News Release

March 13, 2023

THE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS HOSTING “I LOVE U GUYS” SCHOOL SAFETY REUNIFICATION EXERCISES

Groups of educators, law enforcement officers and first responders from across Nebraska are joining the Nebraska Department of Education’s School Safety staff for a series of specialized trainings from the “I Love U Guys” Foundation at three different sites.

Earlier this year the Foundation hosted workshops across the state and participants learned how to train others in Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM). This included program implementation, team training, and handling advanced questions. The next step in developing safe school communities during emergency situations is putting SRP and SRM into a practical exercise. The SRM-Reunification Exercises (SRM-REx) will be giving school communities and their surrounding partners the opportunity to practice how to reunite children with their families during mock emergency incidents.

The one-day training will include in person, hands-on simulated emergency events at three locations across Nebraska. The exercises will be from 8am to 4:30pm at the following the locations:

• On March 13^th at Papillion-LaVista South High School 10799 NE-370, Papillion, NE 68046.
• On March 15^th at Faith Christian School 5710 19^th Avenue, Kearney, NE 68845.
• On March 17^th at Gering High School 1500 U Street, Gering, NE 69341.

The purpose behind this training is to bring together a variety of different partners, agencies, and school personnel so everyone can work together more efficiently during a real emergency.

“Parents practice reunification daily with their children when they pick them up from school,” said NDE School Safety and Security Director Jay Martin. “However, during emergencies more people and challenges come into play leading to chaos if it is not practiced. These events are meant to reduce the potential of chaos and be as prepared as possible for an emergency.”

The events will also emphasize key components to avoiding emergency situations all together such as having Threat Assessment Teams at every school and using reporting services like Safe2HelpNE, a system designed for students, staff, and parents to anonymously report concerning behavior which could impact the safety of students or schools across Nebraska.

To learn more about Nebraska Department of Education School Safety visit:  https://www.education.ne.gov/safety/

To learn more about the Standard Response Protocol/Standard Reunification Method visit: https://iloveuguys.org/#Hugs

To learn more about Safe2HelpNE visit: https://education.ne.gov/safety/safe2help-faq/ or https://www.safe2helpne.org

To learn more about Threat Assessment trainings: https://esupdo.org/Workshops/WorkshopDetails.aspx?WorkshopID=395

If you have questions or comments please contact: jay.martin@nebraska.gov, 402-417-2944 or scott.stemper@nebraska.gov, 402-309-4053.

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