Kent ISD — It is a situation many school safety officers may face within the first few weeks of school: a student sitting in a hallway with her head in her hands, often a sign of emotional or physical distress.
It was one of the training scenarios local school safety officers participated in during the Kent ISD annual School Safety Officer Training, held a couple of weeks before the start of the new school year.
“What I was thinking when coming up to her was putting myself in her shoes,” said Ryan Bomburger, a member of the Rockford Public Schools security team, recalling the encounter. “I wanted to find common ground and try to relate to her and talk her down.
“You need to figure out what a student needs and get them the help they need. She didn’t think anyone cared about her, and there are a lot of people who care about her.”
Trainings. Tools. Teamwork.
Held every year for the past six years, the annual training is a four-day program during which officers review topics such as standard response protocols, mental health first aid, de-escalation methods and legal updates. On the last day, attendees had an opportunity to work through several training scenarios to practice what they had learned.
“The training is designed to provide attendees with the tools they need to build positive relationships with students, staff and administrators,” said John Wittkowski, Kent ISD’s safety and security coordinator for Region 1.
Some 63 security officers attended the training, representing districts including Caledonia, Rockford, Wyoming, Kelloggsville, Lowell, Grand Rapids, Kentwood, Cedar Springs and Kenowa Hills, as well as Kent ISD.
Ron Thomas, supervisor of the Wyoming Public Schools security team, said ongoing training and education are essential for school safety officers.
“It is very important to attend these events, I think, because there are new scenarios and changes in the law,” Thomas said. “If you don’t attend, it’s hard to keep up with what we can do on our end, what law enforcement can do and the rights of the students.”
Learn. Practice. Protect.
Working through different scenarios allows officers to learn from mistakes, understand their limitations and become familiar with the proper tools, Thomas said.
In the hallway scenario, Kent County Sheriff’s Deputy Todd Summerhays, a Lowell Area Schools security resource officer who was leading the exercise, noted that Rockford’s Bomburger knelt down to get on the student’s level. At the same time, he reminded participants of the importance of maintaining an appropriate distance from students.
“A voice will carry across the hall,” Summerhays said. “You want to make sure there is enough distance between you and the student that in case the student moves suddenly, you can jump up quickly and get out of the way.”
Diane Druckenmiller, Cedar Springs’ assistant director of operations and logistics, who oversees security for the district, said the training also provides an opportunity to network with colleagues from other districts and learn how they would approach similar situations. She plans to bring what she learned back to her team.
Monté Parks, a third-year school safety officer for Wyoming and a district alum, said the sessions gave him an opportunity to expand his toolbox for de-escalating difficult situations while connecting with colleagues from various districts.
“I enjoyed being in security for the fact that you can create bonds with the students and learn where they are in their emotional state, so you can help them along with keeping them safe,” Parks said.
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