Carroll County Schools hosted its 15th annual Safety Summit July 16 at the Carroll County Schools Performing Arts Center. School safety teams along with first responders from local public safety and health agencies reviewed emergency plans and discussed safety measures in preparation for the new school year. Teams from each school collaborated with first responders in tabletop exercises that encouraged them to think through their preparation and reaction to specific emergency and crisis situations.
Carroll County Schools launched the state’s first Safety Summit, introducing a concept that has been replicated in other communities across Georgia. The school system continues to be a leader in safety and has developed strong partnerships with the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Carroll County Fire Rescue, Tanner Health System, Carroll County Government and many other local municipalities and organizations focused on public health and safety.
“We are very proud of the legacy of collaboration that we have built with our community partners,” Associate Superintendent of Support Services Glen Harding said. “You don’t have an event like this for 15 years without the help and support of a huge number of people who recognize the value of it and work to make it happen each year.”
Through partnerships with Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Whitesburg Police Department, Villa Rica Police Department, Temple Police Department and Mt. Zion Police Department, Carroll County Schools provides a total of 22 resource officers across the district, including funding for an additional SRO this year.
After a kickoff that included Carroll County Commission Chair Michelle Morgan, Sheriff Terry Langley and school board vice chairman Sandra Morris, the opening session of the Summit included a presentation from Carroll County Sheriff’s Office Major Craig Dodson and Carroll County Schools Safety Coordinator Russell Grizzard to help schools understand bomb threats and swatting incidents – how they occur, warning signs, and tips for response. Schools received updated quick reference flip charts used for emergency response so they could begin to familiarize themselves with revised protocols.
The safety summit is one example of the time and resources the school system and other partners invest in safety and security. For the new school year, Carroll County Schools is introducing a new anonymous tip resource, additional high-definition security cameras, and the SHIELD Lockdown System on two more campuses, for a total of 11.
Every school in Carroll County utilizes access control systems, the Centegix Crisis Alert System, and the SchoolDog app, which allows administrators and SROs to track observations about any potential vulnerabilities they see in the schools during their daily duties, Harding said. Across the system nearly 1,500 security cameras monitor activity inside and outside school buildings around the clock. Buses are also equipped with cameras.
“The summit is a crucial day that is vitally important to the start of school,” he said. “But it’s only the start of the process each year. These teams take what they learn, go back to their schools and implement solutions. We use this training to make everyone at our schools better from administrators to teachers and parapros to cafeteria workers. School safety is everyone’s job.”
