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Ohio

Ohio has many agency programs and contacts that can help your school build a school safety plan. Check out these resources as you develop your plan.

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State Programs
Contact Information
State Resources

State Programs

Ohio School Safety Center

Ohio Department of Public Safety

The Ohio School Safety Center is responsible for assisting local schools and law enforcement with preventing, preparing for, and responding to threats and acts of violence, including self-harm, through a holistic, solutions-based approach to improving school safety.

Websitehttps://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/

Ohio Department of Education

State Board of Education

The Ohio Department of Education oversees the state’s public education system, which includes public school districts, joint vocational school districts and charter schools.

Websitehttp://education.ohio.gov/

Safer Ohio School Tip Line

Ohio School Safety Center

The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system that accepts both calls and texts 24 hours a day.

Website: https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/pre-k-12-schools/safer-ohio-school-tip-line

Ohio Handle With Care

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services and Hopewell Health Centers

Ohio Handle With Care (HWC) is a trauma-informed, cross-systems, collaborative program aimed at ensuring that children who are exposed to adverse events receive appropriate interventions and have opportunities to build resilience through positive relationships with teachers and first responders.

Website: https://handlewithcareoh.org/index.php

Threat Assessment Training

Ohio Attorney General's Office

Ohio School Threat Assessment Training is a combination of best practices from leading school-safety experts, including the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center. The Ohio guide helps schools team up with other community members, such as police officers and mental-health advocates, to prevent targeted violence and get help for troubled students.

Website: https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/threatassessment

School Facility Design

Ohio Facilities Construction Commission

The Ohio Facilities Construction Commission's School Security Resources supports a variety of design standards and technology initiatives to promote and improve safety and security in Ohio’s schools.

Website: https://ofcc.ohio.gov/Services-Programs/K-12-Schools/School-Security-Resources

School Safety Grants

Ohio School Safety Center

The Ohio School Safety Center's school safety grants outlines federal and Ohio-based grant opportunities along with eligibility requirements. 

Websitehttps://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/pre-k-12-schools/school-safety-grants

School Wellness Toolkit

Ohio Department of Education

The departments of Education, Mental Health and Addiction Services and Public Safety created a School Wellness Toolkit in response to heightened school mental health needs identified by educators, school administrators, community organizations, behavioral health providers and other stakeholders. The toolkit provides practical resources and tools to assist schools, districts and families in responding to the mental and behavioral health challenges amplified by the COVID-19 pandemic. The resources are organized by audience to ensure teachers, school and district administrators, and families can access the information most relevant to their own needs.

Website: https://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Student-Supports/Supporting-Student-Wellness-Toolkit

Contact Information

State and Local

Contact the Ohio School Safety Center for any issues related to school safety. The OSSC can provide contact information for other state agency partners and programs.

1970 West Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43223
https://ohioschoolsafetycenter.ohio.gov/
614-644-2641
OhioSchoolSafetyCenter@dps.ohio.gov

Contact OSROA regarding school resource officer requirements, association membership, and training opportunities. 

6277 Riverside Drive
Dublin OH,  43017
https://osroa.org/
614-718-3210
osroa@osroa.org 

Contact the OSBA regarding school board association membership, events, and opportunities. 

8050 N. High St., Suite 100
Columbus, OH 43235
https://www.ohioschoolboards.org/
614-540-4000

Contact ODE for more information related to school funding, administration, licensing, testing, and other school based resources.

25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
http://education.ohio.gov/
877-644-6338
contact.center@education.ohio.gov

Contact ODHE for more information related to degree programs, financial aid, and higher education resources.

25 South Front Street
Columbus, OH 43215
https://www.ohiohighered.org/
614-466-6000
hotline@highered.ohio.gov

Contact OMHAS for resources related to mental health community providers, suicide prevention, the Ohio Handle with Care program, and resources for schools, students, and parents.

30 East Broad Street, 36th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
https://mha.ohio.gov/
614-466-2596
questions@mha.ohio.gov 

Contact OSFM for code enforcement and school safety drill requirements.

8895 East Main Street
Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
https://www.com.ohio.gov/FIRE/
614-752-8200
websfm@com.state.oh.us 

Contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office regarding virtual threat assessment training for schools and law enforcement and school safety training grants.

30 E. Broad St., 14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/State-and-Local-Government/Schools

Federal

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
536 South Clark Street, 6th Floor
Chicago, IL 60605
(312) 408-5500

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Email: CISARegion5@hq.dhs.gov

Cincinnati
2012 Ronald Reagan Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45236
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/cincinnati
(513) 421-4310
Covers 48 counties throughout central and southern Ohio

Cleveland
1501 Lakeside Avenue
Cleveland, OH 44114
https://www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/cleveland
(216) 522-1400
Covers 40 counties in Ohio

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
233 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone Number:
(312) 353-5160
Fax Number:
(312) 353-4144

Other

Ohio Statewide Terrorism Analysis and Crime Center (Primary) – 844-557-8222/ 877-647-4683

Greater Cincinnati Fusion Center; Cincinnati, OH (Recognized) – 513-263-8000

Northeast Ohio Regional Fusion Center; Cleveland, OH (Recognized) – 216-515-8477 / 877-515-8477

State Resources