Maryland Resources Available for Preventing and Preparing for Active Assailant Events
(ANNAPOLIS, MD) – On behalf of the Maryland Center for School Safety and Active Assailant Interdisciplinary Work Group for the State of Maryland, we offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities directly affected by the horrific events in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York, as well as those across the country who are shaken by these events in their own local communities.
In Maryland, we have been committed to working on the prevention of mass violence and preparedness and response to such events in a collaborative fashion with our State, federal and local partners with increased attention and diligence with a series of actions directed by Governor Hogan in 2018.
This includes ensuring there are ample resources available to the public. The Maryland Active Assailant Interdisciplinary Work Group keeps a robust resource library related to the prevention of, preparedness for, and response to active assailant incidents. The materials are divided into general prevention and early intervention resources, as well as sector or audience-specific materials relevant to specific industries, communities, or events. To find resources and learn more, visit aaiwg.maryland.gov.
The State offers multiple resources for assistance. For school safety concerns, we offer the Safe Schools Maryland (SSMD) anonymous reporting system. SSMD exists to ensure that individuals have a mechanism to report school and student safety concerns anonymously and securely. Anonymous reports can be submitted by calling (1-833-MD-B-SAFE / 1-833-632-7233), completing an online form, or downloading the free Safe Schools Maryland app from the App Store or Google Play. More information on Safe Schools Maryland can be found at safeschoolsmd.org. For non-emergency suspicious activity reports, call the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC) at 1-800-492-TIPS(8477). And, if you or someone you know needs assistance with mental or behavioral health care, please check the Behavioral Health Administration’s Help Page, or contact Maryland’s Helpline at 2-1-1 press 1.
The passage of the Safe to Learn Act of 2018 expanded resources and programming of the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS). MCSS provides schools and school systems throughout the State with training and support on school safety prevention and intervention, emergency preparedness, and creating and maintaining healthy school communities. MCSS maintains a directory of school safety resources on its website for students, teachers, and families, and will also send staff to conduct training sessions on topics of interest. To learn more, please visit schoolsafety.maryland.gov.
By Executive Order issued on February 28, 2018, Governor Hogan authorized the Maryland Active Assailant Interdisciplinary Work Group (AAIWG), co-chaired by the Maryland State Police (MSP) and Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), with oversight from the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM). The work group is composed of several local, state and federal agencies, including the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS), to ensure all procedures are cohesive across jurisdictional boundaries.
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