School GreeterTraining Workshop

Agenda

• Roles and Responsibilities of School Greeters

• Skills for being a School Greeter• Recognizing potential problems• Communications• Tools and Resources available • Skill building and information sharing

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Multifaceted Approach to Safety

• No portion stands alone • Where have we been• Where we are going• District Policies• Emergency Response

IDSign-out

WeaponsDesk

De-escalation

Sign-in

Comm-unication

EscortVisitor

Why are we here?• Violent crime in

schools has declined since 1994. The incident rate in 2003 (6 per 1,000 students) was less than half of that in 1994

Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). Cited in Table 2.2 in Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2005; National Center for Education Statistics, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Why are we here?• September 17, 2007: Willingboro, NJ - Elementary school locked down

after unidentified male came onto school property and shot at the building while children were inside. No one was injured.

• September 28, 2007: Houston, TX – A middle school student, who had been suspended earlier in the day for threatening teachers, returned to the school with a 9mm gun loaded with 14 rounds. The school was in lockdown for about 15 minutes.

• October 10, 2007: Cleveland, OH – A student shot two teachers and two students, and then killed himself. The shooter had been suspended the day before for fighting with another student.

• October 10, 2007: Norristown, PA – A student was arrested for planning a Columbine-like attack and stockpiling a mass of weapons. Police reportedly found numerous guns, bomb-making instructions, videos of the Columbine attack, hand grenades, and other items.

Why are we here?• January 18, 2008: Hempstead, NY - A 15-year-old male high school

student was stabbed while playing handball on the high school's athletic court around 3:30pm after school dismissed. Initial police reports were that the victim and his 16-year-old friend were ambushed by non-students

• January 23, 2009: Cahokia, IL - A 17-year-old male non-student was shot and killed in a high school parking lot in between junior varsity and varsity girls basketball games.

• September 15, 2009: Coral Gables, FL - A 17-year-old high school student was stabbed to death during a fight in a school courtyard around 9:00am

• October 30, 2009: Long Beach, CA - A 16-year-old female high school honors student was shot and killed while leaving a high school homecoming game. Police reported the victim was an innocent bystander in the middle of two rival gangs engaged in a conflict.

Why are we here?

• December 14, 2012 – Sandy Hook Elementary, 20 year old Armed Gunman entered school with several guns and opened fire in several classrooms. Killed 20 students, and 7 staff members. Committed Suicide when law enforcement arrived at school.

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Entrance / Access

• There should be one to each building (or very limited means of access)– “single point of entry”

• All other doors should be locked

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Enhancing Equipment Entrance / Access

• Cameras• Buzzers / Keypads / Proximity

Cards• Interior Doors

YOU Are Your School !!!

• The Greeter is usually the first person a visitor encounters

• Your first impressions will guide you on how to treat the visitor

• Their first impressions will dictate how they view your school

KEEP YOUR SCHOOL SAFE… MAKE YOUR VISITOR FEEL

WELCOME

• Welcome visitors and ensure they follow proper visitor rules

• Identify potential hostile/dangerous situations and report them properly

• Work with School Administrators and outside agencies to ensure a safe school environment

Roles and Responsibilities of a School Greeter

Greeting a Visitor:- Ask who they are and who they are there to

see. Request picture ID, verify name- Contact the person visitor is seeing and

have them come to front desk - Door should be opened from inside or

remotely- Use most direct path from door to desk

DO NOT ALLOW VISITORS TO WANDER THROUGH THE SCHOOL !!!

Roles and Responsibilities of a School Greeter

• Have visitor sign in and give them a visitor badge. Remind them of the need to sign out and return the badge when done

• School may have policy regarding visitors being accompanied at all times, including while departing

• Be observant for visitor departing and ensure they sign out

Roles and Responsibilities of a School Greeter

• Be observant for any potential problems in the area of the school entrance

• Be observant for any potential problems anywhere in the school and report them

• Know what to do in case of an emergency• Know the building floor plan

Roles and Responsibilities of a School Greeter

Skills of a School Greeter

Observing (Seeing, Listening, Monitoring)

Reporting(Internal (Office, Security, etc) and External (Police,

Emergency Responders, etc.)

ObserveThe individual may be under the influence of one or more of the

following emotions:

ANGER

FRUSTRATION

CONFUSION

Self ControlThe only aspect of a crisis

situation that we have absolute control over is our

EMOTIONS.

Self ControlWhen confronted with a

difficult subject, the first step is not to control his/her

behavior,but to control your own

behavior.

Self ControlIf you can’t control yourself,

you can’t control the situation.

Nonverbal Behavior

Your tone indicates your attitude.

A calm controlled demeanor may be more effective than

a brilliant argument.

Self ControlAllow individual to finish

before you respond

Repeat back what you think the problem is

Nonverbal Behavior

Tone of voice

Eye contact (or lack of)

Facial expressions

Posture and gestures

Observing Seeing

• Monitoring of door• Recognition of non-regular people• Potential problems between students• Signs of problems (smoke, fire, etc) • Recognition of suspicious items (i.e.

packages, backpacks, weapons, etc)

Recognizing Problems

• Recognizing potentially dangerous individuals

Ask yourself: Does this person belong in this place at this time?

• Problems between students• Unusual sights/sounds/smells• Alarms and warnings

Observing Monitoring

• Do not get physically involved• Notify school/outside officials• Always be aware of who is in the area

Observing Listening

• Attending to buzzer/intercom

• Listening for sounds of potential problems (fights, alarms, noises)

Active Listening

• LISTEN

• ACKNOWLEDGE

• DON’T ARGUE

Five Steps To Active Listening

1. Listen to the content

2. Listen to the intent, repeat it back for clarity

3. Be aware and assess nonverbal communication

4. Monitor your nonverbal communication

5. Listen with empathy

EMPATHY

Empathy absorbs tension.“Let me be sure that I

understand what you need …”

“I can understand how you would be upset over …”

Be careful not to promise something you cannot give

Occupy The Individual

Slow things down

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De-escalation

• Aggressive Behavior and Body Language

• “You must sign-in!”• “I need you to sign-in”• Notify appropriate personnel if

threats are made• Descriptions

Practice• With a partner, choose one to act as the

greeter, one will act as a visitor

• Use the scenario given to you

• Use the active listening skills that we reviewed

The Role in a Crisis: Tools for Dealing with

the Dreaded Phone Call

Communications

• InternalIntercom system / door buzzer

Communication with office/supervisors Notification of potential hostilities

• ExternalPolice/Emergency Services

Oswego BOCES

How Your Role Plays into Response

• Major Components – Relationships

• Know your crisis team members, know staff and students

– Communications• Gather facts and share information with

administrators • Know your Phone Tree • Gotta-Go-Bags (ensure resources are

maintained)• Use Tools to gather facts

– Bomb Threat Card, Greeter Checklist

– Training and Practice • Conduct periodic training on role

(tabletops/drill scenarios)

Communications

• Ensure phone numbers, fax numbers, email addresses of each building crisis team is updated. – Common language between school

district and emergency responders.– Understand communication protocols in

regard to school safety.– Staff Identification Badges.

• Best Practice Consideration – number all exterior doors for easy identification for emergency services response.

Greeter ChecklistSCHOOL GREETER CHECKLIST SCHOOL: __________ MONTH: _____________

  1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Supplies                              Visitor Log and Badges                              Staff Directory                              Emergency Contacts                              Pens                              Information Log                                                             Emergency Response                              Building Safety Plan                              Go Bag                              Student Attendance                              Staff Attendance                              Bomb Threat Card                              First Aid Kit                              AED                                                             

Setup                              Line of Sight to Office                              Line of Sight to Door                              Remote Door Access                              Clear pathway                                                             

Communications                              Phone                              Cell Phone                              Radio                              Remote Alarm                              Video                                                             Miscellaneous                                                             

Bomb Threat Card

http://troopers.ny.gov/Publications/Crime_Prevention/bombcard.pdf

Gotta Go Bags

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More

• Do not leave desk unattended• Watch for distractions• Have a means of communication

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More

• Be mindful of what you may say in front of visitors (protect confidentiality)

• Bathroom Break Coverage

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Awareness - - Packages

Suspicious Packages

Bomb Threats

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Housekeeping

• Desk appearance• Potential weapons

Additional Tools and Resources Available

Oswego BOCES Health and Safety – Debra Eichholtz (315) 963-4476

Oswego BOCES Security – Mike Sterio (315) 963-4481

New York State Police, Troop D – Jack Keller, Outreach Coordinator (315) 366-6077

New York State Center for School Safety – http://nyscenterforschoolsafety.org/

National School Safety Center – http://www.schoolsafety.us/

Centers for Disease Control – www.cdc.gov/injury/

Keep Schools Safe - http://www.keepschoolssafe.org/

Public School Parents Network - http://www.psparents.net/school_security.htm

Safe Schools

Is Our

Business

Questions???

Quiz

Conclusion

• Ask questions, share ideas with colleagues, make suggestions

• Attend Crisis Team Meetings • Know your Role in Emergency

Response

Thank you for your Time!We are Here to Help!

Office of Safety and Risk ManagementDebra Eichholtz, Safety Coordinator

315-963-4476deichholtz@oswegoboces.org