Lockdown Procedures, Responsibilities, & What to Expect.. “ From the beginner to the advanced, you will learn something new from this class!”

By Officer Chris Crapser Fort Wayne Police Officer / Snider High School Resource Officer / Training Director for the Indiana School Resource Officers Association

Intro..

     A little bit about myself, which you probably don’t want to know! If you get overly offended this may not be for you  Dad’s philosophy… Do the right thing, the truth may hurt.

Which takes us to how we developed this procedure..

This is not strictly a educators lockdown procedure, but rather a fine tuned balance between the knowledge gained by law enforcement officers responding to and ever investigating criminality in society, and the school system. “The police may not have the education background of many school administrators, but they do solve millions of crisis situations every day!”

Preliminary Information

   Initially send a letter or e-mail to parents providing explanation for the first Lockdown.

Prior to initial lockdown, provide staff with the procedures by way of multiple e-mails, communications, or Q&A.

The staff is the front line of defense . They will be notified of procedure changes, recent intelligence that may aid in the safety of the school, and be provided with regular in-service .

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Major or Minor Lockdown Announcement

Schools may have multiple levels of lockdown procedures, but only a couple need to be known. One needs to be perfected!

A Minor Lockdown, or “Shelter in Place” is used when the threat is outdoors and non-specific. Teachers are to lock their doors, keep students in the rooms, and continue to teach until further advised.

A Major Lockdown is a procedure to be practiced & perfected. It is announced in accordance to a direct threat, such as an active shooter on property or in the building. ------- LEVEL III Lockdown-------- and this is what we are discussing today.

When a threat has been established, an announcement will be made to the entire staff on an all call, by a prior delegated staff member, and they will relay needed info.

Step 1 for Teachers…

  After hearing the lockdown announcement, go directly to the classroom door and make a “ quick peek ” in the hall to secure any loose students. Do we have a liability to secure innocent students roaming the hall?

Yes!

Be it Morally, Ethically, Policy Compliant, or out of Parental Urges, do it!

What You as a Teacher Should be Contemplating…

     When looking in the hallway at loose students, look at their hands for items .

Do they belong? How are they dressed? Observe: hoodies, coats, bags, hats, bandannas, book bags, etc.

Observe facial expressions and body language.

Scan the hall. ( Prevent tunnel vision ). This may save your life as well as your students.

Bring any loose students into your classroom.

Could This Happen?

That’s why it is called the “Quick Peek”!

If it’s the Real Deal you should..

If there is an active threat in the building, you need to do whatever it takes to keep yourself and students safe; barricade the door, and or break a window and evacuate. The teacher needs to use common sense.

If you see a suspicious person during the peek, be it a drill or the real thing, you should ..

 Secure the door, then call the security office “74610” with the description.

In our local high schools, police officers should be given the location, description and direction from the information you provide to our delegated staff member assigned to the security office during a lockdown. This person will also be the direct line to 911, since history has shown that too many calls to the 911 dispatch will make contact impossible. (Examples; cell phones)

Documentation…

   Any student should be documented on a list when brought into your room in case of off site evacuation.

Attendance lists and grade books should be taken when exiting.

Off site evacuation sites should be pre arranged in case of emergency and should be part of your existing emergency plan.

Let’s think out of the box!

     “ Crapser Method whatever… ”, that’s right Crap-ser, /Krap sir/, not Kratsert, Casper, Crasper, Crafner, or This is a compilation and possibly even plagiarism, for the safety of the “Children”  Who here practices lockdown drills? Volunteer?

Does anyone monitor your cameras during a drill? Nobody? New People? Old people? Always the same people? Who will monitor the cameras during a real situation? Do you always have same officers?

Do they know the building?

Even if it is just a drill…

Teacher Security Secretary I challenge you to practice All lockdown drills with a “mock” active shooter. Hence, all staff will be trained Pavlov style, with hopes that when a real threat occurs, staff will quick peek, and report if a threat is observed!

“We fight as we train!”

After the “Peek”…

        Lock your door. (Sub’s should leave door locked all day. Have a neighboring teacher open door in a.m. and after lunch). Or leave all doors locked all day? Does officer have a key fob, a master, an exterior master? What if he needs to enter where there is no fob.

Cover your entry window.

Turn off any lights. (You may need a night light, or flashlight if in interior room) Move students away from door to a location out of line with the door.

If there is an imminent threat outside, then close the shades, otherwise leave them open.

Be it real or a drill, teachers need to reassure the importance of following directions, and staying quiet.

Muscle memory: We will not step up to a situation, we will revert to training practices.

Window Covering

Hallway View Exterior Shades Inside Classroom: procedure on window.

Lockdown Policy, as a window cover…?

Highlight your individual responsibilities and needed extension numbers. It makes the perfect reminder! And aids when sub’s are in your class.

Laminated stock from our print shop, with Velcro on back.

Room Communication

   Teachers need to keep their e-mail open for incoming messages.

Keep classroom phone lines open in case of emergency use.

Listen for bull horn communication and or P.A. within the building.

BE PATIENT! We will make contact with you!

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Lockdown Duties

Delegated assistant principals or technical savvy and building knowledgeable staff should be assigned in security room to monitor surveillance systems and will forward suspect information to the school resource police officer for response to the conflict and active neutralization.( During every drill & actual event!) One staff member per monitor bank, plus a staff member to answer security phone from incoming staff calls, and relay information to 911.

The Security Room Needs to be Secure!

An unmarked outer door and a secure window makes location and entry difficult.

Procedure in the security room!

Have you had suspicious inquiries on your security?

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Duties Continued…

The principal’s duty lies with keeping a prepared folder with a map of the building, a master key and spare radio.

The principal has accessibility to a secure perimeter entrance and meets initial responding police personnel from outside and will supply them with the information.

Duties Continued….

   The Assistant Principal will check our auditorium, or unrelated locations that need to be checked for liability: auditorium, outdoor gym, etc.. and follow up by preparing a meet for S.W.A.T. response at designated location.

S.W.A.T. response has proven to be irrelevant due to the fact that most school shootings are over well before arrival. (We must prepare as though we are on our own!) (Hence) The S.R.O. response will be crucial, especially at high schools or nearby feeder schools sharing same campus.

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Bathroom Detail……

Do we have a responsibility to check restrooms?

Are there speakers in the restrooms to advise students?

Is it against contract to place staff in harm’s way?

Assign close and minimal personnel to check restrooms. Lock themselves and loose students either in restroom, if lockable, or a nearby room. Minimal personnel in the hallway is a necessity for video motion detection.

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Teachers Do Not...

Do not open doors unless you are advised by PA, e-mail, phone, or by a very reliable source, such a law enforcement. Your life, and your students’ lives, depend on it.

Fire alarms are to be disregarded during a lockdown.

If evacuation is needed, you will be contacted by some form of communication.

“This is COMPLETELY DIFFERENT as compared to a Fire Drill! Never Compare procedures!” When was the last death in a school by fire in the U.S.?

The Answer Is!

      1958!

Brick structures..

Fire drills every month..

2 state mandated lockdowns a year.

When was the last school shooting? Or, how long into 2012 did it take for a school shooting to occur? Any volunteers?

Any Ideas?

January 4

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The first school shooting of 2012 was on January 4 at a Brownsville, Texas, middle school. Officers arrived at the school and fatally shot a middle school student who acted out in violence in the school, then pointed a look-a-like pellet gun at police.

The first school shooting of 2012 that was student shooting another student was January 10th.

    HOUSTON -- A Houston teenager accused of shooting a classmate at school says he was defending himself from a group of boys who have been bullying him.

Warren Lewis an honor role student, remained jailed Wednesday after he was arrested for the shooting a day earlier. The student who was shot is expected to recover.

The North Forest Independent School District says it's still investigating how Lewis got the handgun into the campus and past metal detectors.

During a court appearance Wednesday, the 18-year-old Lewis told a judge that he had filed complaints with the school about the boys who had been harassing him.

Lunch Time Lockdown…

Does your cafeteria look like this; a fish bowl?

There needs to be an alternative lockdown location.

Snider Main Café will evacuate to the Aux Café, and Aux Café students are moved to attached storage rooms.

Café staff will lock, secure doors, and lock themselves in. Keep good rapport with café staff, your stomach demands it!

How about the Library & Computer Lab…

Is it a fish bowl? You need to do the same due to the accessibility of a large amount of students.

Snider students will move to secure Audio – Visual storage rooms adjacent to the Library.

Gym…

Indoor physical education students will move to secure locker rooms. These rooms need a PA, or a communication system.

Outdoor classes will stay outside, and seek shelter at a nearby, pre-arranged off site location . Do you have method to contact outdoor classes?

Glenwood first, then Good Shepherd Church.

After a Drill…

   A debrief session with administration is required.

Make a list of fatalities (Adults, students, cafeteria staff, police, everybody), loud classrooms, unlocked doors, wandering students, strange occurrences.

Voice any concerns, accomplishments, needed drill amendments and improvements or violations. (The drill should be a live or ever changing document.) An incident report will be filed listing all information to track repeat concerns.

Mock Shooters & Active Shooters use their eyes and ears to locate targets.

Mock Shooters will give NEEDED surveillance tracking practice to those directing the officers to the threat. (Revolving employee positions means starting from scratch every year) We will always document the time taken for responders to neutralize the threat.

WHY DO WE DO THIS? We will not step up to the level of a threat in a serious situation, but rather revert to our training.

FYI…

Why Drill? Ongoing Roadblocks.

     State Law… Two a year… We do four!

Problems: New Administrators, SRO’s, and staff every year. (Start from scratch, again, again) There is no conformity between schools. We must develop uniformity over the district for the benefit of sub’s, transferred staff, and police.

Must do: Work closely with administration to practice improvised camera training during down time throughout the year to stay sharp and train new staff.

Advanced training: An hour on the weekend with air soft ammo, qualified active shooter, several scenario’s, administrator participation as well as law enforcement response from SRO & street officers.

Our Mock Shooters, during a school time drill do not..

    Carry any type of weapon, or look-a-like, except for their finger.

Use any type of physical force Cause any large scene, or excessive intimidation of teachers or students.

Do not exercise intricate covert plans to confuse the staff monitoring cameras, since generally our shooter is for needed practice, not more confusion. Keep it simple.

Our Mock Shooters will..

    Wear a hood, mask, glasses, hat, or some type of disguise. Wait in a room until the agreed time, then begin in a different portion of the school each drill. They will check all noises and walk in unlocked doors.. Being the mock shooter is a position everybody wants, but it is also a learning experience that most will not forget. Everyone should take a turn! You will learn more than the staff by putting yourself in that role just once.

For Teachers, after the drill…

   It is the teacher’s responsibility to advise students what to do if they are caught in a confined space with a suspect.

Running is preferred. However, if there is no possible escape, they should hide behind cover, stay as close to the ground as possible, and physically make themselves as small of target as possible.

There may be a time to fight! If you are trapped in a room and there are no other survival techniques, a last resort is TO FIGHT, by any means necessary and as team if possible.

After the real deal…

Ending Considerations…

Teacher and students 12 hrs in a classroom Media Response Parent Pick up and Response Altercations Student and Staff Accountability (Who Left?) Crime Scene (Closed for days) Interviews (5 hours once outside) Jammed 911 from overflow Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

Living with “The Next Day”

      Liability: Did you operate per your policy?

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing Business as usual?

Funerals?

Court- Criminal / Civil Suicide? Feelings of personal guilt, or dramatization of friendships….

Are we ready? Think about it…

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History shows…

Active shooters are prepared mentally and tactically. They do their homework.

They are ready to die , and will attack as such.

There WILL be casualties during a real incident, so don’t be surprised when you accumulate casualties during a practice drill! This is not a sign of failure, but an indicator that you are practicing and learning what to improve.

Being vigilant WILL reduce casualties.

Complacency and Political Correctness is our Enemy and Their Friend.. (Afraid to offend)

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Who are the Suspects?

Other Students (Most probable) Disgruntled Parent (Very Possible) “Domestic Terrorists” or Gang Members (Probably) “Terrorists” or Muslim Extremists (It’s going to happen somewhere); see attack on Beslan, Russia. Our grandchildren will be fighting this war.

17 school busses stolen from Houston, Texas, Sept. 2007and more in 2010 which have not been recovered. It is terrorist related.

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Current Terrorist Training..

Al-Qaeda has publicly asserted the right to kill 2,000,000 American children and has warned that operations are in stages of preparation.

There are video tapes seized from Afghanistan of practicing takeovers of schools. The trainees issue commands in English, rehearse separating youngsters into manageable groups and meeting any resistance with violence. Some hostages are taken to the rooftop, dangled over the edge, then shot.

Any place that has given Islamic terrorists trouble, they've come after the kids. Muslim religious literature, states clearly that the killing of children not only is permitted in Islam but is approved by Mohammed, so long as the perpetrators "are striving for the general good" as interpreted by that religion

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Attack on Beslan….

The terrorists' tactical model.

A dress rehearsal for what terrorists plan to do to us has already taken place. That was the brutal takedown in 2004 of a school that served children from 6 to 17 years old in Beslan, Russia.

Some 100 terrorists were involved, nearly half of whom were discreetly embedded in the large crowd of parents, staff and kids who showed up for the first day of school; the rest arrived for the surprise attack in SUVs, troop carriers and big sedans. Across a three-day siege, 700 people were wounded and 338 killed, including 172 youngsters.

Likely Targets….. Maybe…

  Terrorist Perpetrator: Rural Elementary or Middle Schools where the children show no risk of resistance. Rural so there is minimal law enforcement presence and emergency response.

Student Perpetrator: Could be anywhere and anytime.

Table Top…

      Details: You are in charge of emergency lockdown directives at an elementary school.

At approximately 0730 hrs there is an active shooter in area possibly on foot.

Students and busses are due to arrive at 0735 hrs.

There is a large number of student walkers due to congested housing around school.

Faculty and staff are inside school already but the lockdown lasts for over an hour. This is only information you receive.

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Classroom Necessities

Toilet Paper for 35 people and a sheet…..

Plastic Bags for toilet and a garbage can.

First Aid basics (4x4, cravat, bandages) Snacks for everybody: Diabetics.

Secret Halloween bag of Snickers Gallon of water and cups Flashlight w/ batteries    Conduct daily “Memory Simulation” every day until you perfect your response. This is your personal free Table Top Session!

Prepare for an all day affair! It will take hours to clear the building room by room.

Any Questions?