[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 57 (Thursday, April 10, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E587]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          INTRODUCTION OF THE SCHOOLS EMPOWERED TO RESPOND ACT

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                           HON. BOB ETHERIDGE

                           of north carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 10, 2008

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Madam Speaker, as a member of the House Committee on 
Homeland Security and the former superintendent of public instruction 
in North Carolina, I am pleased today to introduce the Schools 
Empowered to Respond Act. This bill will put the federal government to 
work in partnership with states and local education agencies to support 
school preparedness planning, training, and equipment needs.
  Schools are a vital resource in our community, and our children spend 
the majority of their daylight hours in our educational institutions. 
But schools are often overlooked when considering emergency 
preparedness and first responder needs. Even as teachers, 
administrators, and students are working together to make schools a 
safe place for learning, they can use additional help and guidance to 
make their planning as effective as possible.
  When I surveyed principals in my district's schools in 2006 about 
emergency response planning, I learned that schools were keeping our 
children safe but, despite the lessons of 9/11, the federal government 
was doing little to improve emergency planning and disaster mitigation 
at schools. I then asked the Government Accountability Office to survey 
schools across the nation. They spoke to school personnel in Washington 
State, Iowa, Massachusetts, Florida, Ohio, and my own state of North 
Carolina. Last June, they reported the same thing I found in the 2nd 
District: schools want to improve their security, but need support and 
guidance to make improvements.
  The Schools Empowered to Respond Act gives schools this support and 
guidance. It takes simple but important steps to make sure that schools 
have the help they need to keep our kids safe. State governments and 
education officials know what is best for their communities and their 
students, and this bill supports their work to keep schools safe and 
secure places to learn.
  It gives school officials a ``one-stop shop'' in the Department of 
Homeland Security they can look to for advice, best practices, and 
assistance for school security planning. This office will coordinate 
federal initiatives such as the Safe Schools Initiative, Readiness and 
Emergency Management for Schools, and Safe and Drug Free Schools to 
ensure that resources get to the schools that need them. The bill also 
ensures that schools are eligible for emergency planning grants from 
DHS to improve school security. Given the vital role that schools serve 
in our communities, it ensures that teachers and administrators, school 
resource officers, and school emergency planning officials have a 
prominent voice in our national homeland security response. In short, 
it empowers school personnel to continue their good work and to 
implement their plans for school security by giving them the guidance 
and resources they need to keep our children safe.
  Given recent events at schools across the country, we as a nation 
simply must invest in important priorities like emergency planning to 
ensure our schools remain prepared for any emergency. I am proud to be 
taking steps to help schools with their emergency planning, and I ask 
my colleagues to join me in supporting the Schools Empowered to Respond 
Act today.

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