Building Lockdown Procedures

Lockdown drills are initiated with the announcement:

“This is a Lockdown.”

A bell tone will follow this announcement.

General Staff Instructions:

• Sweep any students or adults in the hallway into your room and lock your door.
• Explain to students that regardless of whether this is a drill or not, a building lockdown should be taken seriously.
• Have students sit down.
• Lock all entrances to your room.
• Turn off lights.
• Cover room-level, interior windows if possible.
• Close windows and blinds if possible.
• Assure students that procedures are in place, to remain calm, quiet, and away from windows and doors.
• Do not allow students to leave the room during the lockdown.
• Do not open your door until an “all clear” is received.
• Do not use the school telephone system to request information.
• Communicate known threats and location to the office by email, telephone, cell phone, or radio.
• Do not call the Main Office during a lockdown unless you have something relating to the lockdown to report.
• If the fire alarm goes off during a lockdown, do not immediately evacuate the building. The alarm will be shut off, and the situation assessed. If the alarm is set off for a second time, then evacuate following the evacuation procedures for your location.

  The “all clear” signal is one long bell, followed by an announcement over the public address system by an administrator.

NOTE: These same shelter-in-place procedures may be enacted for reasons other than a security lockdown and may be announced differently.

What-if…

RE: Building Lockdown

• Building lockdown occurs during passing time, before, or after school?
  Proceed to the nearest classroom or other safe lockable room in order to shelter-in place.
• Building lockdown occurs during outdoor P.E.?
  Return to the building through the main doors. You will be directed from there.
• Building lockdown occurs during lunch?
  Proceed to the gym or a classroom, whichever is nearest to you.
• Building lockdown occurs when you are in the hallway?
  Proceed to the nearest classroom or other safe lockable room in order to shelter-in-place.
• Building lockdown occurs when you are in a room, but not your normal classroom?
  Do not leave your current location. Follow the lockdown procedures for that location.
• You are in the building, but do not teach or have a class at the time of the building lockdown?
  If you are in a lockable room, remain there, or proceed to the nearest classroom or other safe lockable room in order to shelter-in-place.
• You are a TOPS staff member who by job description is not assigned to a specific classroom?
  If you are in a lockable room, remain there, or proceed to the nearest classroom or other safe lockable room in order to shelter-in-place.
• You are a visitor in the building during building lockdown?
  If you are in a lockable room, remain there, or proceed to the nearest classroom or other safe lockable room in order to shelter-in-place.
• You are on school grounds near to, but not in, the TOPS building at the time of a building lockdown?
  Note: Safety lockdowns sometimes occur due to a neighborhood incident.
  If the danger or threat is observed outside the building and close by, staff and students should evacuate that area as quickly and directly as possible, and then call 911.
  If you are near a TOPS building entrance and there are no indications that it is unsafe to do so, enter the building and proceed into the nearest, available, classroom or the gym to shelter-in-place there.