School Safety

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Students embracing outside of school — Working together to keep schools, students, and staff safe

San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) staff provide training, technical assistance, and direct services to assist school districts in developing and supporting their Comprehensive School Safety Plans. These plans incorporate the Incident Command System (ICS) which is a specific requirement of the National Incident Command System (NIMS). NIMS guides all levels of government and non-government organizations and the private sector to work together to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents that may impact schools.

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Workshops and Trainings

School Safety trainings are scheduled throughout the year at SDCOE facilities. School districts may also arrange to have these workshops conducted at their facilities for their employees.

View Full Student Support Training Calendar

Active Shooter Training

SDCOE will host its next active shooter training on March 23, 2022. Learn more about what is covered during this training and how to register.

Comprehensive School Safety Planning

This workshop will take an in-depth look at the legal requirements for Comprehensive School Safety Plans (CSSP). Participants will be guided through the mandated development and annual review process, as well as a component-by-component look at each of the required CSSP elements.

Crisis Intervention and Recovery

This two-day workshop is designed to provide school-based mental health professionals with the knowledge, and to begin to develop the skills, needed to meet the immediate needs of students and staff following a school-associated crisis.

Emergency Operations Centers for Schools

Learn more about the Emergency Operations Centers for Schools training, desired outcomes for participants, and which school or district personnel should attend.

Incident Command System for Schools

View details about the Incident Command System for Schools training, desired outcomes for participants, and which school or district personnel should attend.

Threat Assessment Training

This workshop will review a practical, site-based team approach for conducting thorough, accurate assessments of students’ threats of violence. Team member roles, actions steps, documentation and follow-up support will be addressed, and sample district and site protocols will be provided.

Comprehensive School Safety Plan Resources

Summary of revisions made on July 10, 2015

Section B A on Child Abuse Reporting Procedures was updated to include information on AB 1432, which requires all school districts, county offices of education, state special schools and charter schools to:

Annually train, using the online training module provided by the State Department of Social Services, or other training, employees and persons working on their behalf who are mandated reporters, as defined in Penal Code 11165.7, on the mandated reporting requirements.
Develop a process for all persons required to receive training under the bill to provide proof of completing this training within the first 6 weeks of each school year or within six weeks of that person's employment.

CSSP Self-Monitoring Tool (.doc)

CSSP Required Element - Resources

Child Abuse Reporting - EC 32282(a)(2)(A)

AB 1432 – Annual Mandated Reporter Online Training

With the passage of AB 1432 in September 2014, school districts, county offices of education, state special schools and diagnostic centers operated by the State Department of Education, and charter schools are required to:

Annually train, using the online training module provided by the State Department of Social Services, or other training, employees and persons working on their behalf who are mandated reporters, as defined in Penal Code 11165.7, on the mandated reporting requirements.
Develop a process for all persons required to receive training under the bill to provide proof of completing this training within the first six weeks of each school year or within six weeks of that person's employment.

The training method and process used to assure compliance with AB 1432 should also be outlined in each school's Comprehensive School Safety Plan.

Mandated Reporting Steps
Suspected Child Abuse Report Form

Disaster Procedures - EC 32282(a)(2)(B)

Active Shooter Events
- Best Practice Considerations for Schools in Active Shooter and Other Armed Assailant Drills – National Association of School Psychologists & National Association of School Resource Officers
Wildfires
FEMA Online Courses
- Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools
- Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents: A Guide for Schools, Higher Education, and Houses of Worship
- Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools
- Workplace Security Awareness
- Surveillance Awareness: What You Can Do
Readiness and Emergency Management For Schools Technical Assistance Center
- Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans
- Emergency Management for Non-Traditional Schools
California Department of Education
- California Department of Education Disaster preparedness/crisis response
- Crisis Response Box
California Emergency Management Agency
- Resources for Schools
- School Emergency Response: Using SEMS at Districts and Sites
San Diego County Office of Education
- Free access to Kognito: a one-hour, online, interactive training for use with all school district staff to prepare them to recognize the signs of psychological distress and make appropriate responses.

Procedure for Notification of Potentially Dangerous Students - EC 32282(a)(2)(D)

Los Angeles Unified Policy

Safe and Orderly Environment - EC 32282(a)(2)(H)

California Department of Education
- Safe School Plan Addendum Workbook (Word)
California Emergency Management Agency
- Hazard Assessment by Address
- Non-Structural Earthquake Hazard Guidance and Checklist for California Schools
National Crime Prevention Council
- School Safety and Security Toolkit (PDF)
Positive Behavior Interventions and Support
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center:
- A Guide to School Vulnerability Assessments
Texas School Safety Center
- Texas School Safety Toolkit (PDF)

Crisis Intervention Resources

National Association of School Psychologists

School Safety and Crisis Resources
More information on the PREPaRE workshop series

National Traumatic Stress Network

Psychological First Aid for Schools
Other resources on Psychological First Aid

Resources for Use in Response to a Death with Impacts to the School Community

Death caused by an accident or illness related in some way to a school activity

Death caused by an accident or illness (not related a school activity)

Homicide

Suicide

Incident Command System Resources

As described by FEMA, the Incident Command System (ICS) is a standardized, on-scene, all-hazards incident management approach that:

Allows for the integration of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures and communications operating within a common organizational structure.
Enables a coordinated response among various jurisdictions and functional agencies, both public and private.
Establishes common processes for planning and managing resources.

ICS is flexible and can be used for incidents of any type, scope and complexity. ICS allows its users to adopt an integrated organizational structure to match the complexities and demands of single or multiple incidents.

ICS is used by all levels of government—federal, state, tribal and local—as well as by many nongovernmental organizations and the private sector. ICS is also applicable across disciplines. It is typically structured to facilitate activities in five major functional areas: command, operations, planning, logistics, and finance/administration. All of the functional areas may or may not be used based on the incident needs. Intelligence/Investigations is an optional sixth functional area that is activated on a case-by-case basis.

As a system, ICS is extremely useful; not only does it provide an organizational structure for incident management but it also guides the process for planning, building, and adapting that structure. Using ICS for every incident or planned event helps hone and maintain skills needed for large-scale incidents.

Resources

FEMA Online Courses

Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools
Preparing for Mass Casualty Incidents: A Guide for Schools, Higher Education, and Houses of Worship

ICS Position Guides

Sample Position Guides

Operations Section Team Leader Guides

Evacuation Team Leader

Threat Assessment Resources

Safety and Well-Being Resources

Gang Training Resources

Tips for Violence Prevention and Dealing with School Crisis

External Links

These external website links are provided for your professional information. The San Diego County Office of Education is not responsible for their contents.

Email Contacts

Abuse Community Against Substance / Partnership for a Drug-Free San Diego

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED)

Community Oriented Policing

COPS

School Safety

CDE Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office