District details new security protocols, visitor-management system and BTAM rollout
Summary
Safety coordinator Asher Torbeck outlined adoption of the Standard Response Protocol, VisitorAware check-in, a BTAM behavioral threat assessment system aligned to state guidance, Stop the Bleed training for staff and expanded reunification drills; he emphasized coordination with local law enforcement and building 'shell' hardening.
Asher Torbeck, the district’s safety and security coordinator, told the Middleton-Cross Plains Area School District Board on Dec. 15 that the district has moved to the Standard Response Protocol to align language and actions with regional partners and simplify training for staff, students and emergency responders.
Torbeck described new tools and procedures the district is rolling out, including a districtwide visitor-management system called VisitorAware for digital check-in and identity verification, and a Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) system "tailored toward youth" to replace the district’s previous MOSAIC approach. He said BTAM includes a triage page to screen lower-level concerns without invoking the full assessment process.
Torbeck also highlighted safety-training work: the district has trained roughly 157 people in "Stop the Bleed" lifesaving techniques and has four internal instructors; he described expanded reunification exercises and monthly, trauma-sensitive drills. On policy around restricted visitors, Torbeck said principals will consult with him and law enforcement when parents or visitors are on registries or subject to court orders and that the district can create internal bans if needed.
Addressing a question about lockdowns, Torbeck said, "It is a fact that no locked door has ever been breached in an active threat," explaining the district emphasizes options-based responses (lock, escape, evacuate, shelter) and that staff training prioritizes getting behind locked doors while preserving escape when safe.
Torbeck said staff and substitute orientation materials are being revised — including a required video and a short "homework" sheet for substitutes — after an internal review flagged instances when classroom doors were found unlocked during drills. He described daily coordination with Middleton Police, Cross Plains Police and the Dane County Sheriff’s Office and countywide initiatives to share trained reunification teams among districts.
The board approved required safety drills earlier in the meeting and asked follow-up questions about substitute orientation, entry monitoring and how the system flags concerning online activity; Torbeck said web-filtering systems and mandated reporting channels feed the BTAM process when staff spot worrying behavior.
Board members praised the outreach and multi-agency coordination and thanked Torbeck and law-enforcement partners for the district’s safety work.
