VALDOSTA, GA. (WTXL) — For some families, a school emergency doesn’t end when the doors reopen — it ends when a child is safely back in their arms.
- VSU hosted reunification training from the I Love U Guys Foundation, used in 60,000+ schools nationwide.
- The training focuses on communication and accountability after emergencies like lockdowns or evacuations.
- Watch the video below to see how our local law enforcement trained under the foundation.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
After a school emergency, the crisis doesn't endafter the building is secured. It only ends when a child is safely reunited with the right parent. I'm Malia Thomas, your neighborhood news reporter here in Valdosta, South Georgia agencies are teaming up with the foundation to make sure that processis ready.
The I Love U Guys Foundation was born out of unimaginable loss — after a 2006 school shooting in Colorado that took the life of 15-year-old Emily Keyes.
Her final words to her parents came through a text message: “I love u guys.”
“I Love u guys. Four words. All that our founders have left of their daughter.”
On Tuesday, those four words have become a mission — helping schools reunite students with their families during and after crisis.
That mission is now coming to Valdosta, where Valdosta State University is partnering with the foundation to train schools and first responders on crisis communication and reunification — the structured, accountable process of safely returning students to parents or guardians when everything else feels chaotic.
The urgency hit close to home after the incident at S.L. Mason Elementary last September — when a man with a gun ran onto campus during dismissal, firing shots in the pickup line.
The school went into lockdown. No students were hurt — but parents were left waiting, desperate for answers.
VSU Police Chief Christopher Hughes says moments like that pushed this training to the forefront.
“Notification plan is really when you have a critical incident or a crisis on your campus… it gives you an opportunity to set up a plan. When things happen, things go wrong, you know how to communicate.”
Burd says reunification plans don’t just protect students — they protect families from added trauma.
“As a parent and a public safety professional, this has had the most personal and professional impact of anything I’ve been involved with.”
By bringing schools, police, hospitals, and emergency agencies together now, leaders hope the next crisis comes with clearer communication — and faster reunification for families who need it most.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, reporting for ABC27.
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