Letterhead will only be visible on the printed PDF version of the press release, in place of the "Boone County News Release" heading below.
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Kip Kendrick, Presiding Commissioner
Justin Aldred, District I Commissioner
Janet Thompson, District II Commissioner
Roger B. Wilson
Boone County Government Center
801 E. Walnut St., Rm 333
Columbia, MO 65201-7732
(573) 886-4305 (573) 886-4311
Boone County
Commission
UPDATE ACCORDINGLY
Letterhead will only be visible on the printed PDF version of the press release, in place of the "Boone County News Release" heading below.
Boone County News Release
For Immediate Release
Media Contact:
Chris Kelley, Director
Boone County Office of Emergency Management
Phone: (573) 554-7900
Email: ckelley@boonecountymo.org
Boone County OEM to Host “I Love U Guys” School Reunification Training and Exercise October 27-28
COLUMBIA, Mo. (October 24, 2025) - The Boone County Office of Emergency Management (OEM) will host the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Reunification Method (SRM) Training and Exercise on October 27-28, 2025, at the Northeast Event Center, 5212 N. Oakland Gravel Road, Columbia.
The two-day event will bring together educators, law enforcement, fire and EMS personnel, and emergency managers from across Boone County to strengthen their collective ability to reunify students and families following school emergencies.
Day one will focus on classroom instruction led by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, covering the nationally recognized Standard Reunification Method (SRM) and Standard Response Protocol (SRP). Day two will feature a live, hands-on exercise where participants will conduct a mock reunification, simulating the real-world challenges of reuniting students with parents or guardians after a critical incident.
“Reunifying children with their families after a school emergency is one of the most emotionally charged and operationally complex parts of crisis response,” said Chris Kelley, Director of Boone County OEM. “This training allows schools and public safety agencies to work side-by-side, building the coordination and understanding needed to do it safely and compassionately.”
The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s SRM has been adopted by more than 40,000 schools nationwide and is supported by state departments of education, law enforcement agencies, and emergency management organizations. The SRM provides a standardized, proven framework to ensure reunification operations are conducted efficiently and with care for all involved.
Members of the media are invited to attend and observe portions of the training, particularly the functional reunification exercises on October 28, to see how partners collaborate to strengthen school safety preparedness.
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