InterMountain ESD and the School Safety and Emergency Management (SSEM) program in Oregon are sponsoring a School Safety Summit in Pendleton on August 7th from 8 AM to Noon at the Pendleton Convention Center. The event is for school districts and will focus on Relocation and Reunification, the portion of an emergency response where students are evacuated from a school building and are reunited with their families at an alternative, secure location.
The FREE Summit will include school district administrators, school staff, regional law enforcement staff, bus company personnel and emergency management professionals. The intention is for school district leadership to bring their emergency plans, maps of relocation sites and reunification kits to learn best practices for Relocation and Reunification and to collaborate with their local law enforcement representatives.
Dr. Mark Mulvihill, IMESD Superintendent, said offering opportunities to discuss safety protocols for schools and to strengthen collaboration between districts and the law enforcement agencies that serve them is always helpful. “We are pleased to sponsor our fourth safety summit. Our regional educators and first responders are committed to best practices in student safety. The summit is a great opportunity to network with one another and prepare for the start of the school year,” Mulvihill said.
Dave Williams, IMESD’s Director of School Improvement, has helped plan this year’s event. “With school safety, good is simply not good enough; we need to do everything we can to ensure our schools are equipped and prepared to keep students and staff safe in all situations. We’re really excited to partner with School Safety & Emergency Management to provide this training,” Williams said.
SSEM is part of the Oregon Department of Education. SSEM’s mission is to support the development and implementation of emergency operations plans (EOPs) in schools across the state to help improve the safety and security for all students and staff. Oregon Revised Statute 336.071 and Oregon Administrative Rule 581-022-2225 require schools to instruct and drill
students on emergency procedures and maintain a comprehensive safety program that includes plans for responding to emergencies. The resources provided by SSEM and through its education service district (ESD) partners help Oregon schools plan for, train for, and respond to emergencies affecting their students and staff.
Claire Ranit, SSEM Emergency Preparedness Consultant (Northeast Oregon region), said, "We're excited to be out in Pendleton supporting IMESD and the school districts it serves, investing in emergency management to better prepare districts and schools for before, during and after emergencies. We hope emergencies never happen but it's important to be prepared just in case. Holding these events helps improve collaboration, communication, and coordination within and between districts, schools and key community safety agencies."
To register for the School Safety Summit, please use this link: https://forms.gle/G73RrCDbgs8t...
For more information about the Summit, please contact Dave Williams, Director of School Improvement at IMESD, at dave.williams@imesd.k12.or.us.