Five Sessions on School Security and Workplace Safety You Won’t Want to Miss at ISC East 2026

ISC East 2026 is coming up Nov. 3–5 in New York City, and the Security Industry Association (SIA) and ISC West have revealed full conference details for the SIA Education at ISC East program, including keynote presentations from top luminaries and over 60 sessions from over 140 expert speakers on the most current business trends, technologies and industry developments.

Among the robust lineup of conference offerings are several sessions related to school security and workplace safety. At ISC East 2026, you’ll discover expert insights on public-private partnerships in K – 12 school security, active violent event mitigation and more. Here are five sessions you won’t want to miss; make sure to add them to your ISC East calendar!

All Times EST

The First Five Minutes: Security Strategies That Improve Outcomes During Active Violence Events

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 10:00–10:45 a.m.

Organizations continue to invest in physical security technologies, yet outcomes during active violence events are often determined by what happens before law enforcement arrives. Effective security programs combine technology, facility design, emergency planning and employee preparedness into a layered defense strategy.Nationally recognized active violence trainer Brink Fidler will share lessons learned from real-world events and explores the security measures that have proven most effective in preventing, mitigating and responding to attacks.

“Our industry spends significant time and resources trying to prevent violence, and we should. But we also have to prepare for what happens if those preventative measures fail. In an active violence event, the first five minutes are critical, and the actions of the people that find themselves in the event have the most significant impact on the outcome. At ISC East, I’m looking forward to challenging security professionals to consider how their strategies, training and planning prepare people to act when seconds matter.”

—Brink Fidler, founder and president, Defend Systems

Presenter:

• Brink Fidler, founder and president, Defend Systems

Building a Security Management Plan With Public-Private Partnership in K–12

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 3:00–3:45 p.m.

As K–12 school systems face increasingly complex safety and security challenges, effective protection strategies now require stronger collaboration between public institutions and private-sector partners. This presentation explores how public-private partnerships can strengthen school security management by aligning school districts, law enforcement, emergency management agencies, technology providers, architects and security integrators around a unified safety mission.

“Billions of dollars have been invested in school security, yet funding alone does not create safer schools. In an increasingly complex environment of evolving threats, emerging technologies, regulatory requirements and competing solutions, no school district can successfully navigate these challenges alone. The most resilient and effective K–12 security programs are built through trusted public-private partnerships that unite educators, public safety professionals, consultants, nonprofit organizations, and industry leaders around a shared mission. When expertise, resources and responsibility are aligned, schools can create comprehensive, sustainable and defensible security management plans that not only protect students and staff, but also support the educational mission and strengthen community trust.”

—Kevin Wren, end user manager, K–12, HID; member, Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) Advisory Council

Speakers:

• Brian Gard, director of safety and health, National Heritage Academies
• Kevin Wren, end user manager, K–12, HID; member, Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) Advisory Council

Getting Unified: An AI-Driven Blueprint for School Safety

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 9:30–10:15 a.m.

In 2026, K-12 school districts face an increasingly complex threat landscape, and while 93% of schools have video surveillance, many still operate in silos, leaving 911 dispatchers flying blind during an emergency. This session takes a deep dive into a recent security transformation at the New Kensington-Arnold School District in Pennsylvania.

“From active shooters to online threats such as ‘swatting,’ schools are facing more challenges than ever when it comes to securing students, teachers and administrators. This session will take an inside look how the New Kensington-Arnold School District in Pennsylvania moved from fragmented legacy hardware to a unified, cloud-native AI safety and security system. The school district’s IT director, security integrator and technology provider will walk attendees through the process they used in an interactive discussion designed to help other schools learn how a phased approach can make high security achievable.”

—Karyn Hodgson, editor in chief, SDM Magazine

Speakers:

• Karyn Hodgson, editor in chief, SDM Magazine
• Josh Blake, sales manager, 2 Krew Security & Surveillance
• Phil Brautigam, IT director, New Kensington Arnold School District
• Cooper Briscoe, vice president of marketing, Brivo
• Brian Kozlosky, president and founder, 2 Krew Security & Surveillance

The Ceberus Effect: Precursor Behaviors and the Insider Threat(s)

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

What does the three-headed dog from Greek mythology have to do with preventing targeted violence? “This session is based on the premise that each of the three heads of the mythological dog Cerberus could be used to represent a different business threat (workplace violence, sabotage and corporate espionage) and that there are precursor behaviors common across each type of threat vector. We’ll explore the visible and virtual behavioral pathways from grievance to ideation to planning to preparation to probing and finally to either a physical or virtual attack are dangerously similar…and just plain dangerous.

Presenter:

• Patrick Cooper, workplace violence prevention and intervention, TD Bank

Active Shooter Workshop

Thursday, Nov. 5, 9:30–11:30 a.m.

Under today’s threat environment active shootings have unfortunately maintained a very deadly and real threat for businesses and communities. Regardless of the business model or size, employees and guests have fallen victim to these vicious attacks that occur without warning or impunity. This hands-on workshop focuses on how a business, and its employees are not silent observers in deadly emergencies, but a valuable partner who can provide clarity, assistance and guidance to the first responder community.

 “An active assailant plan cannot simply tell people to run, hide or fight. Organizations must understand who they are responsible for, what their environment allows and whether their people are truly prepared to make life-saving decisions when seconds matter. In this session, we’re going to put attendees in the decision-maker’s seat. You’ll have limited information, limited time and people depending on you—and we’ll examine whether the decisions that sound right in a policy actually work in the real world.”

—David LaRose, health care subject matter expert, GardaWorld

Instructors:

• David LaRose, health care subject matter expert, GardaWorld
• Ben Scaglione, associate principal, Cerami & Associates

You can access the full SIA Education at ISC East conference program by registering for a SIA Education@ISC 3-day pass. Even better, use SIA’s links to get free access to the ISC East trade show and save 20% on your conference pass!