Impending “Critical” Change to Statewide School Safety Information Policy

The RSC’s statewide school safety information policy is amended as of March 29, 2023, to include “critical incident mapping data” in the information that a school board must provide to appropriate law enforcement agencies. The amendment states:

2. "Critical incident mapping data" means information provided in an electronic or digital format to assist law enforcement or emergency first responders in an emergency. The information provided must include, but is not limited to, all of the following:
   
   1. Accurate floor plans overlaid on or current aerial imagery of a school building or school plan.
   2. Site specific labeling that matches the structure of the school building, including room labels, hallway names, external door or stairwell numbers, locations of hazards, key utility locations, key boxes, automated external defibrillators, and trauma kits.
   3. Site specific labeling that matches the school grounds, including parking areas, athletic fields, surrounding roads, and neighboring properties.
   4. Gridded overlay with x/y coordinates.

The critical incident mapping data (along with the building plans, blueprints, and site plans required previously) must meet the following requirements:

• be compatible with software platforms used by law enforcement agencies that provide emergency services,
• be provided in a printable format,
• be verified for accuracy through a walkthrough of a school building and school grounds, and
• be oriented true north.

Schools should review their safety and emergency plans with local law enforcement to ensure that they provide the required critical incident mapping data. Thrun policy subscribers are advised to review their Policy 3402, which governs school safety and security and requires a review by the board in conjunction with a law enforcement agency every  two years that is then reported to the Michigan Department of Education.