ST CHARLES, Mo. — A new school year is getting underway, and there is much discussion about measures to keep students and staff safe from armed intruders. Child psychologists say conversation is the key.
Orchard Farm School District in St. Charles County is very much thinking "inside the box" when it comes to thwarting the efforts of would-be active shooters.
The district is utilizing the SafeDefend threat intervention and protection system, which consists of metal and plastic boxes mounted on classroom walls. The boxes serve as a mechanism for a district-wide staff and emergency responder notification system activated by a fingerprint. They also contain first aid and self-defense tools.
SafeDefend representative Dan Cole demonstrated the system for 5 On Your Side.
“I take the reader cover off and place a finger on the device,” Cole said.
An intruder alert alarm sounded in the building. By design, it sounds different than a fire alarm. During an actual intruder alert, district staff would be notified via text, along with 911.
“It registers the user,” he said.
The front door of the box popped open, revealing a plastic bag containing the self-defense and first-aid tools.
“The box opens, and gives the user access,” he said. “The safety kit was developed to be very practical.”
He pulled the plastic zipper open and began pulling items out.
“We have bleeding control options. We have two different-size tourniquets we provide. We also provide a window break device, with expandable baton. We make sure they understand how to use the baton to break glass in a window, should they need to do that. Then they would expand the baton, knock the glass out of the window, and help the students to safety.”
By this time during an actual emergency, first responders would already be on the way. Cole said the SafeDefend intruder alert alarm notifies staff members that it’s time to secure in place, be ready to protect children in the classroom and understand there’s an imminent threat on campus.
Annual training includes registering staff members according to their cell phone number and fingerprint.
“Each one of the staff members is finger-printed through biometric scanning,” Orchard Farm High School Principal Greg Jones said. “So, if there is an armed intruder, any registered staff member can put the building in lockdown and activate the system.”
With the number of school shootings, recently, many children are bound to be wondering when their number is going to come up.
“It is important to have an open-ended conversation with your child at the beginning of the year,” said Dr. Neha Navsaria, a child psychologist at Washington University. “Tell them – ‘School is starting up. What are the things you’re thinking about?’”
Navsaria said it is important for parents to acknowledge the threat posed by school shootings and validate children’s emotions.
“Reassure them by saying, ‘Well, these are all the things that adults in your school and your life and doing to try to ensure your safety,'" she said.
Back at Orchard Farm, Cole shows us the training module staff members utilize.
Cole said, “All they need to do is come up to the trainer, place a registered finger on the device reader, and it gives them confirmation they are in the system.”
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