We use the Standard Response Protocol from the “I Love U Guys” Foundation when responding to situations at school, including emergencies. It’s a simple, common-language system that helps students, staff, and first responders know what’s happening and how to respond. This protocol is used by thousands of districts and public safety partners across the country.
The Five Actions
There are five actions schools may use to respond to a situation. It's important that we all know these terms, so everyone understands what they mean when they're used:
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HOLD
Stay in your classroom or area.
Students and staff clear the hallways and remain in their area or classroom until the “All Clear” is announced. Teaching and learning continue as normal. Example: individual medical emergency
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SECURE
Get inside. Lock outside doors.
Students and staff return inside and remain until the “All Clear” is announced. Outside doors are locked. Teaching and learning continue as normal. Example: wildlife sighting
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LOCKDOWN
Stay in your classroom or area.
Students and staff clear hallways, lock classroom doors, turn off lights, move away from sight, and maintain silence. Example: threat inside building (e.g., intruder or weapon)
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EVACUATE
Move to a safe location.
Students and staff evacuate to a safe location. Belongings are left behind when required; students bring phones if possible. Example: fire inside building
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SHELTER
Stay in your classroom or area.
Used for natural disasters or other hazards. Students and staff are trained on situational responses. Example: earthquake
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Drills
State law requires that all schools have safety-related drills each month that school is in session. Drills build habits and confidence. We regularly conduct drills and inspect our schools for potential hazards. Students and staff will practice all five SRP actions throughout the year.
How We Communicate During Emergencies
During an incident, emergency, or natural disaster, our first priority will be your child’s safety. When we are able to communicate, our priority will be to provide accurate information. This takes time, but it helps ensure correct information. We will share what we can as quickly as possible.
We use ParentSquare to communicate with families (text, email, app notification). Always tell your child’s school if you or your emergency contacts change phone numbers or email addresses. Keeping that information up to date will help us contact you in any emergency.
We coordinate our communications with schools and first responders, and sometimes privacy laws or an active investigation limit what we can share. In that case, we must balance transparency with student and family privacy and law enforcement efforts.
How You Can Help
- Verify your contact information in ParentSquare. Contact your child’s school to make any updates.
- Follow all instructions in our messages. Do not come to the school unless directed.
- Avoid calling the school. Lines must stay open for emergency coordination.
- Rely on official school or district communications, not rumors.
- Talk with your student about staying calm and following staff instructions. Review this information together at home.
- Keep your ID accessible.
- Ensure emergency contacts are current; contact your child's school to make any updates.
Picking Up Your Child After an Emergency
We know that it will be important to you to be with your child as soon as possible. We will only release students to people designated as emergency contacts. Please be sure to keep your emergency contact information, including phone numbers, current with your school.
Depending on the type of emergency, and when it’s safe, we may release students in one of two ways: family reunification or normal release. We will call your emergency notification numbers to inform you of the release type and schedule.
Most often, school will be the safest place for your child during the school day. If it is not safe to release them normally, we will keep students on school grounds until you can reunite. If the school campus has become unsafe, we will take students to a safer location. We will send out information about where and when it is safe to pick up your child. Please bring photo ID and follow staff directions on site.
Please be aware of our safety needs before you pick your child up. Immediately after a natural disaster, we need to keep parking lots and roads to the school as open as possible for emergency responders. Student checkout and parent unification takes time. Please be patient.
At a reunification site, expect to:
- Check in (show ID; tell us who you're picking up)
- Wait while staff retrieve your child (if your child is in the first aid area, you will be escorted to that area)
- Sign out before leaving
Questions?
We welcome your questions about how we will keep your child safe. Please talk with your school principal or explore the resources below to learn more.
More Resources
SRP Information for Parents and Guardians: An introduction to the Standard Response Protocol that gives families the basics in a single handout.
“I Love U Guys” Foundation: Learn more about the programs that are used in more than 50,000 schools, districts, departments, agencies, organizations, and municipalities around the world.
Kitsap County Department of Emergency Management: Resources for creating family emergency plans and preparing for disasters.
American Red Cross: Resources for making emergency preparedness kits and talking with your children about disasters.
Ready.gov: Tips from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)