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Delaware Tightens Security at Schools

Don Rush

DOVER, Del. (AP) - Delaware schools are facing new requirements for conducting safety drills under legislation being signed this week.

Legislation to be signed Wednesday by Gov. Jack Markell moves the compliance date for schools under the 2012 Omnibus School Safety Act to Sept. 10, instead of September 2017. 

The legislation also requires schools to conduct at least one critical incident tabletop exercise annually, rather than every two years. School also will have to conduct at least two lockdown/intruder drills per year, rather one critical incident exercise annually. 

Schools also will have to submit verification of the exercises to the Department of Homeland Security.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.