For the 10th year in a row, the Utica National Insurance Group honored the Cairo-Durham Central School District with its highest award for safety, the Titanium School Safety Excellence Award.
Schools can earn three levels of distinction through Utica National’s Safety Excellence Award program: Gold, Platinum and Titanium. Awards are given based on specific criteria related to overall safety. Schools are evaluated in categories such as bullying prevention programs, playground safety and transportation.
“The health and safety of our students and staff is a top priority, and it has become increasingly important over the last 20 months,” said Michael Wetherbee, Superintendent of Schools. “Our district added many new safety measures since last year to make sure we are providing the safest in-person learning environment as possible.”
One example of new transportation safety measures at Cairo-Durham CSD is the use of a patented cleaning system on all district vehicles called the CAMS CleanseCoat System. Each application limits the growth of viruses and bacteria including COVID-19, influenza, norovirus and rhinovirus for up to 60 days.
“This treatment is used in conjunction with daily routine cleaning and disinfection,” said Jeffrey Miriello, the School Business Official who also oversees the Buildings & Grounds and Transportation Departments. “It is an added layer of protection to help keep students and staff healthy.”
The District partnered with Questar III BOCES to apply the CAMS CleanseCoat System throughout its fleet of vehicles every few months. It works by creating a protective antimicrobial barrier over porous and non-porous surfaces. The product is approved by the New York State Department of Environmental Conversation and is included on the Environmental Protection Agency’s List N of disinfectants expected to kill all variants of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19).
Cairo-Durham has earned the Titanium School Safety Excellence Award each year since 2012, as well as in 2009 and 2010. In 2011, the District received the Platinum award, which is the second highest level schools can achieve.