The Department is encouraging Maine schools to attend the free 2015 Maine Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference next month in Augusta.
The conference will include an all-day track on Tuesday, April 21 focusing on school security and safety. Included in the day will be a presentation by the Mississippi Youth Preparedness Initiative, which has been nationally recognized for engaging teens in the process of personal, family and community preparation for disasters.
Maine DOE’s Pat Hinckley will also deliver a presentation for superintendents on using the new NEO bomb threat reporting system to submit reports, track submittals and analyze data.
A third presentation entitled Crisis Prevention and Preparedness: Comprehensive School Safety Planning (PREPaRE 1) is scheduled and will provide school-based mental health professionals, administrators, security professionals and other educators the knowledge and resources to help them establish and sustain comprehensive school safety and crisis prevention and preparedness efforts. With updated research and strategies, this workshop makes a clear connection between ongoing school safety and crisis preparedness. It also will emphasize the unique needs and functions of school teams and the steps involved in developing these teams, including a model that integrates school personnel and community provider roles. The workshop also explores how to prepare for school crises by developing, exercising, and evaluating safety and crisis plans.
For more information about the conference, which continues on Wednesday, April 22, or to complete the required registration, click here or contact maineprepares@maine.gov.