Consulting Firm Launches Training To Show Educators How To Defuse Hostility

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 04/08/08

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Anzen, an Alexandria, VA company that provides personal security training for public and corporate organizations, announced a new program to address safety in educational institutions. Called USA Safe Schools, the initiative provides schools with tools and training to reduce hostile threats to teachers and students.

The company reported that according to National Center for Education statistics, crime incidents were reported in 96 percent of the high schools, 94 percent of the middle schools, and 74 percent of the elementary schools in 2006. The Center found that 78 percent of school resource officers had taken weapons from students during that year.

Anzen has created a membership program where schools receive reduced costs for assessments, seminars, online training modules and security equipment. Anzen said it will also provide a free vulnerability assessment, performed by its security experts, to qualifying schools.

"At the University of Northern Illinois, emergency responders made it to the scene in less than four minutes," said CEO Jackie Santisteban. "That is an incredible response time; however, at Anzen, we believe that the first three to four minutes are critical in saving lives. The USA Safe Schools Program is about recognizing and preventing the potential of violence before it happens and giving people the methodology to stop it. We believe that by training teachers and support staff Situational Awareness, we empower them to take control during that first three to four minutes."

The company has redesigned its corporate awareness course with the school environment in mind. The idea, said the firm in a statement, is to provide teachers and students with the skills necessary to prevent the incidents, not just to respond to them. Anzen instructors are comprised of former military Special Forces, FBI, CIA and law enforcement personnel. They're complemented by education consultants and teachers working with the new program.

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About the author: Dian Schaffhauser is a writer who covers technology and business for a number of publications. Contact her at [email protected].

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