School Safety

School Resource Officer (SRO)

Welcome, Deputy Ward!

We are pleased to introduce Brian Ward as our new School Resource Officer*. Deputy Ward has twelve years of experience with the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Department, where he has served as a Police Training Officer and as the Assistant Team Leader for the Crisis Negotiation Team.

Deputy Ward is a graduate of Belleville High School and Washtenaw Community College. Outside of work, he has coached travel baseball and is an avid Harley-Davidson enthusiast.

*Corporal Visel retired in January, 2026.

a photo pf school resource officer Brian Ward

wardb@dexterschools.org

wardb@ewashtenaw.org
(734)424-4100 ext. 7228

Standard Response Protocol

Michigan law requires all K–12 public schools to fully implement the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) by the start of the 2026–27 school year. SRP provides a universal, standardized language for responding to emergencies across school districts. By replacing confusing code words with clear, common language, SRP helps students, staff, and first responders quickly understand what to do during an emergency.

SRP uses an all-hazards approach, meaning the same five actions can be used for many types of incidents: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. Each action includes a clear directive that guides students, staff, and first responders. We will continue to do state-mandated safety drills for a variety of scenarios using this language. For more detailed information, please visit our Standard Response Protocol webpage.

Safety Topics

School Safety Drills

Each Dexter Community school complies with all fire safety laws and will conduct fire drills in accordance with State law. Schools will finalize and file their drill schedules by September 15 and notify authorities. Specific instructions on how to proceed will be provided to students by their teachers who will be responsible for the safe, prompt, and orderly evacuation of the building. Within thirty days of the end of the school year, drills will be posted on the district website for public review, or year-to-date emergency drill information may be requested from the building principal during the school year. Tornado drills will be conducted before the tornado season, using the procedures provided by the State. The alarm signal for tornadoes is different from the alarm signal for fires. In order for students and staff to be appropriately prepared for unusual circumstances other than fires and tornados, safety drills will be conducted that are appropriate for the age of the child.

MCL 29.19 mandates that districts post documentation about school safety drills on their websites.

Effective June 2021, Michigan schools are required to post documentation of each safety drill conducted at their building. At the link below, choose the folder for the year and building to see the documents.

2026-2027 Scheduled Safety Drills (this document will be updated as drills are scheduled and completed)
Safety Drill Documentation

Within 30 school days, the school is to post documentation of a completed school safety drill on its school website. The documentation must include at least the name of the school, the school year of the drill, the date and time of the drill, the type of drill completed, the number of completed drills for that school year for each type of drill required under the Code, the signature of the school principal (or a designee) acknowledging completion of the drill, and the name of the individual in charge of conducting the drill (if different from the school principal). The documentation must remain on the website for at least three years.

School Safety Drills Archive

Washtenaw County School Liaison Program

The School Liaison Officer Program is part of a cooperative effort between education, law enforcement, and the community. The program promotes positive and effective communication between youth, teachers and law enforcement.

The goals of the program are:

Create a safer school environment by:
- Encouraging more positive attitudes towards rules, laws and society;
- Supporting conflict resolution and the responsibilities of citizenship;
- Teaching young people the concepts of the criminal justice system, objectives of law enforcement--as it regards public and individual safety;
- Assisting in the prevention of delinquency and criminal activity among young people.
Dispel misconceptions about law enforcement and society;
Act as a sounding board for student and parent concerns;
Act as liaison with courts, social services and other community programs;
Be a resource for information and community presenters.

For more information about the program, please visit the Washtenaw County School Liaison Program website.

Social Media Safety

Suicide Prevention

When a person is in crisis, family members may have many questions. This toolkit is designed to provide some answers. While no one can guarantee someone else's safety, this information may help you feel more confident and better prepared to give the care and attention your loved one needs through this challenging time.

The toolkit is designed for the family member of a person 15-24 years of age who is experiencing a difficult time in his/her life. If your loved one is a different age, you will likely still find this information helpful.

Get the Suicide Prevention Tool Kit

OK2Say

OK2SAY is the student safety program which allows students to confidentially report tips on potential harm or criminal activities directed at students, school employees, and schools. It uses a comprehensive communication system to facilitate tip sharing among students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, and law enforcement officials about harmful behaviors that threaten to disrupt the learning environment.

Anyone can confidentially report tips on criminal activities or potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools.

Anyone who receives a threat or knows of a threat of violence against a community or individual should contact local law enforcement or call 9-1-1.

Non-emergency tips can be submitted in the following ways:

Call: 8-555-OK2SAY, (855-565-2729)
Text: 652729 (OK2SAY)
Email: OK2SAY@mi.gov
OK2SAY website: www.michigan.gov/ok2say
OK2SAY Mobile App: Available for download for Apple, Google, and Android mobile devices.

STATE OF MICHIGAN OK2SAY RESOURCES

For Parents and Students

Below are links to some information about some of those not-so-fun, but oh-so-important topics that kids and teens have to confront every day. These resources are here to keep you safe and provide you with ways to get help for yourself, a friend, or another who might be struggling.

STUDENT TOPICS

Anxiety, Stress, and Depression	Bullying
Child Abuse	Cyberbullying
Dating Violence	Eating Disorders
Online Safety	Preventing School Violence
Self-Harm	Sexting and Sextortion
Substance Use Disorder	Suicide
Tobacco Products	Vaping

FOR PARENTS
Parent Guide to OK2Say
Bullying: How Parents Can Help

For Teachers & Counselors

Students who do not feel safe at school have a harder time reaching their academic potential. OK2SAY is available to support your efforts by providing activities and ideas to help bring positive change. Consider having your students take the pledge and use OK2SAY to bring kindness, inclusion, and awareness activities into your school.

ADDITIONAL TEACHER/COUNSELOR RESOURCES

Here are some questions to help you spark thoughtful discussion after an OK2SAY presentation:

In This Section

School Safety

School Resource Officer (SRO)

Welcome, Deputy Ward!

Standard Response Protocol

Safety Topics

School Safety Drills

School Safety Drills

Washtenaw County School Liaison Program

Washtenaw County School Liaison Program

Social Media Safety

Suicide Prevention

Suicide Prevention

OK2Say

For Parents and Students

For Teachers & Counselors

WAYS TO GET HELP