Effective Practices Sample Clauses

Effective Practices. Police will make the decision as to whether a controlled evacuation of a school under lockdown is a viable option, and will direct the evacuation process. This will normally be done on a room-by-room basis, with evacuees being escorted by police to the evacuation location. Plans should address the issue of how to deal with a fire alarm activation after a school has gone into lockdown.

Effective Practices. It is recommended that, before locking a door, staff should gather everyone in the immediate vicinity into their classroom or other secure area, but only if it is safe to do so. Once inside a secure area, staff and students should: • stay away from doors and windows; • turn off lights; • close blinds; • be aware of sight lines; • if there is a window in the classroom door, consider covering the window; • take cover if available (get behind something solid); • remain absolutely quiet; • take attendance (to be done by teachers); • not use cell phones unless it is necessary to communicate regarding the incident. Cell phones should be shut off or put on vibrate.

Effective Practices. Consider sending a newsletter to each home at the beginning of the school year to inform parents of lockdown procedures and to encourage parents to reinforce with their children the importance of understanding the procedures and following staff direction. Parents need to be informed of where they should proceed in the event of an actual incident involving a lockdown. Communication with parents around the importance of lockdowns is vital. Parents should be informed of what is expected should they arrive at school during a drill, or if they are present within the school when a lockdown is called. In all instances of a lockdown that was not a drill, it is recommended that a communication to parents be sent home with each student at the conclusion of the school day or as soon as possible. Parents should be encouraged to ensure that their contact information is kept up to date so they can easily be reached by staff in the event of an emergency.

Effective Practices. Plans to conclude a lockdown will vary by location. Procedures may include a general announcement via the PA system by the principal, or a room-to-room visit from police/school administration, with some sort of an identification process, so that the occupants of a locked room know that whoever is giving them the all- clear is in fact authentic. Local plans should include procedures for ending lockdowns at off-site evacuation locations. In all cases where police have responded, plans should clearly indicate that the decision to end a lockdown shall be made only after approval of the on-scene police incident commander.

Effective Practices. Police are responsible for addressing media with respect to any criminal incident and the police response to the incident. Principals/board personnel are responsible for dealing with media on issues pertaining to staff and student safety. It is strongly advised that media personnel from the police department, school boards, the fire department, and EMS share press releases prior to their release to the media, so that all officials are aware of what the other agencies are saying. A spirit of cooperation is highly recommended, and school officials, police, and other services are encouraged to work closely with each other on media issues. Coordinated and consistent messaging from all partners is essential in maintaining public confidence. Communication with parents, guardians, and the community in general is important so as to ensure a good understanding of bomb threat and explosives incident procedures, without instilling fear.

Effective Practices. School personnel should work cooperatively with police partners on drills. The principal is responsible for setting the date of drills and overseeing the drill, with police support/assistance. Schools should consider including fire department and EMS personnel during drills, so they become familiar with the school’s bomb threat procedures. Staff, students, child care workers, and community partners or other visitors who may be in the school should be given some warning of an impending drill. When developing plans, consideration should be given as to whether or not to notify parents in advance. Plans should include procedures for alerting neighbouring schools of drills, especially if fire and EMS personnel have been invited to participate. A short debriefing should be held after all drills to identify areas for improvement. Many boards have established a tracking system to record drill dates.

Effective Practices. It is important that principals make best efforts to ensure that the appropriate staff from organizations who share school facilities are included in the development and implementation of procedures, and that these organizations participate, whenever possible, in relevant aspects of planning, training, and drills.

Effective Practices. In situations where more than one building exists on school grounds, each building should be clearly identified, on all sides, with a building identifier, such as a number. All portables should be clearly identified as well. All exterior doors should be clearly identified – for example, as Doors A, B, C, and so on. All rooms within the building should be clearly marked with room numbers. This site plan should be consistent with the fire safety plan that school boards are required to provide to the fire department for emergency fire response. In addition, it is important to ensure that facility master keys are current and available for emergency service responders who may be involved in a search of the premises. It is particularly important that those elementary schools that have opted to lock their doors during the school day have a plan for making keys available to emergency services personnel.

Effective Practices. Principal – The principal is responsible for the overall development and final content of the individual school plan. The principal is also responsible for inviting police, fire, and emergency medical services (EMS) to participate in plan development and for making them aware of planning and drills; for the training of staff and students; and for the overall safety of staff and students. The principal (and, it is understood, his or her designate) must be completely familiar with the school’s bomb threat plan and with the scope of the authority vested in, and the responsibilities associated with, the principal’s position as defined in the plan. Staff – School staff, and in particular administrators, have the overall responsibility for the training, safety, and well-being of students. During a bomb threat incident, administrators also have the responsibility of working closely with police. Students – Students have a responsibility to be familiar with the plan and to respond quickly to the direction of staff during a bomb threat or explosives incident. Any student with information on or prior knowledge of anyone or anything that may be associated with or result in a bomb threat, the placement of a suspicious package/device, or an explosives incident must come forward with that information as soon as possible. Parents/Guardians – Parents and guardians must be informed of the existence of this plan. Parents can be encouraged to reinforce with their children the responsibilities students have with respect to following directions during an incident and disclosing any information they may have prior to or during an incident. Police – Police are responsible for responding to and investigating bomb threats and explosives incidents. During any such incident, police will assume command and control of the response and investigation but will liaise and work closely with the principal and other emergency services throughout the process. The police must be notified of all bomb threat incidents, regardless of other actions taken by the schools. The criminal investigation of bomb threats by the police may lead to the apprehension of persons responsible. The investigation itself may also serve as a deterrent for future “copycat” incidents. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) – EMS personnel will provide urgent medical care in the event of an explosives incident.