Schoolsafety.gov, the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse website launched this week by the Trump Administration, includes the Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) school security guidelines as a recommended resource for developing and implementing plans for physical security in schools.
The 4th Edition PASS Safety and Security Guidelines for K-12 Schools lives among several government-developed resources as the only non-government resource.
The PASS guidelines were established in 2014 by the Security Industry Association (SIA) and the National Systems Contractor Association (NSCA). The guidelines are intended to provide school administrators, school boards and public safety professionals with leading practices for implementing a layered, multi-tiered approach to school safety and security.
Led by a multidisciplinary team of volunteers, PASS brings together expertise from the education community, law enforcement and the security industry to develop and support a coordinated approach that can assist school administrators in making effective use of proven security practices specific to K-12 environments, including elementary, middle and high schools.
“This is a great resource that will undoubtedly improve the safety posture in our schools,” says NSCA Executive Director Chuck Wilson, a board member and co-founder of PASS. “By using these tools, and following the PASS guideline as a technology roadmap, one can easily envision how each district could develop a plan tailored to their needs.”
SchoolSafety.gov’s additional resources include:
- The School Safety Readiness Tool, an assessment that assists users in evaluating their respective school’s safety posture across 10 foundational elements of school safety. After completing the assessment, users are provided an action plan with task prioritization, options for consideration, aligned resources, and grant opportunities specific to individual needs;
- A Secure Information Sharing Platform for designated school personnel to share school safety ideas, practices, plans, and tactics in a protected environment; and
- A wide array of resources and best practices on key school safety topics to assist with building awareness within the school community to promote vigilance and build capacity to respond to incidents.
“Studies show our children’s learning improves when they feel safe,” says Mark Williams, vice chairman of PASS. “The PASS Guidelines and School Safety and Security Checklist continue to be recognized, nationally and internationally, as a standard for helping schools navigate the complexity of implementing a layered and tiered approach to enhancing the safety and security of their environments.”
