School Security a Topic at Critical Incident Conference

SAN FRANCISCO — Attendees at the Technologies 2007 Critical Incident Preparedness conference received an update on issues involving school security from three professionals in different sectors of the security market.

In a presentation moderated by Michael O’Shea, law enforcement program manager at the National Institute of Justice, attendees learned about a new software program that is being developed to improve school security, along with issues involved with managing security at schools in a Boston suburb and security considerations at a large university.

Sara C. Szmania, senior project manager at Signature Science, spoke about a new simulation-training tool that is being developed with funding from the NIJ that will allow security professions to prepare for a campus shootings.

Daniel Perenick, school resource officer for the police department in Winchester, Mass., discussed the school threat assessment and response system that was developed by the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council. The system provides law enforcement and school officials with detailed plans and an organizational structure for emergency situations.

Steve Harris, interim director at the Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness at the University of Georgia , discussed several components of security techniques used at the university, including e-mail and cell phone notification systems for students.