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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

“In the absence of a system capable of identifying (Lopez) as a threat, and because the unit was unaware and unable to address the variety of stressors in (Lopez’s) life, Fort Hood was not able to prevent the shooting,” lead investigator Lt. Gen. Joseph E. Martz said. Connecting the dots… The Army’s post-incident investigation report of the April 2 shooting rampage came to the conclusion that the Army did not have the right tools to prevent the shooting…even though there were pre-incident indicators in the days, weeks and months prior. While officials found no single factor that prompted Spc. Ivan Lopez to go on aRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Are security cameras making organizations safer? Security cameras have been utilized for many years and because of mounting incidents and tragedies (and growing terrorism concerns) around the world, organizations are installing more and more security cameras. As the number of security cameras have increased, are incidents and tragedies decreasing at the same ratio? Sadly, most organizational leaders are not connecting the dots with what security cameras were designed to do, can do and cannot do. Connecting the dots… A security camera’s primary function is to record what happened, record forensics that can be analyzed after an incident (bullying, workplace violence, robberies, drug deals, assaults, shootings,Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Negative headlines, embarrassing lawsuits, reputational damage, expensive fines, violence, cyber-attacks, suicides, tragedies, etc. – are most of these incidents preventable? YES! Fact: Hundreds of post-event reports have revealed over and over again that prevention was/is possible. Fact: Preventing incidents and tragedies delivers better results than reacting to incidents and tragedies. AND preventing incidents and tragedies means less damage to you, your organization’s reputation, your bottom line and much less drama for everyone involved. 2014 provided numerous examples of preventable incidents that were not prevented and three undeniable lessons: Organizations cannot prevent incidents if the right people are not aware of indicators/warning signs. Prevention is possibleRead More →

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January 5, 2015 — Awareity’s TIPS Prevention Platform has been recognized for making a positive difference on college campuses by higher education leaders who named it to University Business magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products” for 2014. The winners, selected by University Business’ editors from hundreds of nominations, were products that received the highest number of nominations and best descriptions from higher ed leaders. The Readers’ Choice Top Products award program informs campus leaders about products their colleagues around the country are using to help their campuses excel in a variety of areas, such as technology, sustainability and academic instruction. TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident ManagementRead More →

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December 1, 2014 — Awareity’s TIPS Prevention Platform has been recognized for making a positive difference in education by K12 leaders who named it to District Administration magazine’s “Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products for 2014.” From a record-setting 2,400 nominations, TIPS was selected by District Administration editors based on the highest number of submissions and best product descriptions from K-12 leaders. The Readers’ Choice Top 100 Products award informs superintendents and other senior district leaders about products their colleagues around the country are using to help their districts excel in a variety of areas such as technology, sustainability and curriculum instruction. Awareity’s TIPS (Threat Assessment,Read More →

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Students today face ongoing challenges with bullying, weapons, drugs/alcohol, violence and more. Often, disconnects between youth and school administrators cause many of these issues to slip through the cracks. Twin Rivers School District in Broseley, MO is focusing on prevention and giving their students a secure way to share their concerns. Twin Rivers has implemented Awareity’s proven and multi-award-winning TIPS (Threat assessment, Incident management & Prevention Services) prevention platform to help improve student/staff communications and improve overall school safety. TIPS is an innovative solution equipping students, teachers, staff, parents and community members to anonymously report bullying, cyber bullying, weapons, abuse, vandalism, suicide risks and otherRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Suppose some great man were to hand you an exquisite, beautifully built machine equipped with many self-repairing features. Suppose he explained to you that with reasonable care and proper handling, this machine would automatically, after about eighteen years of warming up, begin to deliver money from a slot, each week, in gradually increasing amounts for the next forty to sixty years. That the total amount delivered by this machine would not be less than two hundred thousand dollars. He might go on to say that if you really learned how to run and care for the machine like an expert, you might increase its outputRead More →

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Lincoln Lutheran Schools are committed to student safety and understand that in order for students to achieve academically, they must feel secure and comfortable in their learning environment. To proactively prepare for the 2014 fall school year, Lincoln Lutheran implemented Awareity’s TIPS (Threat Assessment, Incident Management and Prevention Services). TIPS is an innovative web-based platform that empowers school administration to improve ongoing awareness and proactively connect the dots with teachers, staff, students, parents, and community members. How it works: if you witness bullying on the school bus, on line, at school, observe a student making threats, or have concerns about friends, students or others, simplyRead More →

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“As battle-scarred survivors of a financial crisis and deep recession, community bankers today confront a frustratingly slow recovery, stiff competition…and the responsibility of complying with new and existing regulations. Some observers have worried that these obstacles— particularly complying with regulations—may prove insurmountable.” – Ben Bernanke, October 2, 2013 An infographic discussing the overwhelming costs and burdens of excessive regulation.Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

An article by Guy Bliesner and Brian Armes was brought to my attention…and in full disclosure I know both Guy and Brian, and I think they do great work with school security assessments and more. Their article was called: There Is No Such Thing as Plausible Deniability in School Safety http://www.campussafetymagazine.com/article/there_is_no_such_thing_as_plausible_deniability_in_school_safety1 Their article explained a “commonly held and deeply disturbing issue of concern” involving campus and district administrators: “If we do an assessment, we will be at a greater risk liability”. The article goes on to point out how the legal doctrine of in loco parentis assigns responsibility to educators for student safety and securityRead More →