Why do we have security guards on our campuses?  While all persons have a responsibility for the safety and well-being on a campus, this is the security guard’s primary function.  A security guard becomes an integral part of each school’s unique community.  Why else would one take part in a student government fundraiser that involves getting hit in the face with a pie, as Saguaro security guard Chris Tooker did recently?  😊

Developing the relationships with the students ‒  becoming “friendly, but not a friend” ‒ allows students to trust their school’s guards and provide information on campus matters that might not otherwise be shared.  Selecting the right person to be a security guard at a school is not only about the actual job, but also the personality of the person and the community of the school they are going to serve.

District security guards are trained in first aid and CPR, along with emergency response training.  Security guards work together with campus administration to ensure everyone has a safe and productive experience while they are on the campus.  This partnership allows for seamless support preparing for, during and after campus incidents, no matter how big or small they may be.

SUSD is still hiring for this highly valued position.  Become a part of our school community, #Because Kids.

Read more at The SUSD Source  

November is here and, like many of you, we are wondering where August, September and October went.  The Security department has been working on several projects to enhance the safety and security of our 29 physical campuses.  While most of these enhancements are behind the scenes, two of the biggest ones are highlighted below.

Our department is hiring.  We have six security guard positions to fill, including five new ones for our elementary schools.  These elementary school positions will rotate between three schools on a random basis.  They will work within each school’s community to assist with ensuring that all district security procedures are being followed.  They will also have a direct line to all of the district’s security resources.  If you know someone who is great with kids and is looking for work, we are looking for just that right person.  The positions are full-time, 12-month jobs, with benefits.  This is a great opportunity to get involved in your community school.

In the coming weeks, you will see our new electronic visitor management system roll out to our campuses.  This system is state-of-the-art and will not only allow us to better track who is on our campuses, but will also help us with emergency communications during an event.  The implementation of this project closes one of the biggest communication gaps that we identified during our last drills.

We hope you have a great holiday season over the next month.  Be sure to sign in at our campus front offices when you visit, and please reach out if you have any questions.

Read more at The SUSD Source  

As we kick off October and look forward to getting out of the Arizona oven and into better temperatures, SUSD will be rolling out a new visitor and volunteer management system. Using our new software, we will be able to verify that the persons who enter our campuses have a legitimate reason for being there. Each visitor will be required to scan a government-issued identification upon arrival. If they do not have an ID with them or forget to bring one, we can manually input their information, but it will take longer.

As we roll out this new system, we ask for everyone’s patience while we navigate any challenges that may arise in its implementation. Stay tuned for more information from your school’s site administration in the coming weeks. 

Remember that safety is everyone’s responsibility, and the teamwork between all of us is how we will successfully ensure the safety of all persons who utilize our campuses.

Read more at The SUSD Source

September is Emergency Preparedness Month. At SUSD, we have been working to update our emergency plans and working with our various emergency response agencies across all three cities (Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Phoenix) to ensure that they are familiar with our plans and that they have an opportunity to provide us with their input, based on changes in their own practices. 

This school year, we have implemented numerous, additional safety measures. The first and most visible is the ID badge system that requires all K-12 students to wear an ID badge. This system allows us to identify when a student gets on a school bus and when they get off. If you have any questions about the system, you can read more about it here.  SUSD’s Code of Conduct requires students to always wear their ID while on campus, including sporting events. 

As our athletic seasons kick off, our policy of not permitting bags at our high school and middle school sporting events remains in effect. Review the No Bag/Clear Bag policy here. 

We are also continuing with the policy that was rolled out last November that requires all middle school students to have a parent or guardian with them at high school sporting events. These students must also be seated in the stands to watch the game. With the amount of people who attend our games, the supervision of our middle schools' students must remain with a responsible adult. 

Remember that the safety of our students, staff, and visitors to all our facilities and activities is a priority for the Scottsdale Unified School District and that toward that end, the entire community’s assistance is sought.

Josh Friedman, CEM
Director, SUSD Safety and Security

Read more at The SUSD Source

Last year, we started school on the heels of the tragic Robb Elementary School shooting in Uvalde, Texas.  That incident caused many districts to change processes and procedures to make things safer, and SUSD was no different. 

In the last year, our school district completed many, major security changes.  Some of those are in place and others are still being rolled out.  Some major accomplishments include the commitment to an annual, large-scale exercise that includes many stakeholders, such as our fire and police departments, and our students, parents, and employees.  Last year’s drill involved more than 300 people and took place on a Saturday on one of our middle school campuses.  Among other outcomes, the drill helped us meet several of our planning milestones for emergencies. 

We instituted our DIG IT safety campaign that has won several national awards.  This campaign encourages everyone to lock Doors, wear IDs, lock Gates and secure IT passwords, or DIG IT, for short.  At the beginning of the last school year, a low 20% of classroom doors were routinely locked. By the end of the school year, we were at over 80% compliance.  We will continue to promote and work on our DIG IT campaign throughout the 2023-2024 school year.

The district has installed more than 100 new, closed-circuit cameras across our facilities, with more to come in the next few years.  We have partnered with Verizon Wireless and have redone our radio system.  This enhanced communication tool provides the district with many new features, as well as the ability to have a more consistent and broader communications platform for daily use and emergencies. 

SUSD has also taken steps to begin advanced training for key staff who respond in the event of an emergency.  Working with the City of Scottsdale Division of Emergency Management, along with the Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs’ Emergency Management Division, we have certified 12 people in Advanced Incident Command, and we plan to certify many more in the coming year.  This certification will allow us to not only work better with our government partners during an incident, but also allow us to better prepare for and strategize how to handle incidents within the district.

We are not done yet. The district is rolling out a new identification card program to standardize our school identification cards.  The enhanced features of these cards also allows our Transportation department to be in compliance with new state laws and provides the opportunity to explore even more benefits of the new student ID card in the future.  In the next few months, we will debut a new visitor and volunteer process at all 29 of our campuses.  This will not only streamline current practices, but provide better accountability during an emergency.

Your district safety team will continue to push forward with many types of security enhancements.  New safety surveys completed over the summer will be used to drive more campus improvements. The safety of every person who comes onto our campuses for any reason is the district’s top priority, and we will continue to strive for excellence and work to ensure that everyone feels safe while they’re there.  We cannot do this alone: it takes every one of us to ensure this culture of safety.  Reach out with suggestions, comments or questions through the Safety and Security tab on Let’s Talk.

Josh Friedman
Director

As we move onto our summers, the SUSD Security team wants to say thank you for the support we received during the just-concluded school year from most parents, staff and students.

Security can be inconvenient, and that is not fun for anyone; however, in today's world, it is necessary.

We ended the year with numerous reminders and ‘asks’ of you, as parents, to assist us in educating your children to help us deter school pranks and acts of vandalism. This is a team effort ‒ we all must work together to keep the entire community safe.

We will continue to strive for excellence, and will put new technology and procedures in place next school year in order to keep everyone as safe as we possibly can. Remember: If you see something, say something. That goes for you, as well as your students.

Safety is not the work of SUSD Security team alone. It takes the entire community to ensure the safety of our children. Working together, we will make a noticeable, positive change in our school environments. 

In the meantime, stay hydrated, wear sunblock, and we can't wait to see you in August!

Read more at The SUSD Source

NO BAGS … 

These words seem so simple, yet cause so much confusion.  Almost all large crowd events, from sports to concerts, limit what individuals can bring in to either a very small bag or a clear bag.  Scottsdale Unified School District implemented this policy at our high schools at the start of the school year and at our middle schools for the second semester.  This guideline remains in effect and will be enforced at all of our high school graduation ceremonies, and into next year.

The NO BAG guideline is just that.  PLEASE, do not bring a bag to our events. If you must bring a bag, it must be clear.  This is for the safety of all the staff, students and participants at whatever event you are attending. There are a few small exceptions to the rule, such as a diaper bag; however, if you bring a diaper bag, you must have a baby with you who would use those diapers.   

Please pack your patience - for which no bag is required! - when you come to our events, for there may be a line.  As we celebrate the tremendous achievements of our students, please remember to bring your smiles and hugs, but leave everything else home.

Safety is the district’s top priority, and while it may be inconvenient, it will help ensure that everyone goes home safely.