The safety of our school playgrounds and university campuses is becoming increasingly compromised. In response to these heightened threats and risks, Nemesis has strengthened its capabilities to support our clients in this critical area.

School & University Hostile Threat Safety Reviews

With growing challenges, teachers are now required to take on responsibilities beyond just teaching.

At Nemesis, we bring decades of law enforcement experience to the forefront of school and university safety.

Our staff have conducted extensive risk, security, emergency, and crisis assessments for decades. Our expertise has made us the preferred choice to lead a hostile threat safety review for one of Australia’s largest government education providers.

We have conducted school safety reviews for schools of a wide variety of religions, as well as schools in inner-city, regional, rural, and remote areas, including high-rise schools, specialist schools, schools on acreage, and schools across multiple campuses.

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Generally, a hostile threat is considered a person (or persons) demonstrating an intent to or committing physical harm to a person on school premises or at a school-sanctioned activity (excursion, sports carnival, etc.). This includes addressing verbally abusive people up to and including the unthinkable. These situations require a nuanced approach to ensure the safety of the school community.

What is
a Hostile Threat?

Our Comprehensive Approach Across Diverse Educational Institutions

Our expertise spans several decades, including significant work within law enforcement, where we focused on counter-terrorism and applying hostile threat assessments in diverse educational settings.

Nemesis has reviewed more than 50 mass casualty incidents worldwide. We’ve identified critical insights that align with Australia’s four stages of emergency management: prevention, preparation, response, and recovery.

By integrating these findings into our approach, we provide educational facilities with the most effective strategies for managing and mitigating hostile threats, ensuring a safer environment for all.

Understanding of specific cultural and religious needs

Our approach respects and protects communities with specific cultural and religious needs, ensuring inclusivity.

Focused on both individual and collective needs

The reviews are conducted with careful consideration of all parties involved, ensuring the most favourable outcome for all members of the community.

Focused on creating a supportive environment

Also catered to students with special needs or those outside the traditional education system, we focus on creating a secure setting for all.

Aligned with official policies & standards

Our security reviews are completed following governmental policies

and Australian standards.

Tailored to each organisation

Our hostile threat readiness reviews are specific to the unique needs of each facility.

Our Unique Service Delivery

These principles are embedded in all Safety Reviews conducted by Nemesis.

We have successfully supported

K-12 Schools

Government Schools

Alternative

Education Facilities

Systemic Schools

Islamic Schools

Early Childhood

Centres

Catholic Schools

Universities

You will get a
Complete Hostile Threat Preparedness Review

By integrating the four stages of emergency management — prevention, preparation, response, and recovery — our review process provides a clear understanding of your organisation’s preparedness for hostile threats.

Our reviews deliver valuable insights for boards, independent and systemic schools, principals, teachers, administrative staff, parents, and the broader school community. The process is structured to provide actionable deliverables that enhance your organisation’s security posture.

We understand how many schools and universities have competing priorities on their time so we offer different types of service. An in-person or virtual assessment.

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OPTION 1
In person Assessment

Stage 1 | Hostile Threat Readiness Review

The first step involves thoroughly reviewing your organisation’s hostile threat readiness. Before our onsite visit, we recommend an online meeting to introduce the project, identify key personnel, outline the necessary documents, and explain our approach.

Following this introduction, a Nemesis representative will visit your school or campus at a mutually convenient time. During the visit, a school representative should be available for up to two hours to assist with the review and participate in an interactive discussion regarding your organisation’s emergency and crisis management plans. Ideally, a member of the school’s Emergency Control Organisation would participate in this process.

The review will focus on documentation related to hostile threat management, including relevant policies and procedures.

Stage 2 | Findings & Recommendations Report

We will compile a comprehensive report detailing our findings and considerations after reviewing the documentation, conducting the site visit, and interviewing key staff. This report will assess your organisation’s level of preparedness across the four stages of emergency management: prevention, preparation, response, and recovery from a hostile threat.

The report can be presented to key stakeholders, including the board, the school’s Emergency Planning Committee, the Parents and Friends Association, or local law enforcement if needed. This ensures that all relevant parties are informed and can take necessary actions to enhance the safety and security of the school or campus.

Nemesis also offers comprehensive training programs to equip teachers and executives with the skills to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a hostile threat. Our training is tailored to address each party's specific roles and responsibilities relevant to your organisation’s policies and/or procedures. This approach ensures that all staff members — from classroom teachers to school leaders — are fully prepared to handle any potential hostile threats with confidence and competence.

By providing both online and practical, scenario-based training, Nemesis empowers your educational staff to protect their students and maintain a safe learning environment, reinforcing your organisation’s overall security preparedness.

“By the creation of a school environment that enhances the opportunity for staff to observe student behaviour and by training faculty and staff to be attuned to changes in student behaviour, information about a student’s ideas and plans for violence may potentially be observed or discovered before harm can occur”.

Final report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission

OPTION 2
Virtual Assessment

As an alternative to our face-to-face assessments, we offer a comprehensive and secure online process for our hostile threats readiness reviews.

Stage 1 | Access Our Secure Online Portal

Schools and universities can easily access our secure online portal by logging in with their unique credentials. This platform protects your sensitive information while allowing for efficient document management and communication.

Stage 2 | Upload Required Documents

Once logged in, you can upload all necessary documents related to your organisation's current policies, procedures, and emergency management plans. Our portal supports a wide range of file formats, ensuring that all relevant materials can be securely shared for our review.

Stage 3 | Online Facilitated Discussion

After your documents are uploaded, we will schedule an online facilitated discussion with key stakeholders. This interactive session allows our team to delve deeper into your current readiness, address specific concerns, and gather additional insights for the desktop assessment.

Stage 4 | Receive a Comprehensive Report

Based on the discussion and document review, our specialists will prepare a detailed report that evaluates your organisations’ readiness for a hostile threat. It will assess your current preparedness and provide actionable recommendations tailored to your institution’s needs, helping you enhance your security measures.

Stage 5 | Optional

In-Person Specialist Visit

If additional support is needed, or if your organisation prefers a more hands-on approach, one of our specialists can attend your school or university in person. This visit will allow for an on-site assessment, further discussions with staff, and a more detailed evaluation of your current preparedness.

Stage 6 | Debrief Session

Following the readiness review, we will conduct a debrief session with your school’s leadership, principal, or board. This debrief will provide a clear understanding of the assessment's findings and discuss the recommendations in detail, ensuring that all stakeholders are fully informed and prepared to take the necessary steps to enhance security.

Our Review
Does Not Cover

It’s important to note that our school safety reviews are focused explicitly on assessing the preparedness and response to hostile threats.

These reviews do not address safety concerns related to workplace health and safety (WHS) requirements such as fire evacuation. Our evaluations are exclusively designed to analyse and improve your organisation’s readiness to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from hostile threats.

However, if you are looking for a one-stop solution, please contact us to discuss our complete end-to-end emergency management service, including design of Emergency Management / Crisis Management packages, training packages and yearly updates.