In anticipation of GSX, we sat down with presenters of upcoming sessions in order to get a better understanding of the topics at hand. This week we are featuring, “Creating Safer Schools – Proven Mitigation Strategies for Active Violence Events,” presented by Brink Fidler, President at Defend Systems. Read on for what he had to say and don’t forget to register for GSX 2024!
Q: How did you become interested in your topic?
A: I started my company with a focus on Active Violence Mitigation Training after my children’s school requested a training in the wake of the attack at Sandy Hook Elementary School. As a prior law enforcement officer, I had exposure to various trainings where I was able to learn the elements of meaningful, lasting trainings. In my opinion, the programs that were available at the time in the Active Violence world had too many holes or too many unanswered questions, so I decided to develop a curriculum of my own.
Q: Tell us about your presentation and why security professionals should have this topic on their radar.
A: Our training is designed for everyday people to leave feeling empowered and capable of taking immediate action in active violence situations. While it has parts that are tailored to the specific organizations that we are training, it is also applicable to everyday life events like going to the grocery store, church, the movies, concerts, or other events. It’s a holistic way to train your organizations personnel on a topic that is in the forefront of everyone’s mind.
Q: What advice would you give security professionals interested in this topic?
A: It is essential for everyday people to be trained on what to do in active violence situations because they are the ones who need to know how to survive them. Responding security professionals, whether private or government agencies, are equipped to neutralize threats, but it takes time to respond properly. The fact is, these events unfold so rapidly that the biggest area for mitigation is giving individuals the knowledge and tools to keep themselves alive and help others around them.
Q: How do you see this issue evolving in the next 2-5 years?
A: Unfortunately, this issue is likely never going to go away. If statistics continue to evolve in the same pattern that they have historically, then this problem will only be getting worse. While attempted attacks may continue to increase annually, our hope is that more and more people will feel empowered to know how to respond through proper and effective training.
Q: Why do you attend GSX?
A: We attend GSX for a couple of reasons. One is to expose our company to like-minded individuals and potential clients. The other is to build professional relationships with security professionals to stay relevant in products that we are suggesting to clients and stay ahead of the game on new technologies that are designed to keep people and properties safe.