Campus safety

The reaction to the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, is different. From the impassioned response led by the brave students who survived the tragedy to the leadership provided by elected officials, like the recently formed Select Committee on School Safety in North Carolina, it is clear that this time is different. And rightly so – our children deserve solutions. Given the scope of conversations taking place and the plethora of ideas being proposed, it is imperative to remain focused on solutions that will provide a comprehensive mitigant to these senseless acts.

To do this, we must recognize that there is not a one-size-fits-all solution. Parkland proved that armed guards are not the sole answer. As reported in the New York Times, “[t]he only armed sheriff’s deputy at a Florida high school where 17 people were killed took cover outside rather than charging into the building when the massacre began.” While it is disappointing that an armed officer was unable to neutralize the threat attacking the defenseless students inside the school, it is evidence of the absolute uncertainty that arises in a threat scenario. And in a situation like this, it is easy to Monday morning quarterback. After all, very few people are prepared to run

towards gunfire.

As a company whose executives have over 100 years of combined experience in military service and federal and municipal law enforcement, we have developed and deployed risk mitigation solutions to protect critical assets and personnel in some of the world’s most hostile environments.