Expert: There Is No Single Answer To Preventing A School Shooting
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Schools across the country are re-evaluating safety on campus following Friday deadly events at Santa Fe High School in Texas. But is there a "right way" to prevent these shootings from happening?
"It takes a holistic approach," said Dan Davis, a partner with National Violent Intruder Preparedness Solutions. "There's no one solution to this."
Many schools have installed metal detectors while others require students to go through active shooter training. And some have even reduced the number of entry points on campus.
Davis is former Police Chief at Sacramento State and now advises schools on how to prepare for intruders.
"If we continue to have this 4-day conversation after these events and then let it die, it's going to happen again!" he said.
Many local schools are trying out different systems. In Marysville, they're using Catapult EMS: an emergency notification system that connects teachers with police. In Vacaville, they're conducting intruder drills. In Lincoln, they're using door-blocking security devices.
Davis says parents and teachers should watch students for indicators like alarming pictures on social media and odd behavior.
"We hear about 'Oh, we knew about this, but we didn't really think we needed to take this seriously,'" he told CBS13.
"We may have to look at the design of our schools moving forward," said Dan Patrick, Lt. Governor of Texas. "Maybe we need to look at limiting the entrances and exits into our schools."
But Davis says at Sandy Hook Elementary, a one-way entrance didn't help.
"They locked the door and he shot through the window!" Davis said.
So what about metal detectors?
"I'm not saying that's a bad idea, it is an idea," he said. "But I don't want to see our schools be lulled into a false sense of security."
He says the possibilities of a shooter avoiding various barriers are endless.
"I'm a father and I don't want my kids to feel like they're not safe going to school," Davis said.
The National Violent Intruder Preparedness Solutions (NATIONAL VIPS) has "Seven Steps to Survival":
- Prevention-Heed Warning Sings
- Make or Listen for Alerts
- Evade/Escape
- Lockdown
- Defuse/De-escalate
- Distract/Disrupt
- Resist
