How To Effectively Manage Acts of Mass Violence in Schools Using a School Safety App
Acts of mass violence cause devastating immediate and long-term damages for victims, survivors, and their families. These events happen quickly and are normally committed in a time span of only 10-15 minutes.
Preparedness, timeliness, and immediate appropriate actions are critical amidst an act of mass violence. How do you effectively manage the situation during an act of mass violence in schools?
The Threat of Acts of Mass Violence
Acts of mass violence are defined as an event in which 3 or more people are killed, or four or more are injured, not including the perpetrator. These acts occur in public places and the perpetrator often targets random victims.
These disasters are an ongoing threat that can occur anywhere, at any time, even in our own neighborhoods and communities and especially schools.
Acts of Mass Violence Can Occur in:
Acts of mass violence are not limited solely to cases of gun violence. These horrific crimes could utilize bombs, fires automobiles, knives, or other methods of causing harm to the public.
Resources and Support for Survivors of Mass Violence
Survivors of acts of mass violence need to be connected with ongoing resources and support after the tragedy. The trauma that survivors deal with after an act of mass violence is inconceivable. Many of these individuals suffer from fear, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
The Parkland School Massacre claimed the lives of 14 students and 3 staff members on Valentine’s Day of 2018. The shooting occurred at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Sadly, the aftermath of these horrendous acts of violence causes lingering hurt for survivors and their families
Sydney Aiello, a 19-year-old survivor of the massacre, struggled with survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder. The aspiring young woman tried to move on and enrolled to attend Florida Atlantic University. Fear and guilt overwhelmed the young survivor and on March 17, 2019, the massacre claimed another life.
March 24, 2019, just one week after Aiello’s death, another young survivor fell victim to the devastating effects of the act of mass violence. The student was a current sophomore at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Both of these heartbreaking incidents occurred just 13 months after the Parkland School Massacre
Managing these horrendous events requires communities need to come together and provide all survivors with local, state, and federal resources.
SaferWatch School Safety App Solutions Provide Preventive and Active Response Solutions
SaferWatch School Safety App Solutions were developed to provide citizens with advanced tools and resources to effectively manage acts of mass violence. The SaferWatch application provides features that can potentially save lives.
Features of SaferWatch School Safety App Solutions:
Mass Notification System
Once a threat is reported and confirmed, law enforcement can send out a mass notification to inform the public of the danger and provide safety instructions. Additionally, this technology lets users to set up notification alerts by location such as schools, concert venues, workplace, and more.
Mass Notification Alert System Benefits Include:
- Preventing more people from entering the area
- Immediately informing the public
- Encouraging people to leave the area
- Initiating evacuation
Mobile Panic Alert Button for Schools
SaferWatch mobile panic button is 100% compliant with Alyssa’s Law which was passed in several states after the Stoneman Douglas High School Shooting. We provide physical buttons and access to a mobile panic alert button for schools to initiate a police response in case of an emergency. This type of alert lets police know that a true emergency is happening and to respond quickly eliminating the mistakes made during previous shootings.
Threat Assessment Tools
During the threat assessment stage, law enforcement can directly communicate with users to request additional intel such as live video, images, and audio. Additionally, they can connect to a school’s video surveillance system if such exists. This helps police to determine the location of the attacker and visually assess what kind of weapon is being used to proactively respond.
Anonymous Tip Reporting
Our technology lets users provide tips anonymously should they choose to do so. This helps to eliminate the anxiety or fear associated with reporting someone especially if the person is not 100% sure that the information they have is true. SaferWatch encourages people to report suspicious behavior, warning signs listed here and any other tips users think are critical in preventing a mass tragedy.
Prepare, Act, and Recover from Acts of Mass Violence with SaferWatch School Safety App
Residents in our communities deserve the best tools and resources to react during an act of mass violence Reach out today to learn more about how SaferWatch Solutions can help you, your family, and your school react during a tragedy.