Learning from Andy Pollack's Tragedy Could Prevent Your Own
DOWNLOAD BYRNA'S SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN
DOWNLOAD "PARENTS DEMAND FOR ACTION" LETTER TEMPLATE
Meet Andy Pollack.
Father of Parkland School shooting victim.
Andy Pollack became a nationally recognized activist for increased school safety measures after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland Fla. on February 14, 2018, which took the lives of 17 people, including that of his daughter, Meadow.
Since that day, Andy has made it his life’s mission to continue advocating for smarter, real-life solutions to an increasing, yet avoidable issue in the United States.
An active shooting can take place any time, anywhere
The statistics are alarming
School shootings are a wide-reaching problem that has gotten progressively worse in the past four decades. These horrific tragedies are unpredictable—no one knows where or when an active school shooting will take place. As difficult as this topic is to address, we must confront it head-on. Our children’s lives are at stake. As parents, it is our duty to ensure their safety.
Sobering Statistics from the Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
The most common age of a shooter is 17, followed by 16 and 15.
Handguns were the most commonly used weapon in school shootings...
Handguns: 1,344
Rifles: 107
Fall is the most common time of year for school shootings.
Number of K-12 school shootings in the United States from 1970 to December 2021
Not Active Shooter: 3 or less victims
Active Shooter: 4 or more victims
The Byrna Shield: a common sense solution to a difficult reality.
Take action by ensuring your child has a chance.
As easy to insert into a standard-sized student backpack as a school notebook, Byrna Shield Backpack Body Armor is a thin, lightweight (14 oz.), flexible Level IIIA-rated ballistic plate. It can withstand up to 6 hits from .44 magnum bullets with velocities up to 1,464 feet-per-second, essentially making it capable of stopping every handgun on the market today.
For the price of a pair of sneakers parents can have peace-of-mind, knowing they’re giving their children a chance when the unthinkable happens, and avoid the high cost of regret.
Pay It Forward: 10% of every purchase goes to the Meadow Pollack Memorial Fund to supply inner city schoolchildren with ballistic backpack body armor and other school supplies.
Learn More About Meadow's Movement Meadowsmovement.org
PARENTS
are responsible for their children when they send them out the door. They should know if and how their school is prepared against an active shooter.
Eight life-saving ways to prepare your school against an active shooter.
ONE: Secure the Perimeter
Create a physical barrier to entry and assure it is secured and monitored with security cameras.
TWO: Control the Flow
Establish a single point of entry, and multiple points of egress.
THREE: Protect the Interior
Utilize armed personnel inside the school such as Police, School Resource Officers, "Guardians", or other trained staff.
FOUR: Develop School Safety Network
Utilize a network of parent volunteers to act as additional monitors at entry points and throughout the campus.
FIVE: Increase Parental Communication
Streamline and enhance communications with parents during a school safety incident that results in a lockdown or evacuation of the school campus.
SIX: Appoint a District School Safety Specialist
Hire / Designate an individual who is responsible for all matters concerning school safety functions.
SEVEN: Increase Mental Health Services
Provide the training and resources necessary for schools to provide proper mental health services for their students and faculty.
EIGHT: Establish a School Safety Hotline
Develop a system which can receive anonymous calls, texts or emails from students about potential threats within a school