School safety and security is a concern for all parents, teachers, and students. Increases in school violence has been witnessed across the country in recent years. Adolescent violence, specifically, has dramatically increased post-COVID. To ensure the safety of his hometown schools, internationally recognized school security expert, author, and famed public speaker Bret Brooks will be providing free training for the Lexington R-V School District on August 14th.
Bret earned several degrees, has been a member of the Missouri National Guard for more than 24 years, and has worked full-time as a Sergeant with the Missouri State Highway Patrol for nearly 22 years. However, he is most widely known for his research, training, and presentations with his family business. Gray Ram Tactical, LLC is an international training and consulting firm specializing in violence prevention, response, mitigation, and recovery. For over 17 years, Bret has traveled the world providing lifesaving skills to schools, businesses, and government agencies.
A 1998 graduate of LHS, he recalls how he never dreamed he would be known for his public speaking abilities. “I owe a lot of credit to Mrs. Alkire and her public speaking class!”, Bret explained. “Giving our graduation speech as our senior class president was just the beginning, but I didn’t know it at the time”. Since giving that graduation speech, Bret has been the keynote speaker at numerous local, state, national, and international conferences. “One of the most interesting presentations I have given was in Medellin, Colombia – home of Pablo Escobar the leader of Colombian drug cartels.”
Bret’s research on terrorism and national security has been used by the U.S. military and other national security professionals worldwide. He has provided information for Mexican generals on the cartel’s use of biological and chemical weapons, meet with Colombian President Juan Santos’ cabinet concerning terrorism prevention, and is a subject matter expert for Missouri’s Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). However, he is best known for his proprietary work in the field of school safety and security.
“Providing lifesaving information to teachers, staff, and school bus drivers has been very rewarding”, Bret said. His training has saved countless lives, and he will now be providing his training to his hometown school district free of charge. He will be providing two hours of instruction on August 14th and will continue to work with the district in the coming months for teacher in-service dates.
Bret is author of several books including, “Drug Abuse Awareness: The Authoritative Parent and Teacher’s Guide” as well as “School Threat Assessments: A Proactive Approach to Preventing School Violence” – both available on Amazon or at Barnes and Nobles. “Although not New York Times best sellers, I thank Mr. McCrary for all that I learned in all of the classes I took with him”, Bret commented. Bret is also a regular contributor for various academic journals and magazines.
Although Bret now lives in Jefferson City, he returns to Lexington every chance he gets. He visits family as often as possible, continues to be active in Scouting as an Assistant Scoutmaster with Troop 318, is a member of the Turner’s Society, and enjoys every moment on his family’s Century Farm. Bret was an adjunct professor at Wentworth Military Academy for many years prior to its closing.
Add comment
Comments