There are so many “Awareness Days” and “Awareness Months” throughout the year that sometimes I wonder if the “real definitions” and “real issues” are overlooked. Take for example “Campus Safety Awareness Month”, you will no doubt see a lot of campaigns (e-mails, posters, Twitter posts, Facebook posts, and other Social Media posts), but most campaigns will actually miss the real definition and real issues of campus safety and safety awareness.
The definition of safety is: state of being safe; freedom from the occurrence or risk of injury, danger, loss… which means preventing the occurrence of risk or threat…not reacting to or hiding from the risk or threat. Translate that to Campus Safety Awareness and we should actually be focused on awareness of how to prevent the occurrence of risks or threats that can lead to injury or danger or loss in a campus environment.
99.9% of students, faculty, staff, parents, and community members PREFER that risks and threats are PREVENTED on their campus, sadly most of the campaigns you will see during “Campus Safety Awareness Month” will be focused on REACTING to risks and threats on campus. For example, you will see campaigns that focus on:
- Re-Active Shooter Drills (the risk and threat is already on your campus)
- Security Assessments (locked doors, access control, alarms, cameras, etc. for when the risk and threat is already on your campus)
- Crisis and Emergency Communications (testing alerting systems for when the risk and threat is already on your campus and an emergency or crisis is in progress)
- First Responder Drills (the risk and threat is already on your campus if First Responders are deployed)
Because the real meaning and the real definition of campus safety awareness is preventing risks and threats from being on your Campus, are you sending the wrong message to everyone on your Campus?
- Are you telling your Campus you have given up on Preventing?
- Are you telling your Campus “the bad guys have won”?
- Are you scaring your Campus with “Active Shooter Drills” and creating fear and costly liabilities too?
- Are you creating an “unsafe campus climate” for everyone on your Campus by focusing on REACTING to risks and threats, instead of PREVENTING them?
Because the evidence overwhelmingly proves PREVENTING was possible in HUNDREDS of previous incidents, lawsuits, federal investigations, tragedies, and lessons learned, Campus Leaders should be focusing on the real definition and the real issues of Campus Safety Awareness and preventing the occurrence of risks or threats.
What should National Campus Safety Awareness Month look like at your Campus?
- A Campus Climate SURVEY – Awareity is offering a FREE Campus Climate Survey if you contact us, request your survey now!
- A PREVENTING Assessment – Awareity is offering a FREE Preventing Assessment of your Campus’ capabilities to Prevent the occurrence of a risk or threat, request yours now!
- Campus Awareness Campaigns on Identifying and Reporting Concerning Behaviors, Risks, Threats, etc. – Once you request the FREE Campus Climate Survey, Awareity is offering FREE posters you can customize to promote the survey on your campus, contact us to request your survey and posters now!
- First Preventer Drills to ensure your Campus is prepared to prevent the occurrence of a risk or threat on your Campus
BONUS: If you are really interested in the true definition and real issues, you should check out Awareity’s world-changing Butterfly Effect that can help your Campus prevent the occurrence of a risk or threat at your front door.
Awareity is passionate about Campus Safety for ALL types of Campuses – schools, colleges, hospitals, organizations, governments, etc. – and we would love to help you and your Campus focus this year’s National Campus Safety Awareness Month on the real issues and the real goal of Preventing risks and threats on your Campus!