Governor’s Homeland Security
Advisory Council Votes to Improve School Safety with Web Tool
JEFFERSON CITY, December 7, 2006-Gov. Matt Blunt’s
Homeland Security Advisory Council (HSAC) voted yesterday to spend
$1.6 million dollars in federal homeland security dollars to purchase
the rights to and expand a web-based tool to assist schools in planning
and training for an emergency event using the latest technology.
The expanded program will include all-hazards and pandemic
influenza planning and make the tool available to licensed day care
facilities and colleges and universities, in addition to elementary
and secondary school systems.
“This is a profound tool that will create a bond
between educators and public safety officials that traditionally has
not been in place,” said Mark James Director of Public Safety
and chairman of the council. “Today’s vote is an investment
in our most vulnerable citizens-our children.”
The Homeland Security Safe Schools Working Group, which
is a sub-group of the HSAC, had previously reviewed this tool, as
well as looked at other alternatives for school safety planning. The
group unanimously voted in October to recommend purchasing the tool
with Missouri’s homeland security money.
The Safe Schools Working Group, which is co-chaired
by the Office of Homeland Security and the Department of Elementary
and Secondary Education, was formed by the Governor’s Advisory
Council in April of this last year, and includes representation from
over twenty (20) professional organizations and state departments
and agencies, having an interest in education from a homeland security/safety
perspective.
Gov. Blunt in October recognized the importance of having
our schools connected to Missouri’s homeland security program,
and added schools as a voting member the Regional Homeland Security
Oversight Committees, which are also a sub-committee of his Homeland
Security Advisory Council.
The Department of Health and Senior Services and the
Missouri School Board Association have been offering schools a biohazard
plan for more than one year. Today’s decision elevates it to
an all-hazards approach as opposed to just specific health-related
disasters. The initiative will ensure Missouri positions itself as
a leader in school safety. No other state has embraced this type of
aggressive initiative.
“As the system gains statewide momentum, schools,
health departments and public safety officials will gain a greater
understanding of school vulnerabilities and how to prevent dangerous
situations among the school-age population,” said Jane Drummond,
Director of Health and Senior Services and member of the HSAC.
All schools in the state could upload critical information
such as floor plans, students with special needs, staff information,
and utility shut-off locations to aid the response to events such
as infectious disease outbreaks or hazardous materials incidents.
Intended to enhance existing all-hazards plans, the
plans can be accessed by the schools, fire, police, public health
departments, and others who may need to respond to an incident at
the school. They can view the school emergency plans and floor plans
through a secure internet connection, local hard drives, Palm and
Pocket PC, and downloaded print material.
School districts can make changes to their plans, which
instantly update individual school plans within the district. School
plans can be changed and updated by administrators and can be tracked
and viewed by others who have been granted access by the school district.
Online training is available on the creation of the plans and use
of the system.
Last November Gov. Blunt signed executive order 05-42
establishing the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as Missouri’s
new standard for emergency preparedness. The Safe Schools initiative
ensures school plans are compliant with NIMS.