Thanks to $4.8 million in grant funds, Pennsylvania school employees will receive annual safety and security training at no cost to their schools.

Through a new training program grant approved by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency's School Safety and Security Committee (PCCD), all school employees in Pennsylvania will receive three hours of safety and security training every year.

At a recent meeting, the School Safety and Security Committee dedicated $4.8 million in state funding to support the development and launch of a new school safety and security training program for school employees and school safety and security coordinators. The school employee training will include an hour-long focus training on emergency training drills, including fire, natural disaster, active shooter, hostage situations and bomb threats, and the identification or recognition of student behavior that may indicate a threat the safety of that student, other students, school employees, other individuals, schools or the community.

The school safety coordinator training will include these topics as well as more in-depth training on emergency preparedness, physical security assessments and securing facilities and coordination and communication with law enforcement and emergency personnel.