The Worcester Public Schools’ Standard Response Protocol follows the I Love U Guys Foundation school safety framework, which uses easy-to-understand language to assist school staff and families in an emergency.
By standardizing vocabulary and using common language, students, staff, and families can understand the response and status of the event.
Familiarizing oneself with the Standard Response Protocol terminology, along with practicing regular safety drills, will help provide a uniform, planned, and practiced response to any incident.
Overview
The Worcester Public Schools has been working with the I Love U Guys Foundation, the organization that has created the Standard Response Protocol by using their language in order to provide consistency in language and response to alert students and staff within a school of any event that requires immediate action. The protocol has five positions including Hold!, Secure!, Lockdown!, Evacuate!, and Shelter in Place! The position announced is based on the situation or conditions at the school or site.
Outcomes of Using Standard Response Protocol
A common understanding of safety procedures
An established set of anticipated professional practices
Consistency of emergency response across the district
A communicated structure of exceptional practice in school emergency response
What is the Standard Response Protocol?
The Worcester Public Schools has adopted the I Love U Guys Foundation's Standard Response Protocol. Students and staff are training, practicing, and drilling the protocol in an age- and setting-appropriate manner.
The Standard Response Protocol is based on an all-hazards approach, as opposed to responding to individual scenarios.
The premise is simple: There are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these action, they are followed by a directive. Actions are carried out by active participants including students, staff, teachers, and first responders.
The five actions of the Standard Response Protocol are:
Detailed explanation of each action is explained below.
Five Actions of Standard Response Protocol
Hold
Action
Stay in your classroom and keep the hallways clear, but instruction can continue.
Students are trained to clear the hallways and remain in a room or area until the "all clear" is announced. Students are trained that if they are not in a classroom, they may be asked to enter the nearest classroom and join for the duration of the "hold."
Adults are trained to close and lock doors, account for students and adults, and continue with business as usual.
When
Examples of when a "hold" is used include: 1) medical emergency, 2) disturbance, or 3) other disruption in the school in which a transition of classes, or larger scale movement in the hallways is not advised until the matter is resolved.
Secure
Action
Exterior doors to the school are locked, and outdoor activities are halted, but classroom instruction can continue.
Students are trained to return to the inside of the building and continue with business as usual.
Adults are trained to bring everyone indoors; lock exterior doors; increase situational awareness; account for students and adults; and continue with school business.
When
A "secure" is used when there is a threat or hazard outside of the building. Examples include violence or criminal activity in the immediate neighborhood, or a dangerous animal in the playground. "Secure" uses the physical facility to act as protection.
The initial directive and practice during the "secure" position is to retain students and staff within the building and prevent entry of visitors into the facility.
Lockdown
Action
Students and staff are ordered to lock their classroom or office doors and to stay out of sight.
Students are trained to move away from areas of sight; maintain silence; do not open the door.
Adults are trained to recover students from the hallway if possible; lock the classroom door; turn out the lights; move away from sight; maintain silence; do not open the door; and prepare to evade or defend.
When
A "lockdown" is called when there is a threat or hazard inside of the school building. From intruders to an active assailant, "lockdown" uses classroom and security actions to protect students and staff from the threat.
Evacuate
Action
People are moved from one location to a different location either inside or outside the building. If evacuating off-site, students and staff move in an orderly fashion to the primary or secondary evacuation site.
Students are trained to leave their belongings behind if needed. If possible, bring your phone. Follow instructions.
Adults are trained to lead students to the evacuation location; account for students and adults; notify if missing, extra, or injured adults or students.
When
An on-site evacuation is conducted usually because of a mechanical failure that would disrupt the school day, such as a power outage. If the issue cannot be resolved quickly, the school may have to begin an evacuation procedure.
If there has been a violent event at the school, then an off-site evacuation may be necessary. Depending on the severity of the incident, the school may be deemed a crime scene. People may not be able to bring their personal items with them. Teachers are instructed to take attendance after arrival at the evacuation assembly point.
Shelter
Action
There is a significant threat. Students/staff are ordered to lock doors, hide, and barricade rooms if necessary.
Students are trained in using appropriate safety strategy for the hazard. Adults are trained in leading the safety strategy; accounting for students and adults; and notify if there are missing, extra or injured students or adults.
When
"Shelter" is called when specific protective actions are needed based on a threat or hazard. Examples may include severe weather including a tornado or flooding; hazardous materials spill or release; or earthquake. Safety strategies may include evacuation to a safe location in the school; drop, cover, and hold; or to get to higher group.
Schools are to use "situational awareness" pre-planned areas of the school that could be used in the event of a need to "shelter."
Safety Drills
As part of the Standard Response Protocol, all WPS schools are required to conduct age-appropriate “hold” drills, “secure” drills, and “lockdown” drills twice per year.
For our youngest students, lockdown drills are as simple as learning how to do “rabbit yoga poses” or playing “hide ‘n peek” as part of the I Love You Guys framework. (See “PK-2 V2 Curriculum Workbook.)
Additionally, schools regularly conduct fire drills, medical drills, and bus drills.