Critical Intervention Services

The Critical Difference™

Student Threat Assessment for Florida Schools

Our consultants have assisted scores of Florida schools in assessing student threats and reducing risks of targeted violence.

Student Threat Assessment

Our student threat assessment professionals assist schools throughout the State of Florida in reducing risks of targeted violence.

As spotlighted by the U.S. Secret Service and National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime (NCAVC), most acts of targeted violence in schools are preceded by a process of ideation, planning, and preparation. Correspondingly, students proceeding on the pathway to violence often exhibit personality characteristics and behaviors which can serve as a warning. In these situations, conducting a student threat assessment can provide critical opportunity for intervention or protective response.

Our team of student threat assessment professionals have assisted scores of Florida schools in navigating potential threat situations and sensitive decisions essential to managing risk.

To ensure that our assessments are both functionally-effective and legally-defensible, CIS employs the Comprehensive School Threat Assessment Guidelines (CSTAG) model as the base methodology, and investigates and assesses threats in accordance with best practices as promoted by the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (ATAP), U.S. Secret Service, and National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime. And when applicable, our student threat assessments are also supported by the use of evidence-based structured professional judgement (SPJ) instruments, such as the Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk 21 (WAVR-21) in post-secondary settings.

For assistance with an urgent threat concern, call us at (727) 461-9417 or use the following web form.

Student Threat Assessment Our Experience and Expertise

- CIS student threat assessment experts have aided scores of schools in the Tampa and Orlando areas in assessing and managing student threat situations.
- CIS consultants have assisted numerous Florida schools in assessing and improving readiness for targeted violence. Some examples of our clients include The Diocese of St. Petersburg, Calvary Christian High School, Kingswood Oxford School, North Cobb Christian School, Sayre School, Shorecrest Preparatory School, National Aviation Academy, The College of New Rochelle, and more.
- The CIS Guardian SafeSchool Program® was peer reviewed in 2014 by John Jay College of Criminal Justice and hailed as a ‘model for national best practices’ in school security. Click here to read the report.
- Our Guardian SafeSchool officer training course was adopted in 2014 as the training model for Newtown Public Schools‘ new armed security force in response to the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting.
- CIS school threat assessment experts were committee members for the revision of ANSI standard “Workplace Violence Prevention and Intervention” (ASIS/SHRM WVP.1-2011).
- CIS student threat assessment professionals have trained hundreds of Florida educators and security professionals at workshops and conferences in school security and emergency readiness topics.

Student Threat Assessment: Our Methodology

The following video provides an overview of the student threat assessment process and some of the factors encompassed in our assessments.

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Learn more about our experience and expertise...

Our Florida Based Student Threat Assessment Team

Craig Gundry, PSP, cATO

Craig Gundry is a CIS security consultant and expert witness with over 30-years of specialized focus on workplace violence, school security, and terrorism. As an expert specialized in managing risks of mass homicide, Craig assisted in the development of ASIS International’s new WVPI-2020/AA, Workplace Violence and Active Assailant – Prevention, Intervention, and Response Standard and the Guardian SafeSchool Program® standards for school security.

Craig provides expert commentary for national news organizations and is a columnist for Workplace Violence Today magazine. He is also a TEDx presenter and speaker at conferences worldwide on topics related to terrorism, school security, and active shooter violence.

In addition to his role at CIS, Craig is also a lead instructor for the S2 Institute’s Anti-Terrorism Officer course and advanced seminars on security risk assessment, active shooter preparations, physical security, and emergency response planning. His previous students include over 5,000 security and public safety professionals from over 50 nations. He also lectures on security topics for John Jay College of Criminal Justice and presents PSP® exam preparation courses for ASIS International.

Hector Rodriguez, cATO, FCP, CPO

Hector is the Assistant Vice President of Special Projects and a staff consultant focusing on school security, workplace violence, and protection of houses of worship.

Mr. Rodriguez joined Critical Intervention Services in 2003 as a protection officer and progressively rose through the ranks serving in every leadership position until his promotion to Chief of Uniformed Services in 2012.

In 2019, Hector was promoted to Vice President of Protective Services and assumed responsibility for the operations of over 300 security officers, field supervisors, and operations center personnel. As the senior commander for our School Protection Officer division, Hector supervised the implementation of the Guardian SafeSchool Program at ten Tampa Area schools.

In 2022, Hector joined the CIS Special Projects Division as the Assistant Vice President of Special Projects.

K.C. Poulin, cATO, CPS, CPOI

KC is a consultant and expert witness of matters related to workplace violence, community-based public safety, crime prevention, premises liability in multi-family housing, security officer operations, and managing risks of predatory aggression (e.g., workplace violence, stalking, etc.).

As the CEO of CIS, KC is the lead architect of our community-based security and public safety programs and is co-author of two criminal justice textbooks. KC is a veteran expert witness and has provided decisive testimony in multiple premises liability cases.

Interviews with Our School Security Experts

Since 1993, our consultants have provided hundreds of interviews to Florida news media organizations related to school security and student threat assessment topics.

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Additional Interviews with Our School Security Experts

Is your child’s school safe? Depends on the school | 10 Tampa Bay
Is your child’s school safe? Depends on the school | 10 Tampa Bay
Watch: Gun control? Armed teachers? Here’s why no one solution will make schools safer | Blaze Media
Watch: Gun control? Armed teachers? Here’s why no one solution will make schools safer | Blaze Media
Rethinking venue security in the Tampa Bay area after the Manchester terrorism attack | ABC News WFTS
Rethinking venue security in the Tampa Bay area after the Manchester terrorism attack | ABC News WFTS
Be prepared in 'soft target' areas | 10 Tampa Bay
Be prepared in 'soft target' areas | 10 Tampa Bay
Craig Gundry Shares His Insight About the Brussels Attacks | News Channel 8 WFLA
Craig Gundry Shares His Insight About the Brussels Attacks | News Channel 8 WFLA

Our School Security Consultant Team: Training Experience

Our subject experts have trained thousands of security professionals, district and school-level administrators, and faculty members in measures for protecting schools against active shooter violence. Following are several videos of webinars presented by our school security consultants.

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Photos from Previous School Security Training Events

The Words of Our Clients and Peers

"The professionalism and expertise of CIS were invaluable in enabling the Tampa Electric Company to become among the very first energy companies in America to achieve this level of protection and security."

"The quality of the Guardian Program at Shorecrest has made our school the envy of any administrator that has come to observe the program...I give my highest recommendation to the Guardian SafeSchool Program."

"The training you are providing to military personnel and law enforcement professionals is unmatched by civilian readiness training for the war on terror."

"CIS not only comes in and assists us, but they're committed to the community. I never encounted that before."

"After a serious consideration of the CIS Guardian SafeSchool Program, the Lead Investigator finds neither fad nor novelty but in its place, creative innovation worthy of further study and application."

Toll-free: (800) 247-6055 | Tampa Bay Area: (727) 461-9417 | Hillsborough: (813) 910-4247 | Orlando: (407) 420-7945

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The Critical Difference™

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The staff of CIS is dedicated to providing each client with the finest quality of protective services available.

Our commitment and dedication to professional, ethical, and protocol conscious service is our trademark.

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