Olentangy highlights expanded SRO team, new interagency training and safety protocols ahead of school year

The Olentangy Local School District Board of Education on Aug. 5 heard a safety briefing from district safety staff and Delaware County law enforcement ahead of the start of the 2025–26 school year, including introductions of new school resource officers, descriptions of a new “rescue task force” training and a reminder about the district’s incident communication protocols.

The presentation, led by Joe Suozzi, the district’s director of safety, security and preparedness, and Delaware County Sheriff Jeff Foster, emphasized the size of the district’s safety presence and the interagency training that will continue this year. Suozzi noted the district’s relationship with county law enforcement and listed new and returning school resource officers assigned to Olentangy schools.

Sheriff Jeff Foster described a recently piloted rescue-task-force model that brings medics into a “warm zone” protected by law enforcement so they can render care before a situation transitions to a fully cleared scene. “If you think about it, the most important thing for any of us in our community is our children,” Foster said, explaining the training’s goal of faster, coordinated medical response during active incidents.

Suozzi told the board the district runs regular training sessions timed before the school year, including an active-aggressor presentation for new staff and a bus-safety drills day for drivers. He described Safety Town, a recurring event for incoming kindergartners that partners the district with the sheriff’s office and fire department.

District and law-enforcement speakers also sought to set expectations for parents about communications during incidents. Suozzi and district leaders emphasized the use of the district’s standard incident messaging protocol—differentiating a routine “hold” from a lockdown—and asked for patience while officials verify facts. Suozzi said the district distributes an explanatory document to parents that spells out protocols and that “secure 1… we’re pretty much in a secure all day long,” meaning exterior doors are locked and only certain internal changes to building operations trigger additional action.

Board members and administrators thanked the sheriff’s office for its partnership and described after-action reviews the district uses after incidents to identify improvements.

No formal board action was taken on safety staffing at the meeting; the board heard the status update and trainings as informational items.