FIRESTORM SOLUTIONS LLC. announced May 8 it would provide a no-cost security plan analysis to any Georgia or Colorado university or school to discuss improvements in strategy, process and procedure as a result of knowledge gained from recent events.

“Firestorm’s philosophy is to help our clients predict and plan for as many exposures as possible. We would like to pass on some of the lessons learned from studying school violence, safety and security, as well as our experience at Virginia Tech,” said President/COO James W. Satterfield.

Firestorm's team arrived at Virginia Tech hours after receiving a request for support and provided assistance and advice in the initial phase of recovery. University President Charles Steger cited Firestorm's "dedication, compassion and perseverance'' in dealing with the crisis.

"It was an honor for Firestorm to assist Virginia Tech in handling this crisis,’’ said Satterfield, who spent 11 days on the  Blacksburg, Va., campus.   
                                              
Based in Golden, Col., and Roswell, Ga., Firestorm Solutions (www.firestorm.com) was created in the aftermath of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina to provide business-critical decisions, vulnerability analysis, disaster planning and solutions. The company's "Preaction™'' model – Predict. Plan. Perform. -- asserts that while disasters can't be scheduled, their outcomes and impacts on individuals can be mitigated with proper preparation.

The book "Disaster Ready People for a Disaster Ready America,'' co-authored by Satterfield and Firestorm Chairman/CEO Harry W. Rhulen, focuses on the 12 steps individuals must take to protect themselves and their families before, during and following a crisis. For example, immediately after the Virginia Tech incident, some parents had difficulty contacting their children on campus because they lacked an emergency family communications plan.

The focus on school security, while renewed in the public mindset by Virginia Tech and several events in 2006, is nothing new to Firestorm. Don Huggins, a former special agent U.S. Secret Service and Firestorm’s chief security officer, is committed to a multi-faceted approach.

"A rush to buy new hardware or software won't solve fundamental problems in security,'' Huggins says. “It's about people, policies and procedures. No single device is a panacea. Vulnerabilities must be identified and plans created to minimize exposures. With an average annual turnover rate of 30 percent on most college campuses plans must be tested and communicated on a regular, systematic basis, or in a time of crisis no one will know what to do.''

To request a security plan analysis, schools may call 1-800-321-2219, ext. 211.