By S.L. Hansen
for the Register
School safety and crisis response is a top priority for the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln.
Addressed on multiple fronts, the diocese invests time and money to ensure that each school provides not just a welcoming environment, but a safe place for students to learn and for administrators, faculty and staff to work.
“Our school administrators strive to keep our schools safe so the students can be apostles in this world and saints in heaven,” said Assistant Superintendent Sister Anne Joelle Braunsroth, C.K.
To that end, Father Lawrence Stoley, diocesan director of Catholic schools, contracted with Sundown Global Solutions LLC last April to provide school security analysis, recommendations, and training for faculty and staff. The owner and principal consultant, Joe Cowan, is a former Marine and former FBI supervisory agent with an extensive background in institutional and personal security.
Cowan has a personal attachment to Catholic schools in the diocese. Not only did he attend Blessed Sacrament School in Lincoln, he graduated from Pius X High School in 1987. His children have attended Catholic schools in Lincoln, and his wife is currently a faculty member.
“This is important to me,” stressed Cowan. “Catholic schools are important, and it’s important that they have the same resources and guidance that the public schools get.”
Understanding that Catholic schools generally have limited resources, one of the first things Cowan did was provide a list of 10 low- or no-cost security tactics that school administrators could apply immediately.
His first security analysis project for the diocese is Pius X High School in Lincoln. Not only is it the largest school and campus in the diocese, the school recently launched a large construction project, which means many outside workers will be on the property when school is in session. Cowan began by interviewing administrators and staff.
“I want their input,” he stated. “It doesn’t do any good for me to walk around observing without context.”
Cowan recommends that all schools do an internal security assessment annually and independent analysis every three to five years. To help, Cowan is on call for consultation with any administrator. He can help prioritize any security improvements that have been identified, assist in applying for grants to cover security costs and contribute to faculty and staff training.
An example of the latter happened in June, when school administrators and members of their school crisis teams came together for a training session. Sister Anne Joelle, along with Courtney Miller, Ph.D., and Beth Kozisek Ph.D., of the Immaculate Heart of Mary Counseling Center, convened the group to help crisis team members learn, collaborate and plan for potential situations that would require their support.
Each school has a crisis team that directs protocol for any given situation, whether that is something short-lived like a physical fight between students or a nearby police action during the school day, or an event that has much longer impact, such as the sudden death of a student or an on-campus intruder.
“It just helps our administrators be prepared before something happens,” said Sister Anne Joelle. “You can think through it ahead of time. Usually there is something that is going to happen during the school year, even if it is minor.”
She said the diocese emphasizes a faith-integrated approach. Even though every situation is different and requires different kinds of response, the constant will always include prayer, practical help for those directly affected, and spiritual support for every student, parent, teacher and other staff member.
Cowan’s role in the June training session was to provide real-life scenarios that have happened in other schools around the nation. The administrators and crisis team members worked together in small groups to identify protocols for their own schools.
Another reason for the training was to strengthen the network of crisis team members. The diocese divided the school district into seven geographic regions. Sister Anne Joelle made sure that each school’s team met the team from other schools in the region, because there are times when a situation calls for outside support.
“When you are in the midst of crisis, it’s hard to think through things, so it’s good to have another school to help out,” she explained.
She said the attendees, numbering more than 100, were very engaged throughout the day-long training session. Teams will take what they learned back to their schools and share protocols with other faculty and staff. When students return for the fall semester, they will practice various drills for fires, tornados and other scenarios, so that they know what to do when they hear the signal.
Cowan was pleased to be able to offer his experience and expertise for the training session.
“It’s important that schools provide a safe and secure environment that promotes learning,” he observed. “Kids don’t learn as well and teachers don’t teach as well unless they are in a secure environment.”
“We are just so blessed to have such dedicated administrators and staff who take this seriously,” Sister Anne Joelle added. “The students are loved, and we care about them. We are here to support them in whatever way we can.”
SNR photos | Natalie Bender
The diocese has contracted with Sundown Global Solutions LLC last April to provide school security analysis, recommendations, and training for faculty and staff. The owner and principal consultant, Joe Cowan (pictured), is a former Marine and former FBI supervisory agent with an extensive background in institutional and personal security.
