Schools, Law Enforcement, Emergency Responders Collaborate to Enhance School Safety

Ottawa/Allegan Counties, MI- The Ottawa Area Secure Schools Network (OASSN) —a combined effort between schools, law enforcement, and emergency responders within the Ottawa Area Intermediate School District (OAISD) to enhance school safety across the region— hosted a Spring Summit March 1 at the Ottawa County Fillmore Administration Building in West Olive.

Over 150 representatives from public, private, and charter schools, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other responders and support agencies attended the event to continue to coordinate and share training across all agencies; share practices and plans across the region and between agencies; and develop common safety procedures, protocol and language. These were identified as the top goals of the network during the 2017 fall summit.

“The OASSN summits help everyone hear the most up-to-date school safety answers from those who are experts in each of their respective subject areas,” Cal DeKuiper, superintendent for Zeeland Public Schools, said. “Working together takes regional cooperation to a deeper level resulting in a higher level of preparedness should the unthinkable ever happen in our region.”