SOUTH TALLAHASSEE, FL — Dozens of classroom teachers, school administrators, and sheriff's deputies spent Tuesday working through emergency scenarios to strengthen communication and decision-making ahead of the new school year.
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The training brought local educators and law enforcement together to prepare for situations they hope never happen and to build the relationships that organizers say can make all the difference when every second counts.
Sarah Lerner, a survivor of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, joined the summit. She now travels the country helping others prepare for emergencies.
"I hope they see how important it is to be prepared, even though you're never fully prepared when something like this happens. And I hope that they never need to use all of this preparation, because they won't be put in a situation like I was in," Lerner said.
Demetria Clemons, the principal at Sealey Elementary, says preparation also extends beyond the classroom, with parents playing a key role in reinforcing safety messaging at home.
"I think, for parents, it's just communicating with their children that the school will make sure that you're as safe as possible. If they are giving you any directives, any instructions on keeping safe, make sure you're listening and you're following their direction," Clemons said.
Deputy Chris Flores with the Leon County Sheriff's Office says coordination between school staff and law enforcement was a central focus of the training, with both groups working side by side to align their priorities in the event of an emergency.
"In a situation like this, we're all working together, and we don't want to have competing priorities. We want to know what the other side is doing. We want to know how we can help each other," Flores said.
Flores noted that a major incident can impact the entire community, from emergency responders and hospitals to parents waiting for answer, making pre-crisis relationship-building essential.
Day two of the school safety summit will be held at Godby High School.
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