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Manheim Township superintendent introduces new safety director and updated fire‑drill approach
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Kate Hesse introduced Michael Dietz as the district’s new director of safety and security, reviewed his law‑enforcement and training background and said the district is adopting a revised approach to fire drills that emphasizes staff assessment of risk.
Superintendent Dr. Kate Hesse introduced Michael Dietz as Manheim Township School District’s new director of safety and security and described his professional background and priorities.
Hesse told the board Dietz has experience in law enforcement, statewide school safety training and in leading the Pennsylvania School Safety Institute (PSSI), which the district uses for training school resource officers. She also said Dietz served in the Pennsylvania National Guard and has experience in substance‑abuse prevention and intervention.
“Michael came to us as the director of safety and security. He has experience in law enforcement, safety training, and community partnerships,” Hesse said. She added that Dietz has worked on implementing a new approach to fire drills that asks staff to “pause and assess what the actual risk is.” Hesse noted the district has not lost students in a school fire since the 1950s and framed the drill change as an enhancement to safety.
Hesse said Dietz led creation and administration of a statewide training program for school resource officers and has experience implementing programs the district already uses. Dietz’s appointment was presented as an informational personnel announcement; the transcript does not record a formal board vote on the hiring at this meeting.
The board welcomed Dietz and the superintendent said staff would follow up with further training details for employees.
