Lockdown, Shelter-in-Place, & Student/Parent Reunification

1. Lockdown, Shelter-in-Place, & Student/Parent Reunification Mendocino County Office of Education

2. Today’s Goals • Inform you to become the trainer/facilitator for your site plan • Share best practices for preparedness • Develop draft procedures for your site you will refine with your staff • Identify issues that need to be resolved to have effective safety protocols • Order classroom kits for your school site

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 sheriff’s 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…”

4. Local relevance • Describe events causing any lockdowns at your district or school site:

5. Response to Immediate Threat… • The Challenge: to preserve and protect the safety and security of students and staff when situations are unfolding, escalating, and/or unraveling quickly • What is your (everyone’s) responsibility? • Recognize threat • Act and react • Perform as you were trained • Accept help and relinquish command and control when professional help arrives

6. Active Shooter Profile • An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined or populated area; in most cases, active shooters use firearms(s) and there is no pattern or method to their selection of victims. • Active shooter situations are unpredictable and evolve quickly. Typically the immediate deployment of law enforcement is required to stop the shooting and mitigate harm to victims.

7. Active Shooter Profile • Because active shooter situations are often over within 10-15 minutes, before law enforcement arrives on the scene, individuals must be prepared both mentally and physically to deal with an active shooter situation.

8. Coping with an Active Shooter • Be aware of your environment & any possible dangers. Take note of two nearest exits wherever you are. • If shooting starts, evacuate if possible. If not possible: • If you are inside, stay there and secure the door • If in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door • As a last resort, attempt to take the shooter down. Adopting a survival mindset.

9. When Law Enforcement Arrives • LE’s purpose is to stop the active shooter ASAP. They will proceed directly to the area where the last shots were heard. • The first LE arriving will not stop to help the wounded. • They may shout commands and push people to the ground for their safety.

10. How to Respond When Law Enforcement Arrives • Remain calm, follow instructions • Put down any items in hands • Immediately raise hands and spread fingers • Keep hands visible at all times • Avoid making quick movements towards officers • Avoid pointing screaming or yelling • Do not ask officers for help or directions, just proceed in the direction from which LE is entering

11. Info to provide LE or 911 • Location of Active Shooter • Number of shooters if more than one • Physical description • Number & types of weapons held by shooters • Number of potential victims at site

12. Discussion

13. Lockdown • Lockdown: Use when there is an immediate threat of violence in, or immediately around, the school • Types of threats: • Police search in area of school • Domestic dispute or disturbance • Fight • Intruder on-campus • Weapon observed • Shooter

14. Tips 1 & 2 for more effective lockdowns • Don’t focus all lockdown training on active shooter situations ( most severe situation) • People respond based on what they practice and may not respond effectively to other life threatening situations • Important to practice “soft” lockdowns where weapons are not present • People may be reluctant to “overreact” and call a lockdown to what may be perceived as a “minor” situation and miss an opportunity to prevent a situation from escalating and becoming more dangerous

15. Lockdown Procedure • Plain language announcement communicated to all • No codes to confuse substitute teachers, visitors • Must be heard/communicated everywhere on campus • Students on playground, in halls and restrooms move to the nearest classroom. (Reverse Evacuation) • This should be practiced • Classroom doors and all exterior doors/ windows are immediately locked. • Can doors be locked from the inside? If not are doors individually keyed? • Cover windows and door window panels, if able.

16. Lockdown Procedure (cont.) • Post color coded card to indicate room status • Green = Safe • Red = Need assistance • Sit quietly on floor out of sight of windows, doors. • Silence cell phones (student phones off?) • Take attendance. • Do not open door or windows. • May only be released from Lockdown by police or administrator and designated staff unlocking doors.

17. Lockdown Considerations/Complications • Students may not be locked in in regular classroom…how to coordinate attendance • Is anyone assigned to check bathrooms? • Communications and commands to staff and students • Communication to parents and community • How are staff accounted for? Sign in/out? • Teacher off-campus during lunch…buddy system to supervise students? • Accounting for substitutes, visitors • Arrivals and dismissals / school buses • After school programs, dances, sports events

18. Draft Lockdown Procedure • Use the Draft Lockdown Procedure form to review your current procedures and note improvements to be made… work with others • We will discuss examples in a few minutes

19. Lockdown Preparedness… • What are strengths of our plan? • ___________________ • ___________________ • ___________________ • ___________________ • ___________________ • ___________________ • What are our concerns? • __________________ • __________________ • __________________ • __________________ • __________________ • __________________ • __________________

20. Lockdown Comparison Hard Lockdown Soft Lockdown • Lock doors • Draw blinds • Seated out-of-view • Quiet • Take roll • Green/Red Cards • No entry or exit • Wait for All Clear • Lock doors • Draw blinds • Remain in seats • Instruction continues • Notify office if any students out-of-room • No entry of exit • Wait for all Clear

21. Extraordinary Circumstances: “Hit the Deck” • Anyone recognizing immediate danger shouts “Hit the Deck” • Everyone immediately drops to the ground and lies flat. • No one should get up until an adult gives directions. • This response is usually used in the event of gunfire. Usually followed by Lock down or evacuation when safe to do so

22. Shelter In-Place Procedures and Supplies

23. Shelter In Place… • This response is used for hazardous materials in the environment. • Shelter in-place could also be used in the following situations • Act of terror • Severe weather emergency

24. 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.

25. Additional Considerations… • Are there adequate and accurate maps and floor plans of 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 updates

26. “Go-Kit” Handout… • Things to consider…

27. Here’s what many schools are doing in addition… • Individual Child Emergency Kits… • Cover letter to parents… • “…Please place the following items inside the Ziploc bag labeled with your child’s name and bring to your child’s classroom”: • Change of clothes—i.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 flashlight

28. Discussion • 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?

29. Communication and Reunification Media, Staff, and Parents

30. Communication Considerations Public information is critical Establish protocols in advance for communicating timely and 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

31. Communication Considerations: School Staff • Use plain language to communicate during an emergency • Verify information before responding • Develop a system for staff and student accounting: • 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

32. Communication Considerations: School Staff Communication methods during after-school activities (i.e., sporting events, dances, graduations, etc.) After-school programs led by non-school staff must be included in Emergency plans Rosters with contact information Emergency numbers for medical, police, fire & on-call school site staff

33. Communication Considerations: Parents • Provide information on emergency response procedures in advance • 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

34. Communication Considerations: Media • Assign a single Public Information Officer (PIO) or “go-to” person” to handle media inquiries • 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

35. 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 records—to verify parent, guardian, and/or emergency contact • Runner sent for each student • Student housed and supervised in a separate area • Maintain records of who picked up each student

36. 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 to—just 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 know them unless they are verified pursuant to emergency contact information on record

37. Draft Reunification Plan • Answer a few questions about your existing plan or use the form to outline your draft plan. • We will discuss in a few minutes…

38. Discussion/Group Work… • Does your site currently have communication protocols in place in the 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 ?

39. Incident Command Overview of Incident Management Systems and Structures

40. Incident Command—when 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 a local or regional emergency • Fire • Earthquake • Tsunami

41. Incident Command v Site-Based Decision Making… • Incident Command entails a successive chain of leadership (“chain of command”) • 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 inhabitants through 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

42. Incident Command System: District or (large) site—per: NIMS

43. Reality: Incident Command Structure at a small school site

44. 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 current action plan? • What are your next steps

45. 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

46. Review • Immanent danger can happen here • Various responses are needed depending on the situation • People respond in ways they have practiced so practicing for various situations is imperative • Collaborative planning create buy-in and participation but response must be based on practice & following directions • Staff-initiated drills should be practiced

47. Active Shooter Review • Be aware of surroundings and possible danger • Escape if possible, always know where the exits are located • Hide and barricade yourself if you cannot escape • Fight with commitment if cornered

48. Lockdown Review • Everyone inside, doors & windows locked, shades drawn • Hide low and out-of-sight • Quiet • Take roll and account for everyone • No one leaves or enters until all clear • Food and water will be needed during extended events

49. Shelter-in-Place Review • Everyone inside, doors locked • Ventilation off and cracks sealed if toxic emergency • Take roll and communicate with authorities • Stay put until told it is safe to leave • Food and water will be needed for extended sheltering

50. Reunification Review • Inform parents and community of preparations and procedures in advance • Keep student information up-to-date • Establish physical separations to control access and allow accurate accounting for all student releases • Require ID & only release to authorized individuals • Keep records of who student was released to and the time