First State schools are being asked to ramp up school safety measures faster under legislation signed by Governor Jack Markell (D-Delaware) at Dover’s W. Reily Brown Elementary School Wednesday afternoon.
An amendments to the state’s Omnibus School Safety Act moves the date all public and charter schools must be in compliance with the act up from September 2017 to the end of this month.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Lew Schiliro says the Markell administration sought the change in response to the Sandy Hook school shooting. Schiliro stressed the importance of having faculty adequately trained and involved in emergency planning.
“Our teachers now are our first line,' Schiliro said. "They’re the ones that are here every day with our students. And they’re the ones that really need to be the ones that are engaged in the process, that are well-trained and well-versed in policies and protocols.”
Schiliro notes 43 of the state’s 222 schools are not in full compliance, but have spent the summer months catching up. He anticipates no delinquencies come the September 30 deadline.
Under the changes schools now must now conduct full-scale and tabletop exercises once a year and a minimum of two lockdown/intruder drills each year as well.
Verification of the exercises must then be submitted to the Department of Homeland Security.
Brown Elementary principal Susan Frampton says faculty and administration at the school understand and embrace the need to be part of the emergency planning and training.
“If you’re involved in the planning you can make sure that everything that you think needs to happen happens so that our children are safe," Frampton said. "Their parents rely on us to make sure that they are in a safe and healthy and happy environment.”
