Emergency Accountability

In the article “Have You Properly Tested Your School Lockdown Concepts?” the authors explained how to minimize problems within school lockdown drills. The problem with school lockdown drills is that they are not tested properly. This article provides information on how to properly test lockdown drills and increase preparedness in staff and students. In the past there have been consequences of schools where they only had one traditional lockdown drill and this includes Columbine High School, Red Lake Reservation High School and Sandy Hook Elementary School. These schools did not perform multiple scenario based drills that could have reduced casualties. In order to prepare for a school crisis, lockdown drills should be scenario based and should

At approximately 8:30 a.m. today, Wednesday, December 14th, we will be conducting a Lockdown Drill. This drill is designed to prepare both students and staff for events taking place within our school that could pose an immediate threat to the safety of our building attendees (i.e., a violent intruder, discovery of a weapon, or bomb threat). During this drill, it is extremely important that you lock your classroom door with the Night Lock device and to not allow anyone to enter or leave. In addition, disregard all bells during this drill, as I will communicate with you over the PA system.

This week Ms.Vega discussed her code RED procedures with me. Code RED is the code word that the school uses before it is placed under lockdown when a threat may be present at the school. The first step that happens is an administrator says the words “code RED”, teachers than know to stop what they are teaching and start locking the school down. Students are to all go and sit together at the front of the classroom away from all windows and doors. Teachers cover the windows and all other spaces where students may be visible.The lights are turned off and the door gets locked, teachers then join their students at the front of the class. Everyone is to remain silent. An administrator then walks around to make sure all doors are

Through this tragedy, educators have learned a different approach to intruders. We teach students to think for themselves through a training program called ALICE: Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. There is no linear progression to ALICE. Through studies, we have learned the best chance for survival is to evacuate the building and run. ALICE teaches schools, teachers, and students how to respond in intruder situations. Schools all across the country including hundreds in our area conduct weekly ALICE drills. An example of items implemented from our ALICE trainings include: a method of communication to all teachers and students, increase in the number of school security cameras, door locking mechanisms on every classroom door to be used in the event that a classroom cannot evacuate and needs to “shelter in place” and finally, a go-bucket. Items in a go-bucket vary across schools but if you google the term you will see these items include: items to barricade a door, items to defend oneself, items such as wasp spray, which can

Next, we had security guards. I don’t really remember exactly how many we had, but they frequented problem areas of the school. The lunchroom was a major problem place, and the surrounding hallways where students would eat and do homework. There would also be security guards that walked around the “unfrequented” parts of the school. The security guards would also go outside and monitor the path, and the students crossing as well. Next, we had a desk at the front of the school with a security guard that doesn’t leave during the day. Vistors were required to sign in and report to the office. For awhile, we had a security guard that went around and looked around the parking lot, looking for suspicious things. Now, there is a van that drives around the parking lot keeping it secure as well. Next, we have to evaluate the potential risks and threats. At Grand Blanc, we didn’t have metal detectors, so being able to slip in with a knife, or something small, like this student did, would be a problem. Also, big bags such as purses, athletic bags and backpacks are problems as well because without metal detectors we do not know what are in the bags. Another potential risk is the unfrequented areas of the school. Even though there are cameras, there are enough cameras that you cant watch every one every time. With the unfrequented areas of the school, a student could create something destructive- it could be a considerable amount of time before someone passes by.

When there is a lockdown on campus the website states that students should lock and barricade the door, turn the light off, and keep silent in order to not attract the oncoming danger. It then states, that students should warn one another if possible. If worse comes to worse, students should fight to defend themselves as a last resort. Finally, students should wait for the school official notice before resuming their regular daily activities. The web page also gives almost the exact same steps for almost all possible issues, with the exceptions of evacuation. During evacuations, students should leave the building, take any valuables, and go to a designated safe zone or as far away from the threat as

"The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) sponsors Emergency Management for Schools trainings to provide support to school staff and administrators interested in enhancing their preparedness efforts. Emphasis for the Emergency Management for Schools trainings is placed on emergency management plan development within the framework of the four phases of emergency management: Prevention-Mitigation, Preparedness, Response and Recovery" (U.S. Department of Education).

According to Developing Emergency Operations (2016), there are five areas of preparedness that an emergency operations plan should encompass. The first, prevention, is having the capabilities necessary to avoid, deter, or stop a crime from occurring in the school. The second, protection, is having the resources to secure a school from an act of violence. The third, mitigation, is the ability to eliminate or reduce the impact that a crime would have if it occurred. Response is the fourth area, which is the ability to stabilize the situation once an emergency has occurred. Finally, a good plan must consider recovery methods, which means providing resources to those affected by the

The school that I observed is Ps/Ms ABC 123 in the Bronx. The school is from Kindergarten to 8th grade. The school starts promptly at 8:00am. Free breakfast is served to all students who wish to eat. In the morning the school doors are open for students at 7:50am. From 7:45 -8:05, it looks busy around the school because of the people who drop their children off, some comes in cars and some walk their children to school. People have to cross a main road to drop off their children at school, so the traffic on the main road moves slow and the traffic instructor also stands there to guide people and children about when it is safe to cross the street. The assistant principal and other receivers stand outside in the playground. The playground has many exits that open into the gymnasium, cafeteria and auditorium. Parents know which exit they have to drop of their children. The first grade that I was observing, they are dropped off by exit 5. Exit 5 opens in the auditorium. The assistance principle and the other receiver meet with the parents and the children. Parents also talk to each other. They are also allowed to sit on the benches in the children’s play area if they have to wait or if they just want to pass their time. Only students are allowed to go inside of these exits with assistants. Anyone else have to go the front main entrance to enter the school building. Once the students are received, they go inside the auditorium and from there they are then taken to the classroom

Other student says the school should increase the number of police officers. Multiple police officers and staff would be standing at each door that is accessible to the students. If they see anything suspicious or see people that do not go to the school then they will take the suspicious person

Next, the facility has immense safety precautions including locked doors, security cameras, good teacher to student ratio, sign in and sign out sheets, and accident forms. In the Center every door must be locked at all times. This prevents strangers from walking into the building and taking a child, as well as allowing the teachers inside to see the person before they come into the room. Another safety precaution is providing a security camera in every room that includes a built in microphone.Between this and the student to teacher ratio the children are watched continually. The teacher to student ratio is as follows;

Today we had Red Bluff Fire and an ambulance dispatched to school. This was due to a student related incident. The student was determined to be fine but we would rather take an abundance of caution with our students and make sure that they are doing well. Once the again the student is fine and all is well at the school just siding on the side of precaution.

This was not a drill! Teachers and students exited the building while Mr. Steagall and I ran to the control panel to find the B area fire pull light on. He retrieved the fire pull key and we proceeded to the fire pull located beside of the restrooms on the K-2 hall to disarm the alarm. As the teachers and students entered the building, I heard K telling a teacher assistant, “K, no no; K, no touch”. K’s teacher said the class was at the bathroom when the fire alarm sounded. The teacher took K to the fire pull and talked to her about not touching it

An effective crisis management response plan outlines specific procedures for administrator, teachers, and students during evacuation emergencies. Administrators work with teachers, students, parents, law enforcement officers, business and community members, to develop an effective emergency and crises plan. The administrator provides leadership in developing and monitoring the school safety plan and also establishes procedures for emergency evacuation and crisis management at different stages of the plan. However, an effective leader develops a comprehensive prevention education plan, and regularly reviews the code of conduct manual for revisions and current laws.

The day was October 26, 1971. A normal scheduled Monday. Most students usually got ready for a rather boring, average day. But it would not be that sort of day. The students had already gone to their first, second, third and now their fourth period class, English.Mrs. Singh was their english teacher. Mrs. Singh had worked at Actis since the very beginning. The kids were in the middle of writing a narrative about suspense when there was a lockdown drill. Except that it wasn’t a drill. Nobody has been notified or warned about this occurrence. This was real. As previously instructed through training, the teachers closed the doors so nobody could get in or out. The teens trapped in the classrooms were slightly frightened and confused. When