Maryland Resources Available for Active Abuser Event Prevention and Preparedness
(ANNAPOLIS, MD) – On behalf of the Maryland Center for School Safety and Active Assailant Interdisciplinary Task Force for the State of Maryland, we offer our heartfelt condolences to the families and communities directly affected by the horrific events in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York, as well as those across the country who are shaken by these events in their own local communities.
In Maryland, we are committed to working on mass violence prevention and preparedness for and response to such events in collaboration with our state, federal, and local partners with increased attention and diligence with a series of actions led by Governor Hogan in 2018. .
This includes ensuring that sufficient resources are made available to the public. The Maryland Active Abusers Interdisciplinary Task Force maintains a robust library of resources related to preventing, preparing for, and responding to active aggressor incidents. The material is divided into general prevention and early intervention resources, as well as sector-specific or audience-specific material relevant to specific industries, communities or events. To find resources and learn more, visit aaiwg.maryland.gov.
The state offers multiple resources for assistance. For school safety concerns, we offer the Safe Schools Maryland (SSMD) anonymous reporting system. SSMD exists to ensure that individuals have a mechanism to report school and student safety concerns anonymously and securely. Anonymous reports can be submitted by calling (1-833-MD-B-SAFE / 1-833-632-7233), by filling out an online form or by downloading the free Safe Schools Maryland app from the App Store or Google Play. More information about Safe Schools Maryland is available at safeschoolsmd.org. For non-emergency suspicious activity reports, call the Maryland Coordination and Analysis Center (MCAC) at 1-800-492-TIPS(8477). And, if you or someone you know needs help with mental or behavioral health care, please check the Behavioral Health Administration Help Pageor contact the Maryland Helpline at 2-1-1 press 1.
The passage of the Safe to Learn Act of 2018 expanded the resources and programming of the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS). MCSS provides schools and school systems across the state with training and support on school safety prevention and response, emergency preparedness, and creating and maintaining healthy school communities. The MCSS maintains a directory of school safety resources on its website for students, teachers and families, and will also send staff to conduct training sessions on topics of interest. To learn more, please visit schoolsafety.maryland.gov.
By Executive Decree issued February 28, 2018, Governor Hogan authorized the Maryland Active Aggressors Interdisciplinary Working Group (AAIWG), co-chaired by the Maryland State Police (MSP) and the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS ), under the supervision of the Maryland Department of Emergency Management (MDEM). The task force is comprised of multiple local, state and federal agencies, including the Maryland Center for School Safety (MCSS), to ensure all procedures are consistent across jurisdictional boundaries.
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CONTACT: Interdisciplinary Working Group on Active Abusers, 410-281-2361 or aaiwg.mdem@maryland.gov.
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