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Recent Posts
- How to Stay Safe During Severe Weather Season
- Show Your Appreciation for School Resource Officers On February 15
- Internal Perspectives of the Maryland Center for School Safety
- Washington County Principal Asks “What if…?” and Makes a Huge Impact on School Safety
- Should Parents Worry about Rainbow Fentanyl in Halloween Candy?
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How to Stay Safe During Severe Weather Season
A tornado touched down in Rising Sun in Cecil County on April 1st, and recent tornadoes in Georgia and Mississippi remind us spring tornado season is upon us. When a tornado hit Jacksboro Elementary School in Jacksboro, Texas, prior emergency planning and drills were credited with saving the lives of students, faculty and parents.
The Maryland Center for School Safety has partnered with the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM,) to help prepare for tornado season and plan for an emergency. We spoke to MDEM’s Communications Department about severe weather awareness initiatives. They want to remind everyone to be cognizant tornadoes can happen with little warning. As with all emergency situations, preparation, planning, and practice help to mitigate harm.
Read more…Show Your Appreciation for School Resource Officers On February 15
School Resource Officers (SROs) and School Safety Employees (SSEs) often go unrecognized. The Maryland Center for School Safety hopes to change this, by encouraging everyone to celebrate SRO Appreciation Day on February 15th. This national recognition celebrates the work of SROs and SSEs creating positive school climates for Maryland students. They strive to keep outside dangers from coming into schools while also connecting students with resources, creating a positive environment for learning, and building relationships with students, staff and caregivers.
Michael Rudinski, Training Specialist with MCSS, has provided training to approximately 1,250 individuals who have become SROs and SSEs. Individuals participate in a 70-hour training course, which includes, among other things, specific training on de-escalation techniques, disability/diversity awareness, implicit bias, and restorative approaches. These safety officials focus on prevention, awareness, resources, and crisis intervention every day while working in Maryland schools.
Mr. Rudinski says he is incredibly impressed with SRO and SSE candidates. “The officers are there because they love children, want to make a difference, and are excited to be SROs and SSEs.”
Read more…Internal Perspectives of the Maryland Center for School Safety
The MCSS team introduces you to summer 2022 intern, Devin Peart, who was involved in a number of high-level projects during his 10-week internship at MCSS. Mr. Peart is a Senior at Mount St. Mary’s University majoring in Political Science. He is originally from Littlestown, Pennsylvania. Before joining the MCSS team, he previously interned for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.
Mr. Peart learned of the internship opportunity through the Maryland Public Service Scholars Program. While at MCSS, Mr. Peart researched the latest school safety news, legislation, and court rulings related to school safety. He also compiled data on school safety issues and communications across the US. He met with each of the MCSS team members, learning their role in the agency, and how each position fits into the mission of MCSS. He was surprised the agency did more than working with just security and law enforcement professionals.
Read more…Washington County Principal Asks “What if…?” and Makes a Huge Impact on School Safety
Dr. Stacy Henson, Principal at Emma K. Doub Elementary School for Integrated Arts & Technology in Washington County, recognizes the importance of emergency preparedness for her school community. “One of the things we discussed as a staff/safety committee is that we do a lot of professional development around academics, but safety is also at the forefront of what we do daily. We wanted to come up with a way to include safety topics as daily/weekly discussion points, so it was continually part of our thought processes and learning,” Dr. Henson said.
The problem was how to plan for school safety issues? She felt she needed professional guidance. She searched for this information online and found tabletop safety exercises online at the Vermont School Safety Center, and began incorporating them into the school’s safety team drills. Dr. Henson explains, “These What if…? drills started with the thought that it would create opportunities for staff to revisit the safety plan, so that it was not just a document that we looked at the first week of school. We wanted the staff to know it (the plan) well, and be able to utilize pieces of it in the event of an emergency. However, it (drills) has transitioned into questions that pop up as actual real-life situations. We turn them into ‘What would/should you do if ____ occurred?’”
Read more…Practice Makes Progress
The Importance of Drills and Exercises in Special Needs School Environments
In a recent post, we discussed a new, free, resource, Especially Safe: An Inclusive Approach to Safety Preparedness in Educational Settings. Especially Safe was presented to our school safety community by Michele Gay, Founder & Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools® and Lee-Nadine Oppenheim, Director of Finance and Operations at Ivymount School. Both presenters have extensive knowledge of safety procedures, and how they relate to disabilities, accessibility, and functional needs of students and schools.
Our presenters discussed the importance of safety planning and drills, particularly for our special needs constituents. “Create a plan, share the plan with all of the stakeholders, update the plan, and keep everyone updated,” Ms. Gay said.
Read more…Creating an Especially Safe School Environment for School Communities
MCSS began its monthly School Safety Professional Development Conference call with Michele Gay, Founder & Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools® and Lee-Nadine Oppenheim, Director of Finance and Operations at Ivymount School as they presented Especially Safe: An Inclusive Approach to Safety Preparedness in Educational Settings. The two subject matter experts discussed real solutions in planning for school safety issues, executing safety drills, and particular considerations for special needs school populations.
Michelle Gay is a parent of Josephine, a special needs victim of the Sandy Hook Elementary Shooting. As a result of the horrible tragedy, she assisted in the foundation of Safe and Sound Schools, a national non-profit school safety advocacy and resource center providing research-based tools, support, crisis prevention, response, and recovery programs.
The foundation’s newest program Especially Safe was developed with expert practitioners from across disciplines to include resources, tools, and teaching ideas to meet the safety needs of community members with special needs. “We are asking for people to prepare for emergencies of all hazards, with a generalized approach to school safety,” Ms. Gay said.
Read more…See it. Hear it. REPORT IT!
NEW 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Launches in Maryland
If you, a friend or family member are having a mental crisis or just need to talk with someone, the 988 Lifeline is the number to call.
The State of Maryland has activated a new crisis line designated for suicide and substance abuse concerns. The 988 Lifeline number is designated for anyone who is experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis, contemplating suicide, or worried about someone who may need crisis support.
Why do citizens need a Suicide and Substance Abuse line?
In many instances of mental health crisis, a trained mental health provider and/or emergency mental health care is required. In the past, the only resource to call was 911. Historically we’ve learned police, fire, or EMS are not necessary in many circumstances of mental health and drug abuse calls. In some circumstances, the arrival of police on the scene can escalate non-violent situations and have created additional problems for those going through trauma and crisis. In some cases, police presence may have caused tragic consequences for individuals in a mental health crisis.
Read more…Should Parents Worry about Rainbow Fentanyl in Halloween Candy?
An MCSS guest blog written by Avery Meyer, Public Health Analyst for Maryland – CDC Foundation, and John Flickinger, Drug Intelligence Officer for Maryland – Washington Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA)
Recently, there have been media reports about the presence of rainbow-colored fentanyl pills in the illicit drug supply, as well as fentanyl pills being concealed in candy packaging. The motivation behind these methods is being debated, but the message to remember is that fentanyl is increasingly present in the illicit drug market. Given how potent fentanyl is, especially for people without opioid tolerance, ingesting just one of these pills can be deadly. All Marylanders, including parents and youth, must be aware of these dangers.
Read more…MCSS SFG Facilitator Accepts New Role Representing Maryland Students
Henry Meiser, Facilitator for the MCSS Student Focus Group, recently accepted appointment as Student Commissioner to the Governor’s Commission on Suicide Prevention. This is another important role for Mr. Meiser to undertake as he represents students in Maryland.
“This task has been an especially challenging one, given Maryland’s great geographical and socio-economic diversity, and the sheer age gap between a student in elementary, and high school.”
Mr. Meiser is a senior at St. Mary’s Ryken High School. He initiated the Southern Maryland Youth Leadership Foundation and has obtained a certificate in leadership and management from the University of Pennsylvania.
Read more…2022 Training Update: School Resource Officers (SROs) and School Security Employees (SSEs)
2022 SRO/SSE Training is in Session
MCSS staff, along with state and local subject matter experts, are once again in the classroom providing training to the dedicated individuals serving as SROs and SSEs throughout the State. In 2021, MCSS began the work of updating our model SRO and SSE training. The goal of the updates was to expand the program with new and much-needed modules in order to provide deeper training. Working closely with our local and state subject matter experts (SMEs), MCSS expanded training modules on De-escalation, Disability and Diversity Awareness, Implicit Bias, and Restorative Approaches.
Read more…