Executive Order 2019-21D Creating the Governor's Ohio School Safety Center and the Ohio School Safety Working Group

Executive Order

WHEREAS, Ohio's future depends on its children and that requires keeping our students safe and our schools secure; and

WHEREAS, Ohio has experienced several incidents of violence in schools over the past seven years, including shootings at Chardon High School in 2012, Madison Junior/Senior High School in 2016, and West Liberty-Salem High School in 2017. In addition, suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth and young adults aged 10-24 years; and

WHEREAS, as part of my 17 point plan to reduce gun violence and increase mental health treatment, I am creating one office where the staff's sole focus is on keeping our students safe and our schools secure, which will allow analysts to nimbly assess threats, proactively address potential issues, and expertly train and support school faculty in a more streamlined manner;

NOW THEREFORE, I, Mike DeWine, Governor of the State of Ohio, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of this State do hereby order and direct that:

The Governor's Ohio School Safety Center ("OSSC") is hereby created in order to assist local schools and law enforcement in preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety. The OSSC is charged to:
Create and implement threat assessment team training;
Create and implement SaferOH Tip Line training;
Monitor the SaferOH Tip Line and share the information received with local law enforcement, local school districts and the regional State support teams;
Create and share school safety resources;
Host an annual School Safety Summit;
Coordinate with the Ohio School Safety Working Group; and
Review school emergency management plans and provide technical assistance on emergency management planning when requested.
The OSSC will be located within the division of Ohio Homeland Security, in the Department of Public Safety.
The Governor's Ohio School Safety Working Group ("Working Group") is also hereby created to advise the OSSC and shall meet at least quarterly to discuss current issues and trends regarding school safety and local needs and assist with the development of a yearly report on the state of school safety in Ohio.
The Working Group shall be comprised of experts in the fields of public safety, education, mental health, emergency management, and other relevant fields.
The Working Group shall be staffed by the Department of Public Safety, which shall provide the support and resources necessary for the Working Group to fulfill its obligations as outlined in this Executive Order, in coordination with the Office of the Governor. This shall include space to gather and consider information necessary for developing the recommendations and report called for in this Order.
Members of the Working Group shall serve without compensation.
All Cabinet Agencies, Boards, and Commissions shall comply with any requests or directives issued by the OSSC or the Working Group, subject to the supervision of their respective agency directors.

I signed this Executive Order on August 21, 2019 in Columbus, Ohio and it will not expire unless it is rescinded.

Mike DeWine, Governor

ATTEST:

Frank LaRose, Secretary of State

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