Platte County School District #1

Platte County School District #1 and our entire community value the well-being of our students above all else.  In order to ensure continuity of response from all law enforcement and emergency personnel, PCSD#1 utilizes the Standard Response Protocol (SRP).  The SRP uses a specific vocabulary yet provides for great flexibility in the event of a crisis.  The SRP is a simple system that uses four specific actions that can be performed during an incident.
 

Lockout is followed by the directive:  "Secure the Perimeter" and is the protocol used to safeguard students and staff within the school building.

Lockdown is followed by the directive:  "Locks, lights, out of sight" and is the protocol used to secure students and staff inside of classrooms and to keep students quiet and in order.

Evacuate is always followed by a location, and is used to move students and staff from one location to another in or out of the building.

Shelter is always followed by a type and a method and is the protocol for group and self protection.  

The district also uses a fifth protocol to handle less severe incidents. This protocol, “Hold” or “Hold in Place,” is used to temporarily alter a student’s schedule while a disruption is handled in a part of the building.

Each specific action can act as both a verb and a noun.  If the action is Lockdown, it would be announced on public address as "Lockdown!  Locks, Lights, Out of Sight."  Communication to local law enforcement would then be "We are under Lockdown."  Each response has specific student and staff action.  The Evacuate response is always followed by a location:  "Evacuate to the bus zone."  Responses can also be combined:  "Evacuate to the Hallway; Shelter for Tornado; Drop, Cover, and Hold."

The benefits of SRP include providing a standardized vocabulary that all stakeholders can understand.  For students, this provides continuity of expectations and actions throughout their educational career.  For teachers, this becomes a more simple process to train and drill.  For first responders, the common vocabulary and protocols establish a greater predictability that persists through the duration of an incident.  Parents can easily understand the practices and can reinforce the protocol.  Additionally, this protocol enables rapid response determination when an unforseen event occurs.  

The protocol also allows for a more predictable series of actions as an event unfolds.  An intruder event may start as a Lockdown, but as the intruder is isolated, first responders might transition parts of the school to an "Evacuate to the Gym and Lockdown," and later "Evacuate to the bus zone."