In recent months, a young man killed a series of unsuspecting students in a school cafeteria in Ohio while a Spanish teacher at a Jacksonville, Florida, high school who had just been laid off walked into the Headmaster's office with a gun and killed her before taking his own life.

Considering these high profile shootings that occurred in an instant with virtually no warning, many municipalities across the country are ramping up their business continuity plans to increase the emphasis placed on school and workplace violence education initiatives to provide community members with the resources to protect themselves in life threatening situations.

For example, a recent article published by the Twin Falls News-Times – a news source serving regions in Idaho – describes how 40 students studying at the Cosmetology School of Arts and Sciences in Burley, Idaho, took part in a workshop conducted by a local sheriff to provide valuable information and tips of the growing trends of workplace violence in America.

"We also have had a couple of incidents in the last few years that made us think it wouldn’t hurt to get the students some training," said Ronda Clark, co-owner of the institution. "A lot of our students are young women, so the potential is high to have these kinds of incidents."

While seminars such as this can be incredibly useful, similar organizations or municipalities looking for more detailed resources to protect against a violent occurrence can do so by sending representatives to attend the Tabletop Exercise On Crisis Management Planning, Workplace Violence Prevention And Response Planning As A Business Continuity Consideration.

Part of the Continuity Insights Management Conference 2012 in Scottsdale, Arizona, taking place from April 16 to 18, business continuity professionals will provide representatives with a detailed analysis of the violent risks they may face as well as a variety of tailored solutions to institute preventive programs.