Safe schools are fundamental to students' school successes and achievements. Consequently, providing a safe and orderly school environment remains an ever-present priority of the Mississippi Department of Education. School safety should be addressed through a comprehensive approach that focuses on prevention, intervention and response planning. Systems and programs should be in place that create caring school communities where all students and staff feel safe and supported. Key to the process of building and maintaining safe schools is the development of active partnerships between schools and communities.
The Division of School Safety provides support to schools in the areas of physical security, emergency operations and school discipline. Training and technical assistance may be requested to provide guidance in the development of a safe and secure school environment for students, faculty and administrators. Resources and areas of technical assistance include:
- School Resource Officer/School Safety Officer Training
- Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events
- Review and Assistance with School District Emergency Planning
- School Safety Technical Assistance Visits
Teacher Resources
National Crime Prevention Lesson Plans - The following activities were created by teachers and reviewed by teachers, principals, law enforcement officers, and community members to ensure their quality and effectiveness. They are designed to teach an age appropriate lesson on a crime prevention and safety topic. Lesson plans are provided by the National Crime Prevention Council for grades K-5.
Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum-Grades 1-2 –In the Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum for Early Elementary School (1st-2nd grades), students will learn about emergencies and how to prepare for them. From fire safety to natural disasters, they will exercise their investigative, creative, and communication skills working both individually and collaboratively.
Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum-Grades 3-5 – In the Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum for Upper Elementary School (3rd-5th grades), students will work individually and in teams to research emergencies that can impact communities locally and nationally, and apply creativity and literacy skills to demonstrate their understanding of emergency preparedness.
Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum-Grades 6-8 – In the Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum for Middle School (6th-8th grades), students will develop a graphic novel to show their understanding of emergency preparedness. They'll gain knowledge through research, games, simulations, discussions, debates, and other inquiry-driven activities.
Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum-Grades 9-12 – In the Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum for High School (9th-12th grades), students will engage in discussions, multi-media research, surveys, and interviews to develop their own communication campaigns aimed at raising awareness and motivating others to be prepared for emergencies.
American Red Cross Water Safety Outreach: Longfellow's WHALE Tales – Longfellow WHALE Tales is taught to raise children’s awareness of safe behavior in, on and around the water. WHALE Tales is a free course that can be taught by any Aquatic Leader or instructor or school teacher. WHALE Tales can be taught without a pool and is a great rainy day activity for Schools, Summer Camps, and during Swimming Lessons.
School Safety Links
- National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO), Provides training, information, and resources to school-based law enforcement officers.
- Mississippi Association of School Resource Officers (MASRO), a nonprofit corporation created to provide a means to disseminate, share, advise, and coordinate information on the value of qualified law enforcement officers to teach elementary, middle/junior high school, and high school students on the principles of good citizenship and community responsibility.
- Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS). National clearing-house for school safety information. Provides resources, training, and information related to violence prevention, response, and recovery from incidents of school violence.
- Guide for Preventing and Responding to School Violence, 2nd Edition, Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. • The guide addresses both prevention and intervention from a systemic view, clarifying the role of the school, the community, families, law enforcement, and the justice system and how these groups can work together effectively to prevent and respond to school violence.
- Preventing School Shootings: A Summary of a U.S. Secret Service Safe School Initiative Report, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. • This report summarizes a U.S. Secret Service Report that examined the prevention of targeted violence in schools.
- The National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC). Provides links to best-practices in threat assessment and the prevention of targeted violence, including resources on conduction threat assessments in K-12 schools, building positive school climates, and requesting training from NTAC personnel.
- National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, School Safety Resources. Provides links to resources and information, including training material, computer software, and videos for law enforcement officers who work in K-12 schools.
Mississippi Department of Public Safety Office of Homeland Security
Active Shooter Response Training
Online Courses and Training Links
- FEMA - Master List of Independent Study Program Courses.
- To get a Federal Emergency Management Association Student Identification Number.
- IS-100.C: Intro to the Incident Command System. Introduction to the Incident Command System, introduces the Incident Command System (ICS) and provides the foundation for higher level ICS training.
- IS-200.C: Basic Incident Command System for Initial Response. This course provides training on, and resources for, personnel who are likely to assume a supervisory position within ICS.
- IS-700.B: An Intro to the National Incident Management System. This course provides an overview of the National Incident Management System (NIMS)
- IS-800.C: National Response Framework, an Introduction. This course introduces participants to the concepts and principles of the National Response Framework. The goal of this course is to familiarize participants with the National Response Framework and the ways it is applied in actual response situations.
- IS-362.A: Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools. This course covers basic information about developing, implementing, and maintaining a school emergency operations plan (EOP).
- IS-906: Workplace Security Awareness. This course provides guidance to individuals and organizations on how to improve the security in your workplace.
- MS Office of Homeland Security Training Calendar
- Meridian Public Safety Training Institute: (601) 484-6890
- State and Local Anti-Terrorism Training: (online training module available)
Federal Emergency Management Association - Introduction to Emergency Planning