News Round Up
November 2023 — Michigan School Shooting Report Finds Failures on Part of School Officials
A Sweeping Report on a Michigan School Shooting Finds Multiple Failures and a Troubled Aftermath
From ProPublica: Nearly two years after the shooting at Oxford High School in Michigan, which killed four students and injured seven others, an outside consulting firm that conducted an independent investigation issued a sweeping report that faulted top administrators and other school officials for “failure and responsibility by omission.” The 572-page report from Guidepost Solutions, a New York-based firm that specializes in investigations, compliance and security, said that had threat assessment and suicide intervention been carried out appropriately, the November 2021 shooting could have been prevented.
Our take: This report may only outline the Oxford tragedy, but we can guarantee this is not only applicable to Oxford Schools, but there are many schools who are in similar situations. It is important to conduct Risk Analysis and speak with professionals to evaluate the security and safety before incidents like this occur.
The Epidemic of Violence in American Hospitals
From Time: Over the last few years, the media has been filled with stories of assaults, stabbings, and other violent events including mass shootings at hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare facilities. The ongoing and escalating violence in and around hospitals in the U.S. is a clear and present danger to hospital staff and visitors. This pandemic of violence represents a public health emergency that demands the attention of our elected leaders.
Our take: Violence has been on the rise since the pandemic, but hospitals are getting the worst of it lately. Many hospitals are understaffed, and dealing with an increased workload: domestic and gang violence, gun violence, PTSD, abductions, and drug abuse are all on the rise. Despite this, healthcare is underfunded and security is often cut, leaving sites unsecure and unprotected.
Suspect identified in deadly New Hampshire psychiatric hospital shooting
From USA Today: A shooter in New Hampshire left two dead in an incident at a hospital on Friday, Nov. 17. The New Hampshire attorney general said in a press conference Saturday that John Madore, 33, fatally shot a security guard in the lobby of the state's psychiatric hospital. After Madore shot the security guard, he was shot and killed by a state trooper, authorities said.
Our take: This is a good example of the violence in hospitals mentioned above. Every hospital needs to take a good look at their budget and see if it’s sufficient when it comes to security and safety.
Children and teens are more likely to die by guns than anything else
From CNN: Guns are the leading cause of death for US children and teens, surpassing car accidents. Firearms accounted for nearly 19% of childhood deaths (ages 1-18) in 2021, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wonder database. Nearly 3,600 children died in gun-related incidents that year. That’s about five children lost for every 100,000 children in the United States. In no other comparable country are firearms within the top four causes of mortality among children, according to a KFF analysis.
Our take: This is a disheartening statistic, and a good example of why guns should be secured and why background checks on gun owners are so important. The uptick in mass shootings has affected schools and children severely, and it shows no sign of letting up. We need to make sure schools are secured, gun laws are enforced, and mental health issues are treated. Only then can we protect our kids.
November’s Top Security Grants
Fiscal Year 2023 Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA): The Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA) program makes federal funds available to states, U.S. territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local communities to reduce or eliminate the risk of repetitive flood damage to buildings and structures insured under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). It does so with a recognition of the growing flood hazards associated with climate change1, and of the need for flood hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to flooding. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in the future. Grant closes: Feb. 29, 2024
Fiscal Year 2023 Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC): The Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program makes federal funds available to states, U.S territories, federally recognized tribal governments, and local communities for hazard mitigation activities. It does so with a recognition of the growing hazards associated with climate change1, and of the need for natural hazard risk mitigation activities that promote climate adaptation and resilience with respect to those hazards. These include both acute extreme weather events and chronic stressors which have been observed and are expected to increase in the future. Grant closes: Feb. 29, 2024
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