Description: Emergency lockdown is a protective action that involves locking and hiding. When an emergency lockdown is initiated, people move quickly to (or stay within) locations that are relatively secure, and lock the doors. All reasonable means of staying out of sight are used, according to established procedures, which may include turning off lights, getting out of view of windows, turning off cell phones, and remaining quiet. There have been past incidents in which lockdown procedures saved lives, as assailants looking for potential victims simply walked by locked-down rooms.

When used:

• When sounds similar to gunshots are heard inside or near the facility.
• When there is any indication that a person is brandishing or using a weapon inside or in close proximity outside the facility.
• When a report is received that some type of weapons assault is about to occur.
• When evacuation does not appear to be a safe alternative based on the information at hand.

Considerations for planning:

• Seek input from emergency responders on your procedures and locations.
• Identify:
• Locations within the facility that can be secured.
• For unsecurable locations in the facility, nearby safe havens.
• “Safe rooms” for key areas of the facility. For example, if staff in the main office have a rapidly lockable area in the office with a telephone and a connection to the public address system, they can quickly secure themselves in the room, protect themselves from danger, and make the necessary notifications.
•  Procedures should indicate:
• Decision factors in selecting emergency lockdown as an appropriate response action.
• Who has responsibility for initiating an emergency lockdown.
• Training and empowering staff to initiate a lockdown independently, followed by communication to prompt a lockdown for the rest of the building and notification of law enforcement.
• A method for rapidly moving to evacuation if required (e.g., in case of fire).
• Procedures for:
• Initiating a lockdown.
• Notifying personnel in the facility.
• Notifying 911 and on-site security and/or law enforcement officers when a lockdown is implemented.
• Implementing lockdown of individual rooms.
• Communications between individual rooms and main office.
• Indicating lockdown status of individual rooms.
• Accounting for people during the lockdown.
• Issuing keys to those who will need them.
• Handling a fire alarm during a lockdown. (Fire alarms should NOT be activated as a response action for an intruder situation.)
• Notifying occupants’ households of the lockdown status.
• Guidelines for specific situations, such as:
• Someone seeking refuge after a room has been locked down.
• Use of cell phones during lockdown.
• Locations with infants and very young children.