Most school security is built to react—lock the doors, sound the alarm, initiate lockdown. But once those measures are activated, the crisis is already unfolding, and the impact on students, teachers, parents, and staff is already in motion. A third-grade teacher once asked Adam Coughran, “I appreciate the training, but I can’t tell my students anything you just told me. How do I explain safety without scaring them?” That question stuck with him. Now, as President of SafeKids Inc., Adam draws on more than two decades of law enforcement experience—including counterterrorism, active shooter response, and school security—to help education institutions create age-appropriate safety programs that prepare without panic. When Adam was the first officer to respond to a violent incident at a middle school, the students and teachers had practiced lockdowns, but only inside classrooms. When the violence started in the cafeteria, they didn’t know what to do. ‘It occurred to me very quickly,’ Adam says, ‘that they had never talked about or practiced what to do if they weren’t in a classroom, where they could lock their door and hide in a dark corner.’ In this episode, Matt Plantier and Patrick Welsh from Oosto join Adam Coughran to explore how schools can build safety and security strategies that actually work all the time, everywhere. Navigating School Security Challenges and Violence Prevention Schools face a complex challenge: how to create a safe environment without introducing fear or disruption. From the psychological toll of lockdown drills to rising violence, funding constraints, and fragmented communication, security concerns extend far beyond panic alarms and metal detectors. The Psychological Toll of Lockdowns Lockdown drills are meant to prepare students, but they often do the opposite, increase stress. In fact, 27% of students report heightened anxiety after these drills (Source). In this episode, we explore “the balancing act”—how schools can implement safety measures without creating unnecessary fear. One high school junior put it bluntly: “First responders choose their job knowing they might not make it home. We don’t get a choice. We have to go to school.” Her parents share that fear. And it’s not just drills—security measures like metal detectors also take a psychological toll. In Broward County, students recognize the need for safety, but many say they feel more like suspects than students. For those already struggling with existing mental health issues, such as anxiety or social stress, these measures can make things worse (Source). Rising Violence and Behavior Shifts After the pandemic, many schools saw a spike in physical fights and aggressive behavior. Adam notes: “Students lost the ability to talk things out. Instead of working through conflicts, they go straight to violence.” As of 2022, U.S. public schools recorded 857,500 violent incidents, with 67% of schools reporting at least one violent incident (source). This shift in behavior led to a bigger question: “How can we do things differently to prevent violence before it escalates?” Adam and Patrick discuss both behavioral strategies and how technology can help detect and stop conflicts before they spiral out of control. Funding Constraints Funding is always a challenge. Schools have to decide: Where does the money go—mental health programs, more security staff, or better technology? But not all safety solutions require massive budgets. Adam points out that visitor management technology—like replacing clipboards with digital check-ins that flag custody concerns, restraining orders, and sexual predators—is a cost-effective way to strengthen security. ‘Known threats don’t go to the front door,’ Patrick adds, reinforcing the need for better tracking of who is coming on campus. From Intelligence to Action: Closing Security Gaps One of the biggest challenges in security isn’t just identifying threats—it’s making sure the right people have the information they need, when they need it. Schools and businesses often rely on fragmented communication—where critical details can get lost between departments, across campuses, or even just from one shift to the next. As of 2022, 93% of public schools use security cameras to monitor their campus, up significantly from 61% of public schools in 2010 (source). Patrick says, “the ability to make it actionable is what a lot of places lack, not just schools, a lot of corporations”. Adding why he thinks context matters, “ the ability for HR to say this person was let go, they have an ax to grind, their exit interview didn't go well. That's information that a security professional, that's context that could save lives, right? So they show up in a parking garage, they're bringing a bag out that's not in the shape of a laptop. They don't have a laptop to return, that four-minute difference from the parking garage to the door could save lives.” This gap in communication can happen in any school, no matter the size: If a teacher or security officer is out sick, does their replacement know about an ongoing concern? If a parent has a custody or restraining order, does the front office and after-school staff have that information? If a student is expelled for violent behavior, does another school in the district get notified if they trespass? If local police have flagged a potential threat, is the school aware before that person steps on campus? Security works best when technology and trained individuals work together to act on real-time intelligence before threats escalate. This principle extends beyond schools to places of worship, transit hubs, and corporate environments—where early detection and real-time intelligence prevent tragedies. Schools that integrate technology with human decision-making create a layered security approach that stops threats before they escalate. More Distance, More Time, More Options Security professionals often talk about “standoff distance”— the idea that the earlier you can detect a threat, the more time you have to respond. That distance can be the sole difference between a controlled situation and a crisis. Adam highlights why distance is a school’s greatest advantage, “If the first point of contact is a front office secretary, it’s already too late. Schools need to expand their detection zones—to parking lots and perimeters. Distance is your friend. The more distance you create, the more time you have to react.” Patrick explains how technology is evolving to extend this reaction time, “Schools are moving away from costly, on-premises hardware to edge-based solutions that provide the same accuracy but with less infrastructure. These AI-driven early warning systems push detections further out, allowing for more cameras to have the intelligence enabled and faster response times.” What Schools Can Learn from Other Industries Schools often grapple with how to enhance security without disrupting the sense of normalcy that fosters learning and community. In many ways, they can take inspiration from other industries. Adam challenges the idea that security has to ‘look’ a certain way. ‘When you check into a hotel, you don’t go through metal detectors or see armed guards at every door, but you still feel safe.’ Patrick reinforces this, “Parents think big fences and metal detectors equal safety, but real security is about preventing threats before they reach the classroom—without making schools feel like prisons.” Schools can take the same approach—using discreet layers of protection, from AI monitoring to early detection systems, to keeping students safe without compromising the welcoming environment essential for learning. The Way Forward: A Multifaceted Approach Overall, this episode focuses on the fact that effective school security isn’t just about lockdown drills or technology—it’s about blending training, intelligence, and mental health support. Adam puts it simply: “It’s not about choosing between lockdown drills or technology or mental health programs. It’s about integrating all of these elements in a way that makes sense for each school’s unique environment.” He also warns against relying solely on drills: ‘If you only learn math by taking tests, you’re going to fail a lot of tests. That’s how most schools approach safety—by only running lockdown drills without teaching students and staff how to respond in different scenarios.’ With AI-driven solutions like early threat detection, mobile monitoring for buses, and intelligent visitor management, schools can move toward a security model that is proactive, effective, and invisible—keeping students safe without creating a sense of fear. “People are the common denominator,” Patrick says. “We can use technology to enhance safety, but at the end of the day, it’s about empowering the right people with the right information at the right time.” Listen Now: oosto.com/podcast
