Lockdown Safety Information

Due to the amendment of Act 207 of 1941 effective June 19, 2006, section (5) “A minimum of 2 drills in which the occupants are restricted to the interior of the building and the building secured is required for each school year at a school that operates any grades Kindergarten to 12th grade. A drill conducted under this subsection shall include security measures that are appropriate to an emergency such as the release of hazardous material or the presence of an armed individual on or near the premises.”  A third (3) drill shall be conducted during a time when students are not in their usual settings: lunch, recess or passing…

The purpose of a lockdown drill is to keep students, staff and visitors safe and accounted for during an emergency.

Each building Principal must coordinate one drill with local authorities to be present.
**Please note, district policy states all exterior and interior doors should be locked at all times.

Lockdown Procedures

A Lockdown is declared when, in the opinion of the Administrator-in-Charge, a situation exists threatening the safety of students and staff and requires that they remain in their classrooms.

Administrator’s Responsibilities

  • Immediately declare “Lockdown.”
  • Call 911, if necessary (push panic button).
  • Call Director of Student Services.
  • Direct the school bells to be turned off or inform staff to disregard school bells.
  • Escort any students in the hallways to a safe location.
  • Isolate the lock down area.
  • Await the arrival of emergency responders.
  • When appropriate, contact all substitutes.
  • Provide assistance as needed.
  • Coordinate with police/EMS personnel.
  • Advise the Crisis Management Team.

Staff’s Responsibilities

  • Immediately do a quick sweep of the hallways and instruct any students nearby to come into the room.
  • Close your classroom door and confirm that it is locked. (Doors must never be unlocked. Proper authorities will have keys.)
  • Stay with and direct students, take an attendance roll and provide assistance.
  • If students come into your room, record the names for reporting later.
  • Keep students quiet and out of the line of sight from interior windows.
  • Turn off all classroom lights.
  • Maintain calm in the classroom – keep all students, no hall passes.
  • Listen for announcements for further instructions, e.g. continue classroom instruction, reporting of missing students, etc.
  • Wait with the students until a uniformed officer or school official known to you invites you out.
  • Do not respond to the fire alarm during a lockdown unless a known administrator makes a supporting announcement.
  • Teachers without a class during a lockdown should do a quick sweep of the hallway, instruct students to come into their rooms, record their names, and remain in a secure location to await further instruction.
  • Unless notified otherwise on PA, all TV monitors should be off.
  • Cell Phone Use is prohibited 

Precautionary Lockdown (Soft Lockdown) 

This will be used to secure the building when a potential threat is identified by local authorities.  Directions will come over the P.A. from the principal.   Passing time will be determined based on the assessment of risk.  During precautionary lockdown situations, staff is to monitor all exterior doors during passing time.  Students may NOT open an exterior door during precautionary lockdown.

Intruder / Unauthorized / Unidentified Person on School Grounds​

Administrator’s Responsibilities

  • Assess the situation- Identify the problem and the location of the person and his/her description.
  • If appropriate, declare “Lockdown.”
  • Contact School Resource Officer where available.
  • Call 911.
  • Call Director of Student Services.
  • Meet the police and direct them to the location.
  • Approach the subject and determine the nature of their business within the building.
  • Ask for their identification.
  • Request them to accompany you to a secure area.

If the suspect is looking for a specific student, check their file for court orders, e.g. personal protection orders, custody orders.

  • If there is no acceptable reason to be in the building, ask the intruder to leave the building site.
  • If they refuse to leave:
    • Call 911.
    • Call Director of Student Services.
    • Prepare an account of the suspect’s description.
    • Await a police response.

Staff’s Responsibilities

  • Assess the situation.
  • Approach the subject and determine the nature of their business within the building.
  • Contact the school office or building administrator.
  • If it is an emergency, call 911.
  • Report the situation with location and description of the intruder.
  • Wait for the decision on whether to remain in the building or to evacuate.
  • Be prepared for possible lockdown or evacuation.
  • Await further instructions.

Building Threat (Non-Specific)

Administrator’s Responsibilities

  1. Evaluate the threat and determine if an evacuation or lockdown is needed.
  2. Call the Director of Student Services.
  3. If you feel the threat is valid: Call 911.
  4. Activate Evacuation or Lockdown procedures.
    • If evacuation is required, signal an evacuation of the building by using the fire alarm.
    • If Lockdown is required, initiate a lockdown of the building by using the PA system.
  5. With police/fire/bomb disposal officials determine when/if it is safe to re-enter the building.
  6. Complete checklist inside front flap.

Staff’s Responsibilities: Call school office

  1. Wait for decision on whether to lockdown or evacuate.
  2. If lockdown is ordered, follow lockdown procedures.
  3. Staff should look for unusual objects or items out of place.
    • Report suspicious items to school office on school telephone.
  4. If evacuation is ordered, follow evacuation procedures and staff should look for unusual objects on their way out of the building.
    • Report suspicious items to the building administrator immediately.
  5. Once evacuated, stay in your designated areas until you are told it is safe to return to the building.

Note: All building threats, whether or not deemed valid for evacuation MUST be reported to police.

Active Assailant

Follow these procedures within building whenever a person:

  • Engaged or attempting to use a weapon to threaten/kill people.
  • Says they are going to use a weapon.
  • Brandishing a weapon.

Building Moves to “Lockdown” Procedure Immediately.

Overall Procedures

  1. 1. Call 911.
  2. Notify the Administrator-in-Charge. Relay accurate information.
    • Where in the building is the event occurring?
    • How many are involved (perpetrators and hostages)?
    • What demands, if any have been made?
    • Is anyone injured?
  3. Render the appropriate assistance.

Responsibilities

  • Immediately declare “Lockdown.”
  • Call 911.
  • Escort any students in hallways to a safe location.
  • Isolate the lock down area.
  • Await the arrival of the emergency responders.
  • Provide assistance as needed.
  • Coordinate with the police/EMS personnel.
  • Call Director of Student Services.
  • Advise the Crisis Management Team.

If Weapon Is Found… Isolate the area. Do not touch the weapon. Police will secure the weapon for evidence.

If Subject Is Visible…

  • Stay calm and do not approach.
  • Determine the most reasonable way to protect your life.
  • Consider evacuation from the immediate vicinity.
  • Consider options to “hide out”- out of view, behind protective barriers, behind locked/blockaded doors.
  • Do not attempt to confiscate the weapon; communicate and cooperate with the subject.
  • Stay calm! If a suspect threatens you with a weapon, follow the suspect’s directions.
  • Do not try to be a hero.

Staff’s Responsibilities

  • If a weapon has been seen, follow the above procedures.
  • Open window treatments and close and lock your classroom door.
  • Make a list of all students not in the classroom who should be when the lock down was declared.
  • Record the names of students who enter the room after the lock down.
  • If directed to leave your classroom, take your class record book with you, if possible.
  • Do not attempt to contact the office unless you have pertinent information or require immediate medical attention.
  • Await further instructions from the Administrator in- Charge.

Weapons on School Property

Follow these procedures within the building whenever you know or suspect a student may have a weapon in a locker, car, or anywhere else on school property.

Definition

The term weapon includes: firearms, bombs, silencers, double-edged non-folding stabbing instruments, switchblade, blackjack, slingshot, billy club, bludgeon, metallic knuckles, sand club, sandbag, a taser or stun gun, including air and gas powered guns (e.g., BB, pellets or paintball guns), a gas ejecting device that is not a self defense spray device or any other article carried or possessed for use as a weapon, e.g. tire iron or baseball bat carried for purpose of assault or defense.

Administrator’s Responsibilities

  • Declare “Lockdown” if the situation appears threatening to the safety of the building.
  • Call 911.
  • Call Director of Student Services.
  • Determine if a reasonable suspicion exists to search for a weapon.

Staff’s Responsibilities

  • Notify the Administrator-in-Charge ASAP.
  • Do not attempt to approach or confiscate.
  • If a weapon is found, isolate the area and do not touch the weapon. Police will secure it for evidence.
  • Await further instructions from the Administrator-in-Charge

Violent Intruder(s) in Building: School-Wide Lockdown Procedures​

  1. When the designated lockdown announcement occurs. Stop all class activities and immediately take all students in your immediate vicinity into your room and shut the door. DO NOT OPEN THE DOOR FOR ANYONE. A law enforcement officer will come to your classroom to release students.
    • The announcement you will hear over the P.A. is “Staff. We are going to practice our violent intruder Safety Procedure. Teachers follow our Violent Intruder lock down procedure now. Staff. We are going to practice our violent intruder Safety Procedure. Teachers follow our Violent Intruder lock down procedure now. Ignore all bells and announcements. No cell phone use is permitted at this time.”
  2. Move all students in the classroom away from the classroom door where they are the least visible. The window of the door should be COMPLETELY covered.
  3. Remain quiet. Remain calm.
  4. Keep the classroom telephone free.
  5. Administrators will try to keep you informed.
  6. Ignore all bells and fire alarms and keep students in the classroom until released by a law enforcement officer, WW administrator or the principal.
  7. Take attendance immediately. Keep your class list and emergency folder with you in case your class is relocated.
    • Make a list of students who are on your roster and not present.
    • Make a list of students who are present and not on your roster.
    • If asked to relocate follow Law Enforcement Officers directions precisely.
  8. Students in the bathrooms or other areas outside of locked classroom will be directed to move to the main office or a secure area designated by law enforcement personnel or the principal.
  9. If a dangerous or suspicious situation is observed in the building, contact the office immediately by phone or call button. Do not leave the room or open the door.
  10. If the class is meeting outside of the building staff will be notified by the principal as soon as possible. Please keep the class together and move them to a safe location away from the building.
    • Any staff member who takes students out of the building for recess or an activity MUST have a walkie-talkie. If we are practicing a drill at recess please re-enter the building for the drill.

Non-Instructional Lockdown​

A need for a lockdown during non-instructional time may occur. We want to keep everyone safe. Staff needs to respond in a calm and assertive manner. Secure, hide, and barricade.

Lock-down During Passing Time​

What do teachers do during the situation?

  1. Open classroom door, if not already open, and encourage students to enter your classroom.  Direct students away from the door to allow more students to enter.
  2. Close the classroom door, which should always be locked, once the hallway is clear OR you see an immediate threat to student safety.
  3. Once your classroom is secured, follow normal lock-down procedures.
  4. Create and pass around a student attendance log, once it is safe to do so.  Neatly record student last name, first name, ID number and date of birth, and place in the emergency folder. This document will be given to local authorities upon the release of students This step will likely occur much later in the real situation.  The priority is to keep quiet.

What expectations do we communicate to students for this scenario?

  1. Students should quickly enter the nearest open door.
  2. Once in the room, students should take cover away from the door. Students need to remain as silent as possible.
  3. Students need to follow all adult directions.

Lock-down During Lunch​

What do teachers do during the situation?

  1. Classroom teachers follow the normal lock-down procedures.
  2. Cafeteria Supervision Staff should direct students to take cover near their lunch room table.
  3. If possible, the doors to the cafeteria should be shut.  They are currently open and locked.
  4. If possible, the cafeteria should be evacuated.

What expectations do we communicate to students for this scenario?

  1. Students should quickly take cover near their table.
  2. Students should remain quiet.
  3. Students need to follow all adult directions.

All Clear

All clear. Resume normal schedule. Principals need to verify that the panic button, blue light, PA, PBX, and phone system (911) are all in working order and debrief the staff at a later date on what worked and what didn’t. The principal must complete and submit a emergency drill documentation ( lockdown ) form to be placed on the district website as required by Homeland Security. 

Social Media Concern​

Administrator’s Responsibilities:

  • Obtain a copy of the social media concern.
  • Encourage others to NOT reply, forward, share, or “like” the content.
  • Contact emergency responders (police, fire, EMS, etc.) if necessary.
  • Verify the facts, who received this, from whom, when, and through what social media platform.
  • Gather context for the relationships of all parties involved.
  • Contact the Director of Student Services.
  • Contact the Director of Communications.
  • Identify an investigation team to collect information to be shared with Police.
  • Summarize all information to be shared with the district communications team for later distribution to students, staff and parents.
  • Assist with the implementation of a response plan coordinated with Central Office.

Staff’s Responsibilities:

  • Obtain a copy of the social media concern.
  • Encourage others to NOT reply, forward, share, or “like” the content.
  • Contact emergency responders (police, fire, EMS, etc.) if necessary.
  • Contact the building Administrator and communicate a full understanding of the situation.
  • If you cannot contact building administrator, contact the Director of Student Services.

Dealing with the News Media Contact

  • News media contact must be directed to the district’s Communications Director at 734-419-2001.

Resources

Emergency Drill Protocols

eop

accidents
fire