Boone County Commission News Release

Boone County Office of Emergency Management, Local K-12 Schools, First Response Agencies, and Mental Health Providers to Host "I Love U Guys" Foundation Reunification Training

COLUMBIA, Mo. (June 2, 2025) - The Boone County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) is pleased to announce a partnership with local K-12 schools, first response agencies, and mental health providers to bring the nationally recognized "I Love U Guys" Foundation to Boone County for a two-day reunification training on June 3 and 4, 2025.

This training will provide practical tools and protocols to school staff, emergency responders, mental health professionals, and local officials to safely reunify students with parents and guardians following a school-based emergency.

Hosted in collaboration with several Boone County schools, the training will feature the Reunification Exercise (REx) from the "I Love U Guys'" Foundation, which includes instruction on the Standard Reunification Method (SRM) and Standard Response Protocol (SRP), two widely adopted frameworks designed to improve school safety and expand crisis coordination.

"This is an essential step in strengthening our county's ability to respond to school emergencies," said Chris Kelley, Director of the Boone County Office of Emergency Management. "By bringing together educators, law enforcement, fire, EMS, mental health providers, and other key partners, we are building a unified approach to keeping our students safe and reuniting them with loved ones quickly and safely."

Participants will receive hands-on, scenario-based instruction and planning resources to develop or enhance their school's reunification procedures. The training is part of the Boone County Office of Emergency Management's broader initiative to improve school safety preparedness, crisis communication, mental health coordination, and multi-agency response across the county.

This training is made possible through cooperative efforts with school leadership and public safety partners, underscoring Boone County's continued commitment to proactive emergency planning in educational settings.

For more information about Boone County's school safety initiatives, visit https://ShowMeBoone.com/OEM. To learn more about the "I Love U Guys" Foundation and their reunification training, visit https://iloveuguys.org/Training-and-Events.html#SRM-REx.

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