Safe and Sound on the Road: Strengthening School Safety Through Connection, Conversation, and Community

Safe and Sound on the Road

School safety work can’t happen in isolation.

It happens in conference halls and training rooms. In conversations between educators and law enforcement professionals. In moments of reflection shared by survivors, practitioners, and school leaders working toward the same goal: safer, stronger school communities.

Throughout May, members of the Safe and Sound Schools team and community traveled across the country — both in-person and through computer screens — to continue those conversations across trainings, keynote presentations, and collaborative learning opportunities.

Each stop reinforced something we see time and again: meaningful progress in school safety happens when people come together to learn from one another, share experiences, and turn insight into action.

Here’s a look at where the road took us this month.

Choosing to Survive: Lessons from Red Lake

At both the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office ATAP and the Door and Hardware Institute National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee, Missy Dodds shared her powerful presentation, Choosing to Survive: Lessons from Red Lake.

Missy also had the opportunity to connect with students, educators, and community members at Region 9 Education Service Center in Wichita Falls, Texas, and at Ellendale High School as part of outreach efforts with Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD).

Through her story of survival and resilience following the Red Lake High School shooting, Missy continues to help audiences better understand the lasting human impact of violence, the importance of preparedness, and the role each of us plays in creating safer environments.

Building Capacity Through PREPaRE Training

Ben Fernandez, our Director of Programs & Curriculum Development, hosted a PREPaRE training in Bethesda, Maryland, helping participants strengthen their understanding of crisis prevention, intervention, response, and recovery within school communities.

Effective preparedness requires more than a plan on paper. It requires people who are trained, connected, and confident in their ability to support students and staff before, during, and after a crisis. Trainings like PREPaRE help turn knowledge into coordinated action and reinforce the importance of building systems that support both physical and psychological safety.

If you have been looking for an opportunity to attend PREPaRE training, we are proud to offer a 1.5-day virtual event that combines PREPaRE Workshop 1 (WS1) with our half-day Comprehensive School Safety Framework training. This blended experience is designed for multidisciplinary teams to take foundational PREPaRE concepts and apply them directly to their own school safety systems.

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Leadership Lessons from Columbine and Beyond

Speakers Bureau member and longtime Safe and Sound Schools friend Frank DeAngelis traveled to Massachusetts this month to speak with the Juvenile Police Officer’s Association, sharing his presentation, Leadership Lessons from Columbine and Beyond.

For decades, Frank has helped audiences across the country reflect on what leadership looks like during crisis, recovery, and healing. His ability to connect practical lessons with compassion and humanity continues to resonate deeply with school and public safety professionals alike.

Expanding Behavioral Threat Assessment Training in Tennessee

Kate Rahi and Ben Fernandez partnered with school leaders in Tennessee to conduct a virtual behavioral threat assessment training focused on strengthening multidisciplinary prevention practices.

Behavioral threat assessment is not about predicting violence. It is about identifying concerning behavior early, supporting students effectively, and creating systems where intervention can happen before a crisis unfolds.

As more districts continue building comprehensive prevention frameworks, opportunities for collaborative training remain critical. When school leaders, mental health professionals, and safety teams share a common understanding, schools are better equipped to respond with both care and consistency.

The Road Ahead

These highlights represent just a few of the many places the Safe and Sound Schools team and community connected with educators, school leaders, mental health professionals, first responders, and safety practitioners throughout May. Every training, keynote, and learning opportunity this month reflected the dedication of professionals and communities working daily to strengthen school safety.

Interested in bringing these conversations and learning opportunities to your own community? Safe and Sound Schools offers a range of keynote presentations, trainings, and programs designed to support school safety. Explore our Speakers Bureau, comprehensive safety programs, and free resources to learn how we can support your team.