Many of our district's safety training procedures are done in the fall so students and staff alike are well informed. To ensure that everyone knows what to do during an emergency, each of the schools in our district conducts two drills: a Lockdown Drill and a Fire Drill. The objective of an emergency drill is to build muscle memory and practice actions for various events or situations. These drills are managed in partnership with school leadership, district security staff, school resource officers, and communication staff. Families will be notified by email in advance in the event of a Lockdown Drill.
Here's what happens during a Lockdown Drill:
A Lockdown is called when there is something dangerous inside the building. A reminder is “locks, lights, out of sight” and includes the following steps:
- Students are trained to:
- Move away from sight
- Maintain silence
- Do not open the door
- Adults and staff are trained to:
- Recover students from hallway if possible
- Lock the classroom door
- Turn out the lights
- Move away from sight
- Maintain silence
- Do not open the door
- Prepare to evade or defend
Here's how family members can help:
- During a drill or actual emergency, please do not go to your child’s school. This allows emergency response teams to have clear access to the building.
- Do not contact your child via cell phone or social media, as they could potentially distract the child from being fully engaged in safety procedures.
- Ensure that your contact information is correct in the school system so that you can rest assured that you will be notified of any activity regarding your child’s safety.
- Learn about commonly used safety terms – including the differences between Lockdown, Secure, Hold, Evacuate, and Shelter – so that you have context for situations that may arise. Learn more about these terms and our Standard Response Protocol HERE.
Our school follows “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). We invite families to review this document. The “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s programs for crisis response and post-crisis reunification are used in more than 45,000 schools, districts, departments, agencies, organizations and communities around the world. They are created through the research-based best practices of school administrators, psychologists, public space safety experts, families, and first responders.
We appreciate your partnership and your child’s participation in these important safety drills. If you have questions, please email via the Safety Questions and Suggestions Form.