"For 50 years, teachers do fire drills and they don't ever know if they're going towards the fire or away from it." — Jim Boyte

Part One:

In this two-part series of the Teacher Edition podcast, Jenny sits down with Jim Boyte, CEO of Active Defender and bi-vocational pastor with a fervent dedication to school safety. With over a decade of experience, Jim shares his dynamic initiative toward increasing protection of students and school staff through innovative and effective solutions.  

In Part One, Jim gives practical strategies for schools to implement in order to move beyond the standard drills and foster a proactive safety environment. He introduces the concept of Tabletop Exercises designed to engage all school staff in discussions that identify weaknesses and improve emergency preparedness. 

Questions Jenny asks include: 

What led you to create Active Defender?

Who is responsible for school safety? 

Why are drills both physically important and mentally important?

Every teacher and administrator has a desire to protect and take care of their students. Though this conversation is a difficult one, it is incredibly important to face head-on. Be sure to listen to Part Two of this conversation, where Jim will provide new tools and more practical advice to improve school safety. 

Every day in the classroom is YOUR day to impact and inspire through God's power and grace working in you. 

Go do what God has called you to do!

"Literally, if you just made sure every teacher knew what was going on in the first three to five minutes of an emergency, your risk would be lower than spending all your efforts to get first responders there." — Jim Boyte

About Our Guest

Jim Boyte is the CEO of Active Defender and a bi-vocational pastor. With a deep passion for protecting students, staff, and communities, Jim has dedicated his career to equipping schools and organizations with life-saving emergency response solutions. His unique background in ministry, leadership, and security innovation allows him to approach school safety with both practical wisdom and a heart for service. He has led the development of cutting-edge safety technology, empowering schools to enhance their emergency preparedness with Live Dynamic Emergency Mapping, Customizable Tabletop Exercises, Stop and Think Drills, and Wearable Panic Buttons. Jim is a recognized speaker and advocate for school safety, frequently presenting at educational and security conferences to help administrators implement proactive and effective safety measures. He collaborates with law enforcement, school leaders, and security experts to create safer learning environments for students. Jim and his wife, Patty, have been married for 35 years and live in Carthage, NC. They have three children on earth and one in heaven, as well as two wonderful grandchildren.

For more information, visit: Active-Defender.com

Sponsored By

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