Safer Schools

Dear School Safety Partner,

The Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Homeland Security today premiered a video to encourage students to report information about any school threats and to help them understand the consequences of falsely making bomb threats. False bomb threats endanger students, disrupt learning and stretch the resources of first responders.

The video, which features Ohio students and Licking County Sheriff Randy Thorp, is being distributed statewide. It can be viewed here.

Please share this video with your students now and throughout the year to remind our school community of the serious consequences of making threats. Students can end up facing felony charges resulting in sentences in prison or juvenile detention. It is critical to inform students of the harm bomb threats can cause to their schools and their futures. 

In addition to this video, the centerpiece of this effort is the SaferOH tip line — 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) — that enables students or anyone to anonymously share information with school officials and law enforcement about threats to student safety. Officials encourage students to report all such threats — whether they involve a threatened mass incident or harm to a single student. Find more information on the tip line here.

The Center for P-20 Safety and Security was formed as a collaborative effort between the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio Department of Education and Ohio Homeland Security to create safe and supportive learning environments and respond to violence and its causes in educational settings throughout Ohio.