Table of Contents |
STAMFORD PUBLIC SCHOOLS IMPROVE DISTRICT’S EMERGENCY PLANNING WITH SAFETY SEMINARS
One hundred and thirty representatives from all 20 Stamford Public Schools, as well as personnel from the City’s Police, Fire, EMS, and Health Departments, recently participated in table top exercises designed to improve school safety and security. The exercises were organized by the school district’s Director of Safety and Security, John Perrotta and facilitated by Patriot Services (www.patriot-services.com), a Michigan-based company that provides comprehensive disaster and emergency preparedness solutions. A series of four, four-hour training sessions helped officials review school protocols and processes and emphasized interagency collaboration. Attendees reviewed a variety of emergency scenarios, from a bomb explosion to a hazardous spill. They learned what to do in an emergency, how to delegate functions to staff members, who should be on each school’s crisis team, and the need to use common language. According to John Perrotta, “Our emergency management plan will be continually reviewed and updated. One very important aspect of the table top exercises is the strengthening of our partnership with the emergency services departments within our City government, specifically police, fire, EMS and the Health Department." The exercises are part of Superintendent Dr. Joshua Starr’s overall efforts to improve emergency preparedness in the Stamford Public Schools. In the past two and a half years, the district has developed a general emergency management plan, assisted each school in developing its own emergency plan, hired a Director of Safety and Security, and implemented ParentLink, an automated emergency communications system that can call every family in the district in approximately 20 minutes. Next steps include conducting a series of drills to further practice and improve the district’s response to emergency situations.
|