After-hours security may often be relaxed and not given proper attention. This may be especially true for sporting events and other after school special events such as proms, graduations, theater performances, etc. During this session, a school security specialist from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSEP) will share a presentation to assist schools provide and promote heightened security during after-school activities.

The Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) can provide a team to observe a pre-selected school drill, discuss observations made during the drill, and share options for consideration to address any identified topics which may benefit from improvement. Participants involved in the drill observation typically include the administration team, director of buildings and grounds, representation from the local police department and county prosecutor’s office. Observations by the OSPEP are for technical assistance, not monitoring.

School Security Site Assessment

The Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) can provide a team to accompany the district superintendent, along with his other designees, on a tour of the campus and conduct a walk-through of the interior and exterior of the selected school buildings. During this tour, the team will assist in assessing the physical security features in place and will discuss security practices and policies which may help to enhance or improve campus safety.

Site Assess Tool

An annual security site assessment of all school buildings in each school district is required by law. Assessments are to be conducted using the Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) technical assistance site assess tool offered by the U.S. Department of Education and resulting reports must be sent to the New Jersey Department of Education as well as to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. The Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) team will train school districts on the use of the tool and report submission upon request.

Proper and safe response to a school’s receipt of a bomb threat, or identification of a suspicious package consists of several key elements. During this session, the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) will share practices and procedures to follow when a school bomb threat is received or discovered, or when a suspicious package has been identified. This session is facilitated in partnership with the New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit.

Situation-Based Scenario

The Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) will coordinate a tabletop exercise of a situation-based school bomb threat scenario to discuss practical responses to bomb threat incidents. Representatives from the New Jersey State Police Bomb Unit will take the participants through an exercise of the responses and actions to take upon receipt of a bomb threat. Upon completion of the scenario-based response, and at the discretion of the superintendent, a schoolwide bomb threat drill may be facilitated. The drill will be observed by experts from the New Jersey State Police and the OSPEP team, and a follow-up discussion including feedback of the activity will conclude the session.

After a school crisis, bringing students and parents back together is the first step in the recovery process. Having a parent and student reunification plan in place is a critical but often overlooked element of this process. During this session, a school security specialist from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) will discuss the difference between an evacuation and reunification, the elements of a reunification plan, how to identify and prepare appropriate reunification sites, communication during the reunification process, and execution of the reunification process.

The Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) can meet with the school or district leadership team to review the requisite School Safety and Security Plan and provide guidance to assist ensure alignment with the requirements mandated under N.J.A.C. 6A:16-5.1. The focus of the meeting will be to review the 91 required elements of the plan to ensure the required elements and details are incorporated in the plan.

Front office staff are a key element in furthering the safety and security of our schools. These staff members are responsible for screening visitors, monitoring video cameras, announcing emergencies, answering possible threatening phone calls, and screening mail. These staff members are often left out of discussions concerning many aspects of school safety. In this presentation, staff will be presented with screening techniques for visitors, response protocols for handling threatening phone calls and suspicious mail items, and threat recognition and response protocols.  

For many, school bus operators and bus aides are the first adults a student encounters on their journeys to and from school. As such, these members of the school community often play a unique role in student safety. This session is designed to guide school bus operators, bus aides, and transportation coordinators on issues impacting transportation safety. School Security Specialists from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) will cover topics such as general bus, bus-stop, and pedestrian safety; crash dynamics; bus evacuation considerations; and reacting to and reporting suspicious activities, etc.

Planning and brainstorming responses to an unexpected situation will often reveal unexpected challenges. School security specialists from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) are available to arrange, prepare, and host roundtable discussions with school and district leadership, representatives from the local first responder community, and other appropriate stakeholders. These sessions can take the form of tabletop exercises where participants are guided through a response to for a hypothetical crisis. Participants will discuss anticipated response, assess available resources, and evaluate practical mitigation elements.

This session will inform attendees of behaviors associated with individuals escalating toward potential violence. Recognizing warning signs is one key to intervention and prevention of school violence. During the session, we will discuss the “pathway to violence” and methods to construct school-based behavioral assessment teams to recognize such behaviors and assist in implementing appropriate interventions.

During a natural disaster or community-wide crisis, educational leaders may be called requested or required by local, county or state officials to use the school(s) as temporary housing shelters. In such situations there are many things for school leaders and district administrators to consider. In this session, school security specialists from the Office of School Preparedness and Emergency Planning (OSPEP) will provide an overview of essential elements to consider when using a school as a shelter and what preparation and training should take place to prepare for such an event.