School safety 'Standard Response Protocols,' partnerships outlined

The WSVSD Board of Directors were updated on that interagency work at its April 25 board meeting by Superintendent Rich Polkinghorn.

Polkinghorn said Education Service District (ESD) 112, to which WSVSD belongs, is working with each of its districts to adopt Standard Response Protocols (SRP). As of the April 25 meeting, all counties served by ESD 112 — Klickitat, Skamania, Cowlitz, Wahkiakum and Clark — have adopted, or plan to adopt, emergency protocols.

Additionally, Klickitat County is moving forward with plans to adopt SRP across all facilities and departments.  Common vocabulary and protocols establish greater predictability for first responders and standardizes the vocabulary so parents and the community at large understand the response status of the event.

“This matters because these action-based and uniform practices will enable rapid response determinations from all stakeholders when an unforeseen event occurs,” he said.

To move forward with its emergency procedures and response protocols, a committee was formed consisting of school representatives and local fire departments and law enforcement. It meets bi-monthly and is working to finalize plans. Staff, students and families will be trained on these procedures, and regular, coordinated emergency drills with first responders scheduled.

Committee members are Bryan, Klickitat County Fire District 3 Fire Chief Wesley Long, WSVSD Technology Director Rhonda Hardisty, Klickitat County Emergency Management Program Coordinator Frank Hewey, Columbia High School Assistant Principal Kelly Hume, Director of Emergency Management Jeff King, ESD 112 Comprehensive School Safety-Public Health Officer Corina McEntire, White Salmon-Bingen Police Department Officer Will Sauter and ESD 112 Director of Special Education Jannell Tuttle.

The response protocol is modeled on a program of the I Love You Guys Foundation — described as “educational programs and positive actions in collaboration with families, schools, communities, organizations and governmental agencies” — that maps out crisis response and post-crisis practices.

“They are created through the research-based best practices of school administrators, psychologists, public safety experts, families and first responders,” Polkinghorn said, adding that more than 50,000 districts, departments and agencies use the program.

New commands — Lockdown, Secure, Hold, Evacuate and Shelter — are used instead of what Polkinghorn called “confusing naming structures” (modified lockdown, soft lockdown, etc.). For students, it provides clear expectations and actions; for staff, it simplifies training and drilling.

Upcoming district events

On May 18, a Health and Wellness Family Fair will be held at Henkle Middle School from 2-6 p.m. Activities will be available for kids 0-18 and their families, and free tamales will be served to the first 150 attendees.

Learn more about summer camps, student clubs, affordable medical care, mental health supports, early childhood education, family bonding, community supports, child development, prevention and community wellbeing.

Also on May 18 is the annual Spring Arts Walk — grades K-4 at the Whitson Beehive from 2-5 p.m. and 5-12 from 4-7 p.m. at the fieldhouse. Juried awards will be given at 6 p.m., also in the fieldhouse. Artwork from students and staff of WSVSD will be shown.

And for those wanting to make a day out of it, a Columbia High School drama production begins at 7 p.m.