After almost ten hours of sleep last night, I am ready to say that today is Tuesday and the last work day this week for me.  I wish this was the last day in preparation for a nice long vacation somewhere nice, but it is the last work day before I make the drive to Atlantic City tomorrow morning to attend the New Jersey State Emergency Preparedness Conference.  This is my second year attending and presenting.  Last year I was part of a panel discussing the Virginia Tech shooting which had just taken place.  I was the law enforcement and educational representative since I had both backgrounds and was alloted 10 minutes to present.  Um, 10 minutes?  The amount of material I had put into my 10 minute response prompted the moderator to approach me this year to do a solo presentation with almost three hours allotted.  Woo Hoo!

I was asked to submit a proposal and outline.  That was the tough part – what to talk about and how to refine my data and training to create a coherent and time appropriate topic.  I quickly got the idea to do a presentation on “threat assessment” which is general enough to apply to a number of settings and environments, and is adaptable to meet the needs of any school or school district, urban, suburban, and rural.  What is ‘threat assessment?” Well, threat assessment is a set of investigative and operational techniques that can be used by professionals (teachers, principals, school police, other administrators) to identify, assess, and manage the risks of targeted violence and its potential perpetrators.  The key is to address the targeted violence, those acts that are premeditated and carefully planned.  Much of the work goes into identifying behaviors and patterns of school shooters and participators in acts of school violence, what motivates acts of violence, and how to contain and prepare for when (not if) it happens.  Want to know more?  I’d be more than happy to send you my powerpoint presentation to look over.  Just let me know…

So that was the spark that ignited the flame that burns in me this morning…or is that heartburn.

Whatever the case, I am just beginning to pack for the conference that starts tomorrow and ends of Friday evening.  I am only going to give the presentation since none of the other topics and breakout sessions really thrill me.  I am not that interested in emergency response that I would be drawn to displays of new 9-1-1 technology or advancements in radio communications.  Instead, I am going to do some running on the boardwalk, treat myself to a nice dinner, curl up with the new book I started today (wow, 2 books in one year? amazing, huh), and relax by the hotel’s indoor pool.  Wish it could last longer, but I make my drive to Cambridge on Friday morning, hoping to arrive shortly after 2pm so I don’t spend the entire time on the road.

My presentation is on Thursday at 3pm in the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in beautiful downtown Atlantic City, New Jersey!  Be there or be oval!  Everyone says “square” so I am thinking ‘out of the box’ this morning!  Get it?!? A box..square…see the connection?

OK, I’ll stop.