Rooted in Safety: How Our Investment Planted a National Model

On February 3, 2025, the “See Something, Say Something” protocol was put to the ultimate test when a middle school student bravely reported a firearm on campus. Because LCS staff were equipped with the Raptor Alert system, they secured the building in seconds—despite leadership being over an hour away at a conference—thwarting a potential threat.

This rapid response was the result of a culture built by Nick Caputo, LCS Division Coordinator for School Safety and Security and former Army pilot. Nick believes that while technology gives us the seconds we need, the people make those seconds count. Under his leadership, our district has reached the top 5% of school safety in the nation.

Driven by the belief that students and staff are the heart of a safe community, Nick launched the “Challenge Coin”initiative to honor bravery and integrity. He turned to the LCS Education Foundation to fund these coins, a military tradition now used to recognize our local “Safety Guardians.”

What the Foundation started in Lynchburg has since become a national model, adopted by Raptor Technologies to reward safety excellence across the United States. Your investment didn’t just protect a school for one day; it created a national standard for rewarding courage.

This culture of safety continues to bear fruit: Lucas, our brave Sandusky student, received a national award and scholarship from Raptor for his integrity, and another LCS student was recently named the AAA School Safety Patroller of the Year.

Ultimately, investing in our schools is an investment in our community’s future; when we create a safe and supportive environment for our children to learn, we are building a foundation of trust and security that allows the entire city of Lynchburg to thrive.