“How do I talk to my 3rd-graders about active shooters?”
The question that started it all. In 2015, then-police officer and active shooter instructor Adam Coughran was conducting a traditional training course with a group of K-8 teachers when he was asked this question. His answer, as was everyone’s at the time, was “I don’t know.”
Feel Safe. Be Safe.
After looking for answers to the teacher’s question, it soon became apparent there were no pre-existing programs that addressed students in an age-appropriate and trauma-informed manner, no less their teachers. In the following months, Adam responded to a number of critical incidents as an active shooter response team member, where students were forced to respond to violent incidents on campus without any direction from their teachers or trusted adults. With no answers to the teacher’s question and increasing school violence and active shooter incidents, Adam set out in 2016 with a multidisciplinary team comprised of law enforcement, educators, and school psychologists to create a program that could be taught to students by their teachers in the classroom. Learning life-saving strategies in a way that was empowering, not scary, easy to remember, and could be used beyond the walls of the classroom in their communities to have kids not only feel safe but be safe. The result… the H.E.R.O. Program.
Leadership
Adam Coughran, M.A.
Adam Coughran is an industry leader in safety and security training for schools, businesses, and organizations. Adam is a veteran of Southern California law enforcement who utilized his expertise to found Safe Kids Inc. in 2016. He’s been recognized as one of the “Go-To” experts for national media outlets, appearing on NBC’s Today Show, ABC’s Good Morning America, FOX’s Nancy Grace, HLN’s MichaeLA, CBS’s Entertainment Tonight, CBS This Morning, and numerous live interviews in addition to being a contributing author to Newsweek, Forbes, and Fast Company Magazines.
President
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We Value
The sanctity of life above all else. We believe our children are our future, and we must safeguard them at all costs. We value the joy of innocence and have developed our programs to be effective, trauma-informed, and age-appropriate.
Our Vision
Is to have a world free from violence in our schools and dangers to our children. And while we know we cannot change the world we live in, we do know we can help keep kids, teachers, and families safe in it.
Our Mission
To provide the knowledge and resources necessary to prevent violence and empower students, educators, and families to feel safe and be safe.
