2. Todays Topics These procedures are NOT your Safe School Plan
They can be a part of it These are specific tools and measures that
will help you navigatethrough an immediate lockdown or shelter
in-place emergency situation at your site And get children safely
and securely reunited with their loved ones Todays objective is for
you and/or your site team to activelyreflect upon your current
readiness Lockdown, Shelter In-Place, Communication/Re-Unification,
andIncident Command Work together as a team to assess and dialogue
about how you evolve from where you are now to where you think you
need to be in terms of readiness 2 3. Why is this important? FBI
Law Enforcement Bulletin (September, 2010) Information in the first
few moments may be scant, fragmentary, and sometimes ambiguous. If
lockdown is ordered swiftly and clearly in large schools, the
associated protective factors take effect almost immediately
[However]Many rural schools are located in small, isolated towns
served by only state police or sheriffs departments. The far-flung
patrol responsibilities and limited staff levels of those agencies
make a 20- to 30-minute response time an optimistic best-case
scenario; in reality, it may take 45 minutes to an hour before
authorities arrive [Therefore]An effective response requires
school-specific planning and coordination grounded in local
conditions. To open a discussion on and promote the development of
options for action during those first few minutes when hiding
quietly and waiting for help may not be viable are paramount goals
for all communities 3 4. Personal, Local, Immediate Relevance Man
hunting coyote prompts Waukesha West H.S. lockdown(WI) fox6now.com
^ | 22 May, 2012 | Katie DeLong Posted on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
5:34:24 AM WAUKESHA Waukesha West High School was put on lockdown
Tuesday morning, May 22nd after Waukesha police got a report of a
man with a gun. As it turned out, there was a man with a .22 rifle
in the area who was apparently hunting a coyote. The school was on
lockdown for just under a half-hour. Officials say no one was
hurt.BTW: Waukesha West High School serves an unincorporated rural
area of Waukesha, WI (population 7500)4 5. Personal, Local,
Immediate Relevance (Contd) THE ISSUE: District 44 reviews BB gun
incident 10/04/2012 OUR VIEW: School staff made the right calls,
and incident policy is sound The contingency plan was in place. The
unexpected happened, the plan went into action and played out as
intended. Ideally, the unexpected never occurs, but when surprises
arise, it's comforting to know the advance work was not in vein.
Folks in Streator (Il) know the story well by now, but here again
are the pertinent details: At 8:15 a.m. Sept. 21, a Friday,
Northlawn Junior High School administrators learned there was a BB
gun in the building. As per the school's emergency plan, classrooms
were placed on soft lockdown. Police were called immediately, and
school officials located the gun, in two separate parts, in two
students' lockers. The students were disciplined according to
district policy. The lockdown ended after 25 minutes.One positive
thing that came out of it, at the end of the day we met as a staff
and debriefed and talked about things that we could improve on,
Nuckles said. "There were some learning experiences as a staff. We
realize in our changing schools (situations) do happen so we want
to be prepared if they ever didIt sounds as if school officials are
making the best of the situation. Other schools in the district
will benefit as well, without having to experience the incident
firsthand. Parents need to know and trust that school officials
make student safety the top priority. Nothing that happened at
Northlawn should convince them otherwiseFYI: Streator Illinois
population 13, 000 6. Pre-Quiz/Test your Knowledge Lets find our
baseline Select the best possible answer6 7. During a lockdown, you
should Ensure the hallways are empty B. Lock the doors and turn off
the lights C. Keep students quiet and away from doors and windows
D. Designate a student as a lookout to monitor the situation in the
hallway A. 8. The Correct Answers are A, B, and C are all
acceptable responsesremember toignore alarms and bells, verify
attendance, and wait for the all clear signal Student safety and
security are first and foremost Designating a student to serve as a
lookout wouldtherefore be inappropriate 9. When a Shelter in Place
is required, you shouldCrawl under your desk and assume the fetal
position B. Turn off the lights and keep students quiet C.
Designate a student to inventory and retrieve emergency supplies D.
Go on with your day as normal, while staying inside A. 10. The
Correct Answer is D Shelter in Place refers to a potential
dangeroutside Hence, you would want everyone to seek shelter inside
Drop and Cover would apply to an earthquake Turning off the lights
would be necessary if this were alockdown We can maintain normal
activities while remaining inside the building. 11. Question: when
conducting "Student- Parent Reunifications, you should Have clear
and concise instructions B. Make sure there are limited access
entry and exit points C. Get students off the school site as
quickly as possible D. Make sure your emergency contact records are
accurate A. 12. The Correct Answer is A, B, AND D Getting students
off the school site is indeedimportant, but it must be done in an
orderly and systematic manner To ensure proper transfer of custody
from school site toparent is done appropriately (and lawfully) 13.
A Setting for an Emergency Little River Middle School (fictitious)
Little River MS City population 5,000+ No active Local Emergency
Planning or Joint Operations Little River Middle School 400
students School District lost their SRO last year due to funding
issuesand police department staff reallocations Mid-April, weather
mild13 14. Scenario Sometime shortly after lunch a visitor who had
just parked in theschool parking lot and was walking to the school
heard a gunshot followed by a loud scream from a child As he ran to
the school, he observed a student bleeding on a benchnear the
parking lot, apparently injured with a single gunshot wound to the
leg The alarmed visitor ran to the school office and reported a
possibleassault by a random shooter14 15. Additional Information
The danger zone appears to be limited to the school parking lot No
other witnesses appear to be present. No additional injuries or
victims are reported The student victim was popular among his peers
A student was assaulted two years ago and the school/district
wasscrutinized/criticized for their lack of response and because of
the high levels of reported bullying at the school The student
victim had been known to be a bully15 16. Problem Summary A student
has been shot and injured on school grounds. Questions: How to we
ensure the safety of other students / staff and prepare for the
community response?What immediate actions should the school take?
Why? Small group discussions. Be prepared to share out16 17.
Adult/Supervisory Response to Immediate Threat What is your
responsibility? Act and react Perform as you were trained Accept
help and relinquish command and control when professional help
arrives The Challenge: how do you preserve and protect thesafety
and security of students and staff? When situations are unfolding,
escalating, and/orunraveling quicker than you can think of
solutions?18 18. Emergency Lockdown Lockdown: Use when there is an
immediate threat ofviolence in, or immediately around, the school
Types of threats: Shooter Fight Domestic dispute or disturbance
Intruder on-campus19 19. Lockdown Decision Considerations Is there
an immediate threat to the safety and security of students
andstaff? Can the threat be isolated or de-escalated without
compromising the safety and security of staff and students? Can you
justify your decision (not to lockdown) should the situation
deteriorate or escalate? Do you have any reasonable options or
alternatives? Trust your leadership instincts How will your
decision affect or impact students, staff, parents? How will your
decision be perceived or viewed (structure of your system and inthe
context of your leadership role)? Get as much information as
possible (if possible) to make your decision From your leadership
team From your districtcircumstances permitting No time to consider
politics Once you make the decision, commit to itits about safety
and security20 20. Lockdown Procedure Students on playground, in
halls and restrooms move to the nearest classroom. Classroom doors
and all exterior doors/ windows are immediately locked. Cover
windows and door window panels, if able. Sit on floor out of sight
of windows, doors. Take attendance. Do not open door or windows.
May only be released from Lockdown by police or administrator and
designated staff unlocking doors.21 21. Things to remember while in
lockdown Lockdown means LOCKDOWN Nobody comes in nobody goes out
Until you are given an all-clear from an administrator, law
enforcement, or EMS staff Depending on the situation as it evolves
There may be limited movement throughout thebuilding proper
However, again, nobody in or out All Clear may come via PA system
Depending on conditions 22 22. Lockdown
Considerations/Complications Students may not be locked in in
regular classroomhow to coordinate attendance Is anyone assigned to
check bathrooms? Teacher off-campus during lunchbuddy system to
supervise students? Communications and commands to staff and
students Communication to parents and community How are staff
accounted for? Sign in/out? Accounting for substitutes, visitors23
23. Additional considerations When in lockdown There is no time for
heroic measuresheroics are for lawenforcement and EMS Remained
focused on the children in your charge Remain calmeven if you are
not sure what you are supposed to be doing (its okay to be
afraidbut it is not okay to show it in an emergency) Calm voices
and demeanor have transferable power in a crisiswatch your walkie
talkie voice Conversely, panic is virally infectious Convey any
concerns or discrepancies/ask for clarity thru the chains of
communication Take your attendance in frequent routine intervals
You must know where children in your care are at all times 24 24.
Discussion/Group Work Why is Lockdown planning important? Does your
site currently have procedures in place for lockdown? Have you
practiced lockdown at your site? What are your next steps as it
relates to lockdown emergency procedures at your site? Needs?
Constraints? Be prepared to share out 25 25. Lockdown Preparedness
What are strengths ofour plan? ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ What are our concerns?
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________26 26. Lockdown Preparedness What do we do next?
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________27 27.
Questions, answers, and comments28 28. Extraordinary Circumstances:
Hit the Deck Anyone recognizing immediate danger shouts Hit theDeck
Everyone immediately drops to the ground and lies flat. No one
should get up until an adult gives directions.29 29. Hit the Deck
(contd) This response is usually used in the event of
gunfire.Usually followed by Lock down or evacuation when safe to do
so.30 30. Procedures and Supplies 31. Shelter In Place This
response is used for hazardous materials in theenvironment. Shelter
in-place would also be used in the following situations Act of
terror Other related impending military action Locally Regionally
Nationally32 32. Shelter In Place: Procedures Move everyone inside.
(interior rooms on upper level floors). Close and lock all windows
and doors. Custodian to immediately shut down all HVAC units . Call
central maintenance? Seal off all openings with tape and plastic
(windows, doors, heat/ air units, electrical outlets, etc). Await
instructions from public officials before exiting shelter. 33 33.
Additional Considerations Are there adequate and accurate maps and
floor plansof your building? All doors and windows clearly marked?
Vents? Are there (manual) shutdown instructions for HVAC?
Communication between staff members? Walkie talkies? Email? Phone
tree? Frequency of updates34 34. Go-Kit Handout Things to
consider35 35. Heres what many schools are doing in addition
Individual Child Emergency Kits Cover letter to parents Please
place the following items inside the Ziploc bag labeledwith your
childs name and bring to your childs classroom: Change of
clothesi.e., t-shirt, pants, socks, and underwear 2 small, sealed
bottles of water (8-12 oz.)2 protein/power bars 1 small package
moist towelettes Also recommended: A reassuring note from parents A
family picture A small working flashlight36 36. Discussion/Group
Work What supplies will classrooms need if the
lockdown/shelter-in-place lasts several hours? How will
communication with parents and families be handled during the
response? What special preparation will be required for your
current special needs population? What are your next steps as it
relates to shelter in-place? How will communication within the
school be conducted? Backup/redundancy?37 37. Discussion/Group Work
Do you currently have emergency supplies onhand at your site?
School? Every classroom? What do your go-kits consist of? What are
the strengths and weaknesses of your current emergency supplies
on-hand? What are your next steps in terms of planning?
Share-out/questions, comments 38 38. Shelter In-Place Preparedness
What are strengths ofour plan? __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ What are our concerns? __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________39 39.
Shelter In-Place Preparedness What do we do next?
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________40 40. Emergency
Supply Readiness What are the strengths of our on-site Emergency
Supplies? ________________ ________________ ________________
________________ ________________ ________________ What are our
concerns regarding our Emergency Supplies? ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ 41 41. What do we need to
do next? ____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ ____________________________
____________________________ 42. Media, Staff, and Parents 43.
Communication Considerations Public information is critical
Establish protocols in advance for communicating timelyand
consistent information during emergencies Agreements with community
agencies about the release of information and designation a PIO
Template letters that can be used in a crisis Communication
considerations should include parents/guardians, school staff, and
the media 44. Communication Considerations: School Staff Use plain
language to communicate during anemergency (Sometimes) less is more
Verify information before responding Develop a system for staff and
student accountability: Up-to-date class rosters and student
emergency information: Information on medical conditions Custody
issues Identifying students who are not accounted for Communication
to students Students and cell-phones 45. Communication
Considerations: School Staff Develop a communication plan
forlockdown situations Consider emergency plans for after-school
activities (i.e., sporting events, dances, graduations, etc.)
Emergency plans for after-school programs led by non-school staff
46. Communication Considerations: Parents Provide information on
emergency response procedures Reunification procedures:Clearly
articulate parent expectations (i.e., bring photo id, students
released to parent/guardian or other pre-authorized emergency
contact, etc.) Translate information as necessary Emergency
notification systems: Identify media partners School webpage
Automatic phone/email notification Incorporate redundancy Update
parent and emergency contact information periodically Emphasize
importance of family preparedness 47. Communication Considerations:
Media Assign a single Public Information or go-to person to handle
media inquiries Qualities, characteristics, and responsibilities
Identify media staging areas Establish policies and procedures for
dealing with media requests/inquiries Coordinate media releases
with community partners: Ensure that messages are consistent Ensure
that information released is consistent with state and Federal
privacy laws (i.e., FERPA) Limit media exposure to students 48.
Student-Parent Reunification Clear and concise parent expectations
are imperative: Photo ID required Students only released to
parent/guardian or other pre-authorized emergency contact, etc.
Pre-designated ingress for parents and egress for students ONE or
TWO access and exit points Pre-designated Student Safety and Care
Officer(s) Custodian of student recordsto verify parent, guardian,
and/or emergency contact Incident Command System49 49. Additional
Considerations for Reunification You will be dealing with emotions
From parents From students Your own Remember to remain calm Calm
voices and steady demeanor has transferable power Conversely, signs
of aggravation and frustration can infectiously escalate a
situation into hostile intensity Take a breath if you need tojust
say, pardon me a moment Never release a child to a person unless
you verify their legal right to custody of that child No matter how
much you think you know them, you do not knowthem unless they are
verified pursuant to emergency contact information on record50 50.
Discussion/Group Work Does your site currently have communication
protocols in place inthe event of an emergency? Do they include
reunification protocols and procedures? Have you practiced
implementing your emergency communication procedures at your site?
What are the strengths and weaknesses of your current
communications and reunification plans? What are your next steps as
it relates to emergency communication and reunification procedures?
What measures are needed to put plan in place? What are the
possible or potential constraints? What are some of the immediate,
local, and regional realities that may influence or impact your
procedures ?51 51. Communication and Reunification Preparedness
What are strengths ofour plan? ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ What are our concerns?
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________ ___________________ ___________________
___________________52 52. Communication and Reunification
Preparedness What do we do next? _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________53 53. Overview of Incident Management
Systems and Structures 54. Incident Command A commonly accepted
plan for disaster incident management that assigns tasks and allows
for rapid, expert decision making. Enhances communication at the
incident sitewithin each agency and between agencies. The Incident
Commander is responsible until the authority is delegated to
another person.55 55. From NIMS to (local) relevance National
Incident Management System is animportant set of measures designed
to create capacity and structures to for schools and districts To
help them respond to an emergency situation at aschool site and/or
throughout an entire school system Key Influences Columbine High
School incident September 11th Regional (state-wide) Influences:
Statewide Firestorms (2003, 2005, and 2007) 56. Incident
Commandwhen do we use it? When the event at the site is or has the
potential to become an immediate threat Life and limb of students
and staff When event at the site is part of or affected by alocal
or regional emergency Fire Earthquake Tsunami57 57. Incident
Command v Site-Based Decision Making Incident Command entails a
successive chain of leadership (chain ofcommand) The command
structure is purposefully top-down In other words, someone will
tell you what to do, and your responsibility is to follow-through
with what you are being told to do Its design and purpose is to
guide the system and its inhabitantsthrough a major event or crisis
from start to finish During the event Command is activated and
decisions are commands Once the event is over Command structure is
deactivated Decisions are collaborative 58 58. Incident Command
System: District or (large) siteper: NIMS Incident CommandLiaison
OfficerSafety OfficerPublic Information OfficerOperations Section
ChiefPlanning Section ChiefLogistics Section ChiefFinance/
Administration Section Chief 59 59. Reality: Incident Command
Structure at a small school site Incident Commander (Principal)
Public Information Officer (School Secretary)Safety/Operations
(Assistant Principal)Student SafetyLogisticsStudent Care and
Recovery 60 60. Site-Based Incident Command Incident Commander Is
in charge of any crisis until appropriate emergencyresponder
arrives. Assesses level of danger and determines level of threat.
Establishes inner and outer perimeter and summons additional help.
In the event of a major crisis the Incident Commander establishes a
command post Summons the Incident Command Management Team to the
Command Post61 61. Site-based Incident Command Safety and
Operations Most likely and Assistant Principal, Senior or Lead
TeacherIn some (small site) cases IC, Safety and Operations will be
the same person Monitors safety conditions of students/school staff
and develops measures for assuring their safety as the incident
evolves Determines if response actions/strategies by Emergency
Operations team can cause harm to staff/students Determines whether
students may need to be evacuated from the school site 62 62.
Operations Teams Student Safety (Teachers, Nurse) Search and
rescue, triage Logistics (Maintenance, support staff ) Emergency
supplies Communications Facility conditions/integrity Student Care
and Recovery (Counselor) Traumatized students Reunification with
parents Recovery/aftercare from incident 63 63. Incident Command
Staging Areas Examples Command PostIncident Commander Principals
Office Media/Communication Library or Counselors Office First
Aid/Shelter/Triage Cafeteria/Covered lunch area
Reunification/Release Athletic field or play-yard Open space where
entry and exit can be easily limited orr controlled, modified,
and/or restricted (if necessary) 64 64. Recovery The primary
objective of the recovery Return to learning and restore the
infrastructure as quickly as possible. Restore the physical plant,
as well as the school community. Monitor how staff are assessing
students for the emotional impact of the crisis. Identify what
follow up interventions are available to students, staff, and first
responders. Conduct debriefings with staff and first responders.
Reflection Lessons learned/Plus Delta Implement lessons
learned/next steps in future action plan 65 65. Reflection and
Dialogue ICS Reality Check What do you currently have in place As a
district? As a school site? What are the strengths and weaknesses
of your currentaction plan? What are your next steps66 66. Incident
Command Readiness What are strengths ofour plan? __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ What are our concerns? __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________
__________________ __________________ __________________67 67.
Incident Command Readiness.. What do we do next?
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________
_________________________ _________________________68 68. Little
River Middle School--redux 69. Little River Middle School Little
River Middle School (fictitious) Little River MS City population
5,000+ No active Local Emergency Planning or Joint Operations
Little River Middle School 400 students School District lost their
SRO last year due to funding issuesand police department staff
reallocations Mid-April, weather mild70 70. Scenario Sometime
shortly after lunch a visitor who had just parked in theschool
parking lot and was walking to the school heard a gunshot followed
by a loud scream from a child As he ran to the school, he observed
a student bleeding on a benchon near the parking lot, apparently
injured with a single gunshot wound to the leg The alarmed visitor
ran to the school office and reported a possibleassault by a random
shooter71 71. Additional Information The danger zone appears to be
limited to the school parking lot No other witnesses appear to be
present. No additional injuries or victims are reported The student
victim was popular among his peers A student was assaulted two
years ago and the school/district wasscrutinized/criticized for
their lack of response and because of the high levels of reported
bullying at the school The student victim had been known to be a
bully72 72. Problem Summary A student has been shot and injured on
school grounds. Questions: How to we ensure the safety of other
students / staff and prepare for the community response?What
immediate actions should the school take? Why? Small group
discussions.73 73. The Emergency Unfolds: Actions Taken The office
staff called 911 and the Principal. The Principal made the decision
to place the school inlockdown. She made the call over the intercom
announcing the schoolwas going into lockdown and asked for teachers
to check their email for further notification.74 74. Questions for
Thought and Discussion Was the decision to go into lockdown a good
one? Why? Should someone go out investigate the scene? Why? Orwhy
Not? Why email? What information should the office convey to
teachers? What information should the teachers convey to
students?75 75. Messages 911 dispatch informs school that EMS
should arrive onscene w/in 30 minutes Police are en-route but they
are not in closeproximityETA 15 minutes76 76. Scenario gets
trickier 20 minutes into lockdown and after receiving update
emailfrom office, one of the English teachers messages back saying
she is concerned about a male student who is unaccounted for who
might likely have had access to weapons from home The 2nd student
had been in classes during the morningperiods. Police have been on
scene for 5 minutes.77 77. Additional Questions Does this
information impact your current response actions in anyway? What
communications need to be occurring within the school, to
thedistrict? Is Incident Command appropriate for this situation? If
so, what Incident Command functions should be initiated? Who would
be performing these functions? Does lockdown complicate Incident
Command roles? Discussion/reflection 78 78. Reflection and
Dialogue(contd) What are your possibilities and feasibilities in
terms of yourplanning in general? Lockdown Shelter in-place
Parent-Student Reunification What are your constraints or obstacles
School site? District What do you need to do next? 79 79. Thank you
For More Information Excell Education Innovations Bruce L. Mims,
Ed.D www.ExcellEducationInnovations.com
[email protected] Ph: (562) 508-2461 80.
Evaluation Which idea or topic did you find the most useful or
helpful? Which did you find the least helpful? Overall, I found the
presentation and workshop empowering (circleone) Strongly agree
Agree No decision Disagree Strongly disagree Additional Comments or
suggestions
