ORLANDO, Fla. – Just weeks after a shooting at Florida State University left two dead and six others injured, people from across the country are gathering in Central Florida to discuss ways to enhance student safety and security.
The 19th Annual National Student Safety and Security Conference will run from Wednesday to Friday at the Holiday Inn Resort: Kissimmee by the Parks. Law enforcement, educators, policymakers and other stakeholders will meet over the next few days to discuss critical issues related to school safety. Organizers emphasize that this event is not just a gathering but a call to action.
[Watch video below to hear experts describe the No. 1 key in keeping schools safe]
The conference will focus on various issues, including dating violence, gang activity, vandalism and bullying. Keynote Speaker Dr. Stephen Sroka, adjunct assistant professor at Case Western Reserve University, said their approach is different because it is comprehensive, covering the four Cs: communication, collaboration, cultural sensitivity and caring.
“The most important thing for school safety, and you’ll very seldom hear this at conferences, is relationships. Trusted relationships are so important because they are what makes schools safe and help kids learn,” he said.
Chief Rick Francis of the Department of School Safety at the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office will also share his expertise.
“You know, the first U.S. school incident was 1747. Yet, here we are still talking about it,” he told News 6.
“The biggest thing for me is to provide some takeaways that [attendees] can take back — some low-cost, no-cost solutions that can be deployed immediately in school districts to have a real effect.”
Francis also believes relationships are important to preventing violent incidents from happening.
“I use the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of my time is spent on what I consider soft skills—the self-harm, the bullying, the threat management, and assessments,” he explained. “If a kid feels part of that fabric of that school, it’s less likely they’re going to cause a mass casualty event.”
However, being prepared for the worst remains essential. The conference will feature hands-on, real-world simulations of community responses to school shootings, aiming to equip more people to handle the aftermath of such tragedies.
“Once the threat has been eliminated, we need to switch gears as providers of first responders to that recovery mode,” Francis added.
In addition to these discussions, the conference will include special workshops focused on teen suicide prevention, substance abuse and aggressive driving.