School Safety & Student Well-Being

ESD 113 helps school districts create and use safety plans, also called emergency operations planning (EOP). We guide our districts through planning rules under RCW 28A.320.125. We help you build skills to respond when emergencies happen.

We connect districts with ICS/NIMS training for school leaders. We work with emergency management partners. Our team builds ties with local emergency responders and law enforcement agencies. This makes school safety planning stronger across the region.

ESD 113 leads the safety and security staff training program required by HB 1214 (2021). We work with other ESDs across Washington to design, deliver, and track training for School Resource Officers and School Safety Staff. This work ensures steady, high-quality learning that prepares staff to protect students and school communities.

Districts gain the knowledge and partners they need to create good emergency response plans. School staff develop confidence and skills to keep students safe. Our shared approach strengthens safety networks across multiple counties and school communities.

Comprehensive Safe School Plan

Every school district must adopt and use a comprehensive safe school plan under RCW 28A.320.125. This plan helps schools prepare for emergencies. It covers all types of threats and hazards. A comprehensive safe school plan covers five key areas: prevention, mitigation, protection, response, and recovery.

A comprehensive safe school plan includes:

• School-Based Threat Assessment
• Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)—EOPs have three components:
  • Basic Plan: This section shows how your school works before, during, and after emergencies. It covers activities your school does for any type of threat or hazard. This creates a strong base for your school's emergency work.
  • Hazard and Threat Annexes: These sections focus on specific threats or hazards. They give detailed roles and duties to address different natural and human-caused emergencies. 
    • Natural hazards (earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires)
    • Tech hazards (power outages, cyber threats, chemical spills)
    • Health hazards (pandemics, disease outbreaks)
    • Human-caused threats (active shooter incidents, bomb threats, terrorism, intruders)
    • Other hazards (transportation accidents, utility failures, food contamination)
  • Functional Annexes: These sections outline actions and procedures that work across multiple hazards and threats. They focus on broad emergency functions. This ensures a coordinated response. Schools must practice three basic drills under RCW 28A.320.126. Some emergencies may need more than one type of drill.
    • Shelter-in-Place protects students and staff from harmful materials. It isolates the inside environment from outside contaminants.
    • Lockdown isolates students and staff from threats of violence. This includes suspicious trespassers or armed intruders in or near the school. These drills cannot include live simulations of active shooter scenarios. They must be trauma-informed and age-appropriate.
    • Evacuation moves students and staff away from threats. This includes fires, oil train spills, lahars, or tsunamis.

The I Love U Guys Foundation created the Standard Response Protocol. It is a leading practice for emergency drills. SRP includes five emergency actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

The Standard Reunification Method (SRM) comes from the same foundation. It gives districts a proven plan for reunifying students with their guardians after an emergency.

Required Training

Administrators

All administrators must complete ICS 100 (Intro to the Incident Command System) under RCW 28A.320.125. FEMA offers ICS 100 training through the National Incident Management System (NIMS). The training is free of charge as an online self-paced course.

We recommend additional training for principals and safety staff:

• ICS 200: ICS for Single Resources and Initial Action Incidents
• ICS 700: An Introduction to National Incident Management System  
• IS-362.A: Multi-hazard emergency planning for schools

School Security Staff

School Safety and Security Staff must complete:

• Training on all 13 required topics within 6 months of employment

• 2 days of on-the-job training  
• 6 check-ins with experienced staff who have at least 2 years of experience

School Resource Officers must complete:

• Training on all 13 required topics within 6 months of employment
• 2 days of on-the-job training

The 13 required training modules can be completed online through Canvas. Contact us to request access for new school security staff. After completing all training requirements, administrators should send us proof of completion forms for training verification and certificate issuance.

ESD 113's Behavioral Health Navigators use legislative support to help school districts across our region build complete suicide prevention and mental health support for students. Navigators work with community and state partners to expand access to care for youth and families. The program provides free training, consultation, and support for suicide prevention, intervention, and postvention. Navigators also help with mental health service and resource guidance.

What We Do

School staff receive suicide prevention training. School counselors, school psychologists, and school social workers learn to recognize warning signs and respond appropriately. This training gives staff the tools they need to support students in crisis.

Partnerships connect mental health systems and schools. Existing mental health systems join with school districts to create seamless care pathways. These partnerships ensure students and families can access the care they need without barriers.

Districts expand their capacity to help students. Through consultation and support, school districts grow their ability to identify and support students who need mental health care services. This includes understanding available resources and connecting students to appropriate care.

Medicaid billing becomes easier for districts. Training, technical assistance, and coordination help school districts access funding for mental health services. This support removes financial barriers to providing care.

Crisis response follows best practices. When districts face a student's suicide or attempted suicide, guidance helps them implement effective response and recovery protocols. This includes developing support systems for the entire school community.

Our Impact

These services help school districts create stronger safety nets for students. When districts have trained staff, clear partnerships, and effective protocols, students receive faster access to life-saving support. Families benefit from coordinated care that connects school and community resources.

ESD 113 trains school staff to spot student behaviors that worry them. We teach teams to use the Salem-Keizer System, which has two clear levels.

We train Level 1 school teams that include a school leader, school counselor, police officer or School Resource Officer, and teachers, parents, and others as needed. Our training covers when to start checking on students, how to ask questions and get information, using forms and tools to help, working with parents and students, making safety and help plans, and when to ask for more help.

When schools need more support, they work with ESD 113 staff, mental health workers, police, and other groups. Learn more about Level 2 services.