2016 Winter Five Star Journal

Safety & Security
response protocol and the standard reunification
method—that are now used in more
than 20,000 schools in North America.
“They were truly instrumental in the formation
of the standard response model,” said
Keyes, whose organization provides those
materials to public schools at no cost.
Though the reunification process has been
in place in the district for awhile, a dedicated
emergency preparedness team that includes
more than 30 staff, started two years ago. Led
by Jeff Genger, the Emergency Preparedness
team manages reunification and responds to
all district emergencies including lockdowns,
lockouts and evacuations.
Here’s how Adams 12 Five Star Schools responds
during an emergency or safety issue
at a school.
• School resource officers and school staff
often know of the issue first and inform
the Emergency Preparedness team.
• Emergency Preparedness team arrives to
manage the situation and keep children
safe through safety protocols and processes.
In addition to their immediate team,
they are able to mobilize outside agencies
depending on the situation.
• When necessary, a reunification plan is put
in place, by providing a safe location for
students until their parents can pick them
up. Parents must present a photo ID to be
reunited with their child.
Since September 2015, 5,500 Five Star students
have been reunited with their families.
It seems simple, but something many schools
are just beginning to implement, Keyes says.
The reason he believes, in part, is that many
don’t want to acknowledge that such an issue
could happen.
“Believe me it’s empowering. It isn’t scary,”
he said. “We talk about other dangerous
things. We give our kids strategies. We can’t
let the elephant in the room deny our kids
strategies.”
It makes sense for Five Star Schools because
they view reunification as a form of
safety and security, Genger said.
“Students are the responsibility of Adams
12 safety and security from the minute they
step on school grounds until the minute they
leave, this includes normal school hours,
and all before and after school programs or
events,” he said.
For his part, Keyes said they will continue
to update and evolve their tools as a starting
point to a conversation about safety with
schools and districts around the world—and
he said he is fortunate to have a district that
is innovating in this space right in his own
backyard.
What Five Star Schools has done has created
a foundation so that others don’t have
to start from scratch, Keyes said: “We would
not be here today if it were not for the pioneering
work that Adams 12 has done.” •
Five Star Journal | page 23