Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool (FSSAT)
About
The Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool (FSSAT) is an online platform for enhanced risk assessment and domain awareness at the state, district and school levels — providing a broad array of security risk assessment, field reporting, data analytics and information-sharing capabilities for all school safety stakeholders, from state administrators to district security directors and school personnel responsible for the safety and security of students, staff and campus facilities.
Managed by the Florida Department of Education (Department), FSSAT has been in operational use across the state since June 2014, following a contract award to software vendor Haystax in late 2013. It was initially designed to meet legislative requirements for an online district safety assessment, analysis and reporting tool, and to manage critical safety-related information for each school in the state.
Today, FSSAT is the primary physical site security assessment tool which is used by school officials at each school district and public school site in the state in conducting security assessments. The tool is designed help school officials identify threats, vulnerabilities, and appropriate safety controls for the schools that they supervise, and addressed the following:
- School emergency and crisis preparedness planning;
- Security, crime, and violence prevention policies and procedures;
- Physical security measures;
- Professional development training needs;
- An examination of support service roles in school safety, security, and emergency planning;
- School security and school police staffing, operational practices, and related services;
- School and community collaboration on school safety; and
- A return on investment analysis of the recommended physical security controls.
Annual Schedule
To fulfill reporting requirements provided in sections (ss.) 1006.07(6), 1006.1493, and 1011.62(15), Florida Statutes (F.S.), the Department, in cooperation with school districts, must observe the following annual schedule:
- Before April 15, districts review and update, where necessary, their school information in FSSAT and assessment teams assignments in Single Sign On.
- The Office of Safe Schools makes the FSSAT assessment templates available to schools and school districts no later than May 1 of each year.
- Districts must ensure school security risk assessments are submitted in FSSAT by October 1.
- Each school district must report to the Department by October 15 that all public schools within the school district have completed their school security risk assessment.
- Each school safety specialist must report school security risk assessment findings and school board action to the Office of Safe Schools within 30 days after the district school board meets publically on the findings and recommendations, but no later than November 1. The school security risk assessment findings and school board actions must be reported to the Office of Safe Schools via the district best-practices assessment in the FSSAT.
- By December 1 of each year, the Department shall report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives on the status of FSSAT implementation across school districts and schools.
Access to FSSAT
Access to FSSAT is approved at the local level by each district school. If you are a school safety team member and require access to FSSAT, please contact your district’s school safety office.
Data and Information Security
In accordance with ss. 119.071(3)(a) and 281.301, F.S., data and information related to security risk assessments administered pursuant to this ss. 1006.1493, and 1006.07(6), F.S., and the security information contained in the Department’s annual report required are confidential and exempt from public records requirements.