- Arlington Central School District
- Safety: Emergency Preparedness and Response
Safety: Emergency Preparedness and Response
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Safety is Our Priority
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The Arlington Central School District is committed to making our schools safe for students and staff. We work closely with local and state agencies including police, fire, emergency medical services, and public health officials to make certain that we are well prepared in the event of an emergency.
If an emergency occurs, our first priority is to ensure the safety of students and staff. As soon as possible, we will provide you with as much accurate information as we can. Communication with parents during an emergency is critically important, but our first concern is the safety and well-being of your child, the other children in the school, and our staff. Please be patient and understand if we are unable to respond to you as completely and quickly as you would like.Click Here for the Family Guide to Emergency Response
What Families Should Do During a School Emergency: Stay Home, Stay Informed, Be Ready
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- Do NOT go to the school or the scene of an emergency. We understand that this may be your first instinct as a parent, but your presence will interfere with the emergency response and may delay emergency responders from providing necessary emergency or medical support.
- Please wait for instructions from school officials or emergency responders. We will provide information as soon as we can. Please understand that we can only report facts as we know them.
- Get accurate information and instructions:
- Check your cell phone or email for a message
- Visit www.arlingtonschools.org. This will be our information hub during an emergency.
- Do not listen to rumors. Most people, including your child, may only know pieces of a larger picture.
- Be cautious about what you see, read, or post on social media. Rumors and misinformation spread rapidly and cause undue panic and speculation.
- Remain as calm as you can if your child contacts you. They are looking for reassurance.
How We May Respond If an Emergency Occurs
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Shelter in Place
When a “shelter in place” is used, students and staff are typically required to remain indoors, perhaps for an extended period of time, because it is safer inside the building than it is outside. Depending on the threat or hazard, students and staff may be required to move to rooms or areas without windows. As an example, a “shelter in place” may be called in the event of a severe weather emergency, such as a tornado.
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Hold in Place
A “hold in place” is used to limit movement of students and staff while dealing with short term emergencies. This is intended to keep students and staff out of the affected area until the situation can be rectified. In general, students and staff will remain in their current classes until the hold in place has been lifted. As an example, a “hold in place” may be called in the event there is an altercation in a hallway, a maintenance issue in the building, or a medical emergency.
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Evacuation
An “evacuation” is used to evacuate students and staff from the building. Each school has procedures for an evacuation; typically, we would evacuate due to a fire or a gas leak in the building.
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Lockout
A “lockout” is used when there is an actual or perceived threat outside of the school. Students and staff follow the normal school schedule during a lockout, except that no one is allowed outdoors, and normally people are not allowed to enter the school. A lockout may be called when the school receives a report of criminal activity occurring nearby, or when there are reports of a dangerous animal outside of the school.
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Lockdown
A “lockdown” is initiated when there is an actual or perceived imminent threat inside or around the school. The primary objective of a lockdown is to quickly ensure that school staff, students, and visitors are secured in rooms away from the immediate danger. Individuals will be kept within locked rooms until the incident is brought to a close by law enforcement personnel.
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Reunification
“Reunification” is a formal process that is initiated after a major incident has occurred. If the need arises where students are to be transported to an off-site location, families will be directed as to where they can pick up their children. The goal of this process is to reunite students with an authorized parent, guardian or emergency contact. This process may take a long period of time, but helps staff and safety personnel account for students.
