School Safety Blog
Throughout September, SUSD focused on ensuring that each school and facility were fully prepared to respond effectively to emergencies. Staff received updated training and reviewed their site-specific Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs). These comprehensive plans are regularly updated and shared with our local public safety partners to ensure everyone, from school administrators to first responders, are working from the same playbook.
While everyone has a unique role during an emergency, coordinated planning allows all involved to respond quickly and effectively. This unified approach helps restore normal operations as swiftly and safely as possible following any disruption.
October: Fire Prevention Month
As we move into October, SUSD partners with the Scottsdale Fire Department to provide hands-on fire safety training for staff, including the proper use of fire extinguishers and evacuation procedures. Arizona state law requires all schools to be equipped with automated fire suppression systems (sprinklers), which have significantly reduced the risk and damage associated with fires in schools.
Safety Starts at Home
Fire safety is not just a school responsibility, it begins at home. We encourage families to:
- Talk with children about home escape plans.
- Practice fire drills at least once every quarter.
- Ensure all rooms have working smoke detectors.
- Replace smoke detector batteries every six months.
- Close bedroom doors before going to sleep, which can slow the spread of fire and smoke.
It’s important to remember that more fire-related deaths result from smoke inhalation than from flames. Having a plan, practicing it regularly, and equipping your home with the right tools can save lives.
A Community Approach to Safety
At SUSD, we practice safety drills regularly and embed emergency preparedness into our school culture. We ask families to do the same at home. By working together, we can help ensure that our students are not only safe at school, but also well-prepared wherever they are.
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As I write this article, another community is grieving from a school shooting. This shooting occurred during a church service at a religious private school. This senseless act of a troubled young person who went after innocent children and staff has sent shockwaves through our community too with many people inquiring about what security systems exist in our schools.
SUSD has a layered approach to security at our sites. The goal is to provide the safest environment for our children and staff while also creating a positive environment for them to learn and grow while being kids.
While we don’t discuss all the specific safeguards and plans we have in place, some of our layers include the following:
- Exterior fencing with gates that are locked or staffed when they are open, and school is in session.
- Closed circuit cameras that cover interior and exterior of the facilities. They are monitored during the school day and have built in artificial intelligence features.
- Unarmed security officers on all campuses
- Police officers (both School Resource Officers and School Safety Officers) on every SUSD campus
- Visitor management system that checks all site visitors against national sex offender database prior to entry onto campus
- Secured lobby areas and conference rooms to allow people into our schools without having access to students or staff without permission.
- These are just a few of the systems we have in place to protect our facilities. While no one can guarantee that children are 100% safe anywhere in todays society, our schools have all been evaluated by the Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center, the State Auditor General, the Trust insurance company, and numerous police agencies. Every report we get states that our schools are among some of the safest in the state, yet we are always looking for ways to improve.
Remember parents, students and staff are our very best partners to keep our schools safe. We appreciate you doing your part to support our initiatives and reporting any concerns.
Please feel free to reach out using Let’s Talk to ask questions about our district security.
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Important Safety Update for the New School Year
As we begin another exciting school year, we want to share some important updates regarding transportation and student safety on our campuses.
One of the most significant changes involves how some students travel to school. The City of Scottsdale has enacted a new law affecting the use of certain E-Bikes. Under this law, individuals under the age of 16 are prohibited from operating E-Bikes that exceed—or are capable of exceeding—21 miles per hour. Additionally, these bikes may not be ridden on any public street unless they are titled and registered through the Arizona Motor Vehicle Division (MVD).
Please note that Scottsdale Unified School District’s policy remains unchanged: motorized vehicles—including skateboards, bikes, and similar devices—may not be used on campus grounds. Students who legally ride motorized vehicles to school must walk them to the designated storage area upon entering campus.
Parents: If your child uses or is considering using a motorized device, we strongly encourage you to review and discuss the new City of Scottsdale regulations with them.
Note: There are several detailed provisions within the law.
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With the school year at an end for our students, SUSD’s Security team is already ramping up with preparations for next year.
Over the summer, we will conduct training for staff and ensure that the safety systems at all facilities are ready to go. Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) officers, along with our own SROs and district Security staff, will conduct threat and vulnerability assessments of each of our facilities. This assessment will help drive security improvements over the coming years. The ARCTIC assessment is completed every three years.
In addition, we will continue our enhancements and additions to our camera and access control systems. Students may get to enjoy the summer, but your SUSD Security team ramps up to not only complete the projects outline above but also to cover the more than 20 SUSD campuses that have activities taking place at them over the summer.
Enjoy your summer, stay safe and reach out with any safety or security concerns.
Josh Friedman, CEM
Director of Safety and Security
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One of the best parts of my job is working together with students to make our campuses safer and address their concerns. This school year, I’ve had the privilege of working with two incredible groups and advising a third whose work, hopefully, will bring changes to several campuses’ culture for many students in the years to come.
The first group I worked with was the student government at Mohave Middle School. These students had many questions about safety when it comes to getting to and from school, from e-bike rules, to crosswalks, to getting dropped off by parents. Their concerns were all valid and prompted several great discussions. They educated me on some of the behaviors they are seeing, and I was able to educate them on the reasons for the rules and regulations. In the end, we were able to understand our different points of view and work together on some future educational campaigns to help both students and parents on the topic of safe travel to and from school.
The second group that I’ve worked with is the Student Advisory Board (SAB). These high school students were amazing in their drive and determination to find solutions to many problems they encounter. After several meetings, they decided to focus on student vaping. While we reviewed many statistics regarding vape use across our district, they always wondered why someone vapes in the first place and how students acquire it. They challenged themselves to find the root cause and encouraged school staff to not only enforce SUSD’s Code of Conduct but also to ask student offenders when they started vaping and why. The SAB, comprised of student leaders from each of our high schools, is fighting to stop the cause of vaping, which they believe starts in middle school. The SAB has created some short videos to share with students across the district in an effort to help combat what it sees as a vaping epidemic.
The third group is a middle school group from Desert Canyon that started a campus student safety team to discuss safety issues they witness at school and learn how students can make a difference in the safety of their school. The future of this program includes a partnership with the Scottsdale Fire Department not only discussing campus safety issues but also learning safety skills directly from our community’s firefighter first responders, such as how to properly use fire extinguishers and what personal safety measures to take during storms. The goal of this program is to eventually make it available at all SUSD middle schools.
Working with students who are concerned about their safety and that of their classmates and teachers is a fun task. Seeing things from their perspective and understanding their needs and wants provides the opportunity to tailor solutions to each school’s campus culture. As long as we have students willing to make their own communities better, we will continue to encourage these growth and learning opportunities.
Josh Friedman, CEM
Director of Safety and Security
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