The public is invited to attend and participate in a community and schools safety summit planned for Thursday night, Jan. 31, at Model High School.

The event will begin at 7 p.m. in the high school’s auditorium.

The summit will feature law enforcement experts, school personnel and safety officials from the Georgia Emergency Management Agency.

Participants in the summit will include: Floyd County Sheriff Tim Burkhalter; Floyd County Police Chief Bill Shiflett; Floyd County Emergency Management Agency Director Scotty Hancock; Georgia Emergency Management Agency Regional School Safety Coordinator Anna Lumpkin; Jerry Jennings, a licensed professional counselor; Floyd County Schools Superintendent Jeff McDaniel; Floyd County Board of Education Chairman David Johnson; and members of the community.

“I know that I will never forget where I was on Dec. 14, 2012, when I heard about the horrific loss suffered at Sandy Hook Elementary,” McDaniel said of the deadly shootings in Connecticut. “This is not an education problem but rather an issue that is brought to our doorstep. We hope this event begins the discussion of how we move forward as a community.” The summit event will be concluded with an opportunity for those attending to ask questions or make comments.