The Tamaqua Safety Commission talked about mental health this week.

“Right now, what we’re doing as administration, we’re trying to sort through the weeds all of the different types of trainings that are available,” said Tamaqua Superintendent Ray Kinder. “How to fit those in with our schedule to train our teachers, and also make sure we are meeting the state’s definition of what it means to be a trauma-informed school.”

According to traumaawareschools.org, “In a trauma-informed school, the adults in the school community are prepared to recognize and respond to those who have been impacted by traumatic stress. Those adults include administrators, teachers, staff, parents and law enforcement.”

“There are just so many things that these kids come to school with. It’s helping staff to try and understand so we can react better,” said Cathy Miorelli, M.S.N., R.N.

The committee plans to discuss the topic more in-depth during December’s meeting, as administration will continue to research and analyze the best way for the district to become trauma informed.

“We really don’t know what a lot of these kids are going through,” Kinder said.

“Sometimes their math homework is not the most important thing that’s happened in their life in the last 24 hours. There needs to be some sort of understanding of what’s going on in their lives in order to get them and reach them so you can not only help them with their problems, but also get them back on an academic track.”

Another lengthy discussion included the challenge of communication during a crisis. There were preliminary talks on how the local responders would arrive promptly and in an organized manner to a hypothetical disastrous scene, what roads fire police would have to block off traffic, how to keep parents and guardians who flood the scene safe from further danger, and so forth.

“I was really happy with the interaction between the members of the committee. Everybody has a different take on things, which is extremely healthy.”

There was no discussion of an armed staff, personnel or a new policy on Monday.

“I don’t want this committee to be reactive, but by the same token, we have to try to address as much as we can,” Wittig said after the meeting.

“We’re working backward. What happens after it happened — triage and now we’re working toward what happens before it happens; preventions and deterrence. I don’t know that you can prevent; that’s a very optimistic and a great way of looking at things, but I don’t know if it’s realistic.

“As uncommon and horrific as they are, I think that we have to be realists, and say these are the cards we’re dealt in today’s society, and we have to be prepared for it. If that means some kind of armed personnel that is compatible with Senate Bill 621, that’s what it means.”