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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

Since the tragedy at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, OR most every news anchor, parent, student, education leader and government leader has been asking the same question…is there a SOLUTION to prevent future tragedies like what happened at Umpqua Community College? The answer is YES, tragedies can be prevented and are being prevented. A real proven SOLUTION does exist and it is proven in the real world by real organizations. The SOLUTION for PREVENTION involves a real-time community-wide effort of continuously collecting, assessing and connecting the dots. The SOLUTION for prevention requires proven tools like those found in the “Community-based Threat Assessment, Incident Management andRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

In light of the horrible tragedy in Virginia where a television reporter and cameraman from WDBJ-TV were shot and killed by a former colleague during a live report on tourism, it is time to take a deeper look at the data and what can be done to prevent workplace violence related incidents and tragedies. Of course everyone agrees PREVENTING is BETTER than REACTING…so if everyone prefers PREVENTING, why are organizations seemingly in continuous REACTION MODE? Connecting the dots… My “return on prevention” experiences go all the way back to 6th grade and my professional experiences include 30+ years doing assessments (threat, risk, cyber security, physicalRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*

As mentioned in Part 3 of this blog series, Awareness is the first step in the 6 Essential Steps to Proactive Prevention and Collecting the Dots is the second step. Step 3 is Assessing the Dots. What does Assessing the Dots involve? Assessing the Dots involves several important steps, roles, responsibilities and processes that should be assigned to and performed by individuals on an organization’s Threat Assessment Team. The ANSI Workplace Violence Prevention & Intervention Standard defines Threat Assessment as the investigative and analytical process followed by a professional qualified by education, training, or experience to determine the nature and level of risk of violenceRead More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Incident Reporting, Workplace Violence

  What is your first thought when you hear the word WHISTLEBLOWER? Whistleblower definitions commonly say a whistleblower is any person that reveals wrongdoing or malpractices taking place within an organization.  And in many cases a whistleblower may face retaliation or other negative ramifications and by law may require special protection. What is your first thought when you hear the word HERO? Hero definitions run from mythical and legendary figures to a person that is admired for their achievements or noble qualities to a central figure in an event, period or movement. When is the last time you heard an organization promote their Hero Line? Read More →

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In: *Connecting the Dots Blog*, Campus Safety, Emergency Management, Incident Reporting, Legal, Workplace Violence

  Have you noticed recently how the media, safety experts and government leaders are focusing on the failure of organizations to connect-the-dots and the failure to identify red flags prior to emergency and crisis situations occurring? And have you noticed these failures have been going on for years?  Virginia Tech administrators received warnings of Cho’s mental instability prior to the tragic shooting that left 23 students dead.    The Fort Hood shooter revealed multiple red flags ignored in a failure to share critical information.  Most recently, the University of Alabama professor revealed a past full of violent tendencies, mental illness and criminal activities. Why are soRead More →