Emergency Communications

Our goal is to inform families as quickly as we can and ensure families have accurate information about what is happening at school, including the steps being taken to protect your child’s health and safety.

If there is a police presence at school, or any threat to safety, we will alert the school community affected as soon as possible. All messages regarding school safety will include the nature of the threat in as much detail as we know.

There are three instances when we cannot share detailed information:

Medical Emergency

In a medical emergency, we notify families that there is an ambulance at the school due to a medical emergency, to provide reassurance that there is not a broader threat. We cannot share any further information with the school community as part of our legal obligation to maintain student’s private medical information.

Threat of Violence Under Active Investigation

When a school receives a threat of violence under active police investigation, we work closely with ACPD to ensure we do not jeopardize their investigation by releasing confidential or inaccurate information ahead of the police report. Once the investigation is complete and the report has been posted, we share it with our families.

Student Discipline

Regarding student discipline, our goal is to assure families that appropriate disciplinary action has been taken to prevent further harm or danger. In most cases, we cannot provide specific information about disciplinary action related to individuals involved in making threats or other unsafe behaviors, due to student privacy.

Terms and Procedures for Emergency Response

It is important that all public safety officials, school administrators, communication officers, and members of the media understand and use common terminology. For parents, understanding the terminology may ease fears and concerns during an incident.

"Hold"

There might be situations that require students and staff to HOLD in a room or area and stay out of common areas. For example, there is an uncontrollable altercation inside the cafeteria, or a medical emergency inside bathroom of a wing inside the school. That wing or area may HOLD until medical assistance arrives. The educational instruction continues, and the period might be extended.

No matter your location, here are a few examples when a school might be put into a HOLD response condition.

Medical incidents that require attention.
An altercation in a hallway or common area.
Maintenance issues – leak or incident that requires immediate attention.
Police inside the school investigating a threat.

HOLD

"Secure the Building”

The SECURE action is a response when there is an immediate threat or hazard outside of your location. No matter where you are, inside a school, SECURE uses the physical security of the facility as protection.

Here are a few examples when a school might be put into a SECURE response condition.

An unknown or unauthorized person on the grounds
Dangerous animal on or near the grounds
Criminal activity in the area
Planned police activity in the neighborhood

“Lockdown"

The LOCKDOWN response protocol is activated when there is an immediate and credible threat inside a school. You can see/hear the threat. From parental custody disputes to intruders to an active assailant. We can use LOCKDOWN as a response to protect yourself and others from the threat inside a school.

Here are a few examples when a school might be put into a LOCKDOWN response condition.

Intruder
An angry or violent parent or student
Report of a weapon
Active assailant

"Evacuate"

The EVACUATE response protocol is activated when there is a need to leave from one location to another. No matter where you are, inside a school or on school grounds, you can use EVACUATE as a response to protect yourself and others from an incident.

Here are a few examples when a school might need to EVACUATE the location.

Fire or gas leak.
Major disruptions to critical infrastructure.
Credible and imminent bomb threat.
There is an active threat and you cannot make it inside to a safe location.

Evacuation

“Shelter-in-Place”

If an event occurs that involves a chemical, biological or radiological contaminant, public safety officials may direct us to “shelter-in-place.”

If that occurs, the school will be locked and secured.
Signs will be posted stating no one is to enter or leave the site and students and staff will move to identified, safe locations in the building.
HVAC systems, where possible, will be shut down and exterior doors will be secured to decrease exposure to outside air.
Safety officials indicate there would be a 10 to 20 minute lead time for the alert, allowing time for students in portable classrooms and on school grounds to enter the building.

Emergency Notification Procedures

Some situations sometimes require APS to share information with families, staff and the community about incidents in a classroom, at school, on a bus or in our communities.

When this occurs, the situation will be assessed and information is gathered by school and division leadership, the School & Community Relations Department, and, in some cases, community partners, such as law enforcement. Situations are handled on a case-by-case basis, and many factors decide if, when and how the division communicates.

Sometimes the timing and frequency of communication are dictated by the scope of an incident and its impact on school safety. While it’s impossible to plan for every scenario, families, staff and the community should know the general guidelines used when district and school leaders are determining the timing and content of the communications. Below are examples of scenarios.

Impact Level	Description	Notification
Low	The situation results in little or no risk to school safety or students. There are no disruptions to school or classroom activities. The situation is an isolated incident and may involve an individual. Examples: A school bus is involved in a fender-bender. No injuries. Student is disruptive, or dysregulated (not threatening to others). Minor altercation involving two students or a small group where police or first responders are not contacted.	Phone call, text or email message to individual families or a classroom.
Medium	The situation poses a moderate risk to school safety or students. There are disruptions to school or classroom activities. Examples: Police or first responders visit a school for a medical emergency and are seen by students or passers-by. A student is found possessing a weapon or illegal substance. Inappropriate and offensive or discriminatory language is seen by students in school materials or in writing within the school.	Text and/or email messages to a classroom, the entire school, or in some cases, the division.
High	The situation poses a significant risk to the safety or well-being of the school or students and has the potential to escalate or cause significant disruption to school activities. The incident impacts many students. Examples: There is a lockdown of the school. A credible or substantiated threat is made against a school or a classroom OR a student is found in possession of a weapon or making direct threats to others. A fire is lit in a bathroom stall or trash can.	Requires communication to the entire school, with certain information shared district-wide.

Emergency Messages

General emergency messages and changes to school openings and closings will be found on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and Instagram, the APS home page, Comcast Cable Channel 70, Verizon FiOS 41 and local TV and radio stations. Text messages and emails are sent to parents and employees through ParentSquare.

How will students be able to contact families if there is a lockdown situation?

We understand the concerns and fears families have. Safety is our top priority, and law enforcement officials have reported that cell phones create a distraction for students that can compromise their safety during an emergency. Students communicating with their cell phones during a campus emergency can alert an intruder to their location. Our schools have well-researched emergency management plans that will ensure students can reach parents as soon as possible after an all-clear is called.

Additionally:

Students on their phones are not focused on life-saving directives from teachers, emergency management communication systems and first responders.
Students can spread misinformation that confuses critical life-saving decision-making.
The flurry of communication can jam cellular networks, preventing critical life-saving information from getting through.

For more information, visit the APS School Safety webpage.