Weapons in our Schools Part 2: Keeping Students SAFE

Written by Cassie Licari & Dominique Houle on 13/01/11

Photo by : Ian Muttoo on Flickr

Now that we’ve asked your opinion about the debate concerning school safety measures, DEAL wants to share some information with you about what the RCMP is doing to make schools across Canada safer.

A Step in the Right Direction

In September of 2007, the RCMP SAFE Plan (School Action for Emergencies) was implemented across Canada. This Plan is a computer-based tool that frontline officers use in the event of an emergency in a school. In an effort to ensure youth are kept safe, it allows police officers to respond to situations like a school shooting, bomb threat, or a hostage situation, in a timely and effective way (RCMP). “The increasing frequency of violence in North American schools revealed challenges and gaps in information accessibility and police response protocols,” says Cpl. Stu Leach, National SAFE Plan Coordinator (RCMP). Around 4760 schools in RCMP jurisdictions are participating in the SAFE Plan program (RCMP).

How It Works

If there is an emergency, the SAFE Plan gives our RCMP officers a whole bunch of information on things like; important building features (fire alarm, common areas, hazards, gas, etc.), school contacts, floor plans, aerial photos, maps, tactical points, and lockdown procedures and other site-specific emergency response information (RCMP). With this information, officers can work together alongside other emergency responders to carry out an effective and safe plan of action to intervene in the situation and protect the people involved.

Cool eh? Sounds to me like it’s straight out of a Mission Impossible movie! The SAFE Plan has even earned itself an international award. In October of 2010, the SAFE Plan won the Chiefs of Police’s distinguished Webber Seavey Award for Quality in Law Enforcement, which recognizes excellent policing contributions towards keeping our communities safe (RCMP).

Links

RCMP
RCMP – SAFE Plan: Award
DEAL.org: Weapons in our Schools, Part I