By Michael Gresham
The Texas Catholic

PLANO — More than 60 participants including administrators and staff from several Diocese of Dallas Catholic schools, law enforcement personnel, first responders, and others came together Aug. 1 for a training on how to quickly but efficiently and safely reunite students with their families in the case of an unexpected campus evacuation or release.

The Diocese of Dallas, which hosted the event at Prince of Peace Catholic Community, partnered with the “I Love U Guys” Foundation for the day-long workshop that aimed to provide training on the Standard Reunification Method.

“Our hope is that the participants leave the workshop having a stronger grasp on the concept of reunification and how to run the program if the need should occur,” said Manny Sanchez, diocesan director of security and emergency management. “Reunification is the process of reuniting the child with the parent following a catastrophic event whether that be weather-related, an active shooter incident, or anything that would have cause for a campus to evacuate and move children from one site to another site.”

The “I Love U Guys” Foundation was started in 2006 by Ellen and John-Michael Keyes following a school shooting that claimed the life of their daughter, Emily, according to the foundation’s website. The day that fatal school shooting occurred in Colorado, Emily sent text messages to her parents, reading, “I love u guys.” Today, the foundation is led and supported by survivors, family members, first responders, and community members with a vested interest in safety, preparedness and reunification in schools.

“Unfortunately, in today’s society, this is something we have to examine and have to prepare for,” Sanchez said. “It’s no longer a question of will it ever happen but when will it happen? It’s better to be prepared for that situation.”

According to Sanchez, through the workshop, participants receive training allowing them to react properly in such crisis situations.

“We want to make sure they have the ability to do what they need to do because these are very stressful situations,” Sanchez explained. “We want to give them the confidence to do this job during these times.”

Critical training
Sanchez praised Dr. Rebecca Hammel, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, and Dr. Veronica Alonzo, diocesan associate superintendent for academic excellence, for their assistance in helping make the event happen.

“We have learned a great deal by watching school safety events around the country. While we have strong plans in place to preserve campus security, it is often the immediate aftermath of any unplanned event that causes confusion,” Hammel said. “This type of training is critical for our school leaders and staff so that we stay abreast of best practices and continually improve our emergency plans in order to preserve the peaceful, orderly environments that parents seek in our schools.”

Hammel said each diocesan school was represented by teams of faculty and staff at the workshop.

“I am so grateful to them for their love and concern for all in their school communities and for making school security a priority on campus,” she said.

Jennifer Borth, principal of St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic School, added that training provided an invaluable experience that unites schools throughout the diocese under a common safety framework.

“The workshop not only equipped us with essential tools and resources for protecting our students but also pointed out previously unconsidered aspects of safety,” Borth said. “By attending together, we are able to ensure consistent practices across our schools which only reinforces our commitment to student safety.”

Ben Compton, principal of Good Shepherd Catholic School in Garland, described the Standard Response Protocol training as “highly valuable” as it equips Catholic school faculty and staff with the means necessary to respond to various crisis scenarios.

“Our priority will always be the safety and security of our students, faculty, and staff, and this training opportunity strengthens our systems already in place to address these needs,” Compton said. “This has been a very necessary training, not only for Catholic schools but across our nation, to ensure that schools remain a safe environment where our students can thrive.”

Like others, Compton said he was grateful to the Diocese of Dallas for providing this opportunity for school administrators and staff to ask difficult questions and confront challenging situations.

“We pray that we may never encounter such situations, but we must acknowledge the fact that when a crisis occurs, we do not rise to the occasion, but we fall back to the level of our training to ensure the safety and security of our community,” Compton said.

The first in what Sanchez said will become an annual event, the Aug. 1 workshop drew interest from a wide swath of north Texas entities, including Dallas diocesan schools, city and county law enforcement agencies, the Diocese of Fort Worth, and even representatives from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

“In something like this, communication is key,” Sanchez said. “We want to get the word out, and we want to share the necessary resources with everyone who needs them.”

Cutline for featured image: John-Michael Keyes of the “I Love U Guys” Foundation leads a workshop session on the Standard Reunification Method on Aug. 1 at Prince of Peace Catholic Community in Plano.