In a time when school safety is a critical concern, ESD 112’s Regional School Safety Center (RSSC) is leading a collaborative effort to improve emergency preparedness and response across the region through pioneering the implementation of The Standard Response Protocol (SRP).

The SRP, developed by the I Love U Guys Foundation, establishes a universal language and actions for emergency response, allowing schools and first responders to work together during any crisis through clear, standardized directions to ensure that everyone can respond effectively when every second counts.

By establishing this standardized response framework, ESD 112 is helping create stronger, more resilient communities that are better equipped to handle emergency situations. This effort unites schools, first responders, and community partners in a shared commitment to protecting our students and staff.

This year has been full of robust programming to get school districts and community stakeholders on board. In May, the RSSC sponsored a virtual half-day seminar on the SRP in partnership with the I Love U Guys Foundation. The event was attended by 133 participants across diverse community sectors, including representatives from public and private schools, early childhood programs, law enforcement, fire service/EMS, public health, and departments of emergency management.

During the summer, ESD 112’s Comprehensive School Safety-Public Health Coordinator Corina McEntire and  Cowlitz Department of Emergency Management Director Larry Hembree presented on the regional SRP approach at the statewide Partners in Emergency Preparedness webinar. Building on this momentum, McEntire offered presentations on the SRP at the School Safety Summit in Vancouver and the Cowlitz SAFE Safety Summit in Longview in August. Alongside these programs, ESD 112’s Communications and Public Engagement department worked on establishing a communications plan that included letter templates for schools to use in times of crisis.

By September, 30 public school districts and two private schools had joined the ESD 112 Regional Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the I Love U Guys Foundation, marking an encouraging milestone in scaling the adoption of SRP across the region.

In October, ESD 112 held a virtual Anonymous Threats panel discussion with local experts in response to increased school incidents, which hosted more than 50 participants. ESD 112 also holds monthly SRP User Group office hours for schools, focusing on lockdown drills, window coverings, incident command, and other topical safety issues.

Expanding on the significant progress made this year, ESD 112 is ready to further strengthen emergency preparedness efforts in the region through engaging districts in the adoption of the Standard Reunification Method (SRM). The SRM provides schools and safety teams protocols for planning and executing the successful reunification of students with their parents or guardians in the event of an unexpected early release.

Clark County is developing a framework agreement for SRM with law enforcement, fire service, dispatch, and emergency management that can eventually be applied to other countries.

“The regional adoption of Standard Response Protocol has strengthened the emergency preparedness for school communities across Southwest Washington. Not only has it helped schools feel more prepared, but it has also fortified their partnerships with emergency responders. This laid the groundwork to begin looking at revising and standardizing school reunification plans by implementing the Standard Reunification Method. It’s the power of working together that has driven meaningful progress.”

– Corina McEntire, ESD 112’s Comprehensive School Safety-Public Health Coordinator

The Standard Response Protocol and Standard Reunification Method give schools proven, universal systems to enhance their emergency preparedness and response capabilities. By facilitating these partnerships and enabling a unified approach to crisis response, ESD 112 will continue to lead emergency preparedness efforts across the region and strengthen the vital community connections that support student safety and success.

To get involved in this initiative, contact Corina McEntire, ESD 112’s Comprehensive School Safety & Public Health Coordinator, at corina.mcentire@esd112.org.

About the Regional School Safety Center

The Regional School Safety Center (RSSC) at ESD 112 is the heart of a comprehensive, community-wide approach to school-based safety planning and behavioral and mental health support. The RSSC works in close partnership with OSPI.

By utilizing a combination of best-practices approaches to behavioral health, student threat assessment, school safety coordination, and wellness and treatment services, a more complete picture of student needs and supports can be developed. The RSSC creates unique connections across school, community, state, and local systems to provide a comprehensive approach to behavioral health and school safety. For more information, visit the Regional School Safety Center.