The tragic events in Florida Wednesday have shaken us all, and our thoughts and prayers are with the Broward County School District today. The topic continues to generate much conversation throughout our community and on social media, and we know this has led to concerns and questions for many of our students, employees and families.

There is no easy way to discuss the topic, but we want to do everything we can to reassure families that safety remains our top priority. We’ve re-emphasized our safety protocols to all school leaders today, and we will be scheduling additional trainings soon. We also want parents to know counseling support is always available for students in every school if they need it, and many resources are available for families as well. Our anonymous Safe Tips text line is available to all students and the public, so we encourage anyone with information that may help prevent a safety situation to use this tool. 

School & District Safety Measures:

• All schools are required to participate in multiple emergency management drills every school year, including lockdown/intruder, evacuation, fire safety, severe weather and medical emergency drills.
• In addition to the annual emergency management drills, the District will be requiring all schools to participate in further active shooter training this school year.  
• All schools have a 13-member incident command team to handle emergency situations, as well as emergency management plans with detailed instructions for each type of emergency.
• All of the District’s Safety & Security officers are trained to respond to active shooter situations.
• With support from the Memphis Police Department and Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, officers are assigned to every middle and high school and collectively patrol and respond to incidents at our elementary schools.
• In all emergency scenarios, staff is trained to be responsive and follow the directions of all public safety responders, including the District’s Safety & Security team and law enforcement agencies. 
• Any time a 911 phone call is made from a school phone, it also automatically notifies the District’s Safety & Security team for additional support and coordination.
• All schools have emergency communication systems to alert all families via phone, email and text regarding any emergency situation.

Student & Family Resources:

• American Counseling Association: Various Resources for Students, Teachers, Counselors & Families
• American Psychological Association: Recovering Emotionally from Disaster | Managing Your Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting | Helping your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
• American Federation of Teachers: Lessons to help students coping with traumatic events.
• FBI: Active Shooter Resources