Regional school-safety coalition emphasizes shared protocols and drills

Superintendent Jordan Grossman told the Crag Policy Board that a two-decade regional effort has created a standing emergency-planning network that brings school leaders, police, emergency managers and other practitioners together quarterly.

Grossman, who identified himself as the superintendent for the Canton Public Schools and chair of the Capitol Region PreK–12 emergency planning committee, said the group began with a handful of administrators and has grown to more than 60 active participants. He said the coalition aims to ensure that districts and first responders do not operate "in silos" and to build trust and shared protocols before a crisis occurs.

"Preparedness requires more than individual plans," Grossman said, explaining that the region emphasizes common protocols, drills and cross-district sharing of lessons learned. He listed recurring agenda topics including behavioral threat assessment, cyber threats, reunification planning and post-incident action reviews.

Cheryl, the board's director of public safety and homeland security, said the region "is now offering customized tabletop exercises to the communities in region three," and described recent active-shooter scenario exercises in towns including Enfield, Canton and Suffield. She also said the region has engaged retired tactical and emergency-services leaders to run exercises and is lining up a May presentation with Safe Schools for Alex.

Board members used the presentation time to press on particular gaps. Mayor Mike Willington raised the challenge of evacuating special-needs classrooms and asked that fire-safety officials and behavior specialists be folded into planning. Grossman acknowledged existing annex language for special populations and committed to raise the topic again and to coordinate follow-up at the next regional meeting. Cheryl said the region is taking a multidisciplinary approach and offered to collect contacts for a future speaker or tabletop exercise.

Board members also noted coordination through regional partners such as Demis 4 and encouraged continued sharing of practical tools (for example, reunification checklists and the so-called "blue envelope/yellow envelope" materials for special-needs populations).

The board was invited to the next region-three meeting (noted as taking place the following day at West Harford town hall) and staff encouraged towns to notify Cheryl if they plan to attend. The presentation closed with an offer to return with more detail and to help towns schedule tabletop exercises on request.