“The best way to increase safety is to provide a high quality education,” Bryan Holmes, OCPS Police Chief, told the 400 attendees at the district’s Preparedness Days.
As part of the preparation for the new school year, the Safety and Emergency Management Team created a two-day conference, July 13-14, to train school administrators on emergency management and safety issues.
“The value in the two days is our administrators get an opportunity to engage with our safety and emergency management team and they’re able to receive new information about our safety procedures, since some of them have changed as a result of the pandemic,” said Superintendent designate Maria Vazquez.
The event provided training in:
• Safety/Risk Management
• Employee Wellness Program
• Environmental compliance and sustainability
• Crisis management with an active assailant drill
• Human trafficking
• SRO services overview
• Asset protection
• Hurricane shelter training
• Psychological crisis support
• Bullying prevention
• Emergency management technology
“This district has systems in place that really set the bar nationally on cameras, securing doors and access — and it’s really amazing what is happening here. We are a unique department and there are not many districts built like we are,” said Joe Silvestris, Senior Director for Safety & Emergency Management.
In addition to learning about the district’s multilayered, multidisciplinary approach to safety and security, the event provides an opportunity for school-based leaders to build relationships with one another and the SEM team.