LM Oct 2025

conference showcase

Just

Tips You

IASA Annual Conference in Springfield

Can Use

Education conferences are a tremendous opportunity to learn about innovative strategies and best practices in schools. However, it’s not always possible to attend every session you want. In this feature in Leadership Matters, IASA highlights conference breakout sessions you may have missed. The article is not intended to offer a comprehensive review of each presentation, but rather provide you with 3-7 tangible tips from the presentation that you can use in your district.

Seconds Matter: Leveraging Technology to Improve Emergency Response

2 Develop your system so those responsible for emergency command, investigation, and communications are aware of the alarm activation as quickly as possible. Automatize the process so that success is not contingent on one or two people. Use redundant communications tools. 3 Conduct internal tabletop exercises with key personnel, such as administrators, custodians, communications staff, and the school nurse, to clarify the current state of your emergency response, from alarm activation to parent noti fication. Aside from maintaining preparedness, it serves as a launch point for future learning and improvement. 4 Conduct training with your emergency responders, from tabletops to walk-throughs to full-scale exercises. Ensure that school and district leaders at all levels have the oppor tunity to meet the first responder command team, so that relationships are established before an emergency occurs. This training is not just a formality—it’s a crucial step in preparing leaders and staff to handle emergencies with confidence and competence. 5 Create systems for simultaneous communications so that the right people get the right information. For example, the administration needs a higher level of information to prepare for investigations, relocations, and communica tions with stakeholders. Security personnel likely do not need this information but may need to communicate with each other regarding a student’s or staff needs. Identifying communications channels in advance will expedite your response.

Since childhood, we’ve been trained to respond urgently to emergencies. Whether it’s a fire, tornado, or intruder, we know seconds matter for survival. For school districts, timeliness doesn’t stop once everyone is safe. Returning to normalcy as quickly as possible maximizes learning through reduced lost time and supports the emotional well-being of students, staff, and families. By reacting consistently, compassionately, and quickly, perceptions of school and district competence and credibility will grow. Panelists: Dr. Charles Johns, Superintendent Emeritus; Dr. RJ Gravel, Superintendent — Glenbrook High School District #225 1 Before emergencies occur, conduct a systems audit: Determine if your pre-recorded messages can be add ed to your PA and easily activated as needed. Assess whether your fire alarm and door access system can send just-in-time notifications to staff when the systems are activated. Investigate if your two-way radio system is accessible to your first responders and can be accessed by administrators when they are away from campus. If possible, incorporate a unified automated integration system, such as Singlewire Software, that links alarm activation with your communications tools.

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LM October 2025