The State of Iowa recently took a step towards ensuring the safety of students attending public schools, requiring each district to craft a “Quality Emergency Operations Plan.”

At their most recent meetings, both the Perry and the Adel-DeSoto-Minburn school districts approved their respective plans. While the administrations couldn’t divulge specifics due to security reasons, the districts found the exercise to be rewarding. ADM Superintendent Greg Dufoe said they treated the state’s requirement as a good reason to reassess the school’s preparedness. “We took it as an opportunity to look at our emergency operations plan and responses to hazards and crises. And we were committed to having a plan that we can utilize, and that we can actuate in the event of a crisis.”

The plan includes everything from tornadoes and fires to active shooter situations, and also takes into account reuniting students with their families following emergencies. For Perry, Superintendent Clark Wicks says emergency readiness is nothing new to the District, but they still took it as a chance to expand upon their existing plan to ease the worries of parents. “We have done various kinds of drills before, but this just goes in a little bit deeper and it allows us to make sure that we are prepared for any kind of emergency that comes up. So it is a peace of mind, that’s a good way to put it.”

Wicks adds, the Perry administration has been working on their emergency plan for around a year, and the next part is working with local law enforcement and government entities to make sure everyone is on the same page should an emergency arise. To learn more about the Perry and ADM emergency operations plans, click the links below to listen to the most recent Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program with Wicks and Dufoe.

https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/06/11/lets-talk-dallas-county-6-11-2019-clark-wicks/
https://www.raccoonvalleyradio.com/2019/06/12/lets-talk-dallas-county-6-12-2019-greg-dufoe/