GEORGETOWN, Del. - A statewide training for school emergencies held by Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the i love u guys Foundation works to improve safety in schools.
The series of seminar and hands-on training led by the Foundation are equipping faculty as well as emergency services to handle a variety of emergencies at school including shootings and natural disasters.
Executive Director of the i love u guys Foundation, John-Michael Keyes, knows first hand how necessary this training is, "2006 I lost my daughter at a school shooting and the foundation was based on the text message that she sent. She sent a text message, 'i love u guys.' while she was held hostage."
Delaware is one of the first states to adopt this program statewide.
"If you ask somebody what their greatest challenge was in their last crisis, often they say communication, communication, communication. By going state-wide we get everybody on the same page. Sometimes teachers change school districts, sometimes law enforcement changes agencies. We're already on the same page, we're already trained on the same protocols, it makes everything simpler moving forward." said Keyes.
In the hands-on training, faculty got to step into the shoes of students, parents, and faculty in the situation of a crisis.
"It was very educational. It was a very enlightening experience. One of the things I kind of thought through as a student, when I saw my parent, I felt the urge to run to the parent and that kind of went against the flow so as a person thinking about what I would do with this situation, I have to be mindful of the emotions that come into play when parents are reunified with the students. So just to be sensitive and be mindful of that." said Dr. Rechid Cooper, Assistant Principal at Milton Elementary.
Following this training, faculty can take the materials and knowledge and apply it to their school's emergency policies to improve them.
For more information on how to get involved with or donate to the i love u guys Foundation, visit iloveuguys.org.