Coral Reef Elementary, working with the Safer Compass Foundation, unveiled the Project ZERO safety initiative during a special event at the school the morning of Oct. 13 with school and government officials in attendance.
Beginning with a breakfast reception in the Media Center at 8:30 a.m. the program began at 9 a.m. in the cafeteria with hundreds of students, dozens of teachers and school administrators and local government officials, as well as the creators of Project ZERO attending.
Speeches by participating officials and performances by student chorus members and cheerleaders rounded out the event before the actual ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the school.
Principal Christina Guerra and school staff took the stage with Dr. Lawrence S. Feldman, Miami-Dade County Public Schools board member for District 9; Palmetto Bay Mayor Eugene Flinn; Village Councilmembers Karyn Cunningham and Tim Schaffer; Miami-Dade County District 8 Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, and Project ZERO creators Jeff and Jennifer Childers.
Music teacher Theodore Nicholeris directed the student chorus through several songs.
Project ZERO (Zone Emergency Response Operation) is a navigational aid designed to assist first responders in locating a critical area in an emergency situation, whether it be fires, medical emergencies, accidents or a safety threat of some kind. It establishes numbered and color-keyed zones around the school with signs in each area so that someone reporting a problem can give a more specific location to first responders.
The program was developed by teacher Jennifer Childers and her husband, Jeff Childers, a law enforcement officer. Designed primarily for schools, it has applications for any structure or space in the community, including government buildings and parks.
“Project ZERO was adopted here at Coral Reef Elementary,” Jennifer Childers said. “One of the community members that lives here went ahead and donated some money to be sure that the students at the school, as well as teachers and administrators, would be safe.
“Because of the program being implemented the first responders can get to the critical incident at a faster rate. Thank you to the community member who donated the money,” she added.
Co-creator Jeff Childers stressed the difference the system makes in getting help more quickly.
“Two field tests with the largest Southeastern Florida police department and the fourth largest school district did a joint drill and they were able to reduce response time at one of their schools utilizing the program by 75 percent,” Jeff Childers said. “So if there’s ever an emergency, if we can take eight minutes down to two minutes, we’re talking about saving time and saving lives.”
Dr. Feldman said that the program is not just about involvement, it’s also about engagement.
“This program is representative of when a community and a school system and a public entity such as a municipality come together to say we have to find ways to protect our children,” Dr. Feldman said. “Each organization has a different way of showing it and contributing.
“This community has said that this is important and we support it. This provides the kids with an identifier of where they are should they ever need it. It’s a proud moment when families and neighborhoods work together,” he added.
Information about the program is available at www.safercompass.org.
