This lesson will describe the types of response procedures to establish for a mass casualty incident.

At the completion of this lesson, you should be able to identify:

• Immediate response actions to take in a potential mass casualty incident.
• Types and uses of response procedures for responding to a potential mass casualty incident.
• Lessons learned from responses to past incidents.

 Audio Transcript

It’s looking like a typical day. First the rush of people arriving, then a few stragglers, and now the normal hum of a regular schedule underway. And then the intercom sounds. A staff member has encountered a suspicious situation, a lockdown is called, and you can hear shouting. Would you be ready?

The goal of preparedness is to avert situations that could cause harm and to be ready to respond if an incident does occur. Past mass casualty incidents have shown that it is the people onsite who will be the first responders.

The first critical seconds of an incident provide the best opportunity to reduce the loss of human life once an incident occurs. Being ready to act requires having made safety-related decisions in advance, having procedures in place to respond quickly and minimize harm, and having properly trained personnel who are empowered to act quickly in an emergency.  

In this lesson you will learn about actions that can be used to enhance safety and factors to consider when planning for response.

Analysis of mass casualty incidents that have occurred in schools and places of worship has shown that such crises are over quickly—sometimes in a matter of minutes or less. A crisis is not the time to make a plan; it is a time to follow a plan. Quick action can save lives.

During an incident, people need to know how to reduce their risk and protect themselves until help arrives. They need to know:

• What to do.
• When and where to do it.
• Who is responsible for what, and what their individual roles are.
• How to communicate with others.

As soon as a dangerous situation becomes evident, several things need to happen:

• Assess the situation, choose the appropriate response, and take immediate action.
• Take action to protect yourself first so you can in turn protect others.
• Take action to protect those in your immediate area.
• Communicate the need for others to take immediate protective actions.
• Notify emergency responders.
• Initiate the chosen response action and related emergency protocols found in your plan.
• Triage injuries and apply emergency first aid as needed.

A crisis plan provides the framework and overall procedures for responding to a crisis, but it cannot provide a roadmap sufficient to cover the details of every incident that might occur.

Individual judgment will be needed about what you can and should do first, keeping in mind that the primary goal is taking care of people at risk and minimizing harm. Taking action to protect yourself may make it possible to in turn protect others. The choice of appropriate response actions will depend on the situation and your local conditions. Key factors include:

The type of event is one factor that will drive the appropriate response. Actions that could save lives in one situation could cause death if applied in a different situation. For example:

• Weapon reported—Some of the most common weapons situations are those where a weapon has been reported or detected. If people misread this situation and react with an approach that might be appropriate when confronted by an armed aggressor, an avoidable weapons assault may be created.
• Threats or brandishing a weapon—If a weapon has not yet been used, proper handling could keep the situation from turning deadly. Aggressive reactions could easily result in a weapon being used.
• Suicide threat with a weapon—The person could decide to open fire on others. At the same time, care must be taken not to take actions that could make the situation worse, such as trying to disarm a person pointing a gun.
• Active shooter—Although such incidents can involve mass casualties, they are also rare and should not be the only focus of prevention and preparedness.
• Hostage situation—Avoiding harm to the hostages is a key factor.

The unique needs of those at your site must be considered. All response actions must take into account mental, physical, motor, developmental, and sensory factors. For instance:

• Young children or infants are easily upset and may be difficult to keep quiet.
• Young children also often “freeze” when they are frightened.
• Individuals with limited mobility such as those in wheelchairs or with other auxiliary aids may have difficulty getting to safe locations (e.g., using an evacuation route over a gravel surface) or assuming protective positions. Identify alternative routes or locations for those who may need them and be sure to share with the first responders.
• Individuals with hearing, visual, or cognitive impairments may require alternative methods of emergency notification or assistance in carrying out security measures.
• Some individuals with disabilities react very strongly to loud noises such as a fire alarm.
• Language barriers for non-native English speakers can create challenges.

Each site will have different characteristics that can impact the response, including how quickly responders get there and who responds. For example:

• It may take longer for first responders to arrive in rural locations.
• Small facilities are more easily and quickly explored by an intruder.
• If flight becomes a viable option, hazards in the surrounding area need to be considered, such as urban traffic, treacherous terrain, or water hazards.
• Internal aspects of the site also become a factor in relation to where within the facility the event is unfolding. For example, if there are multiple buildings, options for protecting people may vary depending on their proximity to the danger. The options in a building with multiple wings will be different from those in a compact building with one main corridor, or with a centralized open space such as in a place of worship.

Based on the situation, it may be determined that the best way to keep people safe is to evacuate them from the building. Evacuation may be appropriate:

• When occupants are able to determine where aggressor(s) are located.
• When it is unsafe to stay in the building because of an imminent danger, fire, or structural damage.
• When the physical space does not allow for a reasonably effective lockdown.
• When locations outside are safer than inside.
• When the evacuation route does not expose the evacuees to danger.
• In situations where it is safe to evacuate from unaffected parts of the building or campus.

Plans should clearly identify routes, locations, and procedures and include provisions for those with access and functional needs. Drills that provide practice opportunities are important.

Description: When conditions inside make it unsafe to remain in a building, the safest course of action may be to move people to a safe location outside the building. In certain situations, partial evacuation may be possible, such as when the location of an aggressor is known and portions of the building or campus have a safe route out that does not expose evacuees to danger. In some cases, a law enforcement-led evacuation will be carried out while an incident is still in progress.

When used: Evacuation may be appropriate:

• When occupants are able, to a reasonable extent, to determine where aggressor(s) are located. There have been past incidents where evacuees have run into attackers while trying to evacuate.
• When it is unsafe to stay in the building.
• When the physical space does not allow for a reasonably effective lockdown (e.g., in an area with cubicles with no doors or a classroom pod with no lockable space).
• When locations outside are safer than inside.
• When the evacuation route does not expose the evacuees to danger (e.g., from sniper fire).
• In situations where it is safe to evacuate from unaffected parts of the building or campus.

Considerations for planning:

• Locations and routes:
• Pre-designate evacuation site locations: safe locations a good distance from the facility. Work with law enforcement to determine evacuation areas.
• Identify multiple evacuation routes.
• Prepare site maps with evacuation routes indicated.
• Maintain evacuation routes in clear condition.
• Consider evacuation routes for those with access and functional needs (e.g., selecting routes that are navigable by individuals in wheelchairs).
• Procedures should indicate:
• Decision factors for initiating full or partial evacuation.
• Conditions under which partial evacuations may be initiated by staff or trained volunteers.
• Who has responsibility for taking the emergency kits.
• Procedures for:
• Initiating an evacuation (e.g., announcements).
• Conducting an evacuation before law enforcement arrives.
• Conducting a law enforcement-led evacuation.
• Accounting for people after the evacuation.
• Evacuating individuals requiring assistance (e.g., assigned responsibilities, buddy system). Ensure you know who is onsite that would need assistance.

Sources:

Borland, L., & Moffett, I. (2007, May 11). Response: Emergency Management for Schools Training. Retrieved from http://rems.ed.gov/docs/Training_SLMO07_Response.ppt

Dorn, M., Thomas, G., Wong, M., & Shepherd, S. (2008). Jane’s Safe Schools Planning Guide for All Hazards. Coulsdon Surrey, UK: Jane’s Information Group Sentinel House.

U.S. Department of Homeland Security. (2008, October). Active Shooter: How to Respond. Retrieved from http://www.alerts.si.edu/docs/DHS_ActiveShooterBook.pdf

Reverse evacuation is used to rapidly and safely move people inside a facility when it would be dangerous to remain outside. Reverse evacuation may be appropriate when:

• People are located outside, such as on playgrounds, on sports fields, or at an outdoor event.
• The danger, such as an armed aggressor, is outside.

Unless you have procedures in place for reverse evacuation, you may not be able to execute a lockdown when people remain outside.

Description: When the source of danger is outside, and there are people in outdoor areas, reverse evacuation is used to bring them into the safer environment of the building.

When used: Reverse evacuation may be appropriate when:

• It is safer to be inside the building than outside.
• Danger, such as an armed aggressor or other potentially dangerous situation, is located outside the building.
• Groups of people from the facility are located outside and a lockdown is being implemented.

Considerations for planning:

• Procedures should indicate:
• Decision factors for initiating a reverse evacuation.
• Conditions under which reverse evacuations may be initiated by those supervising outdoor groups.
• How people can be informed of the need to conduct a reverse evacuation (for example, by an external public address system).
• Indoor destinations and routes inside for specific outdoor areas.
• Procedures for:
• Initiating a reverse evacuation (e.g., announcements).
• Ensuring that everyone is inside and accounted for.
• Helping individuals who require assistance (e.g., assigned responsibilities, buddy system). Ensure you know who is onsite that would need assistance.

Source:

Dorn, M. (2012, January 20). Reverse Evacuation – A Life or Death Protocol. Retrieved from http://www.safehavensinternational.org/quick-what-do-we-do-a-sample-tabletop-exercise-scenario/

There are times when remaining inside the building is the safest alternative. In a preventive lockdown, perimeter doors are locked to keep a situation from escalating. Preventive lockdown is a realistic option for the numerous situations that can quickly escalate into an emergency unless security is immediately increased.

Description: For K-12 schools, the majority of situations that require a lockdown do not involve a person brandishing or using a weapon. A preventive lockdown involves locking perimeter doors and internal doors to keep a situation from escalating. Limited normal activities such as teaching may continue, but hallway activity ceases. For example, teachers can continue to teach with their rooms locked. Movement in hallways and other areas is stopped while the situation is investigated and addressed.

(Note: Preventive lockdown should not be confused with shelter-in-place, which is used when there is a hazardous condition outside (e.g., a chemical, radiological, or biological hazard) that requires occupants to remain in designated indoor shelter areas, perhaps for an extended period of time, and may involve sealing the room.)

When used:

• When imminent danger is not indicated but there is a need for increased security (for example, if a belligerent person is causing a disturbance in the main office).

• 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.
• Procedures should indicate:
• Decision factors in selecting preventive lockdown as an appropriate response action.
• Who has responsibility for initiating a preventive 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.
• Procedures for:
• Initiating a preventive lockdown.
• Notifying personnel in the facility.
• Immediate notification of 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.
• Other considerations:
• Planning for individuals requiring assistance (e.g., assigned responsibilities, buddy system, posting daily schedules). Ensure you know who is on site that would need assistance and where they will be.
• Precautionary steps such as having internal doors locked as the default.

During an emergency lockdown, people move quickly to (or remain in) predetermined locations that are relatively secure, and lock the doors. Normal activities cease, and all reasonable means of staying quiet and out of sight are used, according to established procedures. People stay in hiding until help arrives.

Emergency lockdown may be appropriate:

• When evacuation is not a safe alternative.
• When a potentially dangerous person is inside the building, or the situation is unclear.

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.

The room clear protocol is a standardized procedure that allows personnel to instruct occupants to quickly leave the area and seek shelter in a secure area. This option allows a staff member or trained volunteer to clear people from an area without creating a general evacuation. Each room or area of the building should have a designated shelter room or buddy room so people know where to go if a room clear is issued.

Room clear may be appropriate when:

• Danger is present within the facility and a room or area cannot be secured.
• There is imminent danger to those in the area.
• An aggressive or disruptive person may endanger others in the area.
• A medical emergency has occurred.
• A general evacuation may increase danger but it is not safe for people to remain in a specific area.

Description: Room clear procedures allow for staff or trained volunteers to carry out an orderly process of emptying a room or area and directing them to an alternate, safer location within the building.

When used: Room clear may be appropriate when:

• Danger is present within the facility and a room or area cannot be secured.
• It is less safe to order a general evacuation of the facility.
• There is imminent danger to those in the area.
• An aggressive or disruptive person may endanger others in the area.
• A medical emergency has occurred and bystanders need to be cleared from the area.

Considerations for planning:

• Develop procedures that address:
• Decision factors in initiating room clear.
• Who has responsibility for initiating a room clear.
• Steps to be followed and instructions to be used when clearing a room.
• Informing the main office that a room has been cleared.
• Using standardized language so the need to implement a room clear can be rapidly communicated.
• Other considerations:
• Planning for individuals requiring assistance (e.g., assigned responsibilities, buddy system). Ensure you know who is onsite that would need assistance.
• Preparing and placing supplies for extended sheltering.

Sources:

Dorn, C. (2013, January 9). 9 Tips for More Effective School Lockdowns. Campus Safety. Retrieved from https://www.campussafetymagazine.com/safety/9-tips-for-more-effective-school-lockdowns/

Dorn, M. (2012). Room Clear. Safe Havens Blog. Retrieved from http://www.safehavensinternational.org/glossary/room-clear

When an incident occurs, notification and communication are critical and often need to occur within seconds:

• Inform the staff or volunteers what response actions are to be taken. Prompt communication ensures the appropriate safety measures can be taken to protect all the people on site.
• Notify law enforcement as soon as possible. It is better to have emergency responders on the scene, even if the incident has been resolved, rather than risk injury.

Take action to protect yourself and other building occupants before you call 911. Calling 911 first can result in protective actions being implemented too late to do any good if one person has to call 911 and communicate the need for protective actions.

Call 911 as soon as possible. Clearly state the following:

Name and address of the incident location.

Location of the intruder.

Number of intruders, if more than one.

Physical description of intruder(s).

Number and type of weapon(s).

Number of potential victims.

If communicating with the assailant:

Use nonthreatening language and demeanor.

Avoid anything that could escalate the situation.

Be clear and specific.

When developing communication procedures:

Indicate how staff or trained volunteers will be notified. Use procedures that will not escalate the situation.

Use simple, clear language. Plain language is preferred over codes. The use of codes often causes incorrect responses under stress.

Indicate who has responsibility for notification, and what to do if that person is not available.

Be sure there is a way to notify all areas of your facility, including outside areas.

Include provisions for two-way communication between main office and individual rooms.

Address how a return to normal operations will be announced.

Sources:

Dorn, M. (2006). Let None Learn in Fear. Retrieved from http://www.safehavensinternational.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/LetNoneLearnInFear-SafeHavensIntl.pdf

Dorn, M. (2012, May 14). Codes Can Kill – Update on Why the Use of Codes in School Crisis Plans Can Cause Death and Serious Injury. Retrieved from http://www.safehavensinternational.org/codes-can-kill-update-on-why-the-use-of-codes-in-school-crisis-plans-can-cause-death-and-serious-injury.

If a crisis happens, those onsite may need to give emergency first aid to injured people.

To make this possible, people at your site should be trained in emergency first aid, including stopping bleeding, administering CPR, and use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs). Emergency first aid supplies need to be on hand. Consider:

• Coordinating with local emergency responders on first aid training and emergency supply kit contents.
• Designating a first aid team using trained staff members or volunteers.
• Providing first aid training to groups of students or members of your congregation. First aid training may be available through the American Red Cross, some local fire departments, and as part of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training.

In addition to first aid supplies, your site will need other items in its emergency kits, sometimes called “crisis response boxes.” These kits should be assembled in advance so they are available in a lockdown or evacuation situation.

Schools and houses of worship should have at least two kits in different locations (main office and elsewhere) and may have additional supply kits in individual classrooms or work areas.

Administration or Main Office Supplies

• Clipboard or binder with:
• Emergency operations plan
• Quick reference guides to all emergency procedures
• Reunification plan
• Evacuation sites
• A copy of the most recent security assessment
• Site plan information, including:
• Maps and photos
• Building floor plan with utility shut-offs and detailed instructions on disablement
• Bus routes and driver contact information
• Lists and contact information:
• Emergency responders
• Lists of all occupants, including staff, students or congregants, and volunteers
• Identification of persons with access or functional needs and a description of the need
• Attendance
• Current yearbook or photo sheets
• Personnel directory
• Rescue whistle
• Hat or brightly colored vest for visibility and leadership identification  
• Leather work gloves
• Eye and hearing protection
• Battery-operated flashlight
• Emergency communication device
• First-aid kit with instructions
• Keys
• Release forms

 Classroom, Nursery, Other Area Supplies

• Clipboard with lists of:
• All students, congregants, or children in area of responsibility
• Persons with access or functional needs and a description of the need
• Room leaders
• Rescue whistle
• Hat or brightly colored vest for visibility and leadership identification
• Pens and paper
• Age-appropriate activities
• First-aid kit with instructions
• Evacuation site maps
• Release forms

Your plan should clearly spell out how the response actions described earlier in this lesson will be used to manage the situation until law enforcement arrives. Select the link below to access questions that can be used to guide the development process.

In addition to managing the initial crisis, your plan should indicate:

• What to do when law enforcement arrives.
• What to do after the situation is brought under control.

In developing emergency response procedures, it is helpful to consider the following questions:

• What is the action?
• Who is responsible for the action?
• When should the action take place?
• How long should the action take and how much time is actually available?
• What has to happen before?
• What happens after?
• What resources are needed to perform the action?

Source:

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2010, November). Developing and Maintaining Emergency Operations Plans Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101 Version 2.0. Retrieved from http://www.fema.gov/pdf/about/divisions/npd/CPG_101_V2.pdf

When law enforcement arrives, people at your site need to know what to expect and how to act to remain safe. The first officers to arrive will focus on stopping the assailant(s) as quickly as possible and will not stop to help injured persons. People at the site should remain calm, and follow officer instructions:

• Put items down.
• Raise their hands and spread their fingers.
• Keep hands visible at all times.
• Avoid making quick movements toward officers.
• Avoid pointing, screaming, or yelling.

Once an incident is under control, important steps still remain:

• Know in advance who will be responsible for communicating information about the incident and how that information will be shared with your community—both your immediate community and the one at large.
• Know how and where people will be cared for, protected from further injury and emotional trauma.
• Have a process to safely release people. The release of people to loved ones sometimes takes place before an incident has ended completely.

The next lesson provides more information on reunification and providing public information.

An immediate, appropriate response depends on having a plan with clearly articulated roles, responsibilities, and procedures. It also requires communicating those procedures in a way that enables personnel to use them in a moment of crisis.

In a crisis, no matter how much time was spent on planning, people are still likely to be surprised and confused. Decisions will need to be made within seconds, and those decisions will be made under stress. Procedures are most useful in these situations when they:

• Provide the right amount of information. (Too much detail can’t be processed quickly.)
• Use clear, common language usable by diverse audiences.
• Are provided in user-friendly formats like posters, cards, placards, and flip-cards.
• Are posted prominently throughout the site, eating areas, class/meeting rooms, congregation areas, etc.
• Are produced in large enough type to be quickly and easily read.

Select the links below to access examples of procedures for various response actions:

• Evacuation
• Emergency Lockdown
• Reverse Evacuation
• Reverse Evacuation and Preventive Lockdown
• Room Clear
• Evacuation to Reunification Site
• Active Shooter Pocket Card

When implementing evacuation procedures:

Site lead:

• Public safety (911) shall be notified immediately when an evacuation of the site occurs.
• Determine evacuation routes based on location of the incident and types of emergency.
• Communicate the need to evacuate the building or a specific area of the building (utilizing onsite evacuation location inside the building) to the building occupants by activating the fire alarm or plain language via public address system or bullhorn.
• Communicate changes in evacuation routes based on location and types of emergency.
• Notify appropriate senior personnel that an evacuation has occurred.
• Designated staff assigned radios and/or cell phones should wear their lime-green vests.
• The Emergency Evacuation Kit and the Emergency Medical Bag should be moved outside with the evacuees.
• Monitor the situation and provide updates and additional instructions as needed. During inclement weather, consider requesting buses for sheltering students.
• Communicate when it is safe to re-enter the building or re-occupy a section of the building that was evacuated (i.e., bell system, radio transmission, public address system, or bull horn).

Staff:

• Exit the building using the designated emergency exit routes or as directed by the site lead. Emergency exit routes are diagramed on the site floor plan drawing posted near the light switch inside each room.
• Use a secondary route if the primary route is blocked or hazardous.
• Exit routes will be selected and communicated by the site lead at the time of the emergency and the evacuation.
• Assist those with access and functional needs.
• Assigned staff or volunteers should wear the orange-colored vest located in the back pocket in each room.
• Do not lock doors when leaving.
• Do not stop for belongings.
• Take roster with you.
• Go to designated evacuation assembly area (minimum of 500 feet from building required in fire evacuation and 1,000 feet from building for bomb threat, 300 feet for chemical spill inside building, or other directed evacuations).
• When outside the building or onsite inside the building evacuation location:
• Check for injuries.
• Account for all people for whom you are responsible.
• Immediately report any missing, extra, or injured people.
• Continue to maintain control of those people for whom you are responsible.
• Wait for additional instructions.

When implementing offsite evacuation procedures:

• Public safety (911) should be notified immediately when an evacuation of a building occurs.
• Onsite evacuation procedures should be executed prior to initiating an offsite evacuation.
• Designated staff assigned radios and/or cell phones should wear their lime-green vests.
• The Emergency Evacuation Kit and the Emergency Medical Bag shall be moved outside the building with the evacuees.
• Determine if circumstances require people to be evacuated to an offsite location.
• Prior to initiation of an offsite evacuation, the site lead, program manager, or designee shall consult with and obtain authorization when necessary.
• Notify staff of the plan to evacuate to an offsite location.
• Notify the receiving site prior to initiation of the offsite movement.
• Make other notifications as necessary, communications, community outreach, transportation, etc. Announce evacuation.
• Specify any changes in offsite evacuation routes based on location and types of emergency.
• Implement release procedures at the offsite location, if applicable.
• Document the release of any minors to an authorized family member or legal guardian.

Staff:

• Implement evacuation procedures for onsite evacuation location outside of the building.
• Follow direction of site lead concerning movement to offsite location.
• Remain with your assigned group while en route to the offsite location.
• Take attendance upon arriving at the offsite location.
• Check for injuries. Immediately report any missing, extra, or injured people.
• Continue to maintain control.
• Wait for additional instructions.

Adapted from: Fairfax County (VA) Schools Crisis Management Workbook,https://www.fcps.edu/resources/safety-and-transportation/emergency-planning-and-crisis-response

Site Lead:

• Communicate the need to lockdown the building via the public address system.
• If you know the whereabouts of the assailant (e.g., outside the library or on the second floor, etc.), include this information in the lockdown announcement or any subsequent announcements; that way people can gauge whether they have an opportunity to evacuate versus lockdown. If individuals and groups are able to evacuate, they should move to the offsite evacuation location, if accessible. If not, they should choose a location as far as possible from the source of danger.
• If known, relay the type of weapon the intruder is in possession of (firearm, knife, etc.).
• Direct all occupants to the nearest classroom or secured space occupied by staff members(s).
• Notify law enforcement (911) of the emergency and the need for immediate assistance.
• DO NOT attempt to lock exterior hallway doors that are unlocked.
• No one enters the school, except public safety personnel.

Lockdown Announcement – Class/Service in Progress Attention, this is an emergency. At this time secure everyone in your rooms and take roll. If not in a room, report directly to the nearest room with a staff member.

 Lockdown Announcement – Class/Service Change in Progress Attention, this is an emergency. At this time secure everyone in a room and take roll. Everyone report directly to the nearest room with a staff member.

Lockdown Announcement – During Meal Periods Attention, this is an emergency. At this time secure everyone in a room and take roll. Anyone in the eating area is to remain in the area and staff will secure the doors. Anyone outside of a room or eating area report directly to the nearest room with a staff member.

Staff

The following guidelines can be used by staff or designated others to determine if evacuation is a viable option versus lockdown:

• If you know the whereabouts of the violent intruder and you feel that you and those in your charge can safely evacuate the building and move to the student offsite evacuation location, if accessible, then do so. If not accessible, choose a location away from the source of danger.
• Factors to consider in making the decision to evacuate versus lockdown:
• Mobility: Is everyone able to move quickly or is their mobility limited due to access or functional needs?
• Distance and/or concealment: Is there sufficient distance between you and the intruder to allow enough time to move the group and reach safety and/or sufficient concealment along your evacuation route to move undetected?
• Type of weapon the intruder has in his or her possession: Knowing an intruder has a knife versus a firearm may affect your decision to lockdown or evacuate.

Implement lockdown procedures:

• Clear everyone from hallways into rooms. Assist those with access and functional needs.
• Close and lock all windows and doors; close window blinds, obscure door windows with paper.
• Block door with furniture, if appropriate.
• Turn lights off. Prepare a plan of action if the intruder gains entry (e.g., all-out assault on the intruder).
• Follow specified protocols if evacuation is initiated by law enforcement personnel.
• If a fire alarm has been activated, do not evacuate UNLESS fire or smoke is visible.
• Direct students to an area of the room, unobservable from outside and potential lines of fire.
• Stay away from all doors and windows.
• BE QUIET! Turn off the ringer on all cell phones.
• Move outside groups to primary or alternate offsite evacuation location.
• Persons in other buildings should remain inside the locked buildings.
• If you have evacuated the building, call 911 to report your location and situation.

In case of the need to send people from outside to a safer location in the building, use the following procedures.

Site lead:

• Announce: Reverse evacuation.
• Please follow reverse evacuation procedures.
• If other procedures are also to be implemented, such as a lockdown, announce those procedures also.
• When necessary use radios, megaphones, and runners (if safe) to contact staff outside.
• Make proper notifications, such as 911.

Staff Member:

• Instruct people to move quickly, but in a safe orderly fashion.
• Remain alert for possible threats while heading to the building and, when appropriate, adjust your route.
• When inside, follow instructions from site lead (for example, find the closest lockdown area).
• Remain calm and provide reassurance. Account for all people.

Remember: All staff members are empowered to implement a reverse evacuation when they deem it necessary.

Adapted from: Lincoln County (OR) School District Emergency Procedures on video, Reverse Evacuation Procedures

Preventive lockdown procedures are used to protect building occupants from potential dangers outside the building—e.g., police in pursuit of armed robbery suspect, or hostage/barricade situation near the school.

• Outside activities are cancelled and participants are moved inside.
• All exterior doors on buildings and trailers are secured.
• Occupants are free to move about inside the building/trailers.

Site lead:

• Communicate the need to secure the building (preventive lockdown) via the public address system and portable radio.
• No one is allowed outside of buildings.
• All building exterior doors are closed and locked.
• Those inside the building are free to move about within the building.
• Post staff at building main entrance to control visitor access, issue passes, and provide directions to reunification area, if applicable.
• If buses or other transportation are scheduled to arrive or depart from the site during the lockdown, advise them to remain offsite until resolved.
• When the threat has been mitigated, make announcement to return to normal operations.

Staff:

• Cancel outdoor activities and move participants inside the building.
• Close and lock perimeter doors.
• Do not allow anyone to exit the building unless directed by site lead.
• DO NOT OPEN EXTERIOR DOORS.

Pre-event:

• Identify buddy rooms, and specific location in the building where people will be sent if a room clear is ordered.
• Maintain a list of the buddy rooms.
• Identify buddy rooms on a site map.

Event:

In case of the need to send people from a room or area to a safer location in the building, use the following procedures.

Staff member in room being cleared:

• Announce: Room clear, please go to [indicate buddy room].
• Direct people to leave in a calm, orderly manner.
• Notify the main office and briefly describe the situation and the response needed, such as 911 or first aid.
• Remain with the problem situation if it appears safe to do so.
• Stay calm.
• Take any extra precautions to keep yourself and others safe.

Staff member in buddy room:

• Notify main office of receiving people.
• Account for all people.

Adapted from: Lincoln County (OR) School District Emergency Procedures. https://lincoln.k12.or.us/media/2018/03/LCSD-Emergency-Plan-Updated-11.26.18-Text-Only.pdf

Organize the crisis team. Assign the crisis team tasks for: Identifying buddy guidelines. Conducting building evacuation. Identifying relocation procedures. Monitoring of relocation area.

• Organize the crisis team.
• Assign the crisis team tasks for:
• Identifying buddy guidelines.
• Conducting building evacuation.
• Identifying relocation procedures.
• Monitoring of relocation area.

Administrative/teacher/faculty responsibilities:

• Verify and maintain a list of people onsite, using rosters or other sign-in documents.
• Know the buddy guidelines.
• Know evacuation procedures to safe assembly area.

Event

Site lead responsibilities:

• Direct students, congregants, staff, and volunteers to evacuate the building to safe assembly areas.
• Identify safe evacuation procedures for people with access and functional needs. Meet with law enforcement and emergency responders.
• Account for all students, congregants, staff, and volunteers.
• Coordinate with law enforcement to direct emergency vehicles and other vehicles for transport to the relocation area.
• Identify a coordinator to assist loading of people on vehicles, and document vehicles and people on the vehicles.
• Direct the vehicles to the safe reunification site.
• Take emergency kits and information on students, congregants, staff, and volunteers.
• Stay at incident site—site lead or designee.
• Establish a check-in/check-out process at the reunification site.
• Crisis team members assist with check-in/check-out.
• Establish an area for students/congregants and a separate area for household members/loved ones.
• Establish a medical and counseling center at the reunification site.
• Crisis team members assist as needed.
• Have the reunification team members wear vests, badges, hats, and/or other indicators of their role.

Administrative/teacher/faculty responsibilities:

• Follow site lead directions.
• Move his or her group to the pre-designated assembly point and maintain order.
• Account for everyone once in the assembly area.
• Report anyone missing or injured.
• Check with buddy. Put group on vehicle to reunification site.
• Account for everyone once on vehicle.
• Maintain calm and order on vehicle.
• Proceed to the reunification site.

Adapted from: Evacuation Plan Pre-Event and Event Checklists (Orange County Schools), http://rems.ed.gov/docs/repository/00000723.pdf

You can use the following resources to learn more about establishing response protocols.

• Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools, Technical Assistance Center, Helpful Hints:
• Engaging Students in Emergency Management
• Emergency “Go-Kits”
• Steps for Developing a School Emergency Management Plan
• Emergency Management Planning for Institutions of Higher Education
• Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools, Technical Assistance Center, Resource Repository
• Campus Safety
• Safe Havens International
• DHS Active Shooter Preparedness
• IS-907, Active Shooter: What You Can Do

You should now understand the importance of creating response procedures for a secure and safe environment and the different situations and audiences these response procedures need to address.

The next lesson presents the considerations for returning to learning, or worship, and restoring the infrastructure of the facility as quickly as possible.