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Safety & Security

Fire Drills

Every principal of a school of two or more rooms, or of a school of one room, when located above the first story of a building: 

  • Shall have at least one fire drill each month within the school hours, including any summer months during which the school is open for instruction al programs
  • Where school buildings have been provided with fire escapes, they shall be used by a part or all of the pupils performing every fire drill

Security Drills

A security drill is an exercise, other than a fire drill, to practice procedures that respond to an emergency situation including, but not limited to, a nonfire evacuation, lockdown, or active shooter situation and that is similar in duration to a fire drill.

Every principal of a school of two or more rooms, or of a school of one room, when located above the first story of a building:

  • Shall have at least one security drill each month within the school hours, including any summer months during which the school is open for instruction al programs
  • Shall conduct a school security drill within the first 15 days of the beginning of the school year
  • Shall hold a minimum of two of each of the following security drills annually:
    • Lockdown – Shelter-in-Place
    • Lockdown – Active Shooter
    • Evacuation (non-fire)
    • Bomb Threat
    • Examples of other types of security drills:
      • Reverse Evacuation
      • Evacuation to Relocation Site

 

What is a lockdown?

A lockdown is a precautionary measure in response to a threat directly to the school or in the surrounding community.

 

In a lockdown:
  • No one is allowed to enter or exit the building.
  • Parents may not come to the school during a lockdown.
  • Parents are also discouraged from calling the school directly. Additional calls hinder the ability of staff to respond to the primary task: keeping everyone safe.

 

There are two lockdown codes at MEPS:
  • Shelter in Place Lockdown – Used when there is a minor emergency in the building with no danger to students or staff or when there’s a danger in the surrounding community but no danger inside the school., i.e. police searching for a criminal suspect in the area
    • All exterior doors locked
    • No one enters or exits the building
    • School Day activities continue inside the school
  • Active Shooter Lockdown – Used when there’s a direct threat to the school and those inside
    • All exterior doors locked
    • No one enters or exits the building
    • School Day activities cease inside the school
    • Students and staff go to their assigned lockdown locations
    • All classroom and office doors are locked
    • Absolute silence must be maintained inside the building


Student Lockdown Procedures


Parent FAQs

Parent FAQs

Will I be notified when a real lockdown take place in school?
Yes.  Parents will always be notified when a real lockdown takes place in school.  See details below.


Will I be notified when a practice lockdown takes place in school?
  • No.  Practice lockdowns are part of regular school activities.  Parents are not notified when a practice lockdown takes place.
  • If your child comes home and talks about having had a lockdown in school that day, unless you received communication from the school district, you are safe to assume it was a practice lockdown.

How will I know if my child’s school is on lockdown?
  • Once a lockdown is put into place, police and school administrators cooperate immediately to ensure the safety of everyone on the school campus. 
  • Once the situation has been stabilized, a phone message, email and/ or paper letter will be sent to parents to inform them that the school was placed on a lockdown, the nature of the incident, and about how long the lockdown was in place.
  • In larger emergencies, such as when a lockdown affects both schools or if there was potential life threatening danger parents will receive multiple forms of communication. This could include multiple phone messages, as well as emails and hard copy written letters after the fact.

How is communication sent home?
  • Electronic communication is sent to phone numbers and email addresses that parents have provided to the school. 
  • Hard copy letters are usually sent home with students at the end of the day, or the following day if the lockdown happened close to dismissal.

Why didn’t I receive a phone message?
Each situation differs in the level of severity and how it impacts the school day and families. For instance, if a Shelter in Place is enacted but is lifted after just a few minutes with minimal impact to the school day, we will send an email or letter home for information purposes.


Can I come to the school and take my child home?
  • During a lockdown, your child’s school is a secure area. School officials and law enforcement are working together to keep everyone safe, and no one is allowed to enter or exit the school. 
  • To ensure everyone’s safety we ask that parents please refrain from coming to school campuses during a lockdown. 
  • Once the all-clear is given, students and staff will be permitted to enter or exit the school again.