Tuesday, February 24, 2026–6:30 p.m.
-News Release-
John Fricks
For the second consecutive year, all eight Rome City Schools have been honored as Ready Georgia Seal of Preparedness schools. The district is one of only eight districts in the state to have all of its schools earn the designation.
Awarded by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) and the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA/HS), the Ready Georgia Seal of Preparedness recognizes schools that have gone above and beyond in the area of school emergency preparedness. The seal indicates that a school has taken the initiative to improve their emergency preparedness through extensive planning and risk mitigation efforts.
“Our schools have earned this recognition through focused work and a daily commitment to protecting students and staff. I commend all of our schools for taking ownership of safety and fully embracing our Keeping Schools Safe Initiative,” John Fricks, Director of Instructional Technology, Safety, and Operations for Rome City Schools, says. “This honor reflects more than a seal on the wall. It represents planning, training, and constant improvement. We continue strengthening our systems and implementing safety strategies to ensure every Rome City School remains secure, prepared, and safe.”
Rome City Schools’ Keeping Schools Safe Initiative centers on protecting students and staff through strong emergency preparedness, secure facilities, ensuring physical safety, and a clear commitment to mental health awareness. This comprehensive approach strengthens prevention, response, and support systems across the district. By addressing safety from multiple angles, Rome City Schools works each day to ensure every student and staff member learns and works in an environment built on protection, care, and readiness.
The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) partnered with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency (GEMA-HS) to recognize individual school efforts to safeguard their children, faculty, and staff.
“This recognition speaks to the culture of responsibility and care that exists across Rome City Schools. I am proud of our principals, teachers, and staff for the serious and consistent work they put into making safety a daily priority through our Keeping Schools Safe Initiative,” Rome City Schools Superintendent Dr. Eric L. Holland says. “Preparedness is not a one-time effort. It is an ongoing commitment to training, coordination, and improvement so that every student and every employee can learn and work in a secure environment.”
Schools receiving the seal of preparedness met specific criteria that include emergency operations planning, drills and exercises, training, security technology, and data analysis. These criteria included emergency operations planning, drills and exercises, training, security interventions, safety technology, and data analysis.
