I was in a meeting last week with the superintendent of a school district, representatives from the local law enforcement agency, the local fire department, and the county EMA director. This was just a normal “we are picking up where we left off in June, let’s get the school year started, good to see you again” meeting. The meeting reinforced the working relationship between the School District and the First Responders who serve the School District. This week, we all received the Youth Vulnerabilities to Extremist Messaging document below from the Director of the EMA. Why? Because there is already a channel for communicating information between the District and First Responders, and the Director of the EMA knew this type of information would not normally come across the desk of the Superintendent.
This is a prime example of the importance of building and maintaining a strong network of colleagues and professionals. The first time you meet your local First Responders should not be during an active incident at your school. My goal for Safeguard Risk Solutions is to be a resource and share my network to enhance those who are still building their own. Build your relationships locally, and know that my network is yours.
