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Olentangy board hears SRO expansion and Rescue Task Force training plans
Summary
District safety leaders and Delaware County Sheriff Jeff Foster described staffing and new cross‑agency "Rescue Task Force" training that will let medics enter warm zones during certain emergencies, and reviewed SRO assignments and summer Safety Town and active‑aggressor training for staff.
Director Suozzi and Sheriff Jeff Foster briefed the board on safety staffing and training on Aug. 5, outlining the district’s approach to school resource officers and a multi‑agency Rescue Task Force model intended to speed medical response during certain incidents.
Director Suozzi said the board annually authorizes armed personnel on campus and introduced several new and returning school resource officers who will serve across the district. He displayed a slide listing grant activity and said a bottom‑line figure on the slide read "2.2" (the transcript did not specify the units for that figure). He emphasized familiar procedures distinguishing a daily "secure" or "hold" from a full lockdown and noted secure protocols are widely communicated to parents to reduce anxiety.
Sheriff Jeff Foster said Delaware County assigns a large SRO unit to the district; "We've got 17 deputies in the schools every day and 2 sergeants assigned to that unit," he said, and described a Rescue Task Force training begun this spring that pairs law enforcement with medics and firefighters to enter warm zones so victims receive faster care. Foster said the county is one of the early adopters of that approach locally and that the training will be ongoing as personnel rotate.
Board members thanked the county and district staff for the partnership and asked about communication during incidents; the presenters said the district uses multiple channels, including ParentSquare, and that some safety protocols cannot be publicly detailed because doing so can undermine effectiveness. The presenters also described Safety Town and bus‑driver and active‑aggressor training scheduled for staff and new intervention aides prior to the school year.
