Safety app gives parents an informative platform

JACKSON, Tenn. — Tennessee families have been given tools to help in the safety of their students.

“This toolkit includes how to talk to your school about emergency plans, how to report suspicious activity at school, and where to find important contacts in mental health resources,” said Gov. Bill Lee.

One of the leading tools in the kit is the SafeTN app that is available to the public to download.

“The SafeTN app is really highlighted in this toolkit as an anonymous reporting device that anybody can use, and we encourage everyone to download that,” said Tim Gilmer, the Chief Support Services Officer for the Jackson-Madison County School System. “It’s an app that has resources in it that is dealing with mental wellness, bullying issues, violence, things that need to be reported and where to report them at.”

Parents are encouraged to get involved in a variety of ways. That includes serving on a committee, partnering with parent-teacher organizations and local law enforcements, and just reporting if an issue were to arise.

“Reach out to, if you feel like your child is being harassed, bullied, if they see crimes committed, just a reporting agency and also resources to go to when they need help, they have questions that they can’t answer,” Gilmer said.

“There is nothing more important than the safety of our children. And as we continue efforts to keep students safe, I encourage every Tennessee parent to take a look at this helpful toolkit,” Lee said.

As the schools continue to evolve in their efforts to keep students safe, the feedback from the community also grows.

“We want to thank the community for getting behind us and supporting us in this. Had a ton of positive comments saying we appreciate what you’re doing for us and, and that means a lot,” Gilmer said.

The app is found in both Google Play and the App Store.

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