By Matt Pasquinilli
Head of Security, Jupiter Christian School

A school can install cameras, electronic access control, emergency-alert systems and other advanced security technology—and still remain dangerously unprepared.

Equipment does not create readiness.

Disciplined people consistently following sound procedures create readiness.

Technology can strengthen those efforts, but it cannot compensate for exterior doors that do not latch, employees who fail to report concerns, security officers who are not actively observing or leaders who never correct problems identified during drills.

The most important question is not how much security equipment a school owns.

The question is whether its people, procedures and equipment work together under real-world conditions.

That is the difference between having security and being secure.

The Difference Between Policy and Performance

Most schools have written emergency plans. Many have installed cameras, visitor-management systems, access-control technology, radios and emergency-notification platforms.

Those investments are important, but they can also create a false sense of confidence.

A policy describes what is supposed to happen. An audit reveals what is actually happening.

A school’s written procedures may require all exterior doors to remain secured, yet employees may routinely prop open a side entrance.

The emergency plan may assign radios to key personnel, yet nobody may have checked whether the batteries are charged.

Employees may have completed annual security training, but a substitute teacher arriving halfway through the year may not know what the school’s emergency alerts mean.

Administrators may conduct drills, but the problems identified during those drills may never be assigned, tracked or corrected.

The gap between written policy and daily performance is where preventable security failures develop.

School Security Is a Daily Practice

Security is not an event that can be completed at the beginning of the school year.

It is an ongoing operational responsibility.

Campuses change constantly. Doors wear out. Employees develop habits. Construction changes traffic patterns. New students enroll. Staff members leave. Special events bring unfamiliar visitors onto campus. Landscaping affects visibility. Technology fails. Procedures that worked last year may no longer fit current operations.

That is why school leaders must regularly leave the office and observe what is actually happening from the curb to the classroom.

Walk the campus during arrival.

Watch how visitors enter.

Check whether exterior doors close and latch.

Speak with teachers about emergency procedures.

Test a radio from an area where coverage has previously been unreliable.

Review recent incident reports.

Observe dismissal, athletic activities and after-school programs.

Inspect the areas that have gradually become accepted as “good enough.”

The purpose is not to catch employees making mistakes. It is to identify weaknesses before someone with harmful intent identifies them for us.

Ten Questions for a School Security Reality Check

A useful security review does not always require an expensive assessment or a long written report.

School leaders can begin with a focused ten-minute reality check at one building.

1. Is the main entrance truly controlled?

A controlled entrance is more than a locked door or a sign directing visitors to the office.

Observe the entrance during a busy period.

Are visitors clearly identified before entering? Do employees consistently follow the same process? Can someone enter behind another person without being noticed? Are deliveries, contractors and volunteers handled according to established procedures?

The entrance must remain controlled when the campus is busy, not only when it is convenient.

2. Do exterior doors close, latch and lock?

A door may appear secure without actually being secure.

Door alignment, worn hardware, weather conditions and repeated use can prevent a door from latching properly. Employees may also defeat security measures by using wedges, rocks or other objects to hold doors open.

Exterior doors should be inspected regularly under normal operating conditions.

A sophisticated access-control system cannot protect an entrance that does not physically secure.

3. Would employees report an unidentified person?

Security technology cannot replace an alert school community.

Teachers, office staff, maintenance employees, coaches and administrators often notice changes before security personnel do. They should feel responsible for promptly reporting unidentified visitors, suspicious behavior, unusual vehicles and concerning communications.

Employees should not place themselves in danger or attempt to perform the work of law enforcement. They should know how to observe, create distance when necessary and report concerns immediately.

“See something, say something” only works when people know what to report, whom to contact and what will happen after the report is made.

4. Can employees explain the school’s emergency actions?

Schools often use terms such as lockdown, hold, secure campus, shelter in place and evacuation.

Those terms are not interchangeable.

Every employee should understand what each action means and what they are expected to do. That includes teachers, administrators, substitute teachers, coaches, custodians, volunteers and support personnel.

During an emergency, unclear terminology creates hesitation.

Schools should use consistent language, provide simple instructions and reinforce those instructions through appropriate training and practice.

5. Are radios and alert systems tested under real conditions?

Technology must work where and when people need it.

A radio that performs well near the main office may not work inside a stairwell, gymnasium, historic building or distant athletic area.

An emergency notification may reach employees inside classrooms but fail to reach personnel supervising outdoor activities.

Testing should occur throughout the campus and under normal operating conditions. Schools should verify coverage, battery condition, equipment availability and employee understanding.

The question is not simply whether the system activates.

The question is whether the correct people receive, understand and act upon the message.

6. Are temporary and support personnel included?

Security training often focuses on full-time teachers and administrators.

However, emergencies do not wait until every regular employee is present.

Substitute teachers, volunteers, coaches, contractors, transportation personnel, food-service workers and after-school staff may be responsible for students when an incident occurs.

Schools should determine what these individuals need to know before assuming responsibility for students or accessing the campus.

At minimum, they should understand how to summon help, recognize emergency alerts and follow the school’s protective actions.

7. Can the school account for students outside classrooms?

Students spend significant portions of the day outside their assigned classrooms.

They may be in hallways, restrooms, playgrounds, athletic fields, cafeterias, chapels, libraries or other shared spaces. Some may be moving between buildings when an emergency begins.

Emergency planning must account for those realities.

Leadership teams should consider who is responsible for students in transitional areas, how attendance information will be communicated and how reunification will be managed if normal accountability systems are disrupted.

A plan designed only around occupied classrooms is incomplete.

8. Are security officers actively observing?

A security officer should provide more than a uniformed presence.

Effective campus protection requires active observation, purposeful movement, professional communication and an understanding of normal campus activity.

When officers know what normal looks like, they are better prepared to identify what does not belong.

That might include an unfamiliar vehicle, a person attempting to avoid the main entrance, damaged fencing, unusual photography, a door that has been tampered with or an unidentified drone operating near a school event.

A guard distracted by a telephone or confined to a predictable routine is not providing the full protective value the school expects.

9. Are concerns documented in one system?

Minor incidents can appear unrelated when they are scattered across emails, handwritten notes, text messages and individual memories.

A centralized threat and incident log allows authorized personnel to identify patterns.

Repeated unwanted contact, suspicious vehicles, online statements, attempts to access restricted areas or escalating behavior may appear more concerning when viewed together.

Documentation should be timely, factual and handled according to privacy requirements. Reports should distinguish between direct observations, secondhand information and professional judgment.

Good records improve threat assessment, decision-making and after-action review.

10. Did the last drill produce measurable improvements?

The purpose of a drill is not to prove that the school already has a perfect plan.

The purpose is to identify weaknesses under controlled conditions.

Every drill should be followed by a review that asks:

• What went well?
• What created confusion?
• Did every area receive the alert?
• Were students outside classrooms accounted for?
• Did employees follow the correct procedures?
• Did any door, radio or notification system fail?
• What corrective actions are required?
• Who is responsible for completing them?
• When will leadership verify completion?

A problem identified during a drill is valuable information.

A problem repeatedly identified and never corrected is a leadership failure.

Technology Should Support a Security Culture

Cameras, access-control systems, emergency-alert platforms and visitor-management technology can significantly improve school security.

But every technology has limitations.

Cameras generally show what is happening; they do not physically stop an unauthorized person.

Electronic access control can restrict entry, but only if doors close properly and credentials are managed correctly.

Emergency-alert technology can quickly summon assistance, but employees must recognize the situation, activate the system and take the correct protective action.

Visitor-management software can screen and document guests, but it cannot compensate for entrances that allow people to bypass the screening process.

Technology is most effective when it operates within a strong security culture.

That culture requires:

• Clear leadership
• Consistent expectations
• Regular training
• Employee accountability
• Prompt reporting
• Preventive maintenance
• Effective supervision
• Law-enforcement coordination
• Honest after-action reviews
• Continuous improvement

Before approving another major security purchase, leaders should ask whether the school is fully using and maintaining what it already owns.

New equipment should solve an identified problem. It should not become a substitute for leadership or disciplined operations.

Security Must Extend From the Curb to the Classroom

School protection should be approached as a series of overlapping layers.

Those layers begin beyond the building entrance.

They include the surrounding community, campus perimeter, parking areas, arrival and dismissal operations, visitor access, interior movement, classroom protection, emergency response and reunification.

If one layer fails, another should continue providing protection.

This is the foundation of a Curb-to-Classroom approach.

At the curb

Security personnel and staff should observe approaching vehicles, pedestrian activity, traffic congestion and unusual behavior near the campus.

At the perimeter

Fencing, gates, lighting, landscaping and natural surveillance should help define school property and direct visitors toward controlled entrances.

At the entrance

Access procedures should identify visitors, manage deliveries and prevent unauthorized entry without making normal school operations unnecessarily difficult.

Inside the building

Doors, communications, employee awareness and supervision should reduce opportunities for unrestricted movement.

In the classroom

Teachers and staff should understand protective actions, maintain access to communication and know how to account for students.

During an emergency

Leadership, security personnel and public-safety agencies should operate from coordinated plans using shared terminology and clearly assigned responsibilities.

No single layer is perfect.

The strength comes from the layers working together.

The Leadership Question

Every school leadership team should consider this question:

If every security camera disappeared tomorrow, would our people and procedures still provide a strong layer of protection?

If the answer is no, the school may be relying too heavily on equipment.

Cameras are valuable. However, they cannot replace employees who recognize concerning behavior, doors that secure properly, trained security officers, working communications or leaders who act decisively.

The same question can be applied to every part of the security program.

What happens if the electronic access-control system goes offline?

What happens if a key administrator is absent?

What happens if the incident begins during dismissal, a chapel service or an athletic event?

What happens if cellular networks become overloaded?

What happens if students and teachers are outside their normal locations?

Prepared schools examine these possibilities in advance.

They build redundancy, assign alternate responsibilities and practice making decisions under imperfect conditions.

Use the School Safety Readiness Tool

The federal SchoolSafety.gov Safety Readiness Tool provides schools with a structured way to evaluate their posture across ten elements of school safety.

It can help leadership teams identify areas for improvement, explore aligned resources and develop an action plan.

The tool is available at:

SchoolSafety.gov Safety Readiness Tool

No assessment tool can replace campus-specific professional judgment, but structured reviews help schools move beyond assumptions.

The most useful assessment is not the one that produces the longest report.

It is the one that produces measurable improvements.

Vigilance Is Stewardship

For Christian schools, campus security is more than an administrative responsibility.

It is stewardship.

Parents entrust us with their children. Teachers and staff come to campus expecting a safe environment in which to serve. Students should be able to learn, worship and grow without unnecessary fear.

Meeting that responsibility requires prayer, wisdom, preparation and action.

Vigilance is not paranoia.

Preparedness is not fear.

An alert and disciplined security program allows the rest of the school community to focus on its mission.

The watchman does not create panic by remaining awake. The watchman helps others live and work in peace because someone is paying attention.

The Gold Standard

Gold Standard Security is not measured by how much equipment a school owns.

It is demonstrated through consistent daily performance:

• Doors remain secured.
• Employees report concerns.
• Security personnel remain engaged.
• Radios and alerts work.
• Visitors follow established procedures.
• Threats and incidents are documented.
• Leaders communicate clearly.
• Law enforcement knows the campus.
• Drills expose weaknesses.
• Corrective actions are completed.
• Complacency is challenged.

A school security plan should never become a document that is reviewed once and placed on a shelf.

It should guide daily operations, training, inspections, exercises and leadership decisions.

This week, select one building and conduct a ten-minute reality check.

Observe the entrance. Test a door. Check a radio. Speak with an employee. Review an incident report. Revisit the last drill. Identify one weakness and assign someone to correct it.

Then verify that the correction was completed.

That is how readiness improves.

That is how a security culture grows.

That is how schools move from simply owning security equipment to building genuine protection—from the curb to the classroom.

Not our kids. Not on our watch.

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About the author

Matt Pasquinilli is the Head of Security at Jupiter Christian School and the creator of the Gold Standard Security and Curb-to-Classroom school-security concepts. His work focuses on operational school security, CPTED, emergency preparedness, protector development and emerging threats facing Christian and faith-based schools.

By Matt Pasquinilli
Head of Security, Jupiter Christian School

School security does not begin with cameras, weapons-detection systems or expensive technology.

It begins with disciplined people consistently following sound procedures.

As we begin another school week, one threat deserves particular attention: swatting, hoax threats and the rapid spread of unverified information online.

The FBI recently reminded parents and school communities that law enforcement agencies investigated numerous hoax threats and swatting incidents targeting schools during the previous school year.

These incidents may not involve a genuine attacker, but they are never harmless.

A false report of an active shooter, bomb or other emergency can generate a large police response, place students and employees into protective actions, interrupt learning, frighten families and expose responding officers to unnecessary danger.

Every threat must therefore be taken seriously until the facts establish otherwise.

What Is a Swatting Threat?

Swatting is the deliberate reporting of a false emergency intended to generate a significant law-enforcement response.

A perpetrator might falsely report that an active shooter is inside a school, that someone has been taken hostage or that an explosive device has been placed on campus.

These reports can be made through telephone calls, Voice over Internet Protocol services, anonymous social-media accounts, emails or online messaging platforms. Offenders may spoof telephone numbers or use publicly available information to make a false report appear credible.

The purpose is often to create fear, disruption and confusion.

Sometimes the school itself is the intended target. In other cases, a student, employee or family may be targeted through harassment, retaliation or an online dispute.

Regardless of the motivation, the operational consequences can be significant.

Why Hoax Threats Are Dangerous

It is tempting to think of a hoax threat as nothing more than a prank. That is a serious mistake.

A swatting incident can cause:

• An armed law-enforcement response
• Lockdowns, holds or evacuations
• Panic among students, employees and parents
• Traffic congestion around the campus
• Interference with legitimate emergency calls
• Miscommunication between responding agencies
• Rumors spreading across social media
• Emotional trauma for students and employees
• Lost instructional time
• Criminal charges for the person responsible

A false threat can also distract security personnel and first responders from another developing incident.

School leaders must avoid two equally dangerous reactions. We cannot automatically assume that every report is genuine, but we also cannot dismiss a report simply because it resembles previous hoaxes.

Each threat must be documented, communicated, investigated and assessed through established procedures.

The First Priority: A Clear Reporting Process

Every employee should know exactly how to report a threat.

That includes teachers, administrators, office staff, coaches, custodians, volunteers, substitute teachers and security personnel.

The reporting process should answer several basic questions:

• Who receives the initial report?
• Who contacts law enforcement?
• Who notifies school leadership?
• Who determines the appropriate protective action?
• Who preserves the available evidence?
• Who communicates with parents?
• Who documents the incident in the school’s threat log?
• Who conducts the after-action review?

A crisis is not the time to search for telephone numbers, debate responsibilities or determine who has authority to make decisions.

Those questions should be answered in advance.

Preserve the Evidence

Digital information can disappear quickly.

Social-media posts may be deleted. Usernames can be changed. Messages can vanish. Links can stop working. A frightened student may close an application before anyone records what appeared on the screen.

Employees and students should be instructed to report threatening material immediately and preserve it when they can do so safely.

Useful information may include:

• Screenshots
• Usernames and account names
• Profile links
• Telephone numbers
• Email addresses
• Web addresses
• Dates and timestamps
• Exact wording
• Images or videos
• Names of witnesses
• The platform where the material appeared

Employees should not begin their own online investigation, confront the suspected individual or publicly share the threatening material.

Preserve it. Report it. Allow school leadership and law enforcement to handle the investigation.

Control the Information Environment

During a school emergency, information can spread faster than facts.

Students may begin sending messages to their families before administrators have verified what is happening. Parents may post screenshots in community groups. News organizations may contact the school. Unverified claims can quickly become accepted as fact.

Strong crisis communication is therefore part of strong school security.

Schools should prepare message templates before an incident occurs. These should cover situations such as:

• A threat under investigation
• A campus hold
• A lockdown
• An evacuation
• A law-enforcement response
• A delayed dismissal
• A reunification operation
• The conclusion of an incident

The initial message does not need to answer every question. It should explain what protective action has been taken, tell families where official updates will appear and discourage people from traveling to campus unless directed.

Parents rushing toward a school can create traffic problems, interfere with emergency vehicles and complicate accountability and reunification.

Schools should communicate early enough to reduce speculation, but never distribute unverified information simply to fill an information vacuum.

Accuracy matters. Consistency matters. Credibility matters.

Maintain Coordination With Law Enforcement

The first time local police officers see a campus should not be during a reported active-shooter incident.

School leaders should maintain regular communication with law enforcement and provide opportunities for officers to become familiar with the campus.

That coordination should address:

• Agency notification procedures
• School and law-enforcement terminology
• Incident-command responsibilities
• Campus maps and building identification
• Traffic-control concerns
• Parent staging and reunification
• Communication between school security and responding officers
• Handling of anonymous or digitally transmitted threats
• Post-incident communication

Public safety agencies and schools may use different terminology. One organization may use “hold,” another “shelter in place,” and another “secure campus.”

Those differences must be identified before an emergency.

Use Behavioral Threat Assessment Correctly

Behavioral threat assessment remains an important part of school violence prevention, but it is not simply a checklist for deciding whether someone is dangerous.

A properly trained multidisciplinary team examines behavior, communications, circumstances, stressors, access to weapons and movement along a potential pathway toward violence.

The objective is not merely to determine whether a student should be punished.

The objective is to understand the situation, identify risk, intervene appropriately and protect the school community.

A hoax threat may still reveal a student experiencing a crisis, seeking revenge, responding to bullying or demonstrating a dangerous fixation. Even when there was never a genuine plan to attack the school, the behavior may require intervention.

Security, administration, mental-health professionals and law enforcement each bring different information and responsibilities to this process.

Monday’s Operational Security Check

Every school security team should begin the week by checking the fundamentals.

Exterior doors and access points

Inspect exterior doors, gates and controlled entrances. Look for damaged hardware, doors that do not latch, malfunctioning access-control equipment and areas where employees have developed the habit of propping doors open.

A sophisticated security system cannot compensate for an unsecured door.

Radios and emergency notifications

Test radios, panic-alert systems and emergency-notification capabilities.

Confirm that batteries are charged, equipment is available and employees understand what the different alerts mean.

Technology must work under real conditions, not merely during a scheduled demonstration.

Security staffing and patrols

Review assignments, special events, athletic activities, construction projects, visitors and any staffing gaps.

Security personnel should understand that active observation is part of the job. A guard focused on a telephone is not observing people, vehicles, doors or the surrounding environment.

Patrols should remain purposeful and should not become so predictable that they lose their deterrent value.

Threat and incident logs

Make sure reports are complete, current and accessible to authorized personnel.

Patterns are difficult to recognize when information is scattered across emails, handwritten notes, text messages and individual memories.

Repeated suspicious activity may appear insignificant when viewed separately but become more concerning when documented together.

Drills and special events

Review any scheduled fire drills, lockdown drills, chapel services, athletic contests, assemblies, field trips or community events.

A campus operates differently during dismissal, a football game or a worship service than it does during an ordinary classroom period.

Security plans must account for those differences.

Unusual aerial activity

School security planning can no longer stop at the fence line.

Personnel should be prepared to observe and report unidentified drones operating near playgrounds, athletic fields, rooflines, arrival areas or large outdoor gatherings.

For most schools, the appropriate initial response is straightforward:

Detect. Observe. Document. Report. Protect.

Schools generally do not have the legal authority to jam, seize, disable or shoot down an unwanted drone. Awareness, documentation, protective action and coordination with law enforcement are therefore essential.

Questions Every School Leader Should Ask

Leadership teams should consider the following scenario:

A threatening telephone call reaches the front office at 9:15 on Monday morning.

Would the employee receiving the call know what information to record?

Would the school immediately notify the correct people?

Who would contact law enforcement?

Who would determine whether to initiate a hold, lockdown, evacuation or another protective action?

Would security personnel know their responsibilities?

Would teachers understand the terminology?

Could administrators account for students who are outside classrooms?

Would the school be able to send parents an accurate message quickly?

Would responding officers understand the campus layout?

Would anyone preserve the digital evidence?

Would the incident be documented and reviewed afterward?

If those questions cannot be answered confidently, that is the priority for this week.

Vigilance Is Stewardship

For Christian schools, security is more than an operational responsibility. It is part of our stewardship.

Parents entrust us with their children. Teachers and staff come to campus expecting a safe environment in which to serve. Students should be able to learn, worship and grow without unnecessary fear.

That responsibility requires prayer, preparation, wisdom and action.

Vigilance is not paranoia.

Preparedness is not fear.

The watchman does not create panic by remaining alert. The watchman helps others live and work in peace because someone is paying attention.

The Gold Standard

Gold Standard Security is not defined by how much equipment a school owns.

It is demonstrated through consistent daily performance:

• Doors remain secured.
• Employees report concerns.
• Security personnel remain engaged.
• Radios work.
• Threats are documented.
• Leaders communicate.
• Law enforcement knows the campus.
• Drills expose weaknesses.
• After-action reviews produce improvements.
• Complacency is challenged.

A plan sitting on a shelf does not protect anyone.

People protect people.

Policies, training, technology and equipment should support those people, but disciplined execution remains the foundation.

This week, inspect the fundamentals. Review the threat-reporting process. Test communications. Speak with law enforcement. Update the threat log. Prepare employees for swatting and online hoaxes. Identify the assumptions that may be creating vulnerabilities.

School security is not something we complete.

It is something we practice every day—from the curb to the classroom.

Not our kids. Not on our watch.

---

Matt Pasquinilli is the Head of Security at Jupiter Christian School and the creator of the Gold Standard Security and Curb-to-Classroom school-security concepts. His work focuses on operational school security, emergency preparedness, CPTED, protector development and emerging threats facing Christian and faith-based schools.

Official FBI resource:
School Swatting Risks and Guidance for Parents

By Matt Pasquinilli

Traveling can be exciting, but staying safe should always be a priority. Follow these five essential travel safety rules to protect yourself, avoid common risks, and respond confidently if something goes wrong.

Whether you are traveling across the country or around the world, personal security begins with preparation. Most travelers will never face a serious emergency, but crime, civil unrest, severe weather, medical problems, lost documents, transportation disruptions, and simple mistakes can quickly turn an enjoyable trip into a crisis.

You do not need to travel in fear. You do need to remain alert, prepared, and capable of making good decisions before a situation gets out of control.

Here are five practical travel-safety rules everyone should follow.

1. Research Your Destination Before You Leave

Your security plan should begin before you reach the airport or load the car.

Research the areas where you will be staying, the neighborhoods you plan to visit, local transportation options, common tourist scams, weather conditions, major public events, and any security concerns that could affect your trip.

When traveling internationally, review current U.S. State Department travel advisories. Learn about local laws and customs, particularly those involving identification, medications, alcohol, photography, self-defense tools, and interactions with law enforcement.

Something that is legal or socially acceptable in the United States may create serious problems in another country.

The same principle applies to domestic travel. Every city has areas, events, and situations that require greater caution. Look beyond the attractions and learn what experienced local travelers know.

Before leaving, save important contact information, including:

• Local emergency numbers
• Your hotel’s direct telephone number
• Airline or transportation contacts
• Travel insurance information
• The nearest hospital or urgent-care facility
• The closest American embassy or consulate when overseas
• A reliable emergency contact at home

Keep secure digital and paper copies of your passport, driver’s license, insurance information, prescriptions, itinerary, and other essential documents. Leave another copy with someone you trust.

You should also know exactly how you will travel from the airport, train station, or port to your lodging. Arriving without a plan can leave you standing in an unfamiliar place with your attention buried in your phone. That immediately makes you appear distracted, uncertain, and vulnerable.

Preparation reduces confusion, and reducing confusion improves security.

2. Protect Your Money, Identity, Phone, and Documents

One of the biggest mistakes travelers make is carrying everything in one wallet, purse, backpack, or phone case.

If that single item is lost or stolen, the traveler can suddenly lose access to identification, money, credit cards, hotel information, transportation, and communication.

Separate your critical resources.

Keep one payment method accessible while storing a backup card and emergency cash in another secure location. Carry only the cash you reasonably expect to need during the day.

When possible, consider using a credit card instead of a debit card. Credit cards generally provide stronger fraud protections and do not give a thief direct access to your primary bank balance.

Your phone also requires protection. It may contain your boarding passes, hotel reservations, banking applications, family photographs, email, passwords, and other sensitive information.

Before traveling:

• Protect your phone with a strong passcode
• Enable device tracking
• Turn on multifactor authentication
• Install current security updates
• Back up important information
• Know how to remotely lock or erase the device
• Keep important contact numbers somewhere other than the phone

Avoid accessing banking or other sensitive accounts through public Wi-Fi. Use cellular data or a trusted private connection whenever possible.

Be equally careful about what you share on social media. Posting your flight, hotel, room number, or exact location in real time tells strangers where you are. It may also announce that your home is empty.

Enjoy the moment first. Share the photographs after you have left the location—or after you return home.

3. Stay Alert in Transition Areas

Criminals often look for people who are distracted, overloaded, tired, intoxicated, or unfamiliar with their surroundings.

Airports, train stations, hotel lobbies, parking garages, public-transit platforms, rideshare pickup zones, tourist attractions, restaurants, and ATMs are all transition areas. Travelers naturally divide their attention between luggage, phones, tickets, directions, children, and transportation.

That distraction creates opportunity.

Keep your head up and periodically scan your surroundings. Notice who is nearby, where the exits are, and whether anyone appears unusually interested in you or your belongings.

Maintain physical control of your luggage. Do not leave your phone, wallet, passport, or bag unattended—even for a moment.

Situational awareness does not mean staring suspiciously at everyone around you. It means remaining mentally present and recognizing when something does not fit.

Pay attention to unusual behavior, such as:

• Someone repeatedly appearing along your route
• A stranger attempting to create unnecessary physical contact
• A person trying to separate you from your luggage or companions
• Someone pressuring you to make an immediate decision
• An unsolicited offer that seems too helpful or too good to be true
• A disturbance that may be intended to distract you while an accomplice steals something

Trust your instincts, but act early. If a person or situation feels wrong, create distance. Move toward hotel staff, security personnel, police officers, or a populated and well-lit area.

Do not remain in a questionable situation simply because you are afraid of appearing rude. You do not owe a stranger politeness at the expense of your safety.

Alcohol is another important consideration. It lowers awareness, slows reaction time, and weakens judgment. Enjoy yourself responsibly, but maintain enough control to recognize danger, protect your companions, and return safely to your lodging.

4. Verify Transportation and Secure Your Lodging

Transportation and lodging require more than convenience. They require verification and access control.

Before entering a rideshare vehicle, confirm the driver, vehicle description, and license plate against the information in the application. Ask the driver whom they are picking up instead of immediately providing your name.

Share your trip status with someone you trust. Avoid discussing your hotel, room number, schedule, family, finances, or travel plans with the driver.

If something feels wrong, do not enter the vehicle.

At your hotel, avoid saying your room number aloud in public. Do not leave a room key inside a holder that displays the hotel name and room number.

Once inside your room:

• Check the primary lock, deadbolt, and secondary latch
• Confirm that connecting doors and windows are secured
• Locate the nearest emergency exit
• Identify at least one alternate exit
• Count the doors between your room and the stairwell
• Keep a flashlight, shoes, phone, and room key accessible at night

Counting the doors to the stairwell may help you find the exit if smoke, darkness, or an electrical failure makes the hallway difficult to navigate.

Do not open your door simply because someone claims to be an employee. If you are not expecting a delivery, maintenance worker, or hotel representative, call the front desk using a number you independently verify.

A uniform, clipboard, tool bag, or confident voice is not proof of identity.

Your hotel room is a temporary home. Control access to it accordingly.

5. Have a Communication and Emergency Plan

Every traveler should know what to do if something goes wrong.

If you are traveling with family or friends, establish a meeting point in case you become separated. Create a regular check-in schedule and make sure everyone knows the name, address, and telephone number of the hotel.

Families should also consider establishing a simple emergency code word. If someone sends an unusual message asking for money, transportation, personal information, or immediate action, the code word can help verify whether the emergency is genuine.

Your plan should address several possible situations:

• A lost or stolen phone
• A missing wallet or passport
• A medical emergency
• A separated child or family member
• A transportation cancellation
• Severe weather
• Civil unrest or public disorder
• A credible security warning
• An evacuation from your hotel or destination

Keep the information needed to freeze your cards and contact your cellular provider somewhere other than the device that may be lost or stolen.

When traveling internationally, know how to contact the nearest American embassy or consulate. Embassy personnel may be able to help with lost passports, arrests, serious medical emergencies, or crisis-related evacuations, although travelers should still contact local emergency services first when immediate assistance is required.

Most importantly, decide in advance what conditions would cause you to change your plans or leave.

Civil unrest, severe weather, transportation shutdowns, political violence, or credible security warnings can escalate quickly. Do not let the money you spent on a trip pressure you into remaining in a deteriorating situation.

It is usually easier to leave early than to escape late.

Travel Confidently—But Never Carelessly

Personal security is not about paranoia. It is about preparation, awareness, and making good decisions early.

Research your destination. Protect your information and documents. Stay alert in transition areas. Verify transportation and control access to your lodging. Create an emergency and communication plan before you need one.

These habits require very little time, but they can prevent common travel problems from becoming serious emergencies.

Travel confidently, enjoy the experience, and make good memories—but never surrender responsibility for your own safety.

Stay alert. Stay prepared. And take responsibility for your safety.

The new school year is underway.

Students are back in classrooms. Teachers are settling into routines. Chapel schedules, athletics, parent events, field trips, and after-school activities are filling the calendar.

For Christian schools, this is also a good time to ask an important question:

Are we prepared for the threats schools face today, or are we relying on assumptions from the past?

Security in a Christian school is not separate from our mission.

It is part of our stewardship.

Parents entrust us with their children. Teachers and staff come to campus expecting a safe place to serve. Students should be able to learn, worship, build relationships, and grow without unnecessary fear.

That responsibility requires more than good intentions.

It requires vigilance.

Faith and Preparedness Are Not Opposites

Christian schools should never allow preparation to be confused with fear.

Scripture repeatedly calls believers to wisdom, watchfulness, responsibility, and care for others.

Nehemiah provides a useful picture. While rebuilding Jerusalem, the people prayed, worked, watched, and prepared.

“We prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” — Nehemiah 4:9

Prayer did not replace preparation.

Preparation did not replace faith.

They worked together.

That principle applies to school security today.

We pray for protection.

We also lock the doors.

We train our people.

We watch the perimeter.

We report suspicious behavior.

We build relationships with law enforcement.

We prepare for emergencies we hope never happen.

That is not fear.

That is stewardship.

Start With the Fundamentals

Before discussing terrorism, drones, civil unrest, or other emerging threats, schools must get the basics right.

Exterior doors should remain locked.

Visitors should enter through controlled access points.

Employees should know how to report suspicious activity.

Emergency notification systems should be tested.

Radios should work.

Cameras should cover critical areas.

Security personnel should actively patrol instead of simply occupying a post.

Teachers should understand lockdown, evacuation, shelter, and reunification procedures.

Local law enforcement should know the campus before an emergency occurs.

These practices may sound simple, but simple failures can create serious vulnerabilities.

A million-dollar security system cannot compensate for a door that is routinely propped open.

Train People, Not Just Policies

A crisis plan sitting on a shelf does not protect anyone.

People do.

Teachers, administrators, coaches, office staff, maintenance personnel, pastors, volunteers, and security officers all have a role.

Training should answer practical questions:

What do I do when an emergency alert sounds?

Where do I take students?

What happens during lunch?

What happens during chapel?

What happens at dismissal?

What if students are outside?

What happens during a football game or large church event?

Who calls 911?

Who communicates with parents?

Who assumes command if the normal administrator is unavailable?

Schools should exercise these scenarios before they become real.

Preparedness creates confidence.

See Something. Say Something. Do Something.

Behavioral threat assessment remains one of the most important tools available to schools.

Many acts of targeted violence are preceded by warning behaviors, threats, troubling communications, escalating aggression, fixation on previous attacks, or attempts to probe security.

Christian schools should intentionally create a culture where students and employees understand that reporting concerning behavior is not gossip.

It may be an act of protection.

When someone sees something concerning, the response cannot end with:

“I told somebody.”

There must be follow-up.

See something. Say something. Do something.

Every credible concern deserves appropriate review.

Christian Schools Must Consider Targeted Violence and Terrorism

Christian schools should also recognize that their religious identity can make them symbolically significant targets.

That does not mean every Christian school is under imminent threat.

It means security leaders should not assume that attacks motivated by ideology, hatred, or extremism only happen somewhere else.

Churches, synagogues, religious schools, and faith-based organizations have all had to confront targeted violence.

Security leaders should maintain awareness of local and national developments and maintain strong relationships with police, emergency management, and other partners.

The goal is not panic.

The goal is awareness.

The Election Season Can Affect Schools

The 2026 election season will bring increased political activity across the country.

Most of it will remain peaceful.

But heightened political tension can sometimes lead to demonstrations, threats, road closures, misinformation, or civil disturbances.

Christian schools should have a simple plan for situations that may affect the surrounding community.

Who monitors developing events?

Who communicates with local police?

What happens if a protest moves near campus?

What happens if traffic routes are blocked?

Who has authority to modify dismissal?

How will parents receive accurate information?

Preparing for those possibilities does not make a school political.

It makes the school responsible.

Don’t Ignore the Drone Threat

One of the fastest-changing security challenges facing schools is also one of the least understood:

drones.

Most school security plans focus on the ground.

The front door.

The parking lot.

The fence.

The gate.

But modern security planning also has to consider the airspace above the campus.

Imagine an unidentified drone hovering above elementary students at recess.

Or circling a football game.

Or repeatedly flying over the same entrance.

Or appearing to photograph cameras, gates, patrol locations, or student movement.

What happens next?

Who observes it?

Who documents it?

Who calls law enforcement?

Who moves students if necessary?

What information should be recorded?

These questions should be answered before the incident occurs.

For most schools, drone preparedness should begin with a simple principle:

Detect. Observe. Document. Report. Protect.

Schools should also understand that they generally cannot simply jam, disable, seize, or shoot down an unwanted drone.

Counter-UAS authorities are heavily regulated.

That makes awareness, documentation, protective action, and law-enforcement coordination especially important.

Protect the Worship Environment Too

Christian schools often share space with churches or host chapel services, concerts, graduations, ministry events, athletic contests, and community gatherings.

Those events create different security conditions than a normal school day.

More visitors may be present.

Doors may be open longer.

Volunteers may be unfamiliar with procedures.

Parking lots may be crowded.

Students may be dispersed.

Security plans should account for these differences.

The same campus can require a very different security posture at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday than it does during a Friday-night football game or Sunday worship service.

Complacency Is a Serious Threat

One of the most dangerous moments in school security is when everyone becomes comfortable.

The year begins with strong procedures.

Then routine takes over.

Doors get propped open.

Employees stop challenging unfamiliar people.

Radio checks become inconsistent.

Security personnel become distracted.

People assume that because nothing happened yesterday, nothing will happen tomorrow.

That is how standards slowly deteriorate.

Christian schools should resist that mindset.

Vigilance is not paranoia.

It is discipline.

The Protector’s Mindset

Those responsible for school security have a unique responsibility.

Our job is not merely to react after violence begins.

Our job is to observe.

To anticipate.

To deter.

To delay.

To protect.

And when necessary, to act.

Romans 13:4 describes governing authority as a servant for good who “does not bear the sword in vain.”

For the professional protector, that passage should reinforce the seriousness of the role.

Authority and capability carry responsibility.

Training matters.

Discipline matters.

Judgment matters.

Courage matters.

If we accept responsibility for protecting children, then we should take that responsibility seriously every day.

Five Questions Christian School Leaders Should Ask

As the year progresses, leadership teams should periodically ask:

1. What are we assuming could never happen here?
2. Where are our simplest vulnerabilities?
3. What has changed since our last security assessment?
4. What emerging threat are we not yet preparing for?
5. When was the last time we actually tested our emergency plan?

Those conversations should include administration, security, facilities, teachers, church leadership when appropriate, and law enforcement partners.

Watchmen on the Wall

The biblical image of the watchman remains relevant.

The watchman’s responsibility was not to create panic.

It was to remain awake.

To observe.

To recognize approaching danger.

To sound the alarm.

That is an appropriate mindset for Christian school security.

Our students should not spend their day afraid.

That is precisely why the adults responsible for protecting them must remain alert.

We should create campuses where children can learn and worship freely because trained adults are quietly doing the work required to protect them.

Pray.

Prepare.

Train.

Watch.

Communicate.

Build relationships.

Test your systems.

Challenge your assumptions.

Study emerging threats.

And never allow familiarity to become complacency.

Security is not simply an operational responsibility.

For those entrusted with protecting a Christian school community, it is an act of stewardship and service.

The new school year is underway.

Students are back in classrooms. Teachers are settling into routines. Athletics, after-school programs, chapel services, parent events, and countless other activities are filling school calendars again.

For those of us responsible for school security, this is also the time to ask a difficult but necessary question:

Are we prepared for the threats schools face today, or are we still operating from assumptions developed five or ten years ago?

The fundamentals of school security have not changed. We still need strong access control, trained personnel, effective communications, threat assessment, emergency planning, and partnerships with law enforcement.

What has changed is the environment around us.

Schools now have to consider a wider spectrum of threats: targeted violence, terrorism, social-media threats, swatting, political tension, potential civil unrest, cyber-related disruptions, and the rapidly developing challenge presented by drones.

The goal should not be to create fear.

The goal should be to eliminate complacency.

Start With the Basics—Because the Basics Still Matter

Emerging threats can sometimes cause security professionals to overlook the things that prevent incidents every day.

A sophisticated security program means very little if exterior doors are routinely propped open.

A state-of-the-art camera system is of limited value if nobody is watching it or knows how to quickly retrieve footage.

An emergency plan is useless if the people expected to carry it out have never practiced it.

Before worrying about advanced threats, schools should make sure the fundamentals are consistently working:

• Exterior doors remain locked and monitored.
• Visitors enter through controlled access points.
• Staff know how to report suspicious behavior.
• Radios and emergency notification systems are tested.
• Cameras provide useful coverage of critical areas.
• Security personnel maintain active patrol patterns.
• Staff understand lockdown, evacuation, shelter, and reunification procedures.
• Local law enforcement understands the campus layout.
• Emergency contact lists remain accurate.
• Security procedures are actually followed when nobody is watching.

Security is built through layers.

No single camera, guard, locked door, policy, or technology can protect a school by itself.

The objective is to create enough overlapping layers that an attacker, intruder, or other threat is detected, delayed, denied, or interrupted before reaching students and staff.

Train People, Not Just Policies

Many schools have excellent emergency plans.

The question is whether the people inside the building know what those plans actually require.

During a real emergency, nobody wants to search through a binder trying to determine what happens next.

Training should create familiarity.

Teachers should understand what different emergency alerts mean. Administrators should know who assumes command. Security personnel should know their assignments. Front-office staff should understand visitor and threat-reporting procedures. Coaches should know what to do when students are outside traditional classrooms.

Training should also include realistic scenarios.

What happens if a threat occurs during lunch?

During dismissal?

At a football game?

During chapel?

When hundreds of parents are on campus?

When students are moving between buildings?

When the primary administrator is unavailable?

The more realistic our training becomes, the more weaknesses we discover before an actual emergency exposes them.

Threat Assessment May Be Our Best Opportunity for Prevention

There is an understandable tendency in school security to focus on the moment an attack begins.

But prevention often starts much earlier.

The FBI emphasizes behavioral threat assessment as a method of examining whether a person’s behaviors suggest movement toward targeted violence. Importantly, threat assessment is not about identifying one magical warning sign. It is about looking at patterns of behavior, context, escalation, preparation, and other indicators. (FBI)

Concerning behaviors may include violent statements, fixation on previous attackers, escalating aggression, preparing weapons or tactical equipment, creating manifestos or videos, communicating violent intentions, or testing security at a possible target. (FBI)

That last point should get the attention of every security professional.

Testing security can itself be part of the warning process.

Someone repeatedly approaching restricted areas, photographing entrances, asking unusual questions, attempting unauthorized access, watching arrival patterns, or probing procedures should not automatically be dismissed as harmless.

Context matters.

Documentation matters.

Communication matters.

That is why schools need a culture where employees understand:

See something. Say something. Then make sure somebody does something.

Reporting is only the first step. Concerning behavior has to reach people who are trained and empowered to assess it.

Terrorism and Targeted Violence Cannot Be Ignored

Schools are emotionally and symbolically important places.

Religious schools in particular may also represent ideological or faith-based targets.

That does not mean schools should operate as fortresses or assume an attack is imminent. It does mean security professionals should understand that the threat landscape extends beyond the traditional concept of a disgruntled student or lone active shooter.

CISA continues to provide resources designed to help organizations and public gathering places identify suspicious activity, strengthen physical security, and prepare for terrorism-related threats and other security incidents. (CISA)

Security leaders should maintain relationships with local police, federal partners when appropriate, emergency management, neighboring organizations, and other schools.

Intelligence sharing matters.

If something significant is happening locally, nationally, or internationally, school security leaders should be asking whether it changes the school’s risk picture.

Not every headline requires a security response.

But every security leader should have situational awareness beyond the campus fence.

The 2026 Election Season Adds Another Variable

The United States is approaching the November 2026 midterm elections.

Schools do not need to become political organizations to recognize that elections can produce heightened emotions, demonstrations, disputes, misinformation, and unexpected activity in communities.

The concern is not that civil unrest is inevitable.

It is that security planning should account for the possibility of disruption.

Schools located near government buildings, major roadways, political events, demonstrations, or other gathering places should understand what could affect transportation, dismissal, special events, or access to campus.

School leaders should also determine in advance:

Who monitors developing local events?

Who communicates with law enforcement?

Who has authority to modify dismissal procedures?

What happens if roads around the school are blocked?

How would an unexpected demonstration near campus be handled?

What if an online rumor suddenly identifies the school?

These are much easier questions to answer before an incident occurs.

Swatting, Hoaxes, and Online Threats Are Part of the Modern Security Environment

A threat does not have to be genuine to create chaos.

False active-shooter reports, bomb threats, anonymous social-media posts, and swatting incidents can create enormous operational problems for schools and law enforcement.

The FBI notes that it receives thousands of school-threat tips, ranging from direct threats to cryptic social-media posts, and stresses that threats of violence at schools have to be taken seriously. (FBI)

Schools should have established procedures for quickly preserving information when online threats appear.

Screenshots disappear.

Accounts get deleted.

Posts change.

Usernames are forgotten.

Employees should know exactly who receives that information and how quickly law enforcement should be contacted.

At the same time, schools should avoid allowing rumors to outrun verified information.

Strong crisis communication is now part of strong physical security.

The Threat Above Us: Drones

One emerging security issue deserves significantly more attention from schools:

Unmanned aircraft systems—drones.

Most school security planning is still two-dimensional.

We think about threats coming through the gate.

Across the parking lot.

Through the front entrance.

Over a fence.

Through an unlocked door.

But what happens when the threat is above the campus?

CISA’s Be Air Aware initiative specifically addresses the physical and cybersecurity risks associated with unmanned aircraft systems and provides guidance for organizations responsible for infrastructure and public gatherings. (CISA)

CISA has also published guidance explaining that drones may potentially be used for hostile surveillance, to bypass traditional security measures, or even to carry dangerous payloads. (CISA)

Schools should begin asking basic questions.

What happens if an unknown drone repeatedly flies over the campus?

What if it hovers above students during dismissal?

What if it circles an athletic event?

What if someone appears to be using it to photograph entrances, security posts, cameras, or student movement?

Who reports it?

Who documents it?

Who contacts law enforcement?

Do security officers know what information would be useful to responding authorities?

Does anyone know the difference between recreational activity and behavior that should generate concern?

Even basic awareness would put many schools significantly ahead of where they are today.

Don’t Buy a “Drone Jammer”

There is another important point schools need to understand.

Seeing a suspicious drone does not automatically mean a school security department can electronically disable it, jam it, take control of it, or shoot it down.

Federal law places significant restrictions on counter-UAS activity. Federal guidance explains that disrupting, disabling, seizing, or electronically interfering with drones generally requires specific legal authority, and the federal government has warned non-federal organizations about legal issues surrounding many detection and mitigation technologies. (CISA)

For most schools, the immediate focus should therefore be:

Detect. Observe. Document. Report. Protect.

That means training personnel to notice suspicious UAS activity, record useful information, move students when appropriate, preserve evidence, and rapidly coordinate with law enforcement.

The first step in drone preparedness is not buying expensive counter-drone equipment.

It is having a plan.

Security Personnel Must Remain Engaged

Technology continues to improve.

Artificial intelligence can assist camera systems.

Access-control systems can track entry.

Emergency notification systems can instantly alert an entire campus.

But none of those technologies eliminate the need for alert people.

Security personnel have to resist the gradual normalization that occurs when nothing happens.

A guard who spends an entire shift staring at a phone is not providing the same security value as a guard actively observing people, vehicles, doors, and surroundings.

Predictable patrol patterns create vulnerabilities.

Unchallenged strangers create vulnerabilities.

Unreported maintenance problems create vulnerabilities.

The greatest enemy of an established security program may not always be the attacker.

Sometimes it is routine.

Fight Complacency

The beginning of the school year usually brings heightened security awareness.

Teachers pay closer attention to procedures.

Administrators review plans.

Security teams check equipment.

Doors stay locked.

Then the year progresses.

People become comfortable.

A door gets propped open because someone is carrying equipment.

Someone allows a visitor inside because they recognize the face.

Radio checks become inconsistent.

Security personnel settle into routines.

Drills become predictable.

Minor warning signs get dismissed because nothing happened the previous time.

That is how standards slowly erode.

The challenge for security leaders is creating a culture where vigilance continues long after the first week of school.

Five Questions Every School Security Team Should Ask

As the school year moves forward, I would encourage every security director, administrator, law enforcement partner, and school leader to periodically ask:

1. What are we assuming cannot happen here?

Those assumptions deserve examination.

2. Where can someone defeat our security with something simple?

A propped door may matter more than a million-dollar technology system.

3. What has changed since our last security assessment?

Buildings change. Personnel change. Threats change. Technology changes.

4. What emerging threat are we currently ignoring?

For many schools, drones belong on that list.

5. When was the last time we tested our plan instead of simply reviewing it?

There is a major difference.

Security Is a Daily Discipline

There is no finish line in school security.

We never get to declare the campus permanently secure.

Threats evolve.

People change.

Technology changes.

The surrounding community changes.

Our security posture has to evolve with it.

Continue conducting threat assessments.

Continue applying CPTED principles.

Continue testing access control.

Continue training teachers and staff.

Continue exercising emergency plans.

Continue building relationships with police and first responders.

Continue studying what attackers are doing elsewhere.

And start preparing for the threats that may not yet be on your checklist.

Especially the ones coming from above.

The objective is not to turn schools into prisons.

It is to create environments where children can learn, teachers can teach, and families can have confidence that the adults responsible for protecting them are paying attention.

Stay alert. Keep training. Challenge assumptions. Fight complacency.

Because school security isn’t something we do at the beginning of the year.

It is a daily discipline.