FHSD Promotes School Safety Awareness in New Video with Sheriff
With this October being the first ever Ohio School Safety Month, FHSD is using this opportunity to raise awareness about the district’s approach to safety. There are countless measures in place to provide a safe, secure and nurturing environment for all students so they can focus on being fully engaged in their schools.
In an effort to educate the community about school safety, FHSD partnered with Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey on a fun and informative video about our School Resource Officer program and other important information related to school safety.
You can watch that video by clicking this link.
Corporal Ryan Wolf with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office serves as the FHSD School Resource Officer. Cpl. Wolf is present in the buildings everyday and is the first law enforcement point of contact for the district. As a member of the FHSD Core Safety Team, Cpl. Wolf advises district administrators on all emergency response plans and provides expertise and guidance from a law enforcement perspective.
He also meets with students and staff regularly in a less formal setting to help build relationships and support day-to-day. FHSD is lucky to have a dedicated professional like Cpl. Wolf as part of the Forest Hills family! Thank you to Sheriff McGuffey for her commitment to school safety and involvement in the video!
As another regular safety practice, the FHSD Core Safety Team meets at least once a month to continuously review safety plans and procedures in order to be better prepared for any situation that might occur. The photo in this story shows the October meeting which was held at the Anderson Township Emergency Operations Center.
The Core Safety Team includes administrators from schools and departments throughout the district, as well as representatives from Anderson Township Fire and Rescue and the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. In addition to making crucial safety plan preparations, these regular meetings offer an important chance to strengthen the district’s relationship with our first responder partners.
Additionally, each school building holds fire drills monthly and other safety drills multiple times throughout the year. Turpin High School and Ayer Elementary School both held ALICE drills this month. ALICE stands for “Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate” and the drills allow students and staff to review procedures during the event of an active aggressor in school
All FHSD schools do drills like this at an age appropriate level and students and families are informed of these drills before they happen—this is not meant to be a surprise. A key aspect of this training is to give students as much information as possible so they can make the best decision to keep themselves safe. Teachers conduct classroom discussions before AND after the training to review what happened and what everyone learned from the experience. The drills also help staff members hone our practices and protocols that are in place to keep students safe.
SAFER OHIO SCHOOL TIP LINE: 844-SAFEROH (844-723-3764)
The Safer Ohio School Tipline is another valuable resource that can be used by the entire Forest Hills community. Students, staff, family or community members can anonymously share information regarding threats to school or student safety, such as bullying, suicides or violence, with district and law enforcement officials. FHSD encourages people to use this tip line as a proactive measure to ensure the safety and well-being of the entire school community.
The line will accept both calls and texts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Analysts in the Ohio Homeland Security’s Threat Assessment and Prevention Unit receive the calls or texts directly. The TAP Unit will then immediately forward information to district officials, local law enforcement agencies and others, as necessary, to ensure that the incident is investigated, action is taken and the outcome is tracked. Through partnerships with the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Public Safety, the SaferOH tip line is provided to Forest Hills at no cost.
For more safety resources and information, you can visit the Ohio School Safety Center website here: Ohio School Safety Center
