Listen to this article
Estimated 3 minutes
The audio version of this article is generated by AI-based technology. Mispronunciations can occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve the results.
New safety standards at Alberta schools are on the way following a review prompted by a fatal mass shooting earlier this year in Tumbler Ridge, B.C.
Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the new standards are coming after he ordered a safety audit in the wake of the February shooting incidents in Tumbler Ridge that left nine people dead and injured more than two dozen people.
In an interview with CBC News on Thursday, Nicolaides said while many school divisions already have emergency plans, a minimum standard will better help schools prevent and respond to emergencies.
“These new standards that we are rolling out will provide a consistent standard minimum baseline for all schools across the entire province so that all Albertans can be reassured that our schools are safe and in full compliance with the government standards,” he said.
In their critical emergency frameworks, due Jan. 4, school divisions are required to lay out procedures in areas such as threat detection, crisis response, staff preparation and drills, alongside resources to assist those affected by a crisis.
But school divisions will also be given “the flexibility to address the unique needs and risks of their communities,” Nicolaides said.
Nicole Buchanan, the board chair for Red Deer Public Schools, said she welcomes the development. Buchanan previously worked as a police officer for 18 years, including as a school resource officer.
She said her school division ordered its own third-party safety audit after the shooting in B.C., with provincial standardization identified as one of the key recommendations.
“It’s really important that in the middle of an emergency, it is not the time to be figuring out what your emergency plan is, and that work needs to happen long before the emergency occurs,” Buchanan said.
Community approach to threat assessment
Both Buchanan and Nicolaides said the complexity of some potential threats, for instance involving mental health issues, may benefit from the input of other partners such as social services or police.
To that end, Buchanan said Red Deer Public Schools has introduced the Violence Threat Risk Assessment (VTRA), a community approach that involves bringing multiple stakeholders to the table to identify and intervene before violence occurs.
Nicolaides said communication with parents, families and guardians during an emergency is another area that needs to be better delineated.
“There may of course be questions in an emergency type of situation,” he said.
“‘Where are my children? How can I get in contact with them or what is the procedure for me to collect them and when is it safe to do so?’
“So some of those pieces are also critically important that we want to strengthen. “
With the recent events in Tumbler Ridge, B.C., the Alberta government wants to reassure people that public schools in the province are safe place for students. But as CBC’s Nicole Healey explains, the minister of education still feels a review of safety measures is warranted.
In April, the Alberta government invested $22 million in school safety, the bulk of which went to security infrastructure like installing and fixing intercoms and other repairs.
Schools are expected to have critical emergency plans in place by April 5.
Early childhood service operators will also need to establish both frameworks and emergency plans by the same January and April deadlines.
MORE TOP STORIES
