COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio schools are being urged to update their safety plans in the wake of publicized shooting incidents.
A state task force formed after shootings in Newtown, Conn., recommends schools file floor plans and local law enforcement contact information on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.
Attorney General Mike DeWine says, while all schools have filed something, as required by a 2007 law, 189 of them have not updated their plan within three years as required by the law and 58 others have not included a floor plan or emergency operations plan..
A template safety plan, which includes information and best practices, is available on DeWine’s website.
The template developed by the School Safety Task Force, formed in December can be downloaded and customized and uploaded. It directs schools to include key information and contacts, along with standardized floor plans so authorities can easily access the information during an incident like those in Chardon (above) and Newtown, DeWine said.
The plans are available through the Ohio Law Enforcement Gateway, a secure site administered by the Attorney General’s Office.
The task force also recommends safety plans filed with the state Department of Education be uploaded to OHLEG through its SAFE web portal.