06/12/2025
The 2025 Florida School Safety Summit closed with a message we’ll never forget.
Chief Christopher Vanghele of the Plainville, CT Police Department, and former Newtown officer, shared his deeply personal story in “Beyond the Badge: Emotional Resilience After a Life-Changing Response.” He was a first responder at Sandy Hook Elementary on December 14, 2012—the day 26 lives were tragically lost, including 20 children between the ages of six and seven.
Hearing directly from those who’ve lived through the unthinkable reminds us why this work matters so much.
Pictured below: SafeEVAC Co-founder Michael J. Day with Tony and Jennifer Montalto of Stand with Parkland, whose daughter, Gina Rose Montalto, was one of 17 victims in the Parkland school shooting.
That tragedy reignited Michael’s commitment to finding a real solution for safe, intelligent evacuation during emergencies. Alongside co-founder Michael Sandefur, they discovered a powerful gap: there was no standardized, intelligent system for guiding people out of buildings in the midst of chaos.
That aha moment became SafeEVAC — a patented, sound-sensing, intelligent evacuation platform that can help save lives in any building, in any crisis.
We’re proud to have been a multi-year sponsor and exhibitor at FS3 School Safety Specialists. This year’s theme, “Sustaining the Momentum: Keeping School Safety a Priority,” aligns perfectly with our mission: to support schools and communities with real, effective solutions to protect what matters most.