School safety teams participate in reunification training

Education, law enforcement and emergency management personnel from the central and southern parts of Oregon attended a Standard Reunification Method (SRM) training Aug. 15-16 in Bend. More than eight school districts, ESDs and charter schools were represented. PACE sponsored the two-day training, hosted by the High Desert ESD and Bend-La Pine School District.

The SRM provides school and district safety teams with proven methods for planning, practicing and achieving accountable reunification of students with their parents or guardians after a school crisis or emergency. John-Michael Keyes, executive director of the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, led participants through an overview of SRM theory and information on Monday.

Steve Johnson, Klamath County School District risk management/safety officer, said the training was beneficial.

"In KCSD, we had discussed our need for a reunification system and now feel confident that we could replicate the reunification plan presented by the ‘I Love U Guys’ Foundation within our buildings,” said Johnson. “We can build on this model to ensure a smooth and sensitive reunification process for students, parents, and families during a potentially traumatic event.”

Tuesday’s training consisted of a series of simulations where each attendee played the role of parent, student and administrator in hands-on reunification practice. Facilitators led participants in a debrief after each exercise to make the process go as smoothly as possible.

Misty Groom, High Desert ESD threat assessment coordinator, said the best part of the training was taking the SRM information and putting it into practice through the school reunification exercises. “The SRM went from something huge and unattainable to manageable, where implementation is not overwhelming,” she said.

Watch a recording of a previous training and gain access to additional SRP/SRM resources on the PACE website.

Reach out to [email protected] to inquire about potential PACE-sponsored training opportunities.