Eye On Education: Patrick Announces Task Force To Improve School Safety

REVERE (CBS) -- State officials say many schools in Massachusetts are not prepared for an emergency situation.

That's prompted Gov. Deval Patrick to create a new task force.

"At the state level our focus has mainly been on gun safety," Patrick said. "But we've all felt that better planning for a calamity that we hope will never come is a better course."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Lana Jones reports

Officials were at Revere's Whelan Elementary School Thursday to roll out the task force which will include police, counselors, and school officials and will create a model plan for both emergency situations and for providing a safer environment overall.

The task force is expected to have a detailed plan for Massachusetts' schools.

"There is likely still to be local tailoring of the recommendations so that they make sense in individual school districts," Patrick said.

Patrick said currently, districts lack resources to be able to come up with any planning themselves.