NEWS RELEASES 1999-00

BOMB RESPONSE RESOURCE KIT DISTRIBUTED STATEWIDE THANKS TO UNIFIED EFFORTS

Thanks to the efforts of several professional associations, a School Bomb Response Resource Kit was recently distributed to all North Carolina public school principals.

The kit, which included a video entitled "Moments to Decide…an Educators Guide to Dealing Safely with Bomb Threats," will be an important component to a school's Safe School Plan and the implementation of safe school strategies. Carolina Power & Light provided the funding for the project.

State Superintendent Mike Ward said, "Teachers can't teach and students can't learn if they're concerned about their safety. We have to use every strategy we can to ensure that we continue to have safe schools in our state."

The associations and agencies that teamed up to distribute the kit believe it can also serve to familiarize educators across the state with the roles of different agencies that respond to school bomb threats.

The following groups remain committed to providing all school personnel with continued assistance to fulfill their vital roles as educators of North Carolina's children:

Carolina Power & Light

Professional Educators of North Carolina

NC State Board of Education

NC Dept. of Public Instruction

NC Community College System

NC Sheriffs' Association

NC School Boards Association

NC Assoc. of School Administrators

NC Center for the Prevention of School Violence

NC Professional Firefighters & Paramedics Association

NC Emergency Management

Fayetteville Technical Community College

Randolph Co. Sheriff's Office

Cumberland Co. Sheriff's Office

and educators, law enforcement and emergency management officials from Alamance, Cumberland, Randolph, Wake and Wilson Counties.

For further information regarding the distribution of the School Bomb Response Resource Kit, please contact Ginger Godard, Professional Educators of North Carolina, 800.542.8844.

About the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction:
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction provides leadership to 115 local public school districts and 107 charter schools serving over 1.4 million students in kindergarten through high school graduation. The agency is responsible for all aspects of the state's public school system and works under the direction of the North Carolina State Board of Education.

For more information:
NCDPI Communications and Information, 919.807.3450.