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S1 Ep. 29 From Compliance to Consciousness: Building a Year-Round Safety Culture with Brian Gard

 

Published September 2026

 

In this episode of The Changing Face of School Security, host Paul Timm speaks with Brian Gard from National Heritage Academies about effectively managing safety across more than 100 charter schools.

Gard highlights building a year-round culture of safety and accountability through dedicated school safety specialists, digital compliance tracking, and recognition programs. He also stresses the importance of leveraging standardized frameworks and practitioner collaboration, relying on resources from PASS and Safe and Sound Schools to deliver interactive, scenario-based training and foster transparent community engagement.

Finally, Gard discusses harnessing technology and AI for safety operations and student well-being, using tools like BARC to identify mental health concerns and generative AI to quickly develop concise staff training and analyze safety data.

 

Meet the guests:

Brian Gard is the Director of Safety and Health with National Heritage Academies (NHA), leading safety initiatives and support for over 100 K-12 schools in nine states.

 

Connect with the guests:

Resources:

 

Brian Gard

 

 

 

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