A dedicated state program says it’s available for any school in the state to help them prepare their emergency plan. 

That plan is required under state law, and the Minnesota School Safety Center has everything districts need to fine-tune it to their needs. 

“It’s an amazing thing to see the very important work that schools are doing throughout the state, as far as [the] safety of students,” Randy Johnson, director of the School Safety Center, said. 

The state program is embedded in the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety. The way it’s set up now, it’s been around for eleven years, adjusting along the way to adapt to community needs. 

From fire drills and tornado warnings to the most serious situations – like active shooters – Johnson’s team can uniquely help craft a plan for a school. 

“We serve as a no-cost resource and a training resource for all K-12 schools,” Johnson added. “That [includes] public schools, public charter, private schools, and tribal schools throughout the state.”

“It’s not a once and done or one size fits all, and that’s some of the challenges that the schools are dealing with,” Johnson said. “But it also provides terrific opportunities for them to make things work in their own context.”

Made up of eight team members, Johnson said three of them recently joined – the new members will solely work with school resource officers. He says they’re in the midst of working with several law enforcement organizations to create that work plan. 

The team hasn’t helped all schools in the state, but their services are available for any that reach out for it. One district, Saint Paul Public Schools, has used the School Safety Center to create its emergency plan. 

“Even if I have a simple question, I can call them, email them, they have questions, they have resources. It’s been a fantastic relationship,” Trenton Lyden, SPPS’ Security & Emergency Management Manager, said.