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ABOUT
US
Our Story
“Are our school district’s bus drivers trained and prepared to respond to the active threat?”
It’s a question I pondered as a School Resource Officer for a community in Northeast Ohio back in 2015. Regular conversations with bus drivers and observations of students on the bus reinforced my belief in the immediate need for a training program designed for bus drivers to respond to the active threat.
So, at Levine Security Solutions, the S.T.A.R.T. (School Transportation Active-Threat Response Training) program was created. The idea is simple. Our team of experts composed of active-duty and former police officers, social workers, mental health experts, United States military, and United States Secret Service personnel deliver relevant and current, best-practice material in classroom and scenario-based exercise settings.
Our multi-disciplinary team, many of them parents, are eager and ready to build up school bus drivers in your community. Please allow the S.T.A.R.T. program to make your community, your school district, and your school buses a safer place. - James R. Levine
James R. Levine
CEO Levine Security Solutions
Founder of the START program
Key Learning Objectives of S.T.A.R.T.
Situational & Threat Awareness
● What are the “threats”
● Identifying suspicious behavior (people, vehicles, and items)
Techniques & Good Safety Habits
● At the bus yard
● At the school (arrival and dismissal)
● While in transit
● At a bus stop
● At a sporting event or field trip
Emergency Response Basics
● Emergency communication
● Knowing the safety equipment on board
Introduction to Active Threat Response
● Gunman outside of the bus
● Gun on the bus
● Active Shooter on the Bus
Crisis Intervention Training
• Self-Regulation
• Body language
• Active listening
• Mirroring
• Tone of voice
• Conversation cues & strategies
• Mental illness and illegal Drug Use
Responding to Active Threats
• Being the “first responder”
• Maintaining control of the situation
• Recognizing the sound of gunfire
• Interrupting an active shooter on board (DCC: De-Stabilize, Contact, & Commands)
Identifying Suspicious Items
● Proper response to someone who may have a weapon in their bag
● Proper response if someone locates any suspicious items on the bus (drugs, weapons, & explosive device)
Juvenile Behavioral Intelligence - Secret Service based research
● Recognizing behaviors of concern
● Prevention through reporting
● Drivers are a key part of “the system”
● Drivers are stakeholders
● Soft Targets
Dealing with Physical Altercations
● Addressing bullying on the bus
● Developing trust with the passengers
● Dealing with hostile parents & domestic violence related incidents (child custody/kidnapping)
● Evacuation & locking down with the bus
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Orange Schools, Ohio 2023
