WINTER Cu ural Series

vides direct radio communication with responding law enforcement, re and EMS personnel. is allows any and all sta with a UHF radio to communicate directly with rst responders to expedite the emergency response process and provide clear, concise communication and updates. Furthermore, we were able to provide 150 new UHF radios with individual licensed channels, radio repeaters to cover dead spots or weak areas in our schools, and 14 public safety radios throughout our district. e public safety radios provide redundant communication and allow all of our schools and facilities to communicate with multiple agencies statewide through mutual aid channels.

CHERRY HILLS COMMUNITY CHURCH (CHAPEL)

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When the announcement came out, I was beyond excited. It was very humbling and a tremendous honor. I did not do this on my own, though. Being named a national nalist is a direct re ection of our amazing students, sta and district leadership. rough a collective effort, we were able to achieve more than I ever thought was possible in the 15 months I have been with Elizabeth School District. For a small rural town to be recognized alongside large metro area school districts was a monumental accomplishment.

You were awarded $730,000 in school safety grants focused on radio interoperability and school hardening. What does this mean and how will it be implemented for the district?

Great question. We have been awarded various state and federal grants. ese grants were focused on two key areas, radio interoperability (communication) and school hardening.

Radio interoperability focuses on implementing a comprehensive radio system that provides the means to cross-communicate with multiple agencies and jurisdictions. is system consists of new UHF radios, radio repeaters, public safety DTRS radios, and SchoolSAFE radio towers. e SchoolSAFE radio towers are truly the backbone of this comprehensive system. e SchoolSAFE system provides the means for all of our schools and facilities to communicate directly with rst responders in the event of a critical incident or emergency response. Each of the SchoolSAFE towers has the capability to open up a telemetry bridge directly with Douglas County Sheri ’s O ce Regional Dispatch. is bridge pro-

School hardening is a safety approach that focuses on layered security to protect our students, sta , and visitors. Layered security focuses on the ability to deter, detect, delay and deny an adversary. School hardening encompasses a wide range of physical security measures, such as access control systems, video surveillance systems, and intrusion detection systems. rough additional grant funding, I was able to create and implement a district-wide uni ed security system. is uni ed system linked all of our security technology together and provides a harmonious system consisting of video surveillance, access control, and intrusion detection. As of today, the school district has a state-of-the-art video surveillance system and we now have more IP security cameras than ever before. Additionally, we are nalizing the installation of an enterprise access control and intrusion detection system. When everything is all said and done, we will have a system that communicates directly back and forth with one another. is provides the means for alarm call-ups on our video surveillance system if an intrusion or access control event is detected. Ultimately, this expedites our team’s capabilities and ensures we are able to monitor, detect and respond to issues throughout the entire school district.

Is there a particular achievement as Elizabeth School District director of safety and security that you are most proud of? Why?

My greatest achievement has to be working with our mental health teams to develop and implement a thorough threat assessment, threat screening and suicide risk assessment process. As of today, ESD now has a consistent, uniform and strategic process district-wide. We evaluated best practices and implemented measures from the United States Secret Service National reat Assessment Center. School safety and security isn’t just the physical security element. I break my job down into a 60/40 split. Sixty percent is physical security, communication and all the fancy stu people like to talk about. e other 40% is mental health. e mental health element consists of threat assessments, suicide risk assessments, and other measures to prevent and intervene before a crisis occurs. All the bells and whistles for security technology become reactive in the event an incident occurs. Mental health and intervention is the proactive measures we need to prevent an incident from occurring. We would not be able to achieve our overall safety and security goals if it wasn’t for our counselors, psychologists, social workers and other mental health partners in ESD.

What are your future plans and goals for the Elizabeth School District?

We can never become complacent in school safety. It is important we always look forward to new and innovative ways to enhance our security posture and capabilities. My future goals for the school district include: increasing our preexisting partnerships with Elizabeth Police Department and providing a second School Resource O cer, increasing our site-based security sta ng for all of our schools, and establishing a centralized security department consisting of additional response team members. I would also like to continue providing more professional development opportunities for all of our sta on security best practices and additional threat assessment training for our mental health and administrative teams.

What is your general background that prepared you for the role of director of safety and security?

My security experience started in 2012 when I enlisted in the United States Air Force as a security forces member. During my time on active duty, I oversaw physical security for assets vital to national security and provided law enforcement services to an Air Force installation of more than 15,000 people. I originally wanted to transition into civilian law enforcement upon separating from active duty, but that all changed on December 13, 2013. While serving overseas in support of Operation Enduring Freedom my hometown of Centennial, Colorado experienced a devastating active shooter event. I distinctly remember watching this live as the event unraveled. is moment solidied my desire to move into school safety and protect our most precious assets, children.

Once I separated from active duty, I transitioned to the Colorado Air National Guard where I currently serve as a senior non-commissioned o cer and ight chief for a security forces unit. is gave me the opportunity to complete my bachelor’s degree in business management and my master’s degree in public administration. Additionally, I was able to complete board certi cations as a physical security professional and certi ed protection professional through ASIS International, and I am also a certi ed Crime Prevention rough Environmental Design practitioner through the National Institute of Crime Prevention.

In 2018 I was hired on as the assistant director of security and emergency planning for Littleton Public Schools. I had the honor and distinct privilege of working under a true subject matter expert in school safety, Guy Grace. After 31 years in school safety, Grace retired in 2021. I applied and was selected to lead the security department at LPS as the director of security and emergency planning. Finally, in November 2021, an amazing opportunity was presented here in Elizabeth and I was selected to serve as the director of safety and security for Elizabeth School District.

Who are you outside of your role?

I’m a pretty simple person. I love spending time with my family. Inally have the time and opportunity to truly enjoy being a father and making sure my son has the best childhood possible. We are blessed to have our family so close to us.

Do you have any final thoughts or comments?

I have a true passion for school safety and security. It is important to truly recognize the role and support I receive each day from our principals and district leadership team. Without their trust and buy-in, none of this would be possible. Dr. William Dallas has been instrumental in the development of the safety department and by empowering me to make essential and critical decisions, we have achieved more than I ever thought was possible.

To learn how the Elizabeth School District is implementing safety and security measures across all schools, visit elizabethschooldistrict.org/ domain/119.

For more information on the Campus Safety Conference, visit CampusSafetyConference.com.

To see the Elizabeth School District spotlight on Mike Newton, visit tinyurl.com/MNEHS.

To see the Campus Safety Magazine spotlight on Mike Newton, please visit tinyurl.com/ MikeNewtonSafety.

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