In today’s world, government and school leaders can no longer afford to view security and emergency preparedness as optional or reactionary measures. The frequency and sophistication of threats, ranging from targeted violence in schools and government facilities to risks facing cannabis cultivation and dispensary operations demand a proactive, integrated response.
For leaders, hindsight is always 20/20. The question to ask is if you knew a risk existed and did nothing, what would you say to your community in the aftermath? What would you say to victims, to families, or to taxpayers who believed their leaders were committed to safety? Preparedness is no longer a discretionary cost; it is an obligation of leadership.
Reducing risk can be achieved through professional readiness, continuous improvement, and strategic partnerships. Remain driven by one principle: be committed, be prepared, and close the gap before tragedy forces hindsight upon us.
Observe, Move, and Engage
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the FBI have long promoted the ‘Run. Hide. Or Fight’ model as a baseline for active shooter survival. While effective, we know municipalities and schools must go further. At KDNFS, we emphasize a complementary model: Observe.
Move. and Engage.
• Observe: Situational awareness saves lives. Everyone must be trained to notice exits, identify suspicious behavior, and recognize fatal funnels like stairways and doorways where congestion occurs.
• Move: Once risk is detected, people must know their routes, refuge areas, and personal capabilities. This is critical for those with differing abilities or specialized needs.
• Engage: Preparedness builds confidence. Training ensures that when seconds matter, responses are instinctive and decisive.
This shift from passive survival to proactive observation and faster action is key to safeguard residents, schools, and businesses. Every incident in New Jersey and across the nation teaches us something. When tragedy strikes, whether in a school, a municipal building, or a public gathering, the post-event analysis always reveals missed signals: disturbing behavior that wasn’t reported, pre-attack indicators overlooked, or communication gaps that weren’t closed.
Government and school leaders must foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement:
• Implement threat assessment teams to evaluate behaviors before they escalate.
• Encourage courageous reporting of disturbing conduct.
• Partner with law enforcement and private security to close manpower gaps. When budgets and staff are stretched, professional private security acts as a force multiplier.
Reducing the Odds
Government leaders should not be asking whether a tragedy could happen, but rather what they are doing today to reduce the odds.
One reality of modern government leadership is that law enforcement resources are finite. Sheriffs’ offices and police departments often have their sworn personnel assigned to street enforcement and investigations. That leaves administrative and protective functions under-resourced.
Qualified private security provides an immediate solution by providing support roles such as facility monitoring, access control, and crowd management. This blended model gives towns more boots on the ground, reduces crime opportunity, and builds public confidence.
Municipalities, counties, and schools today face a wide range of risks:
• Schools: Threatening student behavior, online radicalization, and active shooter risks require specialized, armed security professionals who can work alongside educators while fostering trust with students and families.
• Public gatherings and theaters: Large, concentrated crowds create ‘fatal funnels’ in doorways and stairways. Leaders must anticipate and plan for mass movement scenarios.
• Domestic extremism: Techniques once observed overseas are appearing in the United States. From pre-indoctrination to online fantasy and planning stages, extremists are acting with greater frequency.
• Cannabis cultivation and dispensaries: These facilities hold valuable product and are attractive targets. Beyond physical risks, contamination or infiltration could cripple operations and expose municipalities to liability.
Government and school leadership is about accountability, not convenience. When tragedy strikes, communities look to their leaders for answers. Will your response be, “We prepared, we trained, we acted,” or will it be, “We thought it would never happen in our town”?
The cost of preparedness is always less than the cost of recovery. Beyond lawsuits, civil litigation, and facility damage, the human toll— trauma, lost trust, community grief— is immeasurable.
Preparedness is not just about stopping an attacker. It is about empowering your workforce, your schools, and your community to feel capable and confident. A workforce trained in emergency response is more intelligent, more resilient, and better equipped to help themselves and others. Practice builds confidence. Preparation builds confidence. The threats facing municipalities today are complex, but the path forward is clear. Leaders must commit to advance work, to knowing where their feet are, and to seeing risks sooner. Security is not a luxury—it is leadership in action. e
By Kevin DiPatri, KDNFS CEO, Retired Captain, Regional Commander, NJ State Police & James Mullins, KDNFS COO, Retired Lieutenant, NJ State Police. Visit www.KDNFS.com.