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University of Maryland Research Facility Gains LEED Gold

School News — Fri, 03 May 2019 19:05:50 +0000

By Aziza Jackson

BALTIMORE — The University of Maryland-Baltimore’s Health Sciences Research Facility (HSRF) III, is not only the biggest building in the University System of Maryland, but its workmanship and high sustainability standards recently earned it a coveted Gold LEED Award from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

The USGBC noted LEED elements such as the 439,000-square-foot School of Medicine (SOM) structure’s green roof and sustainable features including a cistern water collection system, recycled content, indoor environmental quality, and energy recovery systems.

Unlike any other building at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), HSRF III boasts chilled beam technology, significantly reducing the amount of air changes per hour, plus the collection and storage of rainwater for use as make-up water for the rooftop cooling towers, which reduces the use of domestic water.

HSRF III has viewing corridors that allow daylight to penetrate the building through both its 10-story wet lab tower and its five-story dry lab tower — spaces where more than 400 personnel will be housed and generate an additional $107 million in annual research funding.

“The thinking in the older buildings was that windows took up wall space that could be used for shelves,” said Ron Brown, PE, LEED AP, director of capital projects at UMB. But then Health Sciences Research Facility I and MBI (currently the SOM’s Institute of Human Virology), two buildings built in the early 1990s, “brought in natural light and are, in my opinion, much more inviting spaces,” said Brown.

In addition, HSRF III’s proximity to garages, public transportation, and other schools makes it carbon-friendly, as do 47 secure bike storage spaces as well as shower facilities, for those who like to pedal to work. The building also offers 23,621 square feet of vegetated open space, and the planting of native and adaptive plants that can grow without additional irrigation allows for 100 percent reduction in water use.

HSRF III achieved a 22 percent energy cost reduction and a 32 percent water reduction thanks to things like high-performance glazing on the south façade, natural ventilation, high-efficiency flush fixtures, and low-flow sinks. Twenty percent of the project materials were extracted and manufactured within 500 miles of site, supporting local industry and reducing carbon emissions from transport. And 100 percent of low-VOC (volatile organic compound) adhesives, paints, flooring, and composite wood were used to limit occupant exposure to concentrated carcinogens.

H. Jorge Scotti, AIA, LEED BD+C, senior architectural and engineering project manager at UMB, was part of the project from the beginning, sitting in on HSRF III’s initial planning session in June 2012. He said various sustainable elements in HSRF III stand out to him. Among them: low operating cost, focus on user experience, and site design. Daylight was a high priority. Every lab and office space intended for continuous occupancy, except for a few spaces where the user requested otherwise, was designed with window access to daylight, either to the exterior or to the atrium and its skylights.

Brown credits the group effort, citing his team members Scotti, Drew Moore, Jeff Crabtree, Rob Cook, Jody Latimer, the design team, HOK and its consultants, including Affiliated Engineers, Inc., and the construction manager, Barton Malow Co. Plus contributors from all across UMB.

“It can be challenging to get buy-in from an entire cross-section of the University for new technologies and standards on such a large and important facility,” said Brown. “The risk-free approach would be to do what we have done before, but everyone worked together to achieve the goal of reducing energy use and so much more.”

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Maryland Senator Proposes Lottery Revenue for School Construction

School News — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 14:49:20 +0000

By Roxanne Squires

BALTIMORE — State Democratic Sen. Richard S. Madaleno Jr. revealed a new proposal on June 12 to use $5 billion of lottery revenue to fund Maryland’s largest school districts for construction projects, making him the first gubernatorial candidate to address this issue in depth.

The plan, known as the BEACONS Act (Building Educational Achievement through Construction Of New Schools), focuses on the extensive backlogs of crucial construction projects needed in Maryland’s densely populated school districts. Madaleno Jr. claims this proposal is a long time coming — emphasizing the aging facilities and outdated education programs across school districts, according to the Washington Post.

The proposal would extend its aid to jurisdictions with more than 75,000 students, which grants Montgomery, Prince George’s, Baltimore and Anne Arundel counties, as well as Baltimore City, qualification to receive funding.

Madaleno Jr. co-sponsored a bill in 2013 that funded a similar construction plan for Baltimore City public schools and said $1 billion from that bill is currently rebuilding 26 Baltimore schools, pushing the program as “a model for the other jurisdictions of the state.”

One critic of the new plan said the spare funds should be stretched across all school districts, not only the largest. While Madaleno Jr.’s Democratic opponents haven’t unveiled their education infrastructure plans, many have endorsed similar funding and have been outspoken on other education issues. This topic of education emerges as a dominant issue in the gubernatorial race, as Democratic candidates have taken aim at current Republican Gov. Larry Hogan. A Washington Post-University of Maryland poll from June 6 found that 40 percent of likely voters disapprove of the way Gov. Hogan has handled education, while 43 percent approve.

In a 10-point education plan, Prince George’s County Executive Rushern L. Baker III said he would raise state spending on school infrastructure and renovate or replace schools that are over 50 years old.

Baltimore lawyer James L. Shea said in a statement that Madaleno Jr.’s plan was “a good idea,” but also concluded that funds should not only be limited to the state’s five largest school districts, saying that kids everywhere deserve to learn in 21^st century schools.

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Safety in Schools: Priority vs. Necessity

Security in schools has always been a top priority, but recently it has become a necessity. Active shooters in schools have increased the level of awareness and concern for overall campus safety. In 2002, the Secret Service completed the Safe School Initiative during which it analyzed 37 incidents involving 41 student attackers. The focus of the study was to develop information about pre-attack behavior and communications. It determined that most of these acts were not impulsive but rather thought out and planned in advance. Most importantly, it was determined that fellow classmates of the attacker had reason to believe that a catastrophic event could occur.

These findings indicate that some attacks could have been prevented, and emphasizes the importance of creating safe campus programs. Safety awareness programs could help improve the overall safe campus perception and encourage students to report activities they may otherwise ignore.

Identifying Potential Threats
While it is understood that only a school psychologist or other mental health practitioner can truly determine and/or identify potential threats, it is important to develop guidelines so that other people know what to report. A threat could be an expression of violence in writing, or drawing. It might be patterns of impulsive or chronic intimidation or bullying of others, or it may simply be social withdrawal. When someone notices these characteristics the proper persons should be promptly notified. It is possible that reporting these early warning signs may serve to help troubled individuals and should be a part of any plan for prevention or intervention.

A few of the outward indicators of potentially dangerous student behavior that might be reported by a teacher, classmate, parent or other concerned individual were developed by the National School Safety Center. They include:

• Has a history of tantrums and uncontrollable angry outbursts
• Characteristically resorts to name calling, cursing or abusive language
• Habitually makes violent threats when angry
• Has previously brought a weapon to school
• Has a background of serious disciplinary problems at school and in the community
• Has a background of drug, alcohol or other substance abuse or dependency
• Is on the fringe of his/her peer group with few or no close friends
• Is preoccupied with weapons, explosives or other incendiary devices
• Has previously been truant, suspended or expelled from school
• Displays cruelty to animals
• Has little or no supervision and support from parents or a caring adult
• Has witnessed or been a victim of abuse or neglect in the home
• Has been bullied and/or bullies or intimidates peers or younger children
• Tends to blame others for difficulties and problems s/he causes her/himself
• Consistently prefers TV shows, movies or music expressing violent themes and acts
• Prefers reading materials dealing with violent themes, rituals and abuse
• Reflects anger, frustration and the dark side of life in school essays or writing projects
• Is involved with a gang or an antisocial group on the fringe of peer acceptance
• Is often depressed and/or has significant mood swings
• Has threatened or attempted suicide

What to Expect From Your Security Service Provider
Expert security service providers take into consideration the research and recommendations on this critical topic made available by many different federal agencies including the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, Justice, Education, and Health and Human Services. Research shows that prevention through communication and identifying early warning signs is one of the most critical parts of any campus security program.

Targeted violence in a school is defined as any incident of violence where a known or knowable attacker selects a particular target prior to the violent attack. Taking this into consideration, the U.S. Secret Service published “Threat Assessment in Schools.” This guide explains how to manage threatening situations and create safe school climates. By building assets that are integrated into the school, family and community, responsive decision-making can be developed.

Security service providers research publications and previous events in preparation for partnering with educational institutions. Those partnerships begin by forming a school safety committee to provide oversight. The committee, representing different school departments, provides guidance for the overall safety and security objectives of the campus. Security professionals work with the committee to review incidents and develop programs that enhance campus safety through education, training, social media and the ongoing awareness that is developed through such a program.

Your security services provider should develop a checklist that takes into consideration the physical plant, lighting, existing alarm systems, audio and visual systems and the use of social media. These, along with other potential threats, are evaluated and used to create a customized plan. Whether it be a bomb scare, chemical agent leak or threat of violence, the potential crisis is evaluated and a threat analysis is completed.

Partnerships involving educational institutions and security service providers help the school to develop a plan for effective intervention with at-risk youth demonstrating behavioral difficulties. Trained security professionals work with administrators and staff to ensure that their long-term safety and security objectives are met. By creating an environment that allows properly trained individuals to engage in intervention/response, security providers can help schools identify crises and eliminate potential threats before they occur. It is imperative that every program plans for a recovery process that enables the school community to respond appropriately and quickly, and to provide necessary care and support. Minimizing the trauma and emotional distress that affects a learning institution after a crisis event has occurred is also a top priority.

No school can prevent all crisis events nor give the assurance that such events will never take place on their campus. What a security service provider can do when partnering with schools is ensure that every reasonable solution has been evaluated, considered, discussed and planned for accordingly. The goal is to secure the campus by limiting access, developing awareness programs and providing a safe and enjoyable educational experience for students.

Kent Jurney, CPP, is vice president of client services at ABM Security Services. He has been developing and delivering security protocol and training to schools and private industry for over forty years.

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Assa Abloy Teams with School Safety Organization

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Safe and Sound, a nonprofit organization founded by families directly affected by the Dec. 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., recently gained the backing of door safety and security solutions firm Assa Abloy.

Safe and Sound provides schools and communities with toolkits, ideas and resources to help assess the safety of their facilities, along with strategies for making schools safer. The organization’s ultimate goal is to unite the national school community with a nonpartisan, grassroots approach to problem solving and provide school communities a platform for building local and national partnerships between parents, educators, students, first responders, safety and security experts, and community members. Assa Abloy was announced as the organization’s newest platinum sponsor in October, and will support Safe and Sound’s efforts to improve school safety.

Assa Abloy has long provided entrance and access solutions that address common K-12 facility challenges like classroom security, sound transmission control, accessibility and energy efficiency. The company’s security professionals also conduct no-cost school site assessments, and will work together with Safe and Sound to increase public awareness of school safety. Though the amount of the company’s gift was not disclosed, Platinum sponsors include only those contributing $15,000 or more annually, according to the Safe and Sound website.

In a statement, the company outlined its support for the organization and its mission of empowering communities to improve the safety and security of their schools.

“Assa Abloy supports Safe and Sound’s goal of creating a safe learning environment that protects students and staff,” said Mike McGorty, executive vice president of sales for Assa Abloy Door Security Solutions, in a statement. “We are proud to sponsor Safe and Sound and share our expertise in school security. Together, we will make a lasting impact in the safety of our schools and well-being of our children.”

“We are grateful for Assa Abloy’s generous support of our mission at Safe and Sound,” co-founder Michele Gay added. “Through support like this, our work is made possible and our message, materials, and resources are shared with school communities nationwide.”

The sponsorship announcement coincided with America’s Safe Schools Week, a week- long public awareness campaign headed by the National School Safety Center designed to bring greater attention to the importance of school safety. The event provided an ideal starting point to begin the joint effort.

The company has recently launched several safety-related products for use in schools, including the Security Sidelight doorframe unit. This particular product includes both a window panel alongside the door, as well as a heavy duty hinged panel that can close over that window from within the classroom, offering light and visual access when open and added security when closed.

“Studies show [school intruders] are looking for a sure bet,” Vice President of Marketing for Assa Abloy’s Architectural Hardware Group Leslie Saunders told WFSB in an interview. “If they don’t know that the room is occupied they will typically pass it by.”

Additionally, Assa Abloy’s RF Fob allows teachers to automatically lock their classroom door from up to 75 feet away via a small key fob attached to their person. A secure lock attached to the inside of the door prevents outside access, while ensuring teachers and students can still quickly exit the classroom.

“You always should have free egress from a room,” Saunders told WFSB, “but people should not be able to get in.”

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Safety Bill Envisions Interoperable Communications in Schools

DENVER — A Colorado bill proposed by state senator Steve King (R.) aims to equip all schools with statewide communications interoperability — the first bill in the nation to propose a system on a statewide scale, according to the senator’s School Safety Summit initiative.

King said the bill, filed Friday, will be introduced early this week and assigned a bill number.

Colorado State Senate Bill 11-173 states that each school day, state educators and school personnel are accountable for the safety of more than eight hundred thousand students — about one-fifth of the total population of the state.

While educators and school personnel are often the first to detect a school-related threat and are the first responders in a school building, field trip or school-related event, they are often the last to leave the site of an incident and are responsible for overseeing the aftereffects, the bill states.

“In recognition of these realities, schools must have the safety plans, procedures, training, safety and communications equipment, and other support they need in order to effectively participate with first responders in a coordinated response to any school incident,” the bill states. “The inability of state and local public safety agencies to reliably communicate directly and instantaneously with schools by radio creates the potential for unnecessary communication delays and poses a significant risk to school safety and homeland security.”

The bill would use resources offered by the Governor’s Office of Information Technology, the Division of Fire Safety within the Colorado Department of Public Safety, and the Colorado School Safety Resource Center to help schools include interoperable communications in their school safety, readiness, and incident management plans, according to the statement.

The bill would allow schools to benefit from coordinated multi-stakeholder efforts to share best practices in emergency communications, identify emergency communications needs at the school level and help target technical assistance and grant opportunities.

Taking advantage of existing resources would include participating agencies to implement interoperable communications into their procedures.

The Division of Fire Safety, as part of its regular school fire safety inspections, would review all-hazard drills conducted by a school, the school’s ability to communicate directly with state and local first responders during an emergency, and the school’s implementation of the National Incident Management System, according to the statement.

The state office of information technology would provide expertise, online training, train-the-trainer materials, and other tools to promote interoperable communications in schools.

The bill aims to prepare schools and the public safety community for next-generation communications technologies, according to School Safety Summit’s statement.

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Progress Report: Ronald Stephens

VITAL STATS
Name: Ronald D. Stephens
Position: Executive Director of the National School Safety Center
Years in the Education Field: 35
Previous Posts: Chief Operating Officer for Columbia Christian Schools, Chief Business Officer and Vice President of Administration at Pepperdine University
Achievements: Named to Marquis Who’s Who in American Education, Marquis Who’s Who in the West, Marquis Who’s Who in California and Marquis Who’s Who Among Students in American Colleges and Universities. Recipient of the American Spirit Honor Medal. Testified on school safety matters before the United States House of Representatives and U.S. Senate committees.

Among the accolades that he has received for keeping schools safe, Ronald Stephens has been described as “the nation’s leading school crime prevention expert” by the Denver Post newspaper.

Since 1984, Stephens has served as Executive Director of the National School Safety Center, an advocacy group for school safety worldwide that was established that year by President Ronald Reagan. Prior to the appointment he had served as vice president of administration at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif.

“At the time the center was started, the field of school safety was relatively new,” says Stephens. “In 1984, the state of California had just passed Article 1, Section 28C [of the state constitution], which basically said that all students, staff and faculty have the inalienable right to attend schools that are safe, secure and peaceful.”

Stephens says that Article 1, Section 28C, put school safety measures on the educational map not only California, but across the United States. The concept of school safety soon began to spread, encouraged by a number of high-profile incidents of campus violence in the 1980s and 90s, most notably the massacre at Columbine High School in 1999.

“Columbine was America’s wake-up call – it was, so to speak, the public schools’ 9/11,” Stephens says.

After Columbine, schools nationwide began looking at school safety issues more and more, Stephens says. K-12 and higher education institutions increased their interagency agreements with local law enforcement, and more schools began adding metal detectors and closed circuit television systems to their infrastructures. Greater emphasis was placed on developing threat assessment protocols, allowing educators, mental health professionals and law enforcement to better react to campus threats and violence.

“As tragic as it is, often times it does take a school crisis or tragedy to get school officials to become more serious about putting their plans together,” he says.

Since taking the reins at NSSC, Stephens has facilitated the growth of security systems and programs at schools across the U.S. Originally a federally funded entity, NSSC is now a nonprofit that conducts fee-based services ranging from school site safety assessments to customized school safety and training programs.

Other focuses of the organization include providing expert witness and trial consultant services, and producing publications that report on research and trends in school safety best practices in campus security.

The NSSC works with approximately 80 school districts and organizations per year, providing assessments and training, Stephens says.

“Over the past 25 years, we have conducted more than 2,000 training programs nationwide,” he says. “We were asked by the U.S. Department of Justice to develop the federal training program for 10,000 federally funded school police officers. We created the curriculum and developed the training program, and provided that training throughout the United States to both educators and school resource officers.”

Stephens’ journey from educator to school safety expert began on a traditional path that was soon disrupted by the Vietnam War. Earning both his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pepperdine, Stephens was in the midst of his first teaching contract when he was drafted into the United States Army. He rose to the rank of sergeant and served at Fort Hood, Texas, and in Vietnam. Stephens later returned to the West Coast, where he eventually worked as a teacher, assistant superintendent and school board member. He received his doctorate from the University of Southern California.

During his career, Stephens says that he has worked with legislators and educators at almost every level on school safety reform, including testifying before the House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee, the House Committee on Education and Civil Rights, and other House and Senate committees. Much of the educational materials and training programs that NSSC develops is based upon the personal experiences of school security officers, administrators, and teachers.

“What we have done since the beginning of our operation has been to suggest model policies and practices that will enhance safe schools,” Stephens says. “We have always had a bias towards what works. We want to find out the common practices that help school administrators to be more effective in their work.”

Stephens added that over the years, the NSSC has held post-crisis meetings with educators and administrators after violent encounters to determine what changed within their schools systems following the situations. These meetings have produced valuable lesson plans, he says.
While policy remains an important facet to reducing school security threats, another factor is the school’s design, Stephens says. Most schools were not designed to be defended against, while others actually encourage campus crime through architectural barriers or areas that are difficult to supervise.

“If you were designing a facility where you wanted to control visitor traffic, you would want to minimize pedestrian and vehicular entrance and exit points,” Stephens says. “You visit some of these high schools and they have over 100 different points of ingress and egress and it’s an enormous task to try and control all that.”

Though the use of surveillance cameras and other technologies have become more prevalent in school security, it’s the changing attitudes of students – and the utilization of a strong supervision plan – that remain two of the greatest factors in school safety, he says.

“An interesting study came out of the University of Michigan almost ten years ago that basically said despite all the high-tech strategies that address school crime prevention, the single most effective strategy for keeping schools safe is the physical presence of a responsible adult in the immediate vicinity,” Stephens say.

“Since Columbine, there has often been this idea that if we just use more high-tech strategies we can prevent crime,” he adds. “All we know is that the high-tech strategies can be helpful in crime prevention, but it is still about how you address and change the attitudes and actions of young people.”

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