This morning our hearts are heavy for the Bend, Oregon, community and all those grieving alongside them. Four lives lost, and countless others forever changed – it is a tragedy that no community should ever experience.

Understanding requires people who know what warning signs to look for, how to gather information, consider behavior in context, recognize when additional information is needed, and work together to determine if there is a concern for violence or safety and what should happen next. That is the foundation of Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management, or BTAM. And it is why threat assessment training is such an important part of building a comprehensive approach to school safety and prevention.

Over the years I have seen leadership titles demonstrate very little leadership, while someone with “no title” wield enormous influence. In education, expertise, credentials, and credibility tend to be rewarded and lauded. Those things are important, but leadership can happen wherever people stand.