How One Mom Advocates for Better School Safety and Security

“I was tired of feeling powerless and felt like it was time for real change. We need tangible solutions and better safety measures.” —Candice Aragon, vice president of marketing and education at The PSA Network

In a world where school safety and security have become pressing concerns, moms like Candice Aragon are taking the lead to protect their children and impact change. As a mom of two, Aragon understands the fears and frustrations that arise from the ever-present threats our children face.

The Uvalde school shooting became a pivotal moment for her, as she felt frustrated and helpless. Eventually, she used this as a turning point, channeling her worries into action and change.

A Mom Advocates for Change

As the vice president of marketing and education at PSA Security Network, Aragon isn’t new to championing a cause. She’s worked in the male-dominated industry for years. Recently, she began efforts to tackle the large disparity in the presence of women in the vertical market.

Through PSA’s newly launched Women in Security committee, Aragon is helping promote gender diversity and inclusivity in the security industry.

“We felt like it was time to create a committee to create a safe space as more women joined the company,” Aragon said. “We collaborate and discuss challenges that we’re facing in the industry.”

In addition to these efforts, she was named to Security Systems News’s “40 under 40”, an annual award presented to a diverse and talented group of young professionals representing the next generation of security leaders.

She’s applied to school safety and security those same concerns for children and need for action.

“After each shooting, you get even more fed up,” Aragon said. “We’re constantly bombarded with the news of yet another tragedy. It’s heartbreaking and maddening. I was tired of feeling powerless and felt like it was time for real change. We need tangible solutions and better safety measures. So I ultimately decided to reach out to PASS’ chair, Chuck Wilson. I was familiar with him from PASS’s previous involvement with PSA.”

Getting Involved With PASS

After contacting Wilson, Aragon became involved in PASS’ outreach committee. She took the time to read and understand the PASS School Safety and Security Guidelines. Once she got up to speed on them and how schools can benefit from them, she was shocked to find out just how many people are unfamiliar with the guidelines.

“My first idea was to do a social media campaign spreading the word about PASS guidelines,” Aragon said. “I immediately began sharing them with people in my life who work for schools, including my sister. I also contacted my school district to get information on who I can speak with to share the guidelines with them.”

Much like her efforts to diversify the security space, Aragon thinks the most important thing is to be heard. She looks to raise the visibility and implementation of the PASS guidelines.

She notes some progress and recalls her sister contacting her after the unfortunate school shooting in Nashville in March. They spoke for hours as Aragon highlighted the guidelines with her in preparation to share them with her school’s School Resource Officer.

A Mom Sparks a Conversation

Spreading the word about the guidelines has been a learning experience for Aragon.

Unfortunately, in some instances, when sharing them with school officials, they’ve shown little interest in understanding or implementing them. Still, she refuses to let that stop her.

Moving forward, she intends to be more concise in highlighting the tiered approach and sharing the guidelines, whom they are for, and how to use them. She understands that the key is to focus on getting the right people’s attention and urging them to listen.

“If we can get them to commit to reading the guidelines, it’ll have an impact. That’s the major hurdle.”

— Candice Aragon

In addition, since becoming more vocal about her involvement in PASS, more women have shown interest in joining Aragon’s efforts.

“It’s easy to get overwhelmed with the constant stream of shootings and want to shut it off and disconnect, but that’s not going to stop it from happening,” she said. “So we have to talk about it, take the time to read and share the guidelines, and reach out to see how we can get involved in improving school safety.”

A First Step for Women & Moms Nationwide

Women and moms nationwide can follow in Aragon’s footsteps. Become champions for school safety by spreading the word about PASS guidelines.

The first step is to educate themselves about the guidelines and clearly understand their importance. With this knowledge, they can engage in conversations with other parents, teachers, and school administrators to raise awareness.

Furthermore, by leveraging their networks and initiating discussions, moms can create a coalition of support and bring about positive change in school safety and security. Together, they can amplify their voices, ensure the safety of their children, and inspire other moms to join the cause.

If you’re ready to spark change, download and read our Safety and Security Guidelines. Learn more about how your local schools stack up and what changes you can implement to enhance preventative measures. With the help of your village, you can create safer spaces for children.

About The PSA Network

The PSA Network (PSA) is the world’s largest systems integrator consortium including the most progressive security and audio-visual systems integrators in North America. Combined, PSA members boast over 500 branch locations, employ over 13,500 industry professionals, and are responsible for over $4.5 billion annually in security, fire, life safety, and pro audio-visual installations.

PSA’s mission is to elevate the industries it serves by providing owners and members exceptional education, networking, services, and connections with technology partners. PSA brings this mission to life by partnering with industry-leading product and solution providers, delivering unparalleled education and training programs. And also by offering a variety of distinctive services that can enhance any company’s operations.

About PASS

The Partner Alliance for Safer Schools (PASS) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) bringing together expertise from the education, public safety, and industry communities to develop and support a coordinated approach to making effective and appropriate decisions with respect to safety and security investments. You can download the complete PASS Guidelines or check out our PASS Safety and Security Checklist for quick start tips. These resources—as well as whitepapers on various topics including barricade devices, lockdown drills, and more—are available at no cost.