Ohio schools check their safety plans in light of Connecticut shootings

Ohio - The world was shaken with the news of 26 fatalities at an elementary school in Connecticut after 20 children and 6 adults lost their lives at the hand of a gunman.

Many schools across the country are once again checking their safety procedures. And some communities are discovering flaws.

The State of Ohio requires safety plans for each and every school. More than one thousand schools have complied - but 145 schools have not.

"Schools should have floor plans, blueprints and layouts of their school for tactical response" said Ken Trump, President of School Safety and Security Services. Local authorities need to have copies of these plans.

Trump pointed out that responders can't develop a crisis plan in a parking lot in the middle of a shooting. Advance preparation is key.

Even with the majority of schools in Ohio having a safety plan in place, it is necessary to update them regularly.

"Schools need not only to comply with the law and have a plan on paper. They need to make sure they're testing and exercising those plans" said Trump.

Focusing on the fundamentals is also important according to Trump. Lock all doors. Check all visitors and train your staff to greet and challenge strangers that are near a school.

Parents can contact their local school districts to make sure a current safety plan is in place.