M-DCPS Partners with First Responders from 27 Municipalities for a Family Reunification Team Training

Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS) partnered with police and fire departments from 27 municipalities for a two-day Family Reunification Team Training with the national “I Love U Guys” Foundation.

In the event of a school closing or unexpected evacuation due to an emergency, a natural or man-made disaster, the District Family Reunification Team would be deployed immediately to identify off-site reunification locations to provide the safest possible environment for students and staff to be reunited with their families.

The training includes focused classroom training, tabletop exercises, functional demonstrations, and exercises to prepare M-DCPS staff to conduct an actual reunification of students with their parents or guardians.

“I think as a school district, we have a model that is very strong and consistent, and I am extremely proud of the work and the coming together of 27 municipalities to make sure that we respond to emergencies, and that we create a coalition on behalf of the safety of our schools,” said Schools Superintendent Dr. Jose L. Dotres.

The “I Love U Guys” Foundation was started by Ellen and John-Michael Keyes and it commemorates the last text message their daughter, Emily, sent to them just before her life was taken during a school shooting. Today, the foundation is led and supported by survivors, family members, first responders, and community members with a vested interest in safety, preparedness, and reunification in schools.

For additional content on this topic, including interviews with some of the participants and organizers and video footage of the reunification exercises, please click here.

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