Visit the REMS TA Center Calendar to find trainings, web chats, conferences, and other stakeholder activities and events for K-12 and higher ed practitioners on comprehensive school safety topics. All events featured are FREE to participate in and range from virtual to in-person opportunities for engagement and professional development.
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Promote Year-Round Gun Violence Prevention Efforts
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Schools are not only impacted by gun violence but are also key prevention partners. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, more than 90 percent of schools have a written plan to respond to active shooter situations. That statistic speaks to the collaborative work of local, state, and federal partners to help build awareness around gun violence.
People across our nation will honor victims and survivors of gun violence as a part of National Gun Violence Awareness Day on June 7 and National Gun Violence Awareness Month. Use this time to promote gun violence prevention efforts in which all members of the school community can participate, including the following:
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Timeless School Safety Strategy Series: Conduct Emergency and Safety Equipment Checks and Tests
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Schools contain emergency and safety equipment, such as first aid kits, fire extinguishers, two-way radios, public address outdoor speakers, surveillance cameras, emergency evacuation chairs, emergency hallway lighting, etc., that is used at varying degrees throughout the school year (daily, weekly, monthly, annually). While some are only used during or after an emergency, others are used before an incident occurs. Regardless of frequency of use, all should be checked frequently. These safety and security items often play a crucial role in preventing and responding to emergencies, so ensuring that each item is fully operational is essential.
Summer break is an opportune time for schools to develop a checklist of their safety equipment, communication devices, first aid kits, medical equipment, emergency evacuation kits, and other items. This checklist should include specific staff assignments highlighting the need to check, inventory, or replace batteries or other products (e.g., AED [automated external defibrillator] pads) that may have expiration dates for each emergency or safety-related equipment.
The REMS TA Center’s Emergency “Go-Kits” for K-12 Schools fact sheet provides helpful aspects to consider when creating emergency supply kits and suggested contents for administration and classroom kits. These kits can strengthen school preparedness, so the school community is well-equipped for emergencies.
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Addressing Hate Speech and Bullying in the Emergency Operations Plan
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Bullying and hate speech can threaten the safety and well-being of the whole school community and can have both short- and long-term negative impacts on victims, perpetrators, and bystanders. To address this, bullying and hate speech can be included in the school emergency operations plan (EOP), with clearly defined goals, objectives, and courses of action that outline the steps that will be taken before, during, and after an incident of bullying or hate speech.
The REMS TA Center’s fact sheet on Hate Speech and Bullying offers strategies for creating a high-quality Bullying Annex in the school EOP that reinforces the maintenance of a positive, supportive, and inclusive school culture and climate. Below is a sample of some of the tips included in the fact sheet:
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- Before an incident: Assess the school climate and clearly communicate relevant school or district bullying and hate speech policies.
- During an incident: Choose restorative, trauma-informed practices to resolve conflict and restore the learning environment instead of punitive or exclusionary disciplinary measures.
- After an incident: Evaluate the effectiveness of the Bullying Annex and provide supports to those impacted, with referrals to relevant services as needed.
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To ensure that all students feel emotionally and physically safe, consider how your school or district can take an active role in preventing and mitigating the potential impacts of hate speech and bullying.
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K-12 Collaboration: Our Newest Topic Web Page
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The REMS TA Center created a NEW topic web page on collaborative planning teams at K-12 schools and school districts. This page offers resources that can help individual planning team members learn more about how their own specialized roles can enhance preparedness efforts. It also outlines potential roles that K-12 planning teams can consider inviting to the core or ad hoc planning team. Collaborative planning teams are critical for developing, updating, and revising a high-quality EOP, and it is important that the planning team capture as many perspectives as possible to help ensure that the EOP can meet the diverse needs of the school or school district. This means that a collaborative planning team should be multidisciplinary and include representation from school staff, the whole school community, and community partners. Roles within those groups are listed along with examples of how these different team members can bring diverse expertise to the planning process, as well as relevant resources from the REMS TA Center that highlight their important work. Find our new page on K-12 collaboration under the Topics tab on the site navigation.
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Using REMS TA Center Tools in Summer Professional Development
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The summer season is upon us. As your education agency plans for summer professional development and training opportunities, consider using the REMS TA Center’s EOP Interactive Tools. These engaging applications (apps) were designed to be used by staff, administrators, and educators with any level of emergency management experience.
The EOP ASSESS web app on the REMS TA Center website is a self-assessment tool that takes approximately 12-15 minutes to complete. Practitioners answer questions about emergency management planning concepts and, upon completion, receive a customized downloadable report of their answers with supplemental resources and information.
Consider assigning staff to complete EOP ASSESS on their own over the summer and submit their report as proof of completion. Alternatively, build time into synchronous training for staff to complete EOP ASSESS in groups or independently and then review their report(s) together. This information can enhance the preparedness capacity of staff as well as the education agency as a whole.
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