Homeland Security Advisory System
Recommendations for Individuals and Families
Provided by Sedgwick County Emergency Management

We have all been struck by the horrible terroristic activities of foreign and domestic terrorists in America.  These tragedies, coupled with war, the imminent threat of terrorist acts and occasional school shootings, have generated great concern about school safety.  These concerns affect school personnel, students, parents and caring community members.  The Wichita Public Schools has a noteworthy history, long before the terrible tragedy on September 11, 2001, of providing a comprehensive approach to ensuring the safety of our students and staff.

 

The safety and security of our Wichita Public Schools students and staff is of paramount importance to our Board of Education, administration, staff, parents, students and community.  A major goal and strategy for the Wichita Board of Education and administration is that “we will have safe, positive, disciplined and drug-free schools.”  Safe, caring schools where students are achieving academically is our ultimate goal.

 

Our school district has a wide variety of personnel, plans, programs and partnerships with federal, state and local public safety agencies to ensure the safety of our students and staff at school.  Wichita Public Schools safety personnel are constantly researching, reviewing and improving school safety, our emergency preparedness, and crisis response.

 

As you review the many school safety initiatives of the Wichita Public Schools, it is important to keep in mind that school safety experts from the National School Safety Center proclaim the following:

• “It is important to recognize that there will never be any guarantees that a school will be completely safe from crime, violence or disaster.”  Of course the same is true of the home, neighborhood and city.  We can guarantee that school safety will be a top agenda item of the Wichita Public Schools.
   

• “Schools are still among the safest places for our young people to be.”  At school, our children are literally surrounded by dozens of caring staff members who are dedicated to the safety of their students.
   

• “Students are 99 times more likely to be victimized in the community – on the streets, at the mall, at movie theatres, in fast food restaurants and other public places – rather than at school.”  Our schools will continue to work diligently to prevent the victimization of our youth at school and in the community.

Creating safe Wichita schools is an ongoing process that focuses on the research, development and implementation of initiatives to support the safety, security and academic achievement of our students at school and in the community.  Wichita Public Schools emergency preparedness and homeland security initiatives include the following:

• A district-wide safe schools crisis response plan is in place.  This plan is supported by over one hundred district employees who serve as emergency responders.  The district-wide crisis team is prepared to respond to large-scale crises at one or more schools at the same time.
   

• Each Wichita Public School has a crisis response plan and a staff crisis team in place to ensure safety during emergency situations.  These plans follow a standardized format and are individualized to the uniqueness of each school.  Each school revises its plan and conducts one or more crisis drills each year.
   

• Our school district crisis counseling team is prepared to meet an array of student and staff crisis counseling needs.  Specially trained staff provide individual and small group counseling sessions regarding personal, school, local and national crises.  The crisis counseling team coordinates services with other similar crisis counseling organizations throughout our community.
   

• A district-wide Threat Assessment Team is in place to respond to, assess and recommend action based on a threat to the safety of a school.  Our threat assessors use a unique threat assessment tool based on research by school psychologists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Secret Service.
   

• The Wichita Public Schools Safety Services Department staff provides the leadership for safe school research, planning, programs, partnerships and direct security services. This department includes:  Uniformed Security Officers; Security Communications Dispatchers; a Police-School Programs Supervisor and Safe and Drug-Free Schools Specialists.
   

• The Safe and Drug-Free Schools team researches, develops and delivers youth violence, gang and drug abuse prevention and intervention services.  This team also works to prevent bullying and harassment in schools.
   

• School district uniformed security officers serve to protect students, staff and school property.  Officers are assigned to either specific schools or serve in a twenty-four hour patrol capacity to respond to the safety and security needs of schools.  Security officers assess school security needs and implement improvements with the school principal.
   

• Our Security Communications Dispatchers monitor radio systems; respond to telephone calls for security assistance; are the single point of contact for crisis response and threat response; make incident notifications to key district administrators and; monitor alarm systems for all schools.
   

• The Police-Schools Program Supervisor ensures coordination of educational programs and services that are delivered by police officers in Wichita schools.
   

• A Shelter In Place Plan for schools has been designed and is ready to be used by any school in case of a hazardous chemical spill, explosion or emergency situation nearby.
   

• School staff provide our students with structure, stability, control, assurance, calm and counseling in these unsettling times.  Wichita schools staff assure their students that they are safe and the school is prepared to help take care of them at all times.
   

• Partnerships with local, state and federal public safety agencies provide key support for Wichita Public Schools safety and security.  This includes:
   

  • Our school district has membership and participation in the Wichita/Sedgwick County Emergency Operations Center, which coordinates large-scale emergency response to crises.
     

  • The Wichita Schools Emergency Operations Team coordinates crisis planning and response with the Sedgwick County Emergency Management Staff.
     

  • Our school district has a representative on the Wichita/Sedgwick County Homeland Security organization.  This ensures the involvement of our school system in Homeland Security initiatives.
     

  • Wichita Public Schools staff are partners in the Sedgwick County Metropolitan Medical Response System.  This organization will coordinate the delivery of medications in times of crisis.
     

  • A unique collaboration exists between Sedgwick County Emergency Communications – 911 and the Wichita Schools Security Communications Center.  This ensures immediate communications between emergency responders and our school system.
     

  • Wichita Schools Security Patrol Officers and key school district Emergency Operation Team Members utilize public safety radios that guarantee immediate crisis communication with police, EMS, fire and 911 dispatchers.
     

  • The Wichita Public Schools has an unprecedented ongoing working relationship with area public safety agencies, including: police; sheriff; fire; EMS; Juvenile Intake and Assessment Center (JIAC); 911; FBI – Joint Terrorism Task Force; Emergency Management; Kansas Highway Patrol; and other local, state, and federal agencies.

On this page you will find a number of school safety, emergency preparedness and homeland security web sites.  We encourage all parents, students and staff to view and learn from these valuable web sites.

 

We will continue to strive to have the most safe and secure schools possible.  We will constantly research, implement and evaluate safe school strategies.  We will maintain our contact and partnership with school staff and parents as well as local, state and federal public safety agencies to ensure school safety.  Our community can be assured that we will move forward with the best school safety practices for all of our students and staff.

 

Our focus is, and will remain, on creating and maintaining the best possible learning environment in which students can learn, achieve and be successful and safe.