Thomas Mandler spoke to SHRM about the effectiveness of security drills in preventing active-shooter situations, following research suggesting that rather than relying on drills, school boards and employers should increase investment in school or employment-based mental health services and in training on crisis intervention and grief management.
Mandler, who has served on the education boards of two high schools in Illinois, elaborated on the advantages of training students, “Even if a former student [or worker] knows the drills, the damage done would be more limited if others are in safe places.”