Company

Our Mission & Values

Our Mission

At We’ve Got Your Back, our mission is to create safe environments for the children, staff, and families in our schools and communities. By partnering with educators, we create programs that cultivate situational awareness and provide individuals with the skills to identify, assess, and effectively manage crisis situations. We are committed to fostering a culture of safety, trust, and well-being where everyone feels confident, prepared, and secure.

OUR CORE OBJECTIVE is to provide comprehensive training programs and flexible consulting solutions to meet the needs of our diverse clientele. We strive to help our clients achieve ongoing process improvement while maximizing valuable resources, limiting liability, improving overall organizational effectiveness, and creating an atmosphere of mindfulness, resilience and safety.

Our Values

We believe that true excellence is achieved through integrity, compassion, and humility–what we call Excellence without Ego. Our programs are grounded in research and thoughtfully designed with care to avoid trauma. At the core of our work is a commitment to nurturing relationships built on empathy and respect, ensuring success for both our clients and partners without the need for personal recognition or ego.

Our Approach

Our Training Approach

Trauma-Informed Practices

We are dedicated to creating safer and supportive learning environments by integrating Trauma-Informed Practices into school safety training. We believe that every student, educator, and staff member deserves a secure and compassionate setting where physical safety and emotional well-being are equally prioritized. By integrating our values into our training programs, we aim to transform school safety from a reactive initiative into a proactive, trauma-informed approach that prioritizes humanity, hope, and healing.

Quality and Integrity

Our goal is to surpass client expectations by setting the gold standard for quality in our products, services, and resources. We achieve outstanding results through a foundation of mutual respect, trust, and collaboration. By leading with integrity, fostering a shared vision, and empowering others to take meaningful action, we consistently deliver excellence that distinguishes us within our industry.

Continuous Improvement

Inclusion and Respect

We value and celebrate diversity, fostering an inclusive environment where every individual feels respected, heard, and empowered. We believe that embracing different perspectives enhances our approach to safety responses and strengthens our ability to innovate. Creating a culture built on respect and collaboration ensures all voices are sought and valued without judgment. Together we create comprehensive safety solutions and practices for everyone that is part of the school community.

Family First

At the core of our mission, we believe in putting family first. We are committed to cultivating a culture where kindness, care, and consideration are at the heart of everything we do. We believe in creating a supportive environment where all individuals, both within our team and those we serve, feel heard, valued, and empowered. Through mutual respect and a shared commitment to well-being, we grow stronger together.

Family and Caregiver Engagement

We recognize the critical role that family engagement plays in the success of the students and communities we serve. We are committed to building meaningful partnerships with families and caregivers, encouraging their active participation in their children's education and safety. By fostering open communication, collaboration, and support, we empower families to be integral partners in creating safe, resilient, and thriving school communities.

Our Team

Michael Kimball

Founder and CEO

Patricia Kimball

Chief Financial Officer

Kendall Zoller (EdD)

Program Writer and Educational Advisor

Chris Mason, PhD

Program Writer and Educational Advisor

Nicholas Gonzalez

Operations Manager

Andy Collen

Art and Animation Director and Producer

Amy Collen

Design Production and Web Director

Our History

A Pioneer in Safety and Crisis Training

It Began With a Mission

Established in 1989, M.C. Kimball and Associates, Inc., began with a focused mission: enhancing officer safety and survival through training in situational awareness, self-defense, use of force, and de-escalation for law enforcement. Over the decades, the company has evolved into a forward-thinking safety solutions provider, addressing societal concerns and adapting its offerings based on the needs of its diverse clientele.

A Legacy of Safety and Adaptation

Early 1990s - M.C. Kimball and Associates is Born

The journey of M.C. Kimball and Associates, Inc., is one of adaptability and responsiveness. Beginning in the early 1990s—before the tragic Columbine incident—the company collaborated with the State of California to enhance active shooter prevention and response readiness.

1998 - Focus Expands to Civilian Personnel

By 1998, our focus expanded to civilian responses, particularly for non-sworn personnel in law enforcement-adjacent roles, such as code enforcement officers and inspectors, people who face unique safety challenges.

2010 to 2015: Active Crisis Training is Created

From 2010 to 2015, our curriculum began to shift toward civilian active shooter prevention and response. During this period, M.C. Kimball and Associates, Inc., partnered with Homeland Security to deliver training nationwide. At this time, our workshops were delivered to a variety of organizations, including schools, houses of worship, hospitals, universities, businesses, and even the hospitality industry. This experience revealed unmet needs in specific areas, such as school bus safety and the protection of professionals in probation and code enforcement roles.

The insights gained during this time led to the creation of the Active Crisis Training program, a comprehensive approach to equipping civilians with the knowledge and skills to respond effectively to crisis situations.

2015: We've Got Your Back™ is Launched

The We’ve Got Your Back program for PK-12 was developed in response to increasing requests from schools. Unlike traditional crisis training, this trauma-informed, inclusive, and student-centered program stands out in its innovative approach.

This student-facing program emerged from collaboration with educational leaders, psychologists, and safety experts. The executive team includes luminaries like Dr. Kendall Zoller, author of Heart Space; Dr. Chris Mason of Yale University, known for her work on compassionate school practices; and Dr. Summer Prather-Smith, a superintendent specializing in family engagement and school safety. Together, they crafted a curriculum that incorporates mindfulness, wellness, situational awareness, and age-appropriate strategies for teaching youths student safety.

The hallmark of We’ve Got Your Back is its unique use of animation, storytelling, and interactive learning to teach situational awareness and crisis response. Collaborating with industry professionals, including animators from Pixar and Marvel, the program content is engaging and relatable for students. Each animation undergoes rigorous review to ensure alignment with trauma-informed practices, educational principles, and family engagement strategies.

While the program initially included a limited number of resources, it has evolved to include the following:

Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Integration: Teacher guides aligned with Social Emotional Learning (SEL) competencies and Common Core State Standards.
Parent Engagement Materials: Guides to bridge safety concepts between school and home.
Situational Awareness Trading Cards: Focused on the four elements of situational awareness (conscious awareness, spatial awareness, sensory awareness, and informed awareness).
Teacher Talking Point Cards (TTPs): Sets of 20 cards with classroom activities and discussion prompts.
Student Materials: Graphic novels for middle and high school, workbooks for elementary students, and downloadable online workbooks for high school.
Visual Aids: Posters, coloring sheets, decision-making charts, and action plans.
Project-Based Activities: Classroom and home projects designed to reinforce safety readiness.
When/Then Scenarios: Activities to build mental scripts for decision-making in emergencies.

2015 to Present: Continuous Evolution and Improvement

As the We’ve Got Your Back program continues to expand, it remains a testament to the company’s commitment to innovation and client-driven solutions. We will continue to adapt and evolve, ensuring that our training programs meet the ever-changing needs of schools and communities.

We’ve Got Your Back has undergone a remarkable journey of growth and transformation since its inception. Initially developed to address the needs of high school students, this innovative safety program has expanded and evolved to include tailored approaches for all grade levels, incorporating cutting-edge educational tools and methodologies.

With its focus on wellness, situational awareness, and age-appropriate crisis training, We’ve Got Your Back has become an award-winning resource for schools and families alike, ensuring safety readiness while fostering trust and engagement within school communities.