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District outlines safety measures: Rave app, weekly screenings, new window covers and SRO presence
Summary
District safety staff reported multiple safety measures in place across Granville County schools, including daily door checks, the Rave emergency app, weekly random security screenings, required drills, new weighted fire-rated window covers for lockdowns and a full complement of school resource officers.
Granville County Schools presented a district safety update on Sept. 2 that described operational steps in place to protect students and staff, including technology, drills and personnel partnerships with local law enforcement.
Dr. Kearns (district chief) and safety staff highlighted daily safety walkthroughs of school buildings, annual updates to school risk-management plans, required drills (fire, lockdown, bus evacuation and severe-weather), and the Rave emergency-app implementation. "If you look at the things that we are doing here in Granville County and compare us to other districts across the state and across the country, I feel like we are ahead in many areas," Dr. Kearns said.
Key measures described
- Rave app: The district uses the Rave app for staff alerts and incident reporting; it has been used this year for medical emergencies and provides precise location info to first responders.
- Weekly random security screenings: The district begins weekly random screenings at the start of the school year; screenings include bag checks and wand/metal-detector checks as needed.
- New window covers: The district has installed weighted, fire-rated window covers that staff can deploy quickly in a lockdown rather than relying on temporary laminated paper coverings.
- Red bags and emergency supplies: "Red bags" carried on playgrounds contain glucose, class rosters, bandages and other supplies to support an immediate response.
- School resource officers (SROs) and law-enforcement partnerships: The district has an SRO assigned to each campus (15 SROs total) and two at each traditional high school. Local municipal police and the sheriff's office are integrated into quarterly safety task-force meetings and respond to drills and incidents.
- Interagency planning and debriefs: The district convenes a quarterly safety task force that includes chiefs of police, the sheriff, 9-1-1, hospital representatives, public health, fire chiefs and emergency management to coordinate plans and debriefs after incidents.
Why it matters
District leaders said these measures provide layered protections and emphasize relationships with law enforcement and 9-1-1 dispatch. The updates also noted procedures for staff with medical conditions to ensure they are supported.
Next steps
District staff will continue drills, random screenings and interagency coordination. Staff said they will continue to refine procedures based on debriefs and lessons learned.
Provenance
- Topic introduced: summary of first-30-day safety activities and the Rave app (evidence excerpt s=4610s). - Topic finished: SRO staffing and law-enforcement partnerships summary (evidence excerpt s=5374s).
