Emergency Lockdown & Fire Drills
Regular fire drills and emergency lock down drills will be held throughout the year to practice student safety procedures.
Key Terms
Terminology is very important. Plans should clearly identify when "Lockdown" versus other terminology is to be utilized. Terminology used to order a lockdown, should be in plain language and leave no misunderstanding as to what is expected. No secret passwords should be used.
"Lockdown" should only be used when there is a major incident or threat of school violence within the school, or in relation to the school. The over - or misuse of lockdowns will results in staff/students becoming desensitized and they will not take lockdowns seriously.
"Hold and Secure" should be used when it is desirable to secure the school due to an ongoing situation outside and not related to the school (e.g., a bank robbery occurs near a school but not on school property). In this situation, the school continues to function normally, with the exterior doors being locked until such time as the situation near the school is resolved.
"Shelter in Place" should be used for an environmental or weather related situation where it is necessary to keep all occupants within the school and to protect them from an external situation. Examples may include chemical spills, blackouts, explosions or extreme weather conditions.