The Illinois State Board of Education and the Illinois Department of Public Health released a FAQ document on August 2nd addressing updated COVID-19 guidance from the CDC. The document addresses questions on vaccinations, masking, distancing, testing, contact tracing and quarantine, and prevention strategies.

It won't be long now before classes resume. If your district, school, institution of higher education, etc. hasn't already done so, now is a good time to review and train on your emergency operations plan, active threat response, and bomb threat policies/procedures. Consider conducting table tops to exercise the plans. Ensure your bus drivers have safety training. Ensure supervisors know how to respond in the event an emergency occurs. To help do so, here are links to some of the resource pages on the Illinois School and Campus Safety Resource Center website:

Time is almost up to register for the "Railroad Safety for First Responders, Educators, and School Bus Drivers" class on August 10th from 9am-12pm via Zoom. The Railroad Safety class covers the challenges that frontline responders and school staff are faced with when responding to an incident on or near railroad property. This 3-hour class will prepare all involved (bus drivers, school administrators, law enforcement, first responders, etc.) and will provide responding individuals the correct tools to safely navigate the unfamiliar environment of the railroad. Attendees will gain access to the safest ways to respond to railroad incidents. For more information and to register, click here.

The New Mexico Tech Energetic Materials Research and Testing Center is offering a free, virtual session of the Understanding and Planning for School Bombing Incidents class on August 11, 2021 at 11:00am CST. To register, click here.

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is pleased to announce the class "Preparing for the Unimaginable: An In-Depth Look at Wellness, Trauma Recovery, and Resilience" will be held from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm on August 25, 2021, via Zoom. This class is for both K-12 schools and Institutions of Higher Education, as well as law enforcement and other school and campus safety stakeholders. For more information and to register, click here.

The Illinois School and Campus Safety Program is please to announce the class "Railroad Safety for First Responders, Educators, and School Bus Drivers" will be held via Zoom on August 27th from 9am-12pm. The Railroad Safety class covers the challenges that frontline responders and school staff are faced with when responding to an incident on or near railroad property. This 3-hour class will prepare all involved (bus drivers, school administrators, law enforcement, first responders, etc.) and will provide responding individuals the correct tools to safely navigate the unfamiliar environment of the railroad. Attendees will gain access to the safest ways to respond to railroad incidents. For more information and to register, click here.