Principal Consultant
Aaron Vanatta, PSP
• 20+ Years School-based Law Enforcement Experience
• Board Certified Physical Security Professional
•National Trainer
•Certified Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) Practitioner
• Certified National School Resource Officer (SRO) Practitioner
• Aaron has trained law enforcement on the Federal, State, and Local levels as well as school, business, higher education, banking, government, and church personnel
• Recognized nationally for excellence in several areas while implementing or maintaining model school resource officer programs
RESPONSE𝑜𝓁𝑜𝑔𝓎 Consulting and Safety Solutions, LLC is a Pittsburgh area-based consulting firm that specializes in school safety but is adaptable for any organization. Our principal consultant and adjunct analysts have K-12 experience that is unparalleled in the region. Each has over 20 years of law enforcement/security experience. Most are current sitting school safety and security coordinators for public school districts in the Pittsburgh area with exception of one who is based in Los Angeles and is working for the Office of the Chief of Police in the 2nd largest school district in the United States. Each has instructed state, local and school-based law enforcement officers, as well as school, church, hospital, and workplace administrators and employees on various safety related topics. They have instructed at both the local and national levels and have been teaching courses on school security concepts, civilian active shooter response, managing special needs populations during emergencies, court diversion programs, and offender & victim mind-set to name a few. They continuously work together to provide organizations with all-hazards crisis response planning and training including facilitating drills and exercises. Most importantly, our consultants are recognized on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's (PCCD) Approved Provider Registry for conducting statewide assessments.
Aaron Vanatta received his board certification as a Physical Security Professional (PSP) from ASIS International and can conduct security assessments for any organization world-wide. He has completed more than 1,750 hours of specialized training focusing primarily on school safety and working with the juvenile client population. He has completed extensive training on emergency preparedness and is a certified Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design for Schools Practitioner. He has also been recognized as a National School Resource Officer (SRO) Practitioner. Aaron is a graduate of West Virginia University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology and completed the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Training Academy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Aaron has written safety and security related school board policies, authored school security personnel training curriculum, and published articles in the Journal of School Safety. He is a current school police chief & school safety and security coordinator for a suburban Pittsburgh area school district. Aaron is a Regional Director for Friends of Safe Schools U.S.A.'s Pennsylvania Chapter. Aaron recently served as a member of the “Combatting Mass Shootings” Workgroup supporting Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf's Special Council on Gun Violence. He is also a Master Trainer in Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management as certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under their National Threat Evaluation and Reporting program.
Aaron has trained hundreds of representatives from various schools, businesses, places of worship, universities, and law enforcement agencies in 17 states including Alaska, California, Connecticut, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia on active shooter and violent intruder response options.
Adjunct Analysts
Joe Kozarian is the owner of Security Assessments & Facilities Evaluations (SAFE), LLC. He is a certified Physical Security Specialist, trained by the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Department of Homeland Security. He is also a certified Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design for Schools Practitioner. Joe's experience includes National SRO instructor, former school district facilities director, current chief of school police & school safety and security coordinator, ASIS International member, Emergency Medical Technician, and former U.S. Federal Reserve Police. Joe has served on the Board of Directors for national organizations related to school safety and security.
John Bruner is the owner of In-Crisis Consulting, LLC. John's experience includes former Chief County Detective with the Greene County District Attorney's Office (Western Pennsylvania), former Negotiations Leader for the Washington Regional (Pa) SWAT Team, former Criminal Investigator and current school police officer & school safety and security coordinator. John is a Subject Matter Expert (SME) on Active Shooter Violence and has provided testimony for the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee & Emergency Preparedness Committee on Active Shooter Violence and ways to keep Pennsylvania's schools safe. Mr. Bruner has been featured in national and state publications, has lectured for many chambers of commerce, national private and governmental safety and security associations and Fortune 500 companies. As well, John has served as a contributor offering consultation to national cable TV networks including ABC's 20/20, Good Morning America, The Steve Harvey Show, The Security Brief with Paul Viollis, PCNC's Pittsburgh Now, Al Jazeera International, ABC World News, CNN, Fox News, and the local Pittsburgh ABC, NBC, and CBS affiliates. He has a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Pittsburgh in Administration of Justice and completed the Pennsylvania Municipal Police Training Academy at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.
Rudy Perez is one of the founders of Friends of Safe Schools U.S.A. He is currently working as Adjutant to the Office of the Chief of Police for the Los Angeles School Police Department. Rudy is a graduate of the FBI National Academy Session #280 and he sits on several boards having to do with school safety and law enforcement. This includes serving as President of the National Association of School Resource Officers and Vice President for the California Coalition of Law Enforcement Associations . Rudy also served at the National Association of School Security Law Enforcement Officials, Fraternal Order of Police, and the Peace Officers Research Association of California. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice Management and has completed dozens of specialized and advanced officer training courses. He has worked a variety of assignments including the role of detective in the investigative division's Threat Assessment Unit. In 2018, Rudy presented testimony, "Proactively Protecting Our Schools", in front of the President's Federal Commission on School Safety in Washington, D.C.
Our adjunct analysts assist with physical security assessments, site vulnerability assessments, and all-hazards crisis response planning and training including facilitating drills and exercises for larger organizations.
