Student Safety & Security conference, Las Vegas

School safety and security advocates gathered in Las Vegas Nov. 29-30 to strengthen their efforts to develop more effective solutions to the various security and safety issues that challenge schools in the US today. In the first-ever national conference of its kind, leaders from various sectors met to discuss ways to eliminate school violence, in all its permutations.

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Among the activities participants went through during the two-day conference were the following:

* Discussed new techniques and plans of implementing the methods to respond to actual violent situations in the school environment
* Made detailed listing of federal, state, county, and local government resources that may be called upon for assistance during emergencies
* Mapped out ways and means for effective communications among school staff, parents, students and first responder/emergency teams when a crisis occurs
* Learned techniques for post-crisis recovery operations, including counseling for victims and their families, and the rest of the students and staff in the school community.

The discussions were enriched by the presentations from officials and security experts of educational institutions that actually were involved in crises and violent incidents. The institutions recounted their experience and the lessons learned as they tried to survive the horror and recover from the trauma of the incidents.

National perspectives on school safety were provided by officials from the US Department of Justice, including a rundown on pending rules and regulations, as well as proposals for legislative action, intended to address the problem of school violence.

The recent spate of violent incidents has sparked an ongoing debate on the complex psychological, institutional and legal issues that bear on the rights and safety of every member of the school community.

The conference also involved the participants in role-playing simulations of violent incidents and how the different sectors in the community responded.

Medical professionals from the Johns Hopkins University also shared their insights on the public health issues involved in violent incidents.