Director Adam Majeris outlines Hartford J1 emergency operations plan to keep schools safe

Adam Majeris, director of business services for the Hartford J1 School District, described the district's approach to preparing for emergencies as centered on a written, checklist-driven emergency operations plan and recurring coordination with local emergency responders.

"One of the things that we spend a lot of time on is our emergency operations plan," Majeris said, adding that the district holds school safety meetings with district leadership, building administrators and invited Hartford Fire and Police so "we can all collaborate" and take steps to improve plans when needed. He said the plan covers a range of possible events from fire to utility loss or a missing student and is designed so "our staff can follow a checklist, and we know what to do and who's doing what so that we can make sure that our staff and our students are as safe as possible."

Majeris said the district documents responsibilities and expected responses so that administrators and staff have clarity during incidents. He also described how the district tracks changes and communicates enhancements to staff when local departments update procedures or equipment. That interagency review, he said, gives the district opportunities "to talk about the things that we are doing so that they're informed" and for responders to suggest improvements based on developments in their fields.

The district frames the work as both compliance and practice: the written plan is part of assuring statutory and regulatory requirements are met, while the meetings and drills create shared familiarity among staff, responders and administrators. Villalobos, the podcast host, emphasized that the district treats drills as learning opportunities to improve response rather than expecting perfect execution on the first try.