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Grand Ledge district, first responders prepare for new school year

Grand Ledge High School
Grand Ledge High School
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Grand Ledge school district officials and first responders say they've built strong connections this year.

As Grand Ledge students prepare to go back to class, school officials and first responders say they’re ready in the event of an emergency.

Several first response agencies, including the FBI, conducted an active violence training drill last week in Grand Ledge.

Part of that drill covered the use of trauma kits which can be used for treating injuries.

Grand Ledge Area Fire Chief Mike Roman says the kits were first introduced three years ago, and are now a fixture in every classroom in every Grand Ledge school.

“The kits were inside the classrooms, and they were used properly by the teachers and by the students,” Roman says. “It’s obviously fake injuries, but in my eyes, it worked to save lives.”

Roman says preparing for an emergency starts with being aware of what’s happening in your surroundings.

Grand Ledge Public Schools Superintendent Bill Barnes helped plan and coordinate the training.

He says school safety is always a work in progress.

“We’ll continue to learn like we did last week; and each one of those drills and each one of those interactions is an opportunity for us to know more so we can do better,” said Barnes.

Grand Ledge students return to class on Wednesday, Aug. 31.

Kevin Lavery served as a general assignment reporter and occasional local host for Morning Edition and All Things Considered before retiring in 2023.
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