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to School: Make Safety a Top Priority
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[August 11, 2018]
SPRINGFIELD
- Safety in our schools and on our college campuses is a right every
student and family should expect. As students from pre-kindergarten
to college prepare to head back to school, the Illinois Emergency
Management Agency (IEMA) and local emergency management agencies
across the state are reminding educators about the recent
recommendations of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force School Safety
Working Group.
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The group’s 13 recommendations are designed to help
make Illinois schools safer. These recommendations were presented to
Governor Bruce Rauner in May 2018, and are available online for the
public to review.
“There is no single answer to achieving school safety,” said Mike
Chamness, Chairman of the Illinois Terrorism Taskforce. “No
individual has all of the answers, but the experience and expertise
found within the members of the School Safety Working Group
illustrate the state’s commitment to offer practical recommendations
for our schools to implement into their policies and procedures.”
In addition to the recommendations of the School Safety Working
Group, there are additional resources available to help increase the
level of preparedness of our schools and campuses.
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The Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center
provides a variety of training programs to help public and private
K-12 schools and higher education institutions plan for, respond to,
and recover from an emergency or disaster. Training opportunities,
which are provided free of charge, include traditional classroom
courses, workshops, webinars and online training.
The Statewide Terrorism & Intelligence Center’s (STIC) School Safety
Information Sharing Program is designed to identify the information
needs of school and campus safety officials and ensure timely and
wide dissemination of actionable intelligence that is tailored to
the protection of these communities. The goal of the program is to
aid in school safety efforts through sharing information from local,
state and federal agencies with at least one person in every school
and campus in the state of Illinois.
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Parents can also play a crucial role in protecting
our students. As students head back to the classroom this fall, be
sure to include emergency preparedness in your back-to-school plans.
Here are some planning tips for parents to consider:
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Find out where children will be taken in the
event of an evacuation during school hours;
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Ensure your current emergency contact information
is on file at your child’s school;
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Pre-authorize a friend or relative to pick up
your children in an emergency and make sure the school knows who
that designated person is; and,
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Teach children with cell phones about ‘Text
First, Talk Later.’ Short, simple text messages, such as “R U
OK?” and “I’m OK,” are more likely to get through than a phone
call if phone service is disrupted following an emergency. As
phone congestion eases, you can follow up with a phone call to
relay more information.
For parents of college-aged students, a little
research can provide peace of mind. Many college campuses offer
email and text messages to alert students of potential dangers, such
as severe weather and other threats. Encourage your college student
to sign-up for such alerts. Some colleges also provide alert
messages for parents so they also are aware of potential dangers on
campus. In addition, make sure your student knows the emergency
plans for their dorm or apartment building.
Parents and educators alike are encouraged to take a moment to
review the information available on the ready.illinois.gov website.
Whether you are a parent, school administrator or school resource
officer, there is helpful information and training available – many
times at little to no cost – to help you keep our youngest citizens
and future leaders safe.
[ILLINOIS EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY]
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