The next evolution of PCG’s behavioral threat assessment and management solution, designed to support school teams with a more intuitive, connected experience.
Public Consulting Group (PCG) is proud to introduce EDPlan FirstBell, our third-generation Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) solution for K-12 schools. For more than 30 years, PCG has combined client feedback and practitioner expertise to help districts manage complex cases through EDPlan. Nearly a decade ago, we brought that same approach to BTAM, helping schools strengthen their threat assessment and case management processes. Today, EDPlan FirstBell builds on that foundation, delivering a more intuitive, user-centered experience for school safety teams.
Helping Schools Navigate a Complex Process
In many schools, threat assessment is managed through a patchwork of spreadsheets, paper forms, and email threads. While each tool may serve a purpose, maintaining information across multiple disconnected systems makes coordination and documentation more difficult over time.
Connecting Concerns with Appropriate Interventions
Behavioral threat assessment is ultimately about ensuring concerns are identified early and that students receive appropriate support. When concerns arise, schools need a reliable way to capture information, support decision-making, and maintain visibility as a case progresses.
What This Can Look Like in Practice
A teacher may report concerning statements made by a student, notice a pattern of escalating behaviors, or raise concerns about a troubling writing assignment. A school’s threat assessment team may then gather information, assess risk, determine appropriate supports, and monitor progress over time. FirstBell supports this process by providing a centralized place to document concerns, coordinate interventions, and maintain a clear history of decisions and outcomes. Rather than relying on multiple disconnected systems, schools can manage the process within a single environment, helping keep information organized and accessible to authorized team members.
“Schools have made significant investments in behavioral threat assessment training and processes, but sustaining those efforts requires tools that support day-to-day practice,” said John Van Dreal. “FirstBell reflects years of experience working alongside schools and was designed to help teams coordinate information more effectively and support informed decision-making.“
Designed for the Way School Teams Work
FirstBell is the result of years of collaboration with educators, administrators, counselors, and school safety professionals. Throughout those conversations, one theme emerged consistently: technology should support the process, not complicate it. School teams needed a solution that felt intuitive, aligned with how they work, and made it easier to maintain continuity throughout a case.
Designed to support the full behavioral threat assessment process, FirstBell helps teams quickly and securely access information, understand where a case stands, and take appropriate next steps. By simplifying everyday tasks and reducing friction, FirstBell helps staff work more efficiently, maintain continuity across cases, and stay focused on the work that matters most.
Supporting the Future of School Safety
EDPlan FirstBell reflects PCG’s continued commitment to helping schools build sustainable, prevention-focused safety programs. By bringing people, information, and processes together in a single solution, FirstBell helps districts streamline threat assessment while keeping the focus where it belongs: supporting students.
To learn more about EDPlan FirstBell, connect with the PCG School Safety Solutions Team