Crisis Management Leadership Principles for Security Professionals

Crisis Management initiatives that cover issues of mitigation & prevention, preparedness, response and recovery is critical to security professionals.

On Tuesday, December 4, 2012, I delivered a keynote titled Crisis Management Leadership Principles for Hospital Security Professionals at Rockefeller University in New York City at the request of the Metropolitan Healthcare Security/Safety Directors Association, Inc.

As with my many crisis management initiatives, such as the one noted below for the Southern New Jersey Prosecutors, it was conducted to assist with professional development so important to the security profession.

A Note from the Prosecutors

Welcome to the 4th Annual School Security Conference. The goal of the conference is to educate law enforcement and school officials alike on the challenges of safeguarding our students and school personnel. School security issues are common to us all. We are all dealing with providing important public service with limited financial resources.

Against this backdrop, it is imperative for law enforcement and school districts to coordinate our efforts to deal effectively with the challenges facing us all. It is our firm belief that working together, we will keep our schools safe.

Respectfully,

Theodore F. L. Housel — Atlantic County Prosecutor
Robert D. Bernardi — Burlington County Prosecutor
Warren W. Faulk — Camden County Prosecutor
Robert L. Taylor — Cape May Prosecutor
Jennifer Webb — McRae-Cumberland County Prosecutor
Sean F. Dalton — Gloucester County Prosecutor
John T. Lenahan — Salem County Prosecutor

---

These prosecutors of southern New Jersey held their conference on August 12, 2010 at Washington Township High School in Sewell, New Jersey with over 300 law enforcement, school and community officials attending. The speakers included:

• Sean F. Dalton—Gloucester County Prosecutor
  
• Jennifer Webb-McRae—Cumberland County Prosecutor
  
• Michael Pohle—Father of Michael Pohle, Jr., a student killed at Virginia Tech
  
• Vincent J. Bove—Leadership and Security Educator
  
• Paula T. Dow—Attorney General of the State of New Jersey
  
• Richard Norcross—Gang Awareness Authority

As a featured speaker, I was privileged to deliver a 60 minute presentation titled Transforming Our Schools: Reawakening the Heart of the Nation. The presentation integrated elements of school security, character education, academic achievement and community collaboration so vital to our schools and to the future of our nation. The metaphor of a head on collision with the culture of violence and crisis of character was utilized as well as critical New Jersey compliance issues. These included the Commissioner of Education School Administrator Procedures of Responding to Critical Incidents and Model School Security Policies:

• Active Shooter Response Procedures
  
• Bomb Threat Response Procedures
  
• Evacuation Procedures
  
• School Lockdown Procedures
  
• Public Information Procedures

The School Security Drill Guide for the State of New Jersey was also discussed since beginning November 1, 2010 all New Jersey schools must comply with various security drills aside from fire drills.

Critical documents from the U.S. Department of Education, Secret Service and FBI on crisis planning, early warning signs, safeguarding our students, threat assessments, character education and violence prevention were also addressed. Attendees were encouraged to work collaboratively and to implement programs through professional development, security vulnerability assessments and initiatives that encompass all elements of the community.

The presentation was complimented with copies of my newest book Listen To Their Cries which was sponsored for all attendees through the generosity of the prosecutors as facilitated by the leadership of Prosecutor Dalton. As with all of my presentations, it concluded with a tribute to the American Military.

The prosecutors are to be commended for their practical response to school security through this conference. It is an event highly recommended and mission critical to our nation and will hopefully be imitated through the leadership of prosecutors throughout the nation.

READ MORE

Listen To Their Cries	Click here to visit site
New Jersey Department of Education School Security	Click here to visit site
A UNIFORM STATE MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN EDUCATION AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS	Click here to visit site
MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT FAQs	Click here to visit site
Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools – August 1998	Click here to visit site
Safeguarding Our Children: An Action Guide – April 2000	Click here to visit site
Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and Creating Safe School Climates	Click here to visit site
THE FINAL REPORT AND FINDINGS OF THE SAFE SCHOOL INITIATIVE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE PREVENTION OF SCHOOL ATTACKS IN THE UNITED STATES – May 2002	Click here to visit site
PRACTICAL INFORMATION ON CRISIS PLANNING: A GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES – May 2003	Click here to visit site
Vincent Bove School Violence Blogs	Click here to visit site