resource officers to each OCPS high school and intercoms to control all points of campus entry . OCPS has also utilized the SaferWatch - Alyssa’s Reality Alert application so that employees can initiate a lockdown on both district - issued devices and personal devices . “ Annually , the district holds a two - day con - ference that trains school leaders on emergency management and safety issues . The event takes place every summer and includes training ses - sions for principals and assistant principals , ” says the OCPS spokesperson . “ The training sessions focus on preparing administrators for scenarios they might encounter at school , such as emer - gency response plans and procedures . The 2024 Preparedness Days focused on the reunification process during an emergency while last year’s event provided participants with an active assailant scenario . ” As more information and precautionary methods are developed , tragically through con - tinued experiences , there is increased hope of an end in sight . Schools gain this knowledge by col - laborating with other entities to come up with the newest , most innovative solutions . One such or the entirety of this generation of example of prevention that was previously incon - students ’ lifetimes , they have had to As a uniquely ceivable is artificial intelligence gun - detection Fface a stark reality : the possibility of American epidemic , software that allows school security cameras to gun violence at school . In fact , firearms have schools across the nation scan for potential weapons and send an alert been the leading cause of death among American within seconds . children and teens for three years in a row , according maintain an urgency to “ We collaborate with local government to a September 2024 report by John Hopkins Center keep their campuses safe agencies , law enforcement and other educational for Gun Violence Solutions . with evolving safety institutions to bolster our security measures . The era of school shootings is often attributed to These partnerships are essential in designing the April 20 , 1999 Columbine tragedy , and unfortu - protocols and active comprehensive safety strategies and coordinated nately many misconceptions about these crimes have shooter drills . by Carly Murray emergencyresponses , ” says Nappi . “ For example , become the public standard . Over the years , students we recently introduced the utilization of had had to grapple with active shooter drills that FortifyFL , a suspicious activity reporting app encompass the idea of a person — or their classmate — invading school grounds with a high - capacity that allows students , parents and staff to firearm.While they hid under desks in the dark , administrators scoped the halls making sure doors were instantly relay information about unsafe , dan - lockedand windows were covered while teachers instructed their class to keep silent . These days , schools gerous or potentially harmful activities to both are aware that safety protocols require much more advance planning . law enforcement and school officials . Once a tip “ Active shooter protocols have evolved significantly due to the increasing frequency of incidents and is submitted , it is automatically routed to the the lessons learned from past tragedies . Over time , response strategies have been fine - tuned to focus on appropriate law enforcement and school officials swift action , improved coordination with law enforcement , enhanced communication tools , and better for immediate follow - up . ” mental health support for affected students and staff . Schools are now more proactive in preventing and 38 ORLANDO FAMILY december 2024 ORLANDOFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM