School safety is a topic we wish we didn’t have to address, but it has become more crucial than ever for our schools and our students to be prepared for any emergency. Please know that the responsibility to keep your students safe while they are in our care is our highest priority.
No system is 100% foolproof, but we are doing everything in our power to keep students safe. Thank you for your continued support as we work to keep our schools and students safe.
The best way to be prepared for any emergency is prevention. To that end, the Salt Lake City School District (SLCSD) has implemented changes to boost our school safety efforts. You've likely noticed that our elementary and middle schools have been equipped with doorbells and video cameras. These systems limit public access to our schools. Parents are always welcome, but at elementary and middle schools, all visitors (including parents) must be buzzed in via the doorbell/camera. At our high schools, we are making every effort to keep as many exterior doors locked as possible.
Every year, we train all school staff and faculty on our district emergency protocols. We are constantly updating our training to make sure every person who works in our schools is ready for an emergency. During the training, staff members walk through procedures for various emergency scenarios. Having staff members familiar with these protocols is crucial to making sure our students know what to do in the event of an emergency.
We’re using a mobile app that allows school administrators and staff to communicate with each other, with district leaders, and with law enforcement during an emergency. Sharing crucial details saves time, which has the potential to save lives.
We also created a hashtag, #SLCSDalerts, to share emergency updates on Twitter and Facebook. For parents who do not use social media, you can view all #SLCSDalerts Twitter updates on this webpage. Please bookmark this site. During an emergency, a school’s phone lines may not be working, but we will use this webpage and hashtag to share updates in real-time.
Salt Lake City School District has adopted the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) as part of our school safety plans. The SRP includes simple statements and instructions for students and employees to keep them as safe as possible during an emergency. Below is a summary of the SRP and the actions we will take in the event of an emergency.
SECURE ALERT means all students and employees are brought inside the building and exterior doors are locked. School continues ad normal inside. A secure alert is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the building.
LOCKDOWN is when all students and employees are brought into classrooms or offices, doors are locked and lights are turned off, and everyone remains as quiet as possible. A lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the building.
EVACUATE is called to move students and employees to a safe location outside the school building.
SHELTER is called in situations where personal protection is necessary and sheltering in place is the best way to keep students and employees safe.
HOLD is used when hallways need to be kept clear of occupants.
