Inspiring Ideas
Here we shine a bright light on our school safety innovators. We celebrate accomplishments, spread the word, and hope to inspire innovation in your community! Please email us your idea for posting.
The use or adaptation of any of these ideas is entirely the responsibility of the user. Safe and Sound does not recommend or assume responsibility for the implementation or use of these ideas. Remember to consult school leadership, school safety officials and team members, the fire department, and local law enforcement before introducing or making any changes in safety practices in your school or classroom. School Safety takes a team!
Labeled Entry/Exit Points
First Responders have long asked schools to label building exits (on the inside as well as the outside!) to facilitate better communication and faster response in an emergency. This process can be time consuming and costly for busy, financially strapped school…
Key Control with Substitute and Itinerant Staff
Even after the Sandy Hook tragedy, many schools still do not provide substitute and itinerant staff with classroom keys because of the risk and expense associated with lost or unreturned keys. A practical-minded school secretary uses this procedure to be sure that ALL…
A Layered Lockdown
Lisa Crane of the ALICE Training Institute shared this practical lockdown solution. Furniture outfitted with rolling and locking casters can be quickly rolled in front of a locked, classroom door, providing an additional layer of protection inside the classroom…
Recycled Radios Offer An Effective Alert System
Salem, New Hampshire Police Department’s SRO, Matthew Norcross came up with a way to expedite police responses by putting older, unused police radios to use in schools. He stationed the retired radios in local schools and programmed them to call local police with the…
“Yards of Love” Wrap Students and Staff In Safety
Many schools make use of easily available lanyards for staff badges, classroom keys, swipe cards, and essential information such as emergency procedure cards and class lists. In a program called “Yards of Love,” Ashleigh Shields, of Independence, Kentucky used her…
Safely Out of Sight
Several of our followers (SRO’s, teachers, and even a grandfather!) have shared ideas on helping students and staff prepare for quicker and less stressful lockdown procedures and practice. We’ve combined all of the ideas in this graphic to show a predetermined, “out…