Shooters in schools: Protecting our children

Jewish Community Relations Council of New York
UJA-Federation of New York
The Jewish Education Project of New York
Westchester Jewish Council &
JCRC-Long Island

in cooperation with
New York City Police Department & other law enforcement partners

Tuesday, January 8, 2013
10:30 AM-1:00 PM
UJA-Federation of New York
130 East 59th Street (at Lexington Ave.) 

Last week’s tragic shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary inevitably leads us to consider whether we are doing everything we can to prevent such an event in our local schools.

Many of you are likely already conducting security assessments and exploring your options, but we invite you to come together with other NYC day schools and yeshivot to collectively learn from the experts how to be prepared and how to respond in such an event. Lunch will be served.

Program:

• Prevention: Upgrading your physical security and access policies to deter attacks
• Active Shooter Responses and Recommendations (NYPD SHIELD)
• Creating a customized response plan that suits your building, your culture and your people

Shooter attacks are dynamic events that defy cookie-cutter approaches to “best practices”. However, this workshop will offer recommendations that can mitigate the risks of an attack.

For security purposes reservations are required. Click here to reserve for this important workshop or go to (http://bit.ly/UJpM6s). For further information email David Pollock at info@jcrcny.org or Darcy Hirsh at hirshd@ujafedny.org.

JCRC, UJA-Federation and the Jewish Education Project will join with the NY Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and NYPD SHIELD for a half day session on “Active Shooters in Schools: Protecting Our Children”. Stay tuned for details.

The following recommendations were circulated in July. They are the basis for sound planning.

Recommendations (scroll down for resources)
There are no perfect solutions, but planning and training can mitigate active shooter incidents. The first step is maintaining good access control. Keeping someone who wants to do harm outside is the best way of protecting those inside.

• Evacuate: Building occupants should evacuate the facility if safe to do so; evacuees should leave behind their belongings, visualize their entire escape route before beginning to move, and avoid using elevators or escalators.
• Hide: If evacuating the facility is not possible, building occupants should hide in a secure area (preferably a designated shelter location), lock the door, blockade the door with heavy furniture, cover all windows, turn off all lights, silence any electronic devices, lie on the floor, and remain silent.
• Take Action: If neither evacuating the facility nor seeking shelter is possible, building occupants should attempt to disrupt and/or incapacitate the active shooter by throwing objects, using aggressive force, and yelling.
• Other considerations?
  • Train building occupants to call 911 as soon as it is safe to do so.
  • Train building occupants on how to respond when law enforcement arrives on scene.
  • follow all official instructions, remain calm, keep hands empty and visible at all times, and avoid making sudden or alarming movements.

Resources

• Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation (NYPD)
•  Active Shooter: How to Respond with the companion pocket card and the poster (DHS)
• Active Shooter Awareness Virtual Roundtable (DHS video)

The experts are still assessing the shooting at the elementary school in Newtown, CT and our hearts and prayers go out to the families who lost their precious children.

While the authorities gather additional information, the ongoing lesson of active shooter situations is the need for access control (for ideas see Sample Building Access Policies and Procedures from the JCRC-NY). An adequately locked door, coupled with a screening system that limits access to authorized individuals, is the best way to keep people safe.

DHS, NY DHSES and the JCRC-NY will host trainings on armed intruder attacks in January and February. Here are some other resources to assist you in developing active shooter responses:

• The New York State Department of Education has mandated that all school districts implement emergency response plans, which were updated in April 2003 to address terrorist threats. The plans require schools to interact with local law enforcement and emergency service providers. Please see New York State Homeland Security System for Schools.
• Review the NYPD’s publications, Active Shooter: Recommendations and Analysis for Risk Mitigation for recommendations and analysis for risk mitigation in active shooter scenarios and the presentation: Response to an Active Shooter.