The superintendent will establish procedures in an effort to offer reasonable protection for the safety of students, employees, visitors, and others present on school property or at school-sponsored events.  The practice of safety shall be taught in educational programs in traffic and pedestrian safety, driver education, fire prevention, emergency procedures, disaster preparedness, etc., appropriately geared to students in different grade levels. Areas of emphasis shall include, but not be limited to, in-service training, accident record keeping, plant inspection, driver, and vehicle safety programs, fire prevention, and emergency procedures in traffic safety problems relevant to students, employees, and the community.  No later than October 1 of each school year, each school district site shall select a Safe School Committee composed of at least six members including an equal number of teachers, parents of the children affected, and students. The committee will study and make recommendations to the principal concerning unsafe conditions, possible strategies for students to avoid harm at school, student victimization, crime prevention, school violence, and other issues, which prohibit the maintenance of a safe school. The committee shall meet every nine weeks.

The School District will conduct ten (10) safety drills each school year. The Superintendent shall be responsible for ensuring that all ten (10) drills have been appropriately conducted at each school site within the school district. It shall be the duty of the site principal, under the direction of the superintendent, to conform to the written plans and procedures adopted by the school district.  All students and teachers shall participate in the safety drills. The ten (10) drills shall consist of the following:

1. Lockdown drills. A minimum of two (2) lockdown drills shall be conducted at each site within the school district each school year. No lockdown drill can be conducted at the same time of day as a previous lockdown drill in the same school year, and no more than two drills shall be conducted in the same semester. Lockdown drills shall be conducted for the purpose of securing school buildings to prevent or mitigate injuries or deaths that may result from a threat on or near the school.

2. Fire drills. Each site school shall conduct a minimum of two (2) fire drills per school year. Each fire drill shall be conducted within the first fifteen (15) days of each semester. The fire drills shall include the sounding of a distinctive audible signal designated as the fire alarm signal.

3. Intruder drills. Each school site shall conduct a minimum of two (2) intruder drills per school year. Intruder drills are conducted for the purpose of mitigating injuries or deaths by executing a plan as an alternative to the lockdown method. Each intruder drill shall be conducted within the first fifteen (15) days of each semester.

4. Tornado drills. Each school site shall conduct a minimum of two (2) tornado drills per school year. Tornado drills are required to be conducted in the months of September and March.

5. Safety drills. Each school site shall conduct a minimum of two (2) safety drills per year that can consist of any of the aforementioned drills.

Documentation of completion of the drills shall be maintained. Records for each fire drill shall be preserved in writing for at least three years and made available to the State Fire Marshal or the marshal’s agent upon request. The school district shall
document all other safety drills in writing and by school site with a copy of the report remaining at the school, a copy filed with the district administrative office, and a copy with the Institute of School Security Resources.

*Evacuation of the building to various safe locations in a random order is preferred so that anyone threatening harm will not have prior knowledge of the evacuation route and safe areas.

Written plans and procedures shall be in place for protecting students, faculty, administrators, and visitors from natural and man-made disasters and emergencies. Such plans will be kept on file in each school building in the district and at each local
emergency management organization within the district. Annual reports will be presented to the board of education detailing the status of emergency preparedness and identify safety needs for each school.

With respect to the size of the Duncan school system, there will be ___crisis team(s). The team will be composed of the superintendent, two teachers, a school board member and two parents. The superintendent will be the team leader and media
liaison.  

Local agencies, as well as media agencies, will be contacted in regard to disaster assistance when needed.

In case of a disaster, the school will be used as the central office for coordination of activities stemming from the incident. If the school is not available because of the incident, the alternative site will be the Duncan Fire Department.

Adoption Date: Revision Date(s): 7-11-06, 9-11-07, 7-16-13

Decisions to be made by the team and the team leaders should a disaster occur include the following:

1. How the staff, student body, and community will learn of the disaster.

2. How to most accurately and efficiently provide information.

3. Schedule changes.

4. Opening or closing of schools and resuming normal routines.

5. Plans for shielding the children from the media, if needed.