Clark County Schools Address Safety After Florida Shooting

In light of the Florida shooting, we are reminded that the safety of our children is a top priority. School safety concerns can be addressed to school staff members, police or anonymously through the Safe Voice application at safevoicenv.org or at (833) 216-SAFE.


In this frame grab from video provided by WPLG-TV, students from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., evacuate the school following a shooting, Wednesday, Feb. 14, 2018. (WPLG-TV via AP)

Citing Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Florida high school, Clark County School District Police today sent out email and phone alerts to parents outlining security measures in place in case of a critical incident.

“Safety is a team effort, and parents and students are often our best source for reporting suspicious instances or inappropriate behavior,” School District Police Capt. Ken Young said.

The district has a plan to address “all types of emergencies” on Clark County campuses, Young said. Precautions include keeping classroom doors locked at all times and having a single point of entry at schools to monitor who enters, he said.

Additional safety measures also are being implemented, such as “a system that will allow staff members to initiate hard lockdowns for the entire school from their classroom,” Young said.

Students and staff participate in monthly safety drills, and staff members are required to view emergency training videos yearly, Young said. School District Police train with other law enforcement agencies across the valley to prepare for emergencies.

At least one officer is assigned to each high school in the valley, and officers also patrol elementary and middle schools, Young said. Local agencies monitor rural schools.

Safety concerns can be addressed to school staff members, police, or anonymously through the Safe Voice application at safevoicenv.org or at 833-216-SAFE, Young said.

According to Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates for stricter gun control, there have been 290 reported shootings at U.S. schools since 2013.

That year, a boy shot and killed his math teacher and wounded two students at a Sparks middle school before taking his own life.

A woman and her 11-year-old daughter escaped injury in July when a carjacking suspect followed them and shot at their vehicle at UNLV, authorities said.

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