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New Resources Available to Assist K-12 Schools
with Emergency Planning
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 3, 2024
LANSING, MICH. The Michigan State Police (MSP) Office of School Safety (OSS) today released new resources to assist the state’s K-12 schools with developing and/or updating their Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). An EOP details the actions that students, teachers and school staff should take before, during and after a variety of emergency situations.
Michigan law requires all K-12 school buildings to have an EOP that is reviewed on a biennial basis. MSP previously published EOP guidance in 2014.
“There have been many changes in the school safety arena over the past 10 years and we want to make sure our schools are benefiting from the most up-to-date guidance as they develop and review their emergency operations plans,” said Col. James F. Grady II, director of the MSP. “These updated, easy-to-use tools were reviewed by a multi-disciplinary panel of professionals from the emergency management, law enforcement, education and mental health sectors and include best practices for multiple emergency situations.”
Information from federal agencies was referenced in developing the new tools, including resources from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center. Additionally, the OSS partnered with the national nonprofit “I Love U Guys” Foundation to utilize their standard response protocol and standard reunification method.
The new resources can be found on the OSS webpage. The OSS is housed within the Grants and Community Services Division (GCSD) of the MSP.
The OSS is committed to delivering quality services to schools that promote safe and secure learning environments to reduce threats, build trust and improve the quality of life for K-12 students. Created under the authority of Public Act 435 of 2018, the OSS works in partnership with the Michigan Department of Education to:
- Assist in the development of model practices for school safety and engage with local law enforcement agencies to assess school buildings for which emergency operations plans are being developed.
- Seek and apply for federal funds relating to school safety and reducing violence and disruptions in schools.
- Provide staff support to the School Safety Commission, which is responsible for making recommendations to the OSS.
This project was funded by a 2019 Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Grant awarded to the MSP GCSD.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Kim Root, Manager, Office of School Safety, [email protected], 517-290-9774
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