School Safety Climate, Awareness and Preparedness in Emergencies

The School Safety Climate, Awareness and Preparedness in Emergencies (SCAPE) Project encompasses 16 schools in Stearns, Benton, and Sherburne Counties in Central Minnesota. The project will develop and operate technology solutions, including deployment of anonymous reporting systems (ARS) and response management technology that will enable the project team to identify students or outside perpetrators who may be a threat to schools, as well as employ indoor mapping and common operating picture technology for consortium schools to increase situational awareness of school staff and law enforcement and enhance community safety. It will train school personnel with the support of a consulting project coordinator and school safety concept coordinator to implement situational awareness and other specialized safety training, including threat assessment and crisis intervention procedures. It will also hire a school safety concept coordinator to directly support the prevention of school violence. This newly hired consulting safety coordinator will work with school resource officers, law enforcement, behavioral health providers, teachers, administrators, and students to provide training in school safety concepts. The project will procure and implement an anonymous reporting technology solution that includes a web-based reporting system and phone number. It will deploy a response management system that includes indoor mapping, common operating picture technology, and a connected-building emergency management and notification system for 16 St. Cloud schools.