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Governor's School Safety Bureau launches new app to report safety concerns

Governor's School Safety Bureau launches new app to report safety concerns
SECURING SCHOOLS RIGHT HERE IN IOWA. NEW AT FIVE vlog CHIEF POLITICAL REPORTER AMANDA ROOKER TELLS US WHAT THE SCHOOL SAFETY BUREAU HAS DONE TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFER. WELL, JAMES STACY, THE STATE HAS SPENT THE PAST NINE MONTHS WORKING ON A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO SCHOOL SAFETY. NOW, NEARLY 3000 SCHOOL BUILDINGS HAVE RECEIVED FREE, SECURE ASSESSMENTS. THEY LOOKED AT THINGS LIKE ENTRY CONTROL, COMMUNICATION WITH LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PROTECTION AROUND SCHOOL GROUNDS. EACH BUILDING IN IOWA CAN NOW RECEIVE UP TO $50,000 TO MAKE NEEDED CHANGES. THAT’S JUST ONE OF THE MANY PIECES IN THE STATE’S TOTAL EFFORT TO SECURE OUR SCHOOLS. OUR KIDS CAN’T FLOURISH WITHOUT FIRST BEING SAFE. EFFECTIVE TODAY, THE STATE OF IOWA HAS NEW TOOLS DESIGNED TO PROTECT THE MOST INNOCENT AMONG US. THE GOVERNOR SCHOOL SAFETY BUREAU PROVIDES FREE ACT OF SHOOTER TRAINING TO ANYONE WHO REQUESTS IT. EMERGENCY RADIOS ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FOR ALL K THROUGH 12 SCHOOL BUILDINGS SO THEY CAN IMMEDIATELY CONNECT WITH FIRST RESPONDERS. ONE NORTHERN IOWA SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT SAYS HE’S ALREADY SEEING AN IMPACT. WHILE SOME MAY ARGUE WE’LL NEVER BE ABLE TO COMPLETELY STOP A CATASTROPHIC EVENT THAT INVOLVES SOMEONE WANTING TO HARM OUR KIDS, WE CAN TAKE MEASURES TO EQUIP OURSELVES WITH THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO MINIMIZE THE POTENTIAL IMPACT. THE STATE ALSO LAUNCHED A NEW REPORTING TOOL TUESDAY. SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE DON SNITKER SAYS THE SAFE AND SOUND IOWA MOBILE APP ALLOWS ANYONE WITH SCHOOL SAFETY RELATED CONCERNS TO ANONYMOUSLY REPORT THEM IN 80% OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON HAD ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE WHAT WAS GOING TO OCCUR. THAT IS WHY HAVING A TOOL LIKE SAFE AND SOUND IOWA AVAILABLE IN EVERY SCHOOL IS CRITICAL. IT GIVES EVERY STUDENT AND EVERY TEACHER A VOICE IN THEIR SAFETY. IOWANS CAN MAKE A REPORT ONLINE OVER THE PHONE OR ON THE FREE MOBILE APP. THE GOAL IS TO CATCH ANY CONCERNING BEHAVIOR. OUR DESIRE IS TO PROVIDE OFF RAMPS TO VIOLENCE. PEOPLE SUBMITTING REPORTS WILL STAY ANONYMOUS, BUT EACH CONCERN IS ANSWERED IN REAL TIME, 24 HOURS A DAY, EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR. REPORTS ARE ALSO SHARED WITH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE GOAL OF THE SAFE AND SOUND PROGRAM IS DETERRENCE AND INTERVENTION TO GET THOSE KIDS THAT ARE STRUGGLING HELP BEFORE THEY BLOSSOM INTO AN ACTIVE SHOOTER. YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION ON HOW TO SUBMIT A REPORT AT THE LINK ON YOUR SCREEN. SA
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Governor's School Safety Bureau launches new app to report safety concerns
The Governor's School Safety Bureau has spent the past nine months working on a holistic approach to school safety in Iowa. At a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds and other state public safety leaders provided an update on the bureau's progress. "We have taken seriously our collective charge to strengthen and fortify school buildings, to dedicate experts and resources to training and to build tools that give students, faculty, staff and parents a voice to report threats," Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayen said. Providing free school security assessmentsRoughly 1,260 school buildings across the state received free security assessments through the program. The assessments evaluate factors like entry control into the building, electronic security, communication with local law enforcement, illumination and perimeter security around the building.Schools can now receive up to $50,000 per building to make needed security improvements.Emergency radios in school buildingsThe Governor's School Safety Bureau has also made emergency radios available to all K-12 school buildings so that they can immediately connect with first responders in the event of an emergency.According to Commissioner Stephan Bayen, 1253 emergency radios have been ordered and processed. These radios are currently being installed and programmed throughout the state.Free active shooter trainingThe program also makes free active shooter training available to anyone who requests it. Over the last year, the Department of Public Safety has trained over 1,700 educators on active shooter response and more than 700 on how to stop bleeding in a severely injured person. More than 100 law enforcement officers have attended rapid response training curriculum and over 75 law enforcement instructors have become certified to teach other responders in their home communities about active shooter response.Critical incident mapping services Commissioner Bayen said they're also working to provide critical incident mapping services to schools throughout Iowa. "The services include the creation of detailed maps of the interior and exterior of schools and mapping software for use during emergency incidents," Bayen said. "The mapping and accompanying software will allow schools and first responders to visualize emergency incidents and ingest critical information to minimize response time."The Department of Education plans to launch a survey in the coming days for schools to confirm their interest in participation and to gather contact information. Mapping will take place starting in the spring and will continue through the summer and into the fall.Safe+Sound Iowa anonymous reporting appThe state also launched a new reporting tool Tuesday.Special Agent in Charge Don Schnitker says the Safe and Sound Iowa mobile app allows anyone with school safety-related concerns to anonymously report them."In 80% of school shootings, at least one other person had advanced knowledge what was going to occur and that person with advanced knowledge is most likely going to be another student or a teacher," Schnitker said. "That is why having a tool like Safe and Sound Iowa available in every school is critical. It gives every student and every teacher a voice in their safety."Iowans can make a report online, over the phone at 800-224-6018, or on the free mobile app. "Safe and Sound Iowa is designed to prevent violence, unlawful possession of weapons, self-harm and other threatening behavior that affects Iowa youth," Schnitker said. "Reports made through our program will be answered in real-time and shared with school administrators, local law enforcement and other community partners to intervene with that student in crisis and keep Iowa schools is safe."People submitting reports will stay anonymous, but each concern is answered in real time 24 hours a day, every day of the year."The goal of the Safe and Sound program is deterrence and intervention to get those kids that are struggling help before they blossom into an active shooter," Bayen said.

The Governor's School Safety Bureau has spent the past nine months working on a holistic approach to school safety in Iowa. At a press conference Tuesday, Gov. Kim Reynolds and other state public safety leaders provided an update on the bureau's progress.

"We have taken seriously our collective charge to strengthen and fortify school buildings, to dedicate experts and resources to training and to build tools that give students, faculty, staff and parents a voice to report threats," Iowa Public Safety Commissioner Stephan Bayen said.

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Providing free school security assessments

Roughly 1,260 school buildings across the state received free security assessments through the program. The assessments evaluate factors like entry control into the building, electronic security, communication with local law enforcement, illumination and perimeter security around the building.

Schools can now receive up to $50,000 per building to make needed security improvements.

Emergency radios in school buildings

The Governor's School Safety Bureau has also made emergency radios available to all K-12 school buildings so that they can immediately connect with first responders in the event of an emergency.

According to Commissioner Stephan Bayen, 1253 emergency radios have been ordered and processed. These radios are currently being installed and programmed throughout the state.

Free active shooter training

The program also makes free active shooter training available to anyone who requests it. Over the last year, the Department of Public Safety has trained over 1,700 educators on active shooter response and more than 700 on how to in a severely injured person.

More than 100 law enforcement officers have attended rapid response training curriculum and over 75 law enforcement instructors have become certified to teach other responders in their home communities about active shooter response.

Critical incident mapping services

Commissioner Bayen said they're also working to provide critical incident mapping services to schools throughout Iowa.

"The services include the creation of detailed maps of the interior and exterior of schools and mapping software for use during emergency incidents," Bayen said. "The mapping and accompanying software will allow schools and first responders to visualize emergency incidents and ingest critical information to minimize response time."

The Department of Education plans to launch a survey in the coming days for schools to confirm their interest in participation and to gather contact information. Mapping will take place starting in the spring and will continue through the summer and into the fall.

Safe+Sound Iowa anonymous reporting app

The state also launched a new reporting tool Tuesday.

Special Agent in Charge Don Schnitker says the mobile app allows anyone with school safety-related concerns to anonymously report them.

"In 80% of school shootings, at least one other person had advanced knowledge what was going to occur and that person with advanced knowledge is most likely going to be another student or a teacher," Schnitker said. "That is why having a tool like Safe and Sound Iowa available in every school is critical. It gives every student and every teacher a voice in their safety."

Iowans can make a report online, over the phone at 800-224-6018, or on the free mobile app.

"Safe and Sound Iowa is designed to prevent violence, unlawful possession of weapons, self-harm and other threatening behavior that affects Iowa youth," Schnitker said. "Reports made through our program will be answered in real-time and shared with school administrators, local law enforcement and other community partners to intervene with that student in crisis and keep Iowa schools is safe."

People submitting reports will stay anonymous, but each concern is answered in real time 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

"The goal of the Safe and Sound program is deterrence and intervention to get those kids that are struggling help before they blossom into an active shooter," Bayen said.