On Monday, August 7th, over 115 people gathered at the Pendleton Convention Center for the InterMountain Education Service District (IMESD) Safety Summit, including leadership from area school districts and local law enforcement from multiple agencies. The event centered around School Safety & Emergency Management (SSEM) and aimed to fortify preparedness for the upcoming academic year.
IMESD Superintendent, Mark Mulvihill, welcomed the crowd, followed by IMESD's Director of School Improvement, Dave Williams. Regional Emergency Preparedness Consultants, Claire Ranit, from Columbia George ESD, and Dan Kraus from Clackamas and the Northwest Oregon region ESDs, facilitated the day's activities. Kraus stressed the importance of communication and collaboration during an emergency situation.
The event focused 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. During breakout sessions, leadership from each school district worked with their local law enforcement agencies to strategize emergency protocol and plan incident responses. North Powder School District Superintendent Lance Dixion said, "The pressure is totally different for a chemical spill versus an active shooter, but we need to have a clear plan in place to handle every situation."
Law enforcement was on hand, including police from Hermiston, Umatilla, Pilot Rock, Stanfield, and Pendleton, along with Sheriffs from Umatilla and Morrow Counties, among others. Representatives from Mid-Columbia Bus, St. Anthony Hospital, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Blue Mountain Community College, and the Oregon Department of Education were also on hand, along with a variety of IMESD employees from across the region.
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. 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.
You can learn more about the Oregon Department of Education's School Safety and Emergency Management here: https://www.oregon.gov/ode/schools-and-districts/grants/Pages/School-Safety-and-Emergency-Management.aspx.
