District 88 hosts Safety and Security Tabletop Exercise in partnership with local first responders

At District 88, the safety and well-being of our students and staff is our No. 1 priority.

As part of that commitment and focus, we work closely and have a great partnership with our local police and fire departments, and we conduct various drills throughout the school year. On April 5, we hosted a Safety and Security Tabletop Exercise at District 88, where a group of nearly 60 people came together to continue this critical work and conversation. The group consisted of first responders from the Addison Police Department, the Addison Fire Protection District, the Villa Park Police Department and the Villa Park Fire Department (including Addison Trail School Resource Officer Eric Brant and Willowbrook School Resource Officer Bryan Hruby); local dispatchers; students from Addison Trail and Willowbrook; and representatives from Technology Center of DuPage (TCD), District 88 and Addison School District 4 (including administrators, Board of Education members, deans, teachers, student supervisors and buildings and grounds staff members).

The exercise consisted of a mock crisis situation and encouraged participants to discuss what would take place during a crisis and to think through how they would respond. This event allowed us to hear various perspectives, ideas and best practices and was a tremendous way to review our procedures. I would like to thank all those who attended, as well as Addison Police Department Deputy Police Chief Joe Maranowicz and District 88 Director of Student Services Sam Bentsen, who coordinated this exercise. We look forward to more opportunities like this to help ensure the safety and security of our buildings.

We want to assure you the security of our students and staff is always at the forefront of our work, and you can read more about our safety and security measures to maintain a secure and caring home at Addison Trail and Willowbrook at https://www.dupage88.net/site/page/8086. We all share the goal of making our schools safe and welcoming for students, staff and visitors, and we can accomplish that goal by working together and remembering that if you see something, say something. Should you have any questions, feel free to contact me at shelton@dupage88.net or 630-530-3980. Thank you for your continued support of District 88.

(From left) Willowbrook junior Emma Barrington, Willowbrook junior Munazia Ali and Addison Trail junior Adriana Gutierrez share their thoughts during a Safety and Security Tabletop Exercise on April 5 at District 88. During that event, a group of nearly 60 people came together to participate in a mock crisis exercise to continue the critical work and conversation regarding school safety.

Top left: Joe Maranowicz, Addison Police Department Deputy Police Chief, guides a Safety and Security Tabletop Exercise on April 5 at District 88. During that event, a group of nearly 60 people came together to participate in a mock crisis exercise to continue the critical work and conversation regarding school safety. Top right: Willowbrook social studies Department Head Pete Montgomery offers his perspective during the event. Bottom left: Brian Lindstrom, Addison Police Department Administrative Sergeant, participates in the discussion. Bottom right: Willowbrook Principal Dr. Daniel Krause shares his thoughts with the group.

Scott J. Helton, Ed.D.
Superintendent of District 88