Berrien RESA, School Districts & County Law Enforcement Focus on School Safety

BERRIEN SPRINGS – Berrien RESA, along with Berrien County school districts and local law enforcement agencies, are collaborating to support school safety with the help of the “I Love U Guys” Foundation. The effort, the area’s first-ever countywide coordinated school safety plan, brings together public education, the Berrien County Sheriff's Department, Michigan State Police, and local police precincts, creating a uniform intervention and response process. 

“Our students and educators deserve the very best when it comes to emergency plans,” said Eric Hoppstock, Berrien RESA Superintendent. “Bringing together all of our schools and our first responders to work collaboratively to promote and support safe learning environments is key to everyone’s success. The ‘I Love U Guys’ Foundation further strengthens our partnership by providing a Standard Response Protocol, allowing all precincts and schools to use a common language and approach to our safety procedures.”

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) provides consistent, clear, shared language and actions among all students, staff and first responders for all hazards. It is action-based and allows organizations, first responders, students, and parents to share a specific vocabulary for quick and coordinated action. It also acts as a tool for training which develops the muscle memory necessary to respond appropriately in moments of crisis.

The SRP is based on five actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. Having all Berrien County school districts use the same procedures will make training and responding to emergencies that much more effective.

“Words matter,” said Jim French, Instructor/Explorer for the “I Love You Guys” Foundation. “The words and choices that we make in an emergency are vital. If we have a lack of clarity, we are in trouble. That is why having a common approach to safety procedures is critical to eliminating confusion, providing a unified language that parents/guardians, students, educators, administrators and emergency officials can all use.”

French further explained that too often, school safety is treated as a checklist, not as a crucial element in a district’s culture. The “I Love U Guys” Foundation builds school safety into the basic dynamics of the school community, establishing connections, a willingness to train and an ability to perform in emergencies. When building that culture across the county, districts and emergency personnel become one team.

“Data tells us that school issues can happen before school starts, during the day, during passing times, after school and at events,” said French. “‘The I love U Guys’ Standard Response Protocols helps students, staff, and our law enforcement to communicate about situations the same way.” 

Berrien RESA is also supporting additional safety and security initiatives. The district recently named Troy Boone its Facilities & Safety Director, expanding his role to serve as a liaison between public school districts, the Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police and the Emergency Management Center. Boone will be working to implement a countywide communication platform to connect emergency communications between school districts and first responders using the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s protocols. He will also be helping with countywide emergency plans in collaboration with the Berrien County Emergency Operations Center. Additionally, he will be supporting a local district superintendent initiative to bring together all Berrien County school resource officers for quarterly training and to discuss best practices.

Berrien RESA plans to fully implement the “I Love U Guys” Standard Response Protocols by July 1, 2025. Schools will provide information and training to staff followed by parents/guardians and students in the months to follow. 

Background: The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification are used in more than 50,000 schools, districts, departments, agencies, organizations and communities around the world. They are created through the research-based best practices of school administrators, psychologists, public space safety experts, families and first responders. 

For more information about the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, visit www.iloveuguys.org.