Yuma Union High School District safety plan workshop prepares staff for crisis management

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Yuma Union High School District collaborated with the Arizona Department of Education to host a workshop to enhance the district's safety measures.

The District says the goal of the workshop was to increase the staff’s confidence in crisis management, so they could be prepared to safely protect students and staff during emergencies.

Psychologists from the Arizona Department of Education came to train staff across the seven campuses in the district. Administrators, law enforcement, counselors and social workers all attended.

The district says the "Prepare Model" provides structure and response measures to not only protect student's physical safety but also their emotional and mental well-being.

The district says that last school year, there were two times where a gun was found on campus, including one student who was arrested after a school resource officer found him with a loaded gun in his backpack. No one was injured. The workshop trained staff to handle any emergency situation by identifying the problem first and then how to be prepared and respond to it.

They say it's important to have universal crisis management language across all the campuses

The workshop also reviewed the district's operational plans, including maps and entry points which are only shared with the district and first responders.

The district says they will have phase two of the workshop next year.