Monthly Newsletter
LA Center for Safe Schools - July 2024
Important Dates
Conferences
14-19 JUL 2024 NASRO School Safety Conference- Phoenix, Arizona
28 JUL- 2 AUG National School Safety Conference- Orlando, Florida
28 JUL- 1 AUG Louisiana Sheriff's Association Conference- San Destin, Florida (LCSS will have a vendor booth set up)
Trainings & Webinars
10-11 JUL - LDOE School Safety Summit (Virtual)
18 JUL - I Love You Guys- Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method Training, Lake Charles
24 JUL - RAVE Training (Virtual) 1:00 - 2:30pm
24 JUL - Stop the Bleed Training (Region 6 Only)
2 Sessions 8:00-11:00am & 1:00-4:00pm, Alexandria, LA
LCSS Grant Info Sessions for FY2025
Wednesday July 17, 2024 @ 9:00am- 10:30am
Tuesday July 23, 2024 @ 1:00pm- 2:30pm
Thursday August 15, 2024 @ 1:00pm- 2:30pm
Previous Events LCSS Attended
LASRO Safe School Conference
LCSS recently attended the Louisiana School Resource Officers Association's Safe School Conference in Marksville, LA from June 25-27th. We were asked to speak about LCSS's mission and ongoing initiatives to keep our schools safe. SROs voiced their concerns and also affirmed appreciation of our engagement with their communities.
LCSS Booth
Sarah Theriot speaking at our session
1 of 2 session audiences
Teacher Leader Summit
Some LCSS staff were able to attend LDOE's Teacher Leader Summit in New Orleans in May 2024. Director Thompson presented an overview of the LA Center for Safe School's history and mission moving forward. We had a blast!!
Coffee and Beignet Time!
Butterfly Trevis
LEMC
The LA Center for Safe Schools presented a School-Based Active Shooter Exercise at the LA Emergency Management Conference on May 9, 2024, in Lake Charles.
The following partnerships provided audience engagement for the discussions: US Secret Service, DHS CISA; Ascension, Beauregard, St. Charles, and Union Parish Schools, Sheriff’s Association, SROs & Supervisors, Superintendents and Principals, Parish OHSEP Directors, LDH – OBH, Southeast Counseling Service, LA Emergency Response Network (LERN), and several participating attendees contributed feedback and input. The exercise focused on the 5 Modules below:
Module 1: Prevention
Module 2: Initial Response
Module 3: Tactical Response
Module 4: Evacuation and Reunification
Module 5: Crisis Counseling
Trevis Thompson, Director LCSS
Jeff Murray, USSS-NTAC
LCSS Grant Updates
FY2024 LCSS grant awardees were notified and have completed their award packages. All award funding is currently pending CEA approval from the Department of Administration (DOA). Awardee CEAs have been sent to State Procurement at DOA for review. Once the CEAs are approved by State Procurement, we will notify all awardees through GMPro emails.
Following the approval of the CEAs, we anticipate having GMPro ready for awardees to upload reimbursement packages. GMPro is currently building that piece out and will go through testing prior to deployment. Once it is ready, training aides will be sent to each awardee with how to steps on uploading reimbursement packages.
If your school/agency was not awarded for FY2024, do not worry as you are still being considered for FY2025 LCSS grant funding. We have requested another $5,000,000 from the state legislature, which was approved and will be available in the Fall. More information about these awards will be sent out at a later date.
LCSS Grant Info Sessions for FY2025
Wednesday July 17, 2024 @ 9:00am- 10:30am
https://tinyurl.com/Grant-Session-1
Tuesday July 23, 2024 @ 1:00pm- 2:30pm
https://tinyurl.com/Grant-Session-2
Thursday August 15, 2024 @ 1:00pm- 2:30pm
Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs)
School Safety Act of 2023 (R.S.17-416.16)
Full Statute https://legis.la.gov/Legis/law.aspx?d=81032
District & School EOPs must be reviewed at east once annually and revised as necessary.
EOPs shall be prepared by each public school principal jointly with local law enforcement, fire, public safety, and emergency preparedness officials. The plan shall seek to utilize resources and information available through the Louisiana Commission on School and Nonprofit Security, R.S. 29:726.5 et seq.
When conducting the annual review of the crisis management and response plan for a high school, the school principal shall seek and consider input from the students enrolled in the school who shall be represented by either the president of the senior class or the president of the student council and at least one other responsible student selected by the principal.
The local school superintendent shall make an annual report to the public school governing authority on the status of the plan of each school under the governing authority's jurisdiction and shall submit a copy of the report to the state Department of Education and the Center for Safe Schools provided for in R.S. 29:276.5.1.
Each public school principal shall keep a copy of the approved plan in his office and shall provide a copy to the following individuals, each of whom shall be responsible for keeping in his respective office a copy of the plan that is readily accessible in the event of a school shooting or other violent incident or emergency situation:
- The president of the local school board.
- The local school superintendent.
- The chief of police of the municipality or the sheriff of the parish where the school is located, as applicable, as well as the local fire chief whose office is in closest geographic proximity to the school.
- The State Department of Education.
- The Center for Safe Schools within the Governor's Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness.
Classroom doors with locks shall be in compliance with all fire safety standards promulgated by the office of state fire marshal code enforcement and building safety of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections and shall remain locked during instructional time. Each plan shall provide that a locked door shall not obstruct egress.
Drills & Exercises
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Within the first 30 days of each school year, each public school principal shall conduct a safety drill to rehearse the components of the plan including an active shooter scenario.
In addition, each school year, each principal shall conduct at least 1 additional drill during high traffic or transition points in the school day.
Not later than 7 days after each drill, the principal shall submit a written report summarizing the details of the drill to the local school superintendent. The superintendent shall comment on the drill to the principal, who shall consider the comments in revising the plan.
- Fire Drills must be conducted monthly per LA Fire Marshal regulations.
For questions or support, contact your GOHSEP Regional Training Coordinator.
Emergency Notification System (Panic Button)
LCSS and RAVE are focused on helping all schools sign up for RAVE Panic Button App. RAVE will also be hosting a web-based meeting Wednesday, July 24, 2024 from 1:00 to 2:30 pm to help answer any questions schools have and to complete the sign up process for schools that are not fully "live" as of yet.
Additional Deployment Resources for RAVE may be found here:
https://www.ravemobilesafety.com/customer-center/customer-marketing-portal/louisiana-panic-button/
Anonymous Reporting
Crimestoppers GNO has signed another contract with GOHSEP/LCSS. We look forward to working with them to keep our kids safe in schools this upcoming school year!
Behavioral Threat Assessment Management
BTAM trainings continue throughout LA
You are invited to attend the (Two-Day) Statewide K-12 Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management (BTAM) Prevention Training. (You may share with your colleagues). The Louisiana State Police, in partnership with the Louisiana Association of Principals, is providing statewide district / regional BTAM training.
Purpose: To provide BTAM training to school administrators/personnel, mental health professionals, school resource officers/law enforcement, and other stakeholders and partners that may support school and district BTAM teams.
You may now register for the (Two-Day) Foundational BTAM Training for (BESE Districts 1,2,3 and 7). If you were unable to attend your district's training you may register to attend. ***To register for the BTAM Train-the-Trainer/Facilitator Training, you MUST ATTEND the Foundational BTAM Training first.
Free Registration is NOW OPEN!
July 18-19, 2024 BESE Districts 1&2 (St. John the Baptist Parish)
· Lake Pontchartrain Elementary School, 3328 Highway 51, LaPlace, LA 70068
· Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/louisiana-k-12-behavioral-threat-assessment-and-management-btam-training-tickets-933826519257
July 22-23, 2024 BESE District 7 (Jefferson Davis Parish)
· Jennings Elem School, 1603 South Lake Arthur Ave., Jennings LA.
· Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/louisiana-k-12-behavioral-threat-assessment-and-management-btam-training-tickets-935663142647
July 25-26, 2024 BESE District 3 (Terrebonne Parish)
· H.L Bourgeois High School, 1 Reservation Court, Gray, LA 70359
· Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/louisiana-k-12-behavioral-threat-assessment-and-management-btam-training-tickets-935665640117
For additional information, please contact Janice Ihaza at Janice.Ihaza@la.gov.
Stop the Bleed and Bleed Kits
LCSS has recently purchased bleed kits for all schools in Louisiana with state funding! STOP the Bleed training MUST be completed BEFORE kits will be distributed. More information about distribution of bleed kits will be provided upon LCSS receiving the shipment of bleed kits. Keep an eye on your emails or this newsletter!
LCSS is also working with LA Emergency Response Network (LERN) to schedule Stop the Bleed trainings regionally across Louisiana. Our 1st regional Stop the Bleed training with LERN will take place Wednesday, July 24th in Alexandria, LA (GOHSEP Region 6 ONLY at this time). We are conducting Train-the-Trainer model for school districts to build capacity. We ask schools/districts to only send personnel that will be able to train your staff in the future on Stop the Bleed. Personnel will be taught how to set up classes, request training kits, etc.
GOHSEP Region 6 ONLY at this time
Location:
The State Shelter at Alexandria
8100 Hwy. 41 S.
Alexanderia, LA 71302
Session 1 - 8:00 to 11:00am https://forms.gle/6TJmDeF63oL1SUNG7
Session 2 - 1:00 to 4:00pm https://forms.gle/NhNq5RUXM5aoG2V98
Please notify LCSS if you already have bleed kits and do not require additional kits at this time. If you have already completed Stop the Bleed training and are prepared to receive kits, kindly inform LCSS staff.
Contact for Stop the Bleed - Yancey Wade yancey.wade@la.gov
Best Practices in School Safety
Guide for Developing High Quality School EOPs
The Role of DISTRICTS in Developing High Quality School EOPs - A Companion to the School Guide
FEMA - Development & Management of Emergency Operations Plans
A Whole Community Approach to Emergency Management: Principles, Themes, and Pathways for Action
CISA Tabletop Exercise Packages
I LOVE U GUYS Foundation
Leadership Tips
Being a leader is more than just a title. It's about inspiring and empowering those around you. Here are a few tips to enhance your leadership skills:
Lead by Example: Demonstrate the qualities and work ethic you expect from your team members.
Effective Communication: Keep the communication channels open. Listen actively and provide clear, concise information.
Empower Others: Encourage your team members to take ownership of their work. Provide guidance and support when needed.
Continuous Learning: Stay updated on industry trends and encourage your team to invest in their professional development.
Recognition and Feedback: Acknowledge achievements and provide constructive feedback. Recognition boosts morale and motivates the team.
LA Center for Safe Schools, Governor's Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Preparedness
LCSS Contacts
Trevis Thompson, Director
trevis.thompson@la.gov (225) 358-5533
Kelly Parks, Branch Manager (LCSS Grant Contact)
kelly.parks4@la.gov (225) 358-5705
Jon Davis, Program Specialist (Emergency Notification System, Panic Button)
jonathan.davis2@la.gov (225) 358-5600
Yancey Wade, Program Specialist (Anonymous Reporting, Stop the Bleed)
yancey.wade@la.gov (225) 358-5544
Regional Training Coordinators
Wendy Gill, Regions 1, 3, 9
wendy.gill@la.gov (225) 592-1631
Sarah Theriot, Regions 2, 4, 5
sarah.theriot@la.gov (985) 397-2570
Leah Tatum, Regions 6, 7, 8
leah.tatum2@la.gov (318) 812-4075