SRO School Safety & Security 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: During a lockdown, a student knocks on the classroom door and claims to be injured. What is the BEST course of action for the teacher?
- Open the door immediately to assist the injured student
- Keep the door locked and notify authorities via phone or intercom without opening the door (Correct answer)
- Open the door slightly to assess the student's injuries
- Ignore the knocking and wait for the all-clear signal
Correct answer: Keep the door locked and notify authorities via phone or intercom without opening the door
During a lockdown, doors should remain locked; staff should communicate with individuals outside using phone or intercom and relay information to authorities rather than compromising the secured space.
Question 2: Which federal law primarily governs how schools must handle student records and share information with law enforcement?
- HIPAA
- FERPA (Correct answer)
- Title IX
- IDEA
Correct answer: FERPA
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) restricts disclosure of student education records, though it includes exceptions that allow disclosure to law enforcement under specific circumstances such as health and safety emergencies.
Question 3: A suspicious package is found unattended in a school hallway. What is the FIRST step an SRO should take?
- Open the package to inspect its contents
- Move the package to an outdoor location immediately
- Clear the area and establish a safety perimeter without touching the package (Correct answer)
- Place the package in a trash can to isolate it
Correct answer: Clear the area and establish a safety perimeter without touching the package
Unattended suspicious packages should never be touched or moved; the immediate priority is clearing people from the area and establishing a perimeter while awaiting bomb squad or EOD personnel.
Question 4: Which assessment model is most commonly used by SROs and threat assessment teams to evaluate the risk posed by a student making threats?
- SARA Model
- Structured Threat Assessment of Violence in Schools (STAVS)
- Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines (VSTAG) (Correct answer)
- CPTED Analysis Framework
Correct answer: Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines (VSTAG)
The Virginia Student Threat Assessment Guidelines, developed by Dewey Cornell, is widely adopted because it distinguishes transient from substantive threats and provides a structured, research-supported intervention process.
Question 5: What does CPTED stand for in the context of school safety?
- Critical Prevention Through Environmental Design
- Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (Correct answer)
- Campus Protection and Tactical Emergency Deployment
- Community Policing Through Engagement and Deterrence
Correct answer: Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) uses physical layout, lighting, landscaping, and sightlines to reduce opportunities for crime and increase natural surveillance.
Question 6: An SRO observes a student drawing pictures of weapons and making vague statements about 'making people pay.' What is the most appropriate next step?
- Arrest the student immediately for making terroristic threats
- Ignore the behavior as it is likely just artistic expression
- Report the behavior and initiate a threat assessment through the school's threat assessment team (Correct answer)
- Expel the student pending a full investigation
Correct answer: Report the behavior and initiate a threat assessment through the school's threat assessment team
Behavioral warning signs like weapon drawings combined with threatening statements should trigger a formal threat assessment, which is a multidisciplinary process to evaluate risk and determine appropriate intervention.
Question 7: Which of the following is the BEST description of the 'Run-Hide-Fight' protocol for active shooter situations?
- Run away from the school, hide behind heavy furniture, and fight with improvised weapons simultaneously
- Evacuate if safe, shelter in place if evacuation is not possible, and as a last resort use force to defend yourself (Correct answer)
- Fight back immediately, hide if injured, and run only when police arrive
- Run toward exits only, hide in bathrooms, and fight only if armed
Correct answer: Evacuate if safe, shelter in place if evacuation is not possible, and as a last resort use force to defend yourself
Run-Hide-Fight, also taught as 'Avoid-Deny-Defend,' prioritizes evacuation first, sheltering in place second, and physical resistance as an absolute last resort when survival is at stake.
SRO School Safety & Security 2
During a lockdown, a student knocks on the classroom door and claims to be injured.
What is the BEST course of action for the teacher?