School District 197 Emergency Preparedness

In the event of all emergencies, student and staff safety is always the district's top priority. The district will do everything it can to communicate with the families of the students involved in an accurate and timely manner and through the channels (phone, email, text, social media, etc.) it deems appropriate, depending on the circumstances of the emergency.

 

Because the safety of our students and staff is our top priority, School District 197 regularly reviews its emergency response plans. This year, in order to ensure a coordinated and consistent response to different emergency situations, the district has adopted the “I Love U Guys” Foundation’s Standard Response Protocol (SRP). This fall and throughout the school year, students and staff will be training and practicing the protocol.

 

The SRP is used in response to all hazards or emergencies, including severe weather and safety concerns inside or outside school buildings. It uses clear common language while allowing for flexibility. The premise is simple—there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.

 

Signs detailing the protocol are posted in classrooms and in various common areas throughout our schools. Our hope is that these signs serve as a visible reminder, not only for students and staff, but also for visitors should they hear an announcement of a specific action in the protocol over the public address system.

 

Learn more about the five actions, what they mean, and when they might be used by downloading the informational handout below.

 

Make sure your contact information and your child's emergency contacts are accurate and up-to-date. In the early stages of an incident, the district's primary focus is to protect the students and staff inside the building. As soon as we are able to communicate with families to provide factual information, we will. The district uses Blackboard as its mass notification system and will communicate using phone, text, and email. Parents/guardians can add new emergency contacts or change messaging preferences at any time: Log into the Infinite Campus Parent Portal and click on “Contact Preferences” in the left-hand column. If you see an incorrect phone number or email, please contact the registrar at your child’s school to request an update.