Each school year, millions of students and educators experience crises spanning from natural disasters, health-related incidents, accidents, or man-made threats. An Incident Command System (ICS) is an invaluable tool for managing these stressful situations and actively reducing harm. However, many schools lack a proper ICS team or utilize a critically underdeveloped strategy. School personnel are overloaded with responsibilities, making ICS something they fail to prioritize. Some educators do make an effort to develop practical crisis response plans, but they need external expertise to ensure they aren’t missing any vulnerabilities.
In response to an increase in school shootings and other violent acts, more schools have embraced stronger security protocols. They have hired additional officers to guard the premises and implemented plans to handle active shooter scenarios. However, these initiatives are not comprehensive enough to keep schools and pupils protected. Most safety plans focus on single incidents rather than adopting a modular approach applicable to any situation. Joe Viramontez, the CEO and Founder of ICS4Schools, urges schools to proactively plan for crises. With over 30 years of experience as the former Captain of the Santa Clara County Fire Department, Joe has sobering insights about how schools are falling short on safety.
Despite local and Federal regulations on Incident Command Systems or Standardized Emergency Management Systems, schools are slow to adopt end-to-end protocols. Funding is a barrier to this challenge, but many schools are also unaware of how their systems should be transformed. Joe realized this fact after providing safety consulting services to a local school district his wife worked for. At the time, Joe had never been involved with the education system, only serving the local community through firefighting. However, his decades of experience as a first responder enabled him to see the application of Incident Command Systems (ICS) in schools. This first project was a complete success, and every client since has expressed similar gratitude for Joe’s work.
“When I begin the hazard assessment process and a deep audit of how a school prepares for and responds to crises, the staff are quick to thank me for what I do,” Joe says. “Superintendents lose sleep at night thinking about what would happen if something bad happened tomorrow, so I’ve heard many say ‘Where have you been all my life?’ once they know I can solve their problems with training, exercises, and other resources that are critical for responsible crisis response.”
ICS4Schools has grown organically since its establishment in 2007, now operating in over 21 districts and partnering with 200 schools. The company has captured significant market share because there are relatively few players specializing in developing ICS teams for schools.
Incident Command Systems have existed for a very long time and can be applicable for pre-planned, non-emergency events. These strategies involve multiple categories of responsibility that are activated as necessary. Operations, planning, logistics, and finance are the most common. Regardless of the school’s individual circumstances and the makeup of its staff, an ICS should clearly outline who is responsible for what. Although Principals and educators will change depending on the incident, staff should have knowledge and practice with their duties. ICS4Schools ensures that information becomes memory by offering in-depth training, annual refresher courses, and other resources. The company has a patented mobile response app enabling staff to report, record, and document emergencies whenever necessary. ICS4Schools also provides staff with printed and digital manuals and cards detailing safety responsibilities.
Despite ICS4Schools hard work with hundreds of schools, Joe asserts that the problem has yet to be solved. The majority of schools lack a coordinated, developed ICS team that will support them during a crisis. Even if they design a plan that is detailed and reliable, many schools fall short on training and preparedness drills. Without enough practice or support, school personnel never tap into the potential of a high-quality ICS team. They lack the expertise in emergency response and the time necessary for building, testing, and refining their ICS team. This is why the company wants to expand outside California to any school needing safety consulting.
“School sites and districts are in the business of education,” They hire us because we’re naturally inclined to pinpoint safety issues, and areas for improvement, and orchestrate these suggestions into a simple plan any staff member can understand. I’m proud that ICS4Schools has helped so many educators and students thus far, and I’m committed to equipping every American school to have a much safer future.”
Safety threats are constantly evolving in today’s landscape. Schools face an onslaught of new and old risks, but they can take an innovative approach to managing their institutions by partnering with ICS4Schools today.
