….Three-member teams from 43 Catholic elementary schools are participating in the San Diego County Office of Education’s intensive, four-day Diamond Safety Team Training series, which puts them through intensely realistic simulations of crisis situations, equips them with practical threat-assessment strategies, and ultimately will help them to develop a comprehensive campus-safety plan.

….Diocesan educators attended their first day of training Aug. 1 on the campuses of St. Therese of Carmel Parish and neighboring Notre Dame Academy. About 140 people participated in the five-hour session, which introduced them to the Diamond Safety Team concept and trained them in how to proactively identify concerning behaviors on campus and de-escalate situations that could lead to violence….

The second day was held Aug. 2 for one group of diocesan educators and Aug. 8 for a second group. Both took place at the Kearny Mesa-based Strategic Operations, Inc., a provider of what it describes as “Hyper-Realistic tactical training services” for law enforcement, first-responders, the military and others.

The day’s activities included an introductory “stop-the-bleed” course, as well as the opportunity to apply those techniques during an active-shooter training exercise that featured mannequins and professional actors in “cut suits” that would only stop bleeding if the necessary life-saving measures were performed correctly.

Participants also were trained in radio communication during emergencies and attended presentations by subject-matter experts on bullying prevention and how to identify drug paraphernalia and “ghost gun” parts if they turn up on campus….

From the Southern Cross