DMPS Attends Countywide School Security Summit
DMPS security attended a countywide summit at the Polk County Emergency Management offices.
As part of Des Moines Public Schools’ continuing effort to improve school security, a delegation of school officials attended a countywide school safety summit this week.
Multiple law enforcement, fire department and school employees from around the metro gathered at the Polk County Emergency Management offices and walked through different security scenarios, sharing information about how they might better work together for the benefit of student and staff safety.
“We all make up the right pieces of the puzzle,” said DMPS Security Lead David Murillo. “Now it’s about snapping those puzzle pieces together into one cohesive picture.”
Murillo supervises the DMPS security team, the largest in central Iowa, dedicated solely to the safety and security of students and staff.
“Recent, excellent additions to our security team include retired Des Moines police officers and a police dispatcher,” Murillo said. “We’ve raised the bar dramatically on the level of service we now deliver to our schools.”
The security officers work in conjunction with school resource officers out of a central dispatch office with enhanced radio and eyes on every school and building in the district. Safety Compliance Specialist Pam Rosa says there are more than 800 cameras that monitor building exteriors and common spaces in our schools.
That number is expected to grow to 1,000 before the end of the year.
Construction and renovation projects across the district have also included hundreds of individual security upgrades. Every school is now equipped with a card access system. The district also has intruder locks for classroom doors and increased security at entrances and exits.
Creating and maintaining a safe and secure environment in our schools is a top priority for the district.
So is finding ways to better communicate.
Former KCCI news anchor and reporter Amanda Lewis joined the DMPS team in February as communications officer. Lewis is a member of the Metro Media Council, a group of first responders, media and public information officers who meet six times a year to discuss better ways of informing the public about what happens in our communities – including in the schools.
“The connections we make with first responders can only grow the already impressive communications structure put in place by Phil Roeder,” Lewis said. DMPS is always looking for new ways to talk to students, parents, staff and the community. In addition to a television station, district-wide website and individual school websites, DMPS has an active presence on multiple social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram and YouTube. A smart phone application under development will soon give everyone access to district news, important dates and instant alerts.
It’s all part of an ever-evolving effort to make our schools a safe place to work and learn.
“Over the past year we have significantly improved our emergency response plans, and we continue to review and improve upon them,” Rosa said.
Summits like the one this week make emergency response plans between agencies work together more smoothly.
In the hopes of still more improvement, Des Moines Public Schools and Ankeny Schools are leading the way and encouraging Polk County school districts to come together to develop best practices. Together, with the help of Polk County Emergency Management, the districts have formed the Polk County School Safety Alliance, part of the Iowa School Safety Coalition.
“Getting Polk County agencies and schools together is extremely important,” Rosa said. “It allows us to build relationships, which is critical in an emergency.”
For more information about DMPS Security, click here.
