Activity: Conduct a school safety audit.

Review your safety plan, emergency plan, and

crisis plan.

Description:

I looked through the teachers handbook to see if the information that is given to the
teachers adequately informs the teacher of how to keep all students safe in the case of an
emergency. The schools safety procedures are written as follow in the schools faculty
handbook:

School Safety Procedures
Safety of students and staff is of upmost importance. The following are specific
guidelines for ensuring the security of East Brainerd Elementary.
WEAPON ON CAMPUS
As prepared by Hamilton County Department of Education, 2012
DESCRIPTION:
A weapon is any instrument that may be used offensively against any student or staff
member. This includes, but is not limited to, firearms, knives, pepper spray, or any other
object covered in the zero tolerance regulations.
SIGNALS:
Intercom used to signal lockdown (if necessary).
STEPS OF ACTION:
Notify principal or other administrator and School Resource Officer (if available)
Initiate lockdown procedure, if required.
Call 911, if required.
Follow law enforcement instructions and take reasonable actions to keep all
students and staff safe.
Locate weapon and/or individual reported to have weapon.
If possible, isolate person and/or weapon.
Allow trained personnel to handle weapon. Do not touch a firearm, bomb or other
potentially dangerous weapon unless absolutely necessary.
ROLES:
Administration:
1. Assess and take charge of situation. Decide whether to call a lockdown or handle
the situation on a need to know basis. Do not dismiss the threat, feel panic, rush
in, or get caught in bureaucracy.
2. Notify School Resource Officer (if available)
3. Initiate lockdown, if required.
4. Dial 911 to contact law enforcement (if necessary)
5. Get assistance in locating weapon or suspect.
6. Determine who else might be involved.
7. Determine: Is there a known target? Teacher, other students, group? Get those to
a secure location.
8. Inform another administrator or designee of the threat. Determine if there is an
increased threat if classes are allowed to change. Be sure bells are turned off if in
a lockdown.
9. Isolate individual or suspect. If the weapon is in a locker, or elsewhere, prevent
access to it.
10. Follow police and/or emergency personnel instruction.
11. NEVER ALLOW SUSPECT TO BE ALONE.
Teachers:
1. Stay clear of any weapon.
2. Keep students clear of any weapon.
3. Notify office of weapon location or any hazards present.
4. Listen for lockdown announcement
5. Follow lockdown procedure
6. If weapon is in classroom, evacuate to
________________________________________.

INTRUDER/TERRORIST
As developed by Hamilton County Department of Education, 2012

DESCRIPTION:
An unauthorized person(s) enters the building or campus and poses a possible threat to
students or staff members.
SIGNALS:
Go to Lockdown Procedures. (See Lockdown Procedures)
STEPS OF ACTION:
Staff who spots someone who does not have a Visitor Pass ask if person needs
assistance. If the person does not respond appropriately, report to the office.
Staff spots an intruder will report situation to the principal, office, and school
resource officer (if available).
Administrator and/or SRO will begin threat assessment.
If required, the principal will give the alert signal to initiate a lockdown. All
classroom doors, offices and doors to the building should be locked.
Call 911 or (9-911, if necessary)
Follow police instructions
If armed person outside of building, get students and staff away from windows
and doors.
Initiate lockdown.
DO NOT try to forcibly disarm anyone.
Stay out of sight until moved by emergency personnel or given all clear by school
administrator.
ROLES:
Administration:
Take charge of situation. Speak calmly and firmly to the intruder.
Have secretary call 911 and Superintendents office.
If phones are out or unavailable, use radio/cell phone to contact police.
One administrator should be prepared to go to outside command post if it is safe
and necessary.
Check outside buildings for PE classes.
Make sure bells are turned off.
Give all-clear signal when appropriate.
Contact Superintendent to determine if the crisis intervention team should meet.


Teachers:
Look out in hall for any students, lock doors and wait further instructions.
Students should be moved away from any windows if possible.
Try to keep students quiet.
Do not open the door unless all clear is given, or an administrator or emergency
personnel come to the door with proper I.D. card.
Stay in groups.
If lockdown message is given between classes, teachers should hurry students into
their classroom regardless of which class they are to report. Send email note to
office listing the names of students you have in your classroom.
PE classes in the gym should go to the gym safe rooms and lockdown.
Students loading or unloading buses should load the bus quickly and leave
campus. The bus should proceed to the nearest school and wait instructions.
Students should remain on bus.
If lockdown phrase is given during lunch: Those teachers and students go to
___________________________________________________.
PE classes on the outside should lockdown in the nearest exterior building or go
to a pre-designated location away from campus.








LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE
As developed by Hamilton County Department of Education, 2012
Emergencies must be managed with the safety of students and staff taking the highest
priority.
An effective emergency tool for school safety is the School Facility Lockdown
Procedure. A school lockdown may be appropriate to include, but not limited to the
following: (1) trespass violation with threat, (2) out of control parent, (3) domestic
violence, (4) medical emergencies, (5) acts of violence, (6) hostage situation, (7) suicide
or threat, (8) law enforcement chase or man-hunt in the area, (9) weapon seen or reported
on campus.
Lockdown Procedures:
Message to be given in case of an Intruder/Crisis situation:
Lockdown All teachers/staff follow lockdown procedures Use plain
language DO NOT USE CODE WORDS
Dial 911 or (9-911 when necessary)
Teachers instruct students currently in classroom to stay seated and remain calm
All teachers will check hallway immediately outside their classroom door
Pull any students in immediate area of classroom into your classroom
After hallway is clear or if a threat appears, lock door and move students to the
floor away from any windows and doors to the deepest corners of the room.
Close blinds on exterior windows and cover classroom door window if this can be
done safely.
Turn off lights to the classroom.
Take roll of your students and get names of additional students in classroom.
If safe, send email note to office with names of extra or missing students, any
injuries and information about the emergency.
Remain calm and quiet.
If possible, turn off bells or tones that signal class change or that initiates student
movement.
Do not leave until the classroom becomes unsafe, an administrator calls all
clear on the intercom or emergency personnel arrive with proper I.D. and give
instructions.



The purposes of drills are to establish a routine for the efficient and safe removal of
students and teachers from a school building in the event of a fire or other
emergency. Teachers and students should consider emergency removal in utmost
seriousness. Absolutely no talking, laughing, running, pushing, or shoving should
be allowed. Order and control, not speed are the primary purposes of the drills.
1. Fire Drills
a. The teacher shall lead the line to the designated place outside the building.
b. Monitors should be appointed to see that all windows and doors are closed
upon leaving the room and the lights are turned off.
c. Teachers should call the roll from a attendance book after reaching the
designated place outside.
d. All should remain outside until the signal is given to return to the building.
e. Any class on the playground at the time of the fire drill should line up with
their teacher where they are, provided it is away from the building.
f. State requires all schools to have two fire drills per month.
2. Safety Drills
a. Pursuant to HCDE Board policy, each school is to conduct at least one
Safety Drill each year. Converse with the students as to what will be
happening when these drills are conducted. We will practice as an entire
school before the official one is conducted. Please adhere to the
following:
i. When you hear the code words, This is a school safety drill, get
inside your room and lock the door. Secure any student you see in
the hall.
ii. Turn out the lights, cover door window, and close blinds.
iii. Arrange students in corners of room on the side where the door is.
iv. Complete silence must be maintained during the drill.
v. Principal/Police Officer will try to get in every room. DO NOT
RESPOND OR OPEN THE DOOR!!! Even if an individual
pleads with you.
vi. Return to normal activity when you hear, The safety drill is over.
vii. If on the playground, in cafeteria or auditorium, run for cover. If
sniper is in the building, run outside into the woods or other cover.
If sniper is outside, take cover underneath the classroom windows.
3. Tornado Drills
a. If there is no basement, interior corridors are the best place if covered by
concrete, if relatively glass free, and if the roof is solidly supported and
anchored. If the corridor is not suitable, the best alternative may be the
inside wall of classrooms, on the opposite side of the corridor from the
direction the storm is approaching (severe storms and tornadoes generally
approach from the southeast). Students in portable classrooms should be
brought immediately into the main building. The ends of rooms,
auditoriums, gymnasiums, cafeterias, or other large areas are generally the
least suitable for shelter.
b. When moving students, have them keep calm and quiet. Move quickly to
position; sit down with heads to the wall, knees bent, feet flat on the floor.
If it becomes necessary, students are to be trained to duck and cover: -
the head should be placed between knees and hands placed over the back
of the neck and head. This position affords the most protection of the
spine, face, neck, and head. In crowded situations, it is permissible to use
double rows of students in the corridors.
c. In case of a tornado warning a signal will be given. At the sounding of
the signal, class work will immediately cease. Children will go to the
designated place for the room they are in at the time of the signal, sit with
head to the wall, knees bent, head between knees and hands over back of
head. Students must remain quiet.
d. Signal: The school intercom will be used. There will be short
announcements until all are in designated areas.

What went well?

Everything aligns with the Countys policies and the roles between administrators and
teachers have been clearly defined. We do require all visitors to enter through the front
door and teachers have been trained to look for the visitors badge. If this badge is
missing teachers have also been trained to ask all visitors without a badge to go back to
the office to receive a badge before proceeding through the building.

We do have call buttons in all of the classrooms in the primary building and teachers can
call to the office from a telephone in the intermediate building. This is great because it
allows for quick communication with the office staff should an emergency situation arise.

Drills are conducted routinely and students do feel comfortable going through the actions.
Teachers do talk about the procedures with their students and the process is taken very
seriously. The secretaries do a wonderful job of documenting the drills.

What did not?

Teachers are told to evacuate in certain situations; however, this location is never
determined in writing and has never been determined verbally. If there were an
emergency this would cause for mass chaos.

Although visitors are required to enter through the front door and have a visitors pass,
this is not always the case. Visitors are constantly entering through side doors and they
are slipping through the halls without ever checking in with the office.

Due to the building at the intermediate school, there are no safe spots for students to go to
in the case of a tornado. This is extremely frightening! Following this realization, we did
have the director of school safety come to the school to help identify the safest spots
within the two buildings. We did practice several times squeezing into these limited
areas.

Given the chance to do it again, how would you do it better?

An additional map needs to be added to the safety plan that informs the teachers of the
evacuation location. This map should also be passed on to local authorities so that they
know where to locate all classes in case of an emergency. Work with the leadership team
to develop a plan for keeping the side doors locked so that there is one way in and one
way out for all of our visitors. Continue to work with our front office staff so that they
understand the importance of being consistent when checking in visitors. Even if they
know a volunteer they must check them in and give them a badge.