noti��cation system. “PEARLS will ��ll a gap for noti��cation to early childhood providers of potential danger in their area,” says Sammons. “Until now, there were no noti��cations to private early childhood providers like the public schools receive. As a former early childhood provider, it is my opinion that this is a major component of the program!” Backed by Local Law Enforcement Manatee County law enforcement of��cers are applauding the new training program for preschools. In fact, all three law enforcement departments throughout the county are fully supporting PEARLS. “I believe this program is a tremendously important addition to the early childhood community,” says Sgt. Leo Donnelly with the Bradenton Police Department. “The Early Learning Coalition of Manatee County identified a large gap in the safety of our community. These early learning centers have been left on their own in the noti��cation and training of active emergency situations. This need has already been taken care of in the elementary, middle and high schools by the School Board. The PEARLS program not only brings attention to that problem, but also resolves it.” Lt. Joel B. Perez with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Of��ce echoes that sentiment. “The PEARLS concept is something that we are already doing with our local schools,” he points out. “It only makes sense to extend this to our preschools.” “I believe the PEARLS program would help provide a faster response to lockdown the child care centers in an attempt to keep our children safe,” adds Detective Cavazos from the Palmetto Police Department. Shocking Statistics With the number of active shooter incidents and bomb threats on the rise, preschool directors and law enforcement p ro fess i ona l s say eme rgency preparedness programs like PEARLS are a necessity. “Unfortunately, society is warranting the need for such training,” Larkin says. According to FBI statistics, active shooter incidents in the United States continue to rise in frequency. The FBI reports there were 20 active shooter incidents in 2015 alone—nearly six times as many as the period between 2000 and 2001. As a result, nearly two-thirds of U.S. schools now hold some form of active shooter drills to teach students and teachers how to react in such a scenario, according to a survey by the ��overnment Accountability Of��ce. To make matters worse, school bomb threats are also skyrocketing in the U.S. According to the Educator’s School Safety Network (ESSN), U.S. schools received ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
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