Governor Youngkin’s K-12 digital mapping program supports best in class technology to protect Virginia schools

On September 22, 2022, Governor Glenn Youngkin announced over 1,000 schools and 85 school divisions have participated in the K-12 Digital Mapping Program, originally announced on April 25, 2022. The Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS) coordinates this first-in-the-nation, top-down approach to protecting students and staff.

Virginia K–12 public schools that opt into the mapping program must share the digitized maps with local and state first responders to aid the response in the event of an emergency or crisis. Mass casualty events across the nation have underscored the importance of communication and collaboration with first responders before an incident. Accurate floor plans, high-resolution imagery, emergency response pre-planning, and true north gridded overlay in one map will enhance response time and eliminate confusion in multi-agency response.

“Our children’s safety is the utmost priority, and I’m pleased that my administration is taking key steps to enhance school safety. Virginia is the first state in the nation to execute a state initiative to standardize maps for all public schools,” said Governor Glenn Youngkin. “New Jersey followed our lead by adopting this same approach, and several other states are rushing to address this vital issue as well.”

“The goal is simple. We want to ensure that every public safety professional has access to the most up-to-date facility information in an emergency because every second matters,” said Secretary of Public Safety and Homeland Security Robert Mosier.

“As a parent, former police officer, and legislator, and now director of DCJS, I am honored to support our public schools in this manner,” said Director of the Department of Criminal Justice Services Jackson Miller. “DCJS is committed to strengthening and enhancing the collaboration between schools and first responders.”

Out of the $6.5 million dollars allocated for this unique program, $3,332,000 has been approved for schools to have their schools mapped with Collaborative Response Graphics® (CRGs®) technology. CRGs are simple visual communication and collaboration tools, usable under stress to coordinate emergency responses both outside and inside a building. CRGs enhance response time and improve command and control during an incident.

The Digital Mapping Program for Virginia K–12 Schools will fund up to $3,500 per public school. DCJS staff continues to work with local school divisions to answer questions and facilitate the progress with digital mapping. On August 15, 2022, DCJS staff held a webinar to discuss the digital mapping process. Here is a link to that webinar that details the mapping, application process, and reimbursement procedures: Digital Mapping Webinar

More information about the Digital Mapping Program for Virginia K–12 Schools can be found here.