DUNCANNON – School administrators, teachers, parents, law enforcement and community groups can now better coordinate efforts to ensure their schools are prepared for external and internal threats, thanks to the launching of a new statewide school safety CD.
Attorney General Tom Corbett explained that the Attorney General’s Office followed a concept and model created by the Susquenita School District and its superintendent Dr. Dan Sheats, to create a CD that walks schools through the step-by-step process of designing a school safety plan.
“Tragedies like the ones at Columbine, the Amish School in Lancaster and at Virginia Tech University have shaken the core of our society,” Corbett said. “We need to be proactive in using lessons learned from prior instances of school violence and emergencies to safeguard our schools and students. And partnership is the best way to accomplish that goal.
The school safety plan gives each school district the ability to create an interactive and secure website with critical information about each school in the district that only can be accessed by first responders in the case of an emergency.
Information on the website includes: detailed floor plans of each school; interior and exterior photographs; a complete contact list of all teachers and administrators; and a crises management response plan for the district.
“Important information available on these websites will give police, fire, EMS and other community first responders a general working knowledge of the facilities prior to arriving on the scene of a crisis situation,” Corbett said. “It allows them to assess the area and determine how best to address the emergency.”
Corbett said that the School Safety Project can be done inexpensively through existing resources and partnerships. The CD contains all of the necessary equipment and software information to complete the project successfully.
“The School Safety Project gives districts a great opportunity to partner with law enforcement before an incident occurs,” Corbett said. “We hope that school and law enforcement will take advantage of this important safety opportunity.”
Schools and school districts interested in receiving a copy of the School Safety Project CD can contact the Attorney General’s Education and Outreach section at 1-800-525-7642 or via email at education@attorneygeneral.gov.
For more information about the Attorney General’s School Safety Project or any other educational programs the office offers visit the Attorney General’s Web site.