Introduction 1

School District Crisis Response and Safety and Security Plan 2

I. Emergency Response 2

II. Chain of Command for Crisis Situation 2

III. Crisis Response Team 2

A. Crisis Response Team Functions 2

IV. Crisis Communication 3

A. Declaring and Communicating an Emergency Situation 3

1. Declaring an Emergency 3

a. Civil Authorities 3

b. Administration 3

B. Communication During an Emergency 3

1. Alarms (Notification of Emergency) 3

2. Intercom 3

3. Radios and/or Cellular Telephones 3

4. Electronic Mail/Communications 4

4. Student Runners 4

C. Communication Plan 4

1. Critical Situations 4

2. Noncritical Situations 4

D. Crisis Communication Center 4

E. Communication with the Media 4

F. General Response Information to Any Declared Emergency 5

V. Crisis Management Procedures 6

A. General Procedures 6

1. Initial Response in an Emergency Situation 6

Natural disasters, such as winter storms, tornadoes, floods or other natural disasters, and man-made disasters which can result from chemical spills, noxious fumes, power outages, fires, explosions, etc. are potential hazards for which our school personnel and students, and the community-at-large must be prepared. The school district must also prepare for man-made crises which can come in the form of real or threatened violence, such as weapons on campus and bomb threats, and tragedies such as the sudden death of a teacher or student.

The objective of the Ashland-Greenwood Public Schools Safety and Security Management Plan is to provide the maximum practicable protection for students and school personnel in the event of a crisis.

To meet this objective, we will instruct and prepare students and staff in the appropriate and safe procedures to follow in the event of a campus crisis through staff in-service and student drills. The occurrence of a crisis will require a prompt response from all personnel as they perform their specific assignments from this Plan.

Since no two emergencies will be the same in nature, scope, or magnitude, it is necessary for the school's plans to be basic, flexible, and subject to modification as the need arises. Modification will be at the discretion of the Superintendent or civil authority. However, in any emergency, the following priorities shall apply:

1. Protection of life.

2. Prevention of injury.

3. Protection of property.

4. Preparation of the campus for extended stay or evacuation.

1. Emergency Response: It is everyone's responsibility to take action to avert or respond to circumstances that threaten the security and safety of the school and school personnel, students, visitors and patrons. If you become aware of a crisis situation, you should contact the appropriate emergency services and the school administration.
1. See, Appendix "A", Section 1 tab for listing of "Emergency Phone Numbers".

2. Chain of Command for a Crisis Situation: The Superintendent of Schools is primarily responsible for responding to a crisis situation and declaring an emergency. At the Superintendent's discretion, he/she may use the Crisis Response Team established by the Board of Education to assist in assessing the need to declare an immediate emergency. In the absence of the Superintendent, the High School Principal will act on behalf of the Superintendent. In a situation where neither is available, the Elementary Principal shall declare the emergency. Unless an obvious and immediate emergency exists, the Crisis Response Team may be utilized in the decision-making process.

1. See, Appendix "A", Section 2 tab for listing of addresses and home and work place telephone numbers for "Chain of Command for a Crisis Situation".

2. Crisis Response Team: The Superintendent shall establish a Crisis Response Team made up of the designated members of the school district staff.

1. Crisis Response Team Functions : The Crisis Response Team may be activated when the physical or emotional safety and well-being of students or school personnel is threatened. The Crisis Response Team may assess the situation, plan and intervene in any crisis affecting students and staff. The team will provide a preplanned, organized approach to responding to a crisis to alleviate the crisis and mitigate damages and injury, and reduce the emotional and social impact of a crisis. The Crisis Response Team will address situations of:

1. Violence in and around school;
1. Medical emergencies;
2. Natural or accidental disasters/emergencies;
3. Death of a student or staff member;
4. Suicide of a student (or attempted suicide on school grounds).

IV. Crisis Communication:

1. Declaring and Communicating an Emergency Situation :

1. Declaring an Emergency :

1. Civil Authorities : The police, fire officials, or other local, state or federal governmental agencies may declare an emergency which would involve the campus. Notification of such conditions may activate the Crisis Response Team so that an adequate campus response can be engaged.
1. Administration : The administration is primarily responsible for declaring an on-campus emergency. Such a declaration may activate the Crisis Response Team so that an adequate campus response can be engaged.

1. Communication During an Emergency :

1. Alarms (Notification of Emergency) : The school alarm system and/or intercom will be utilized to notify everyone of building evacuations and lockdowns. Campus evacuations will be initiated by verbal commands from Principals on the field after a building evacuation has occurred. All other commands will be delivered verbally by the administration. The "All Clear" alarm for all drills will be given verbally. The Principal, Superintendent or other designated personnel shall give the all clear sign.

See, Appendix "B" tab for "Key to Alarm Signals".

2. Intercom : The administration may when practicable communicate the existence of an emergency situation and during any such emergency situation via the intercom system. School personnel should use the intercom system to communicate the existence of an emergency situation, if practicable. Students should only use the intercom system when under the direction of a staff member. If not reporting an emergency situation, students and staff should avoid using the intercom system to avoid overwhelming the system and allow its use for school-wide communications.
3. Radios and/or Cellular Telephones : Designated school personnel have been assigned radios and/or cellular telephones for use in emergency situations. The administration shall provide to the staff a list of the persons in possession of the cellular phones. The district shall maintain a list of the staff’s personal cell phone numbers as may be available and provided.
4. Electronic Mail : District personnel may use district provided e-mail for communication between staff during a crisis.
5. Student Runners : School personnel should use student runners to communicate with the administration only if no other means of communication is available.

C. Communication Plan:

 

1. Critical Situations : All faculty and staff are responsible to sound the appropriate alarm or notification upon discovering a critical situation. A critical situation includes events such as a fire, violent act, observation of a person on the campus with a gun, or hearing/observing gunshots on campus. If a fire is observed, an alarm pull device should be activated. In any critical situation (including fire), use the intercom system or available cellular phone to immediately notify the administration. Obviously, common sense will indicate that in some situations you should immediately proceed with either a Room Evacuation or Lockdown for your own classroom or the students around you. A critical situation will usually require calling 911. Any employee may call 911 in a critical situation.
1. Noncritical Situations : Noncritical observations and rumors should be reported immediately by intercom or phone to the administration without sounding an alarm. An example of this type of situation includes a student reporting that he saw a student put a knife in his pocket. The Superintendent and/or Crisis Response Team will determine whether to declare a crisis or not.

1. Crisis Communication Center : The Crisis Communication Center will be located at the office of the Superintendent, located at 1200 Boyd or at such other site determined by the Superintendent. This site, if away from the crisis itself, has multiple telephone, electrical outlets and computer networking. If the Superintendent's office is not accessible as a Crisis Communication Center the high school office will be used.

E. Communication with the Media : The school district shall provide as much information regarding the emergency situation to the news media as possible. All news media should be directed to the Superintendent's office or other Crisis Communication Center. The Superintendent or his/her designee shall issue press releases, gather updates and arrange interviews, except where the crisis involves multiple law enforcement agencies, in which case the role of media spokesperson will be assumed by the Nebraska State Patrol or the Chief of the Ashland Police Department. Photographers and other media personnel shall not be allowed at the scene if there is still danger in the area, but should be allowed access when the immediate danger is passed. After the emergency, if the situation warrants, the administration will make arrangements for the media to be escorted to the site of the emergency. The Superintendent, or his/her designee, shall release to the media, as soon as possible, school district decisions relating to the incident, whenever it is deemed necessary and access to the information is deemed to be in the best interest of the students. All staff members are expected to be helpful and courteous at all times to the news media, but must refer all questions to the Superintendent, or his/her designee.

 

 

F. General Response Information to Any Declared Emergency :

1. It is important during an emergency that all school personnel conduct themselves in a professional manner and demonstrate through their actions that degree of expertise which promotes confidence.
2. What you do in the first ten minutes will make a major difference in reducing the panic of your students. Above all else, remain calm. Use the next fifty minutes to perform your assigned tasks and attempt a return to normalcy.
3. Faculty are to remain with their students at all times during an emergency until relieved by administration.
4. Do not release students until authorized to do so by the administration.
5. Faculty and staff are first responsible for the students under their care. As difficult as it is, personnel should not abandon their posts to go check on their own children who may also be students on the campus. Remember that another adult has responsibility for your children and they are doing their job. If you hear that your child has a serious injury, ask your administrator to relieve you from your post.
6. Faculty and staff are much like civil emergency personnel during an emergency. Police and fire crews must remain on the job even though they may have a crisis within their homes. Faculty and staff are charged with the emergency care of children during a crisis and should remain on their assigned posts until relieved of all responsibilities. If you become aware of a serious crisis at your home, you may ask your administrator to relieve you from your duties.
7. It is the responsibility of all faculty and staff to report all rumors and observations regarding information which might lead to a campus emergency. Such reports should be made immediately to their supervisor. Supervisors will see that the information is immediately reported to the Superintendent. Faculty and staff are not to make final assessments as to the lethality of the rumor or observation and its potential to evolve into a campus emergency; they are to report. Faculty of early elementary age students are given the flexibility to discern whether or not the situation demands a report.
8. Teach students to understand that jokes and false reports regarding weapons, bomb threats or threats of injury to others are not acceptable under any circumstances and will be taken seriously.
9. In case of an extended stay on campus, maintain an extra supply of personal prescription medication with you at all times.

6. Crisis Management Procedures:

1. General Procedures :

1. Initial Response in an Emergency Situation

1. The first responses in a declared emergency are going to be one or more of the following tasks:
1. Room Evacuation
2. Building Evacuation
3. Campus Evacuation
4. Lockdown
1. Room or Building Evacuation: A Room Evacuation may be the result of a fire, tornado, or any other event which requires leaving a room. If a tornado occurs, the Room Evacuation will be followed by the duck, cover procedure in an adjacent hallway.

1. Off-Campus Evacuation: A Off-Campus Evacuation will occur if the campus is deemed unsafe and uninhabitable by civil authority or by the administration. This will usually be the result of an earthquake, extensive campus fire, range fire, aircraft disaster, chemical threat, or local police action.

An Off-Campus Evacuation will normally follow a Room Evacuation procedure. The directive for an Off-Campus Evacuation will be delivered verbally to faculty by each school's administrator. Off-Campus evacuations shall also take place during extended emergencies during adverse weather conditions. Unless directed otherwise, Off-Campus Evacuations will be to the opposite school building in the district (Elementary to Middle School/High School and Middle School/High School to Elementary).

1. Lockdown: A Lockdown procedure will occur if a threat occurs on campus or in the local neighborhood which requires students to be taken indoors where it is less likely that they will be injured. This will usually be the result of an attack by an armed person on campus or gunshots fired on campus (or in the near neighborhood).

Lockdown

Teachers and all other staff	• If outside, move students around you (or your class, if you are with them) into the closest classroom or building. Leave behind those who are dead or very seriously injured/immobile; take care of the living in order to prevent further death. • Once inside the room or if you were already in a room when the Lockdown was declared, lock all doors, shut and lock the windows, close window blinds and instruct students to get on the floor. Staff should carry room and building keys in order to be able to lock their door. Refer to Emergency Response Packet as necessary. • Call the Command Center with vital information or to report classroom emergencies. Call 911 if you have vital information and cannot reach the Command Center on radio, by intercom or telephone. • Shut off the light and do not respond to knocks or voices at the door unless directed by a school administrator or civil authority. • Remain with students and await further instructions. Keep students silent to make the room appear vacant. Do not respond to a fire alarm (room evacuation alarm). Only evacuate when directed to do so by administration or civil authorities. • Turn on your personal computer and log in to the school network and e-mail services when possible for further office communications. Whenever possible e-mail the administrative personnel and their clerical staff to report missing or injured students and other lockdown information. Report via e-mail what group of students are present with you. (i.e. 5th Period Social Studies Class, Mrs. Jones’ Classroom) • Staff shall identify a designated or best area in the classroom.
Command Center	• Lock down the area you are in by locking all doors, shutting and locking windows, closing blinds. • Assess the crisis as information is received. If the Lockdown is warranted and has not been initiated elsewhere, declare the Lockdown via the alarm or intercom system. Call 911 to report the situation. • Call offices and other locations to acquire information. • Call the faculty roll to determine the location of people. • Confirm that the Medical Team is in place in case they are needed after the Lockdown. • Inform the Medical Team of injuries as necessary after the Lockdown. • If the Lockdown is not being directed by civil authorities, determine and deliver the instructions to all staff following the end of the Lockdown. Give notice as to why the Lockdown occurred and what they are to do next.
School Nurse and Rescue Personnel	• Lock down the Health Office by locking doors, shutting and locking windows, closing blinds and getting on the floor. • Do not leave the Lockdown room until instructed to do so by the school administration or civil authorities. • Receive reports from the Command Center of injuries. • Attend to injuries after the Lockdown.

2. Emergency Exiting Instructions for Room or Campus Evacuation:

(1) Elementary Building, See Appendix "C" for floor plan and instructions.

(2) Secondary Building, See Appendix "D" for floor plan and instructions.