Better School Preparation is Aim of Bill

Schools are accountable for the safety of one-fifth of the population.

Schools could soon be better prepared for emergencies ranging from natural disasters to acts of violence.

Chris Michlewicz, Staff Writer
Colorado Community Newspapers
03/27/2008

In the wake of headline-grabbing events like the Platte Canyon High School shooting and the Hayman fire, officials are searching for ways to modernize and define potentially lifesaving procedures.

State Senate Bill 181 is designed to beef up emergency preparedness by adopting a definitive plan of action for school staff members, who are increasingly being viewed as the real first responders during emergency situations.

If the bill continues its successful jaunt through the state capitol, Colorado will become the first in the country to adopt procedures outlined in the Department of Homelands Security's National Incident Management System. The bill, which is a part of the Republicans' 2008 legislative agenda for education, received unanimous approval from the Senate earlier this month.

"In talking to educators around the state, I realized we had not taken the necessary steps in training our educators in their responsibility to protect 800,000 kids every day during the school year," said Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Castle Rock, the Senate sponsor for the groundbreaking legislation. "We're the first in the country to take the national framework and try to make it available for our schools."

The new law would require teachers and school staff who are responsible for safety to take online courses to help them better prepare for a range of life-threatening situations "to prevent or minimize loss of life," an excerpt from Senate Bill 181 says. It also would open avenues for schools to enter into agreements with local emergency responders to improve communication.

While some wording in the bill has been tweaked since being introduced, the intent and inherent consequences are largely intact. It was amended before passing March 4 on a 7-0 vote in the Senate Committee on Local Government, and again before being approved 35-0 by the Senate. Senate Bill 181 enters the House Education Committee March 27, a board on which house sponsor Rep. Tom Massey sits.

Schools should "achieve a level of readiness" that is acceptable to school personnel, parents and the community by "organizing and designating safety teams and providing them with the safety plans," the bill says. "They are the first to detect a school-related threat, first to respond to a school-related incident, and last to leave the site of an incident, and they are the ones left to cope with the aftereffects of an incident."

Wiens spoke with John Michael Keyes, the father of Platte Canyon shooting victim Emily Keyes, about the extent of planning for emergencies in schools. Keyes was informed by a relative who is a school safety officer that the only state requirement for emergency preparedness is conducting fire drills.

"Students and educators face many other risks, and that really took root," Wiens said.

If passed, the bill would formalize and standardize school protocols to ensure safety, including such requirements as designating an area where parents can pick up students. The required training is intended to mirror the National Incident Management System, created by Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5, which uses methods all emergency responders should follow to plan, coordinate and carry out the response to a variety of incidents, Wiens said.

Administrators statewide have been extremely supportive of the measure, which initially drew some opposition from those who were concerned about unfunded mandates. The Douglas County School District, in particular, has been receptive to the idea of using technology to make schools safer. Many schools within the district have installed security cameras and begun using walkie talkies to communicate.

Local law enforcement agencies, like the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, now have the ability to tap into the communication systems to gain visual and verbal insight into events as they happen.

Technological advancements, especially those associated with Senate Bill 181, could be a catalyst for school districts nationwide to adopt similar measures, Wiens said.

A request for an interview with Douglas County School District Superintendent Jim Christensen was not answered before press deadline.

The idea is to "create a NIMS culture" in which the "whole thing will take on a life of its own" and stimulate more ideas, Wiens said. Schools would have the ability to apply for federal funding with the Department of Homeland Security to pay for training and other criteria.

303-663-7170 | cmichlewicz@ccnewspapers.com