It is critical to ensure that clear, practiced, and easy-to-followprocedures are in place during a crisis in order to protect and keep safe students, staff, and visitors on any Park County School District 6 campus. There are four basic “actions”:
Secure Perimeter (Lockout) - “Secure the Perimeter.” Secure Perimeter (Lockout) is used when there is an immediate threat or hazard outside of the school building to bring students and staff into the building as quickly as possible and lock all outside access points. Once in place, parents are not allowed to enter the building.
Lockdown - “Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out-of-Sight!” A Lockdown is used when there is an immediate threat or hazard inside of the school building or on school grounds to hide as many students/staff behind locked doors in the quickest time possible. Once in place, parents are not allowed to enter the building.
Evacuation - “Evacuate! followed by Type/Location.” An Evacuation is used when there is an immediate need to move everyone from one location to a different location, whether in or out of the building or off of school grounds in an orderly manner.
Shelter - “Take Shelter! followed by Type/Method.” A Shelter action is used when conditions outside are unsafe due to community event/incident or weather and the best means of protection is to take shelter within the school facilities.
Communication is essential in a crisis situation. The superintendent, building administrators, school resource officers, law enforcement, and the fire department are all primary contacts for others to relay vital information that must be shared.
Response – A critical ingredient in a safe school is the uniform classroom response to an incident at school. This protocol is based not on individual scenarios but on the response to any given scenario. Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders, and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by the school and district administration and staff.
Demand – This protocol carries an obligation from all involved. Students are smart. An implicit part of the protocol is that authorities and teachers tell students what’s going on; certainly, tempered at the elementary school level. Middle and high school students need accurate information for the greatest survivability, to minimize panic, and to mitigate recovery.
Benefits of using this protocol become quickly apparent. By standardizing the vocabulary, all stakeholders can understand the response and status of the event. For students, this provides continuity of expectations and actions throughout their educational career. This protocol also allows for a more predictable series of actions as an event unfolds.