In his latest article, "K-12 Classroom Doors: What We Need to Know," Lt. Jon Quast describes a scenario where the reader is put in the role of an educator in an active shooter situation, only to realize there are shortcomings in keeping the perpetrator out of the classroom. The article transitions to how the possibility of the room being breached could be mitigated, if not prevented, by doing a site safety assessment that acknowledged the shortcomings of classroom doors and windows, and then preventative, corrective measures were taken. To read Lt. Quast's article, click here.

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program, in collaboration with the New Mexico Tech Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center, is pleased to announce a session of the Incident Response to Terrorist Bombings class will be held via Zoom on Dec. 15, 2020, from noon to 4:00 pm and a session of the Understanding and Planning for School Bombing Incidents class will be held via Zoom on Dec. 17, 2020, from noon to 4:00 pm. Additional class information, as well as the registration information, will be released in an upcoming Weekly Update and spots in the classes will be limited.

The "Campus Emergencies Prevention, Response, and Recovery" course being held Nov. 23rd & 24th from noon to 4:00 pm via Zoom in a collaboration between the Illinois School and Campus Safety Program and the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training at Louisiana State University is now full. However, I will be starting a waiting list. Feel free to contact me at [email protected] and I will put you on the waiting list for this and potential future sessions of the class.

Last week we discussed some winter weather safety concerns for K-12 schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs), and also shared some winter weather preparedness resources. In continuing to help prepare for winter weather, this week we are building onto that resource list with resources from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA), Ready.gov, the CDC, and the National Weather Service.

IEMA's Ready Illinois webpage Winter Storms provides definitions for winter weather terms, including the differences between advisories, watches, and warnings; gives tips for at home and travel; and provides links to additional resources, including the newly updated Winter Weather Preparedness Guide and the Department of Public Health's Weathering Winter.

Ready.gov provides a Winter Weather Safety Social Media Toolkit that features graphics and outreach materials, as well as numerous pre-written social media posts on winter weather preparedness topics.

The CDC's Winter Weather page includes information and resources on preparing for a storm, staying safe during and after a storm, and preventing hypothermia and frostbite. The site also includes winter weather public service announcements.

The National Weather Service's Winter Safety page is a valuable resource for learning about winter weather. From general preparedness information, to educational resources, and even winter safety information graphics, this site contains an abundance of information and resources. Like the CDC's page, you can view information for before, during, and after a storm. Additionally, you can look at information on different types of winter weather, such as snow, ice storms, ground blizzards, lake snow effect, and more.