School Safety Protocols

The safety, well-being, and privacy of our students and staff are our top priorities. To ensure our school community remains prepared and informed, we regularly review and practice our emergency procedures.

Because safety terms can sometimes sound similar, this document outlines the purpose, intent, and actions for our three primary protocols: Building Evacuation (Fire Drill), Secure School, and Lockdown Drill.

Building Evacuation (Fire Drill)

• Purpose & Goal: To provide a clear, practiced procedure to fully evacuate the school building in the event of an emergency, such as a fire threat or internal hazard.

• Initiated By: Sounding the school’s fire alarm system.

• What Happens:

  • Everyone immediately exits the building using designated evacuation routes.

  • Teachers accompany classes to outdoor assembly areas to take attendance.

  • Building re-entry is permitted only after authorization from emergency personnel or school administration.

Secure School

• Purpose & Goal: Initiated when there is a need to limit or restrict movement throughout the school building (or a specific section of it). Secure School does not mean there is a safety threat at the school. Instead, it allows administration and staff to handle daily situations discretely, efficiently, and professionally—such as:

  • Responding to a medical emergency.

  • Assisting an individual in distress while preserving their dignity and privacy.

  • Managing routine administrative matters requiring clear hallways.

• Initiated By: An announcement over the school Public Address (PA) system.

• What Happens:

  • Everyone remains in the room they are currently in (hallway traffic is directed to the nearest room).

  • Regular classroom teaching and learning activities continue as normal.

  • Hallway movement is paused, and exterior entry/exit is held until administration officially lifts the Secure School announcement.

Lockdown Procedure

• Purpose & Goal: A critical safety protocol reserved strictly for the specific event of a threat associated with an armed intruder.

• Initiated By: PA announcement: "Please initiate emergency lockdown procedures."

• What Happens:

  • Regular classroom instruction and activities stop immediately.

  • Doors are locked, windows and blinds are closed, and cell phone ringers are turned off.

  • Everyone gathers in a predetermined safe area within the room, out of sight, and sits quietly.

  • The lockdown remains in place until officially cleared and lifted directly by law enforcement authorities.

For further details, please refer to the NLSchools Lockdown-Secure Schools Policy.