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This week, several school districts in Michigan were subjected to “swatting” calls falsely warning of the presence of an active shooter. The practice of swatting is defined as a form of harassment to deceive an emergency service provider into sending a police and emergency service response team to a specific location. The practice is disruptive and wastes valuable law enforcement and school resources. In light of recent events, the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety encourages all school districts to engage with local, county and/or state law enforcement to assist with the following:
- Review Emergency Operations Plans (EOPs) with staff, including the specific roles and responsibilities of members of the crisis response team.
- Make sure appropriate personnel are identified and trained to work with and be a member of Unified Incident Command.
- Identify predetermined locations to serve as Incident Command posts in conjunction with local emergency responders.
- Conduct exercises using the EOP in either drills or tabletop format to practice, prepare, and identify potential gaps in policies and procedures.
- Conduct emergency drills with students and staff as required by Public Act 12 of 2014.
- Discuss plans with district transportation officials if bussing is necessary to help evacuate students and staff.
- Review the reunification process, including outreach to reunification sites. Be sure reunification sites are of a sufficient size to handle the number of students as well as parent/guardian vehicles necessary to pick up students.
- Engage in after-action discussions with staff, students, parents/guardians, and emergency responders to identify the effectiveness of the EOP and everyone’s understanding of its implementation.
- Identify school and/or community resources to ensure after-incident mental health services are available for staff, students, and families.
As a reminder, Public Act 436 of 2018 requires schools to review and update EOPs minimally every two years (the Revised School Code, MCL 380.1308b).
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