About the experience of PDV in school and the benefits of Cosafe
Norrevångsskolan is a secondary school located near Källebergsskolan, which had previously experienced a school attack. At the time of the attack on Källebergsskolan, Norrevångsskolan was initially implementing Cosafe, introducing new routines for its crisis plan and crisis management. It became natural for Norrevångsskolan to support the sister school in the aftermath, resulting in improved preparedness for both schools.
Why did you choose Cosafe at Norrevångsskolan?
We wanted to find a way to raise alarms that did not require us to be in the principal’s or school nurse’s office, as was the case with the old public address systems. Additionally, the older systems required codes and the redundant speaker system was no longer optimal. Norrevångsskolan implemented Cosafe in August 2021.
“Speaker systems and flashing lights are good, but honestly, they come with a significantly higher cost. Even though no cost is too high when it comes to protecting against such events, it’s still good if the cost can be kept somewhat lower while experiencing the same sense of security.”
What happened at Källebergsskolan that day?
An individual, armed and masked, entered the school. Almost immediately after the person entered the building, a teacher was attacked. Students evacuated, and the principal immediately followed the crisis plan by calling, sending SMS, and emails to warn as many people as possible. The perpetrator was apprehended by the police without causing further physical harm, but many were threatened with weapons and are naturally affected by this.
The principal acted entirely according to protocol and without mistakes, but both she and Pelle concluded afterwards that it is inefficient and time-consuming to try to warn everyone via SMS and email. They lacked a way to reach all staff quickly and simultaneously.
“Even though the principal acted exemplarily, she also noted that she lacked a way to reach EVERYONE quickly and simultaneously.”
How do you use Cosafe at your school?
We use Cosafe in our daily work to ensure that the app is always present with us as staff and is perceived as safe to use. We use the alarm function only in emergencies, but we use other features like Messages almost every week. For example, a teacher facing an issue with a student not respecting the mobile ban can send a message via Cosafe, and other teachers who can help may do so. At Norrevångsskolan, we have decided that if it’s a message, we act if we can, want to, or have time, whereas if it’s an alarm, everyone always acts.
We have our crisis plan in the app instead of having it on some intranet or in emails. This ensures it is always available, and we, as staff, refer to it when practising.
Results with Cosafe
- Increased sense of security
- The crisis plan has become more accessible
- Effective collaboration, even in minor incidents
“Cosafe is not the only solution; the crisis plan is crucial. But many who received the crisis plan via email in August may not have it fresh in their memory. By routinely using Cosafe and having the crisis plan available in the app, it becomes accessible in a completely different way.”
