--- title: "School Crisis Response Plan" type: "pdf" year: "2003" canonical: "/projects/1084" --- # 2003 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing # Table of Contents - [2003 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing](#2003-herman-goldstein-award-for-excellence-in-problem-oriented-policing) - [Southern Division School Crisis Response Plan](#southern-division-school-crisis-response-plan) - [THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO](#the-city-of-san-diego) - [Southern Division San Diego Police Department School Crisis Response Plan Summary](#southern-division-san-diego-police-department-school-crisis-response-plan-summary) - [Scanning of the Problem](#scanning-of-the-problem) - [Analysis of the Problem](#analysis-of-the-problem) - [Response to Problem](#response-to-problem) - [Assessment of the Problem](#assessment-of-the-problem) - [Closing Note](#closing-note) - [Southern Division San Diego Police Department School Crisis Response Plan](#southern-division-san-diego-police-department-school-crisis-response-plan) - [SCANNING](#scanning) - [Background within California](#background-within-california) - [Background within Southern Division](#background-within-southern-division) - [Chula Vista Elementary School District Area in RED](#chula-vista-elementary-school-district-area-in-red) - [RESPONSE](#response) - [Step One](#step-one) - [b. Lock-Down during a break or recess.](#b-lock-down-during-a-break-or-recess) - [2. Recommended Preparation for Critical Incidents.](#2-recommended-preparation-for-critical-incidents) - [Step Two](#step-two) - [ASSESSMENT:](#assessment) - [Proposed City's to be in Future Plan](#proposed-citys-to-be-in-future-plan) - [Proposed School Districts to be in Future Plan](#proposed-school-districts-to-be-in-future-plan) - [REFERENCE LIST:](#reference-list) - [AGENCY INFORMATION:](#agency-information) - [OFFICER INFORMATION:](#officer-information) - [OFFICER NAMES](#officer-names) - [CONTACT INFORMATION](#contact-information) - [ATTACHMENT INFORMATION:](#attachment-information) - [Southern Division Schools Crisis Response Plan](#southern-division-schools-crisis-response-plan) - [1. School Incident Commander (Principal or Designee) to call 911.](#1-school-incident-commander-principal-or-designee-to-call-911) - [Recommended Propositional Text: General Issues](#recommended-propositional-text-general-issues) - [Advanced preparation, coordination with Law Enforcement and frequent practice of Lock - Down drills at various times are essential for a quality crisis plan.](#advanced-preparation-coordination-with-law-enforcement-and-frequent-practice-of-lock-down-drills-at-various-times-are-essential-for-a-quality-crisis-plan) - [Crisis Plan](#crisis-plan) - [Create the following:](#create-the-following) - [Staging Locations](#staging-locations) - [L.](#l) - [Lock - Down during class:](#lock-down-during-class) - [Lock - Down during break time:](#lock-down-during-break-time) ## Southern Division School Crisis Response Plan ![img-0.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-0.jpeg) # THE CITY OF SAN DIEGO IN REPLYING PLEASE GIVE OUR REF. NO. May 30, 2003 4 0 70 Herman Goldstein Award Selection Committee Police Executive Research Forum 1120 Connecticut Ave., NW, Suite 930 Washington, DC 20036 Attn: Herman Goldstein Award I am nominating the San Diego Police Department's "Southern Division School Crisis Response Plan" for the 2003 Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing. News headlines have depicted tragic stories of school shootings, most notably, Columbine High School. San Diego County had two similar incidents the following year that left 4 dead and 13 wounded. In Southern Division, there are 29 schools from four separate School Districts. This diverse composition poses unique problems for officers responding to potential critical incidents. When the schools developed School Safety Plans, law enforcement was not consulted. Each school created and implemented a plan that allowed them to act independently when dealing with Crisis Responses and Lock-Down procedures. This independence and lack of law enforcement guidance created a potentially dangerous environment for students, staff and police officers that might become involved with an "Active Shooter" scenario on a school campus. Officers from the Southern Divisions Juvenile Services Team addressed these problems. They immediately acted to create a single comprehensive plan to address school shootings and Lock-Down situations. They implemented the plan among all 29 schools and began an ongoing training program to teach students, staff, and administrators the importance of being mentally and physically prepared for an event such as those that occurred in Colorado and San Diego. Due to the officer's efforts, schools within Southern Division have a comprehensive plan, an ongoing training program and a channel of communication for student safety and campus security. Sincerely, John Welter Interim Chief of Police RCS/rcs Office of the Chief of Police 1401 Broadway • San Diego, CA 92101-5729 Tel (619) 531-2000 # Southern Division San Diego Police Department School Crisis Response Plan Summary ## Scanning of the Problem Prompted by active shooting incidents at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, and Santana High School \& Granite Hills High Schools in San Diego, California, the California State Legislation mandated that every school develop a Crisis Response Plan. In Southern Division, the 29 schools developed responses to school-shooting incidents and Lock-Down situations. Each school, acting as a separate entity, designed a separate plan to address an active school shooting. Schools did not discuss plans with other schools or with local law enforcement agencies that were tasked with responding to the incidents. Officers were forced to respond differently to every real or simulated school shooting or Lock-Down drill. This inconsistency could prove fatal to officers responding to a valid incident. Additionally, it creates a more hazardous environment for students, staff and citizens. ## Analysis of the Problem Four School Districts within Southern Division implemented four different Critical Incident Plans to address school shootings. Principals from the schools changed areas of their plan to suit their needs. No school district or any of the 29 schools solicited any law enforcement expertise when modifying their plans. When evaluating school shooting drills and Lock-Down drills, discrepancies were found which slowed officer responses as they cleared campuses. Consistency related to active shooters and Lock-Down drills had not been addressed in any publication found. Analysis showed that public safety was greatly compromised by not having a single concrete plan for all schools and law enforcement agencies to follow. # Response to Problem Officers combined the best ideas and concepts from all of the plans and developed a single plan for all schools. Superintendents and Principals were educated on the dangers of different plans and the benefits of a single comprehensive plan. Training is being conducted on an ongoing basis with school staff and students regarding active shootings and the Lock-Down procedures. ## Assessment of the Problem Employees and students from different schools and districts acted in the same manner during training drills and actual incidents. Equipment used for drills and actual incidents was standardized for all schools. Officers responding for training or actual situations saw safer responses from all students and teachers. However, at some schools, administrators were still adapting the plan to their schools. The training needed to be enlarged to encompass patrol officers and other agencies. Overall, Southern Divisions plan is a huge step forward for school safety. ## Closing Note Due to the valuable impact on safety towards school shootings and campus Lock-Downs, the idea of a single response plan is being presented to two other School Districts and four other law enforcement agencies in the near future. # Southern Division San Diego Police Department School Crisis Response Plan It is important to note that the problem presented in this submission, School Crisis Response Plans, was not a typical problem faced by law enforcement or the typical problem solved using the SARA Model. For this project, the model had to be adjusted slightly. The traditional formats could not all be adhered to surrounding the Analysis phase of the project. The problem addressed is new and documentation, statistical or otherwise is currently not available. ## SCANNING The Problem: Individual schools having multiple school shooting plans and Crisis Response Plans that deal with multiple Elementary Schools, Middle Schools and High Schools within four separate School Districts. Who Identified the Problem and How was it Identified: Soon after the Santana High School and Granite High School shootings that left 3 dead and 16 wounded, officers held a tabletop drill at Southwest High School. The drill was designed to role-play potential problems and issues that may arise during a campus shooting. During this drill, attended by Principals, Superintendents and other administrators, officers used a large school campus map and posed potential shooting scenarios from across the country. During the training, officers quickly found that each school Principal had a separate plan for school shootings and critical incidents. It was also discovered that school districts had no common plan. They allowed each school to create I their own plan. Finally, it was discovered that none of the school districts solicited input or had a $$M \quad \text{final} \quad \text{review by local law enforcement.}$$ Varied plans to deal with a school shooting are both dangerous and potentially deadly for $$B \quad \text{students, administrators and responding law enforcement officers.}$$ ANALYSIS The death of 13 Columbine High School students in April 1999 brought the subject of $$I \quad \text{"School Shootings" to the forefront for nearly every American. Media outlets from around the}$$ globe converged on Littleton, Colorado to cover the tragic killings, the shooters suicides, the police responses and the grieving aftermath by students, parents and the nation. This media coverage, combined with the Colorado Governor's Review Commission Investigation led many law enforcement agencies to rethink their policies towards how they handle school shootings. San Diego County was no different in its evaluation of their responses. As law $$I \quad \text{enforcement agencies were pondering their policies and deciding whether they needed to be}$$ reviewed or changed, our County was struck with its own school shooting tragedies. On March $$5^{\text{th}} 2001, \text{Charles Andrew Williams killed two fellow students and wounded 13 before he was}$$ $$| \quad \text{taken into custody on the campus of Santana High School. Just two weeks later, 10 miles away}$$ $$| \quad \text{at the Granite Hills High School campus, Jason Hoffman wounded a teacher and two students}$$ before police shot him in the school parking lot. These two incidents combined with the final $$| \quad \text{Columbine Incident Report led most San Diego County law enforcement agencies to}$$ immediately change their methods of responding to school shootings with an active shooter on a school campus. ![img-1.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-1.jpeg) A wounded student is walked from his school by a medic and another student # Background within California hi 1985, California enacted legislation that encouraged local educational agencies and law enforcement agencies to work together to create and implement a plan that would help lower school violence. The intent of the law was to have schools and law enforcement develop School Safety Plans. Although a good idea, this law only encouraged a partnership but did not force schools to gain law enforcement guidance. In 1994, the California State Senate introduced legislation, Senate Bill 1255 (SB 1255), which created a statewide Conflict Resolution and School Violence Reduction Program. This law allowed the State Legislature to create and issue grants for school districts with qualifying school programs. The grants required schools to teach, train and monitor programs that deal with conflict resolution for students and teachers. The grants expired in 1998. In 1997, the Senate again introduced legislatibn, Senate Bill 187 (SB 187), which was a large step forward from the prior bill, SB 1255 and the 1985 law. SB 187 mandated School Safety Plans for all California schools and Districts within the State. Additionally, if any school failed to provide a School Safety Plan by September 1998, the school administrator or officer could be guilty of a misdemeanor. Schools quickly started to develop a School Safety Plan based on the guidelines established in SB 187. A revision of SB 187, written into the California Education Code, mandates that all schools have their Safety Plan completed by March 2001. Additionally, the misdemeanor violation of the law was changed to only an assessment of $\$ 500.00$ to the school district for non-compliance. hi 1999, the State of California Attorney Generals Office and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction formed the Safe Schools Task Force. The group targeted all prior legislation surrounding school partnerships with law enforcement. The final report from that task force was issued in June 2000. This report has been updated, changed and improved several times over the last 3 years, making it a comprehensive tool that can be used by any school in the State of California. It needs to be noted that although the discussed legislation and Education Code amendments help keep school campuses safer, they do not address the issue of multiple Critical Incident Plans. A comprehensive review of all State guidelines, legislation and documents revealed that each school could act independently and be allowed to create any plan they wish, as long as they created and maintained a plan. # Background within Southern Division Southern Division is a very unique portion of the City of San Diego. Several independent municipalities surround Southern Division; to the North are the City of Chula Vista and the City of National City. To the West is the City of Imperial Beach, to the East is an area managed by the County of San Diego and to the South is the Country of Mexico. There is no dry landmass connecting Southern Division to the main body of the City of San Diego. This unique separation has fueled the presented problem. - Southern Division has four separate school districts in its boundaries; (See Map below) - South Bay Union School District - Chula Vista Elementary School District - San Ysidro School District - Sweetwater Union High School District. South Bay Cities and School District Areas ![img-2.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-2.jpeg) Sweetwater Union High School District Area in BLUE Southwest High School Southwest Jr. High School Montgomery High School Montgomery Middle School Mar Vista High School San Ysidro High School South Ba\ Klonunkin School District Area in (i)A I N Suiurvslojje I leimntary School Nestor I Jenuniai \ School Sl(ii(lo/.;i I Kmciitstn. School BCIT\ I ;iemcni:ir\ School Howard Pence Elenieiilaiy School Fmoi \ Klcmenlary School INicololi Rk'tmntni y School # Chula Vista Elementary School District Area in RED - **Silver Wing Elementary School** - Juarez Lincoln Elementary School - Los Altos Elementary School - Myrtle Finney Elementary School - **San Ysidro School District in BLACK** - San Ysidro Middle School - Super School - Sunset Elementary School - Beyer Elementary School - Willow Elementary School - Ocean View Hills Elementary School - Smythe Elementary School - La Mirada Elementary School - **Private Schools within Southern Division** - Marion Catholic High School - Mt. Carmel Elementary School - St. Charles Elementary School - Midway Baptist School - Within the four school districts there are 24 public schools from kindergarten through twelfth grades, 4 private schools, and 1 alternative learning school. - The four school districts within Southern Division also maintain schools within three other cities: (See Map Above) - The City of Imperial Beach - The City of Chula Vista - The City of National City - The individual schools within Southern Division boundaries had minimal direction or guidance related to their Crisis Response Plans or Lock-Down procedures. District offices assigned a school administrator the duties of developing and enacting a plan, and gave them only the State of California guidelines. Although available for help, San Diego Police Officers from Southern Division were not consulted during the design, review, or implementation of the schools Crisis Response Plans or Lock-Down procedure. - The Analysis of several School Safety Plans and their design was not difficult. The Juvenile Services Team discovered the following as they reviewed the plans: - School districts are autonomous in nature and are not required to answer to any law enforcement agency related to any plan they choose to implement. They can create rules and regulations that only apply to their school or their district. They have a Superintendent and a School Board that oversees all district affairs and decisions related to school matters. There is no current mechanism to oversee each and every School Safety Plan or Lock-Down plan within districts or within any given city boundary. - Many of the schools had not implemented any plans, had not finished their plan or had adopted a partial plan from another school. - Schools from the same districts have not communicated to other schools from within their own district. - Schools from other district boundaries adjacent right next to theirs never consulted with other district schools. - Administrators who wrote their School Safety Plans and Lock-Down procedures were inexperienced and untrained in law enforcement tactics. - Schools that did have their Safety Plans and Lock-Down procedures in place had not received any feedback or evaluation on their plans from any law enforcement agency. The school administrators wrote them, submitted them to the district offices and closed the book on them. - Schools with completed plans were not actively training on their plan. The State of California mandates quarterly Lock-Down drills, much like mandatory monthly fire drills, for the training and education of staff, student or parents. Final analysis of the problem revealed that school and district officials did not realize the potential danger of having multiple School Safety and Lock-Down Plans. A review and evaluation of recent school shooting incidents, including Columbine and the two incidents in San Diego County, revealed that the issue of multiple plans had not been addressed. It appears the unique geographical layout of Southern Division, coupled with the multiple school districts in the Division created a problem. This problem may be rare but has a potential for being very costly in relation to loss of life if there is a school shooting in Southern Division. # RESPONSE The response requires a single, easy to understand and easy to implement, School Safety Plan related to school shootings and emergency Lock-Down procedures on school campuses. The plan needed to be adaptable to any current School Safety Plan that might already be developed at Southern Division schools. The response needed to provide for training and education of the school stakeholders in the form of meetings with teachers and subsequent campus Lock-Down drills. To achieve these goals, the response was divided into two steps. ## Step One JST Officer Mark Haas designed a simple, easy to act on, procedure for emergency campus Lock-Downs. Using input from other officers and from reviewing past school LockDown incidents, the plan, called "Southern Division Schools Crisis Response Plan" was divided into three sections: 1. Lock-Down process. a. Lock-Down during class time. # b. Lock-Down during a break or recess. ## 2. Recommended Preparation for Critical Incidents. 3. Law Enforcement Responses to Critical Incidents at School Sites. The plan was designed so it could easily be implemented in every school within the four school districts. Generic language was used so the plan would work in every grade from Kindergarten classrooms to Senior High classrooms in every school. The simplistic nature of the plan allowed it to be added into every School Safety Plan within all districts. JST Officers envisioned this plan being used in every school within Southern Division successfully with possible future infusion into the remaining 590 San Diego County schools. To implement this plan, Officer Haas scheduled a group meeting with all Principals and Superintendents of schools within Southern Division. The meeting lasted about an hour and involved explaining safety concerns surrounding having multiple plans and law enforcements approach to School Critical Incidents. The meeting had an open dialogue, which facilitated input from school Administrators on the plan and the language included in it. Within two months, the final plan was written and distributed to all school Principals and teachers at every school. ## Step Two The plan, now in the hands of all school staff members, needed to be implemented through drills and mock Lock-Down situations. The drills would be the coordinated efforts of all school administrators, teachers, students and the officers that were assigned to the school. JST Officer Cedric Green scheduled another meeting where training could be provided on what a Lock-Down drill should be and what desired outcome we wanted from the drills. JST Officers were invited to attend weekly teacher meetings and allowed to provide short training sessions surrounding the plan and what the law enforcement response would be to a Lock-Down drill as well as a real Lock-Down incident. ![img-3.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-3.jpeg) The actual Lock-Down drill would be simple in nature. Teachers, administration staff and students would know the date and time of the drill. Law enforcement would arrive on campus and stage at the school office. The officers would obtain campus maps and divide the campus into sections that would be checked during the drill. A briefing of the drill would be conducted and at the pre-determined time, the drill would begin. The individual School District Office would be notified of the drill. The JST officers would evaluate the Lock-Down procedures as they walked the campus checking classrooms, doors and other spaces. Any discrepancies to the plan would be noted and discussed during a critique at the conclusion of the drill. School administrators would be present at the discussion. They are given guidance for areas of the plan that need improvements. # ASSESSMENT: - The Southern Division Schools Crisis Response Plan was reviewed and implemented on campuses around Southern Division. All goals were achieved. However, at the one-year mark, JST Officer Robert C. Smith concluded that a re-analysis and an additional response needed to be implemented. He scheduled another meeting with Principals and Superintendents. This meeting will become an annual informational meeting that will include all school superintendents and law enforcement agencies within the four school districts. JST Officer Green scheduled the first Lock-Down-Drill for Southwest High School during a normal school day. The evolution was preplanned with the school Principal and the Southern Division Juvenile Services Team participating. The staff members knew of the training time and what their duties would be. The students were instructed of the drill and the reasons behind it. Those involved were informed that the initial drills should be a learning experience and a time to improve their actions. The drill at Southwest High School was an extremely successful event. Officers and administrators were given tasks to check a portion of the Locked-Down campus for unlocked doors, accessible rooms, students or staff not in a secured room and other possible problems. After approximately 10 minutes, the drill was concluded and a feedback session was held with all administrators and officers. The feedback allowed for all involved to voice their opinions on the drill and problems. Subsequent Lock-Down drills were conducted at several other schools within Southern Division with similar positive results. Feedback sessions were also conducted. During the year since the plan was presented there have been approximately 10 Lock-Down drills on school campuses from all four school districts and affecting all grade levels. There have been an additional five real Lock-Downs of school campuses due to other school emergencies. Officers participating in the Lock-Down evolutions responded exactly as they had been trained. The school reaction showed an obvious learning curve. Many schools responded slowly to the drills, with some administrators and teachers not appearing serious about the plan. However, as group training with teachers was conducted, an understanding of the plan was obtained. As drills moved forward, it was evident that teachers had educated their students. It was also obvious that schools were taking the Lock-Down drills very serious with some schools asking if they could have additional drills with more challenging scenarios. Overall, the Southern Division Schools Crisis Response Plan was a giant step in the right direction for the safety of all students, staff and citizens involved in our schools. Schools welcomed the interaction with law enforcement in a safety and tactical arena. Before this plan, schools felt they had to find all the solutions to dangerous situations alone and now feel they have a real partner in keeping their students and staff safer. The initial plan has changed several ideas related to school critical incidents and Lock-Down procedures. The plan has given schools in Southern Division a distinct and dramatic advantage over their counterparts around San Diego County, hi talking to parents, teachers and administrators at the schools, all voiced a positive response in having a quality plan that dealt with school and student safety issues. However, this is a new concept in the way school critical incidents and Lock-Down training has been conducted. It remains a work in progress. Additionally, because we are dealing with four school districts, four separate law enforcement municipalities and over 29 schools in Southern Division, the plan needs to be re-analyzed. After analysis, a new response plan will address the few discrepancies found over the past year. The following is a list of areas where JST Officers discovered problems and provided solutions. 1. Problem: An event would occur on school campus that warranted a Lock-Down of the school, school administrators would wait to talk to a potential victim or see if their really was a threat on campus. Proposed change: Rewrite plan to emphasize that a Lock Down must be called immediately. Additionally, increase training related to who and when to Lock-Down a campus. 2. Problem: Although the plan calls for Principal or their designee to call 911, occasionally school staff members are placing calls to the district office or to other staff members cell phones before dialing 911. Proposed changes: Rewrite plan so that the first and most important call should be made to law enforcement. 3. Problem: hi presenting the plan to teachers and other administrators, they did not fully understand the reasoning behind the plan and therefore, many did not fully buy into the entire plan. Proposed change: Add a background section to the plan so teachers and administrators that are not fully aware of the plan can understand it and the reasoning behind it. 4. Problem: Notification, per the plan called for "One long sustained bell/siren followed by a PA announcement stating there is a Lock-Down in progress". It was discovered that in at some schools, there was no bell or siren. With no bell or siren schools would use the PA system for announcing the Lock-Down. During training, it was discovered that students in locations around the campus could not hear the PA announcements. Proposed change: Talk to district offices about upgrading bell or siren systems in affected schools. If budget issues prohibit this, address school Parent Teacher Associations (PTA) for possible funding. 5. Problem: For schools that had a bell or siren, the wording "One long sustained bell or siren..." have no clear time for the bell or siren. Some blasted the siren for 10 seconds while others for only 5. Officers discovered that teachers and students occasionally became confused between the Lock-Down drill and other drills such as for fire drills or other disaster notifications. Proposed change: Mandate in the plan that the bell or siren be sounded for no less than 15 seconds and that a clock with a second hand be used to assure the length of the notification. 6. Problem: The current plan calls for a laminated piece of green or red paper to be placed in a window of each classroom to signal responding officers that the classroom is fine or is in need of assistance. These colors were used because of their relation with red=stop or bad and green=go or good. Unfortunately, not all schools were built the same and many do not have windows or the windows are tinted which distorts the green or red color. Because of this, classrooms were sliding the green or red paper under their door. Two problems presented when this occurred. The first was that officers did not expect or know the colored paper would be under a door. The second problem was that if the door were in an open-air hallway, the wind would blow the paper away. Proposed change: Do not laminate single green or red papers. Using a large, folding manila folder, laminate the green and red paper on each inside flap of the manila folder. I The door, half of the folder remains inside the classroom and not in the hallway wind. 7. Problem: Patrol Officers were given initial training surrounding the plan but were not provided updated or continual training. Additionally, patrol officers have not been apart I of the on-site Lock-Down training. Proposed change: At every shift change, officers will be briefed on any changes to the plan, the school responsibilities and patrol responsibilities. Patrol officers will be incorporated into the training response for Lock-Down drills. Additionally, neighboring jurisdictions will be invited to Lock-Down drills conducted at our campuses. 8. Problem: Parents visiting campuses were not informed of emergency procedures for critical incidents or Lock-Downs. Proposed changes: Provide training and explanations to parents and school neighbors at Parent Teacher Association (PTA) meetings, open houses and other parent meetings. Invite school neighbors so they are aware of campus notification meanings. The Southern Division School Crisis Response Plan has the potential for growth from Southern Division to bordering cities and then to the entire County of San Diego. Indeed, at a meeting in late June, officers will be presenting this all-inclusive plan to the four School Superintendents for possible implementation into all surrounding schools in other jurisdictions. That would bring the total number of schools with the same Critical Incident Plan and LockDown training to over 100 Elementary, Middle and High Schools. Additionally, two other school districts, Coronado and National School Districts are being approached about the same plan. These two School Districts are within 10 miles of Southern Division and have schools in two of the same School Districts as Southern Division. That would expand Southern Division School Critical Incident Plan and the Lock-Down training to 6 School Districts and to over 120 schools. A majority of schools around the county do not have a single plan for school Critical Incidents and are not actively conducting coordinated Lock-Down drills, including those jurisdictions bordering Southern Division. Law enforcement agencies bordering Southern Division are not conducting drills at their campuses either. This plan has the growth potential to include additional schools and police departments allowing them to also benefit from a single plan. The map below depicts future Cities and School Districts that will be presented the idea and the plan in late June. The police departments from each of the new cities will be introduced to the plan in mid-July. Proposed City Additions to the Southern Division School Crisis Response Plan ![img-4.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-4.jpeg) # Proposed City's to be in Future Plan City of Chula Vista City of Coronado City of National City City of Imperial Beach # Proposed School Districts to be in Future Plan (NEW) National School District - 21 Schools (NEW) Coronado School District - 4 Schools Chula Vista School District - 35 Additional Schools Sweetwater Union High School District - 12 Additional Schools South Bay Elementary School District - 10 Additional Schools An additional assessment will be conducted after all revised responses have been implemented. At that time, a new assessment will be conducted for possible refinement. ## REFERENCE LIST: 1. California Education Code, Section 32296 - 32296.9 2. California Education Code, Section 35294 - 35294.9 3. California Senate Bill 187, January 1997 4. California Senate Bill 1255, May 1993 5. Executive Summary, Governor's Columbine Review Commission, May 2001 6. Grand Jury Report: "Security in San Diego City Schools" 7. Safe Schools: A Planning Guide for Action, 2002 Edition ## AGENCY INFORMATION: As described in the body of the submission, this project is very unique and only involved Southern Division of the San Diego Police Department. Officers involved in this project did not have any unusual budget expense. The department was not affected by the training and resources used. As mentioned earlier, this project is very unique in nature and has not been addressed before. # OFFICER INFORMATION: The entire Southern Division Juvenile Services Team had roles in this project and the plan. ## OFFICER NAMES Sergeant Manual Smith Officer Cedric Green Officer Mark Haas Officer Robert C. Smith Officer Richard Apodaca Officer Colleen Quentin Officer Bertha MacTiernan ## CONTACT INFORMATION San Diego Police Department Southern Division Juvenile Services Team $112027^{\text {th }}$ Street San Diego, California 92154 (619) 424-0425 - Sgt. Smith (619) 424-0413 - Fax mmsmith@pd.sandiego.gov - Sgt. Smith ## ATTACHMENT INFORMATION: Southern Divisions Schools Crisis Response Plan (6 PG) Letter, Berry Elementary School, Principal Stephen Baity, Author (2 PG) # Southern Division Schools Crisis Response Plan A Collaboration between the San Diego Police Department Southern Division, Chula Vista Elementary School District, San Ysidro School District, South Bay Union School District, and the Sweetwater Union High School District ![img-5.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-5.jpeg) ![img-6.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-6.jpeg) # 1. School Incident Commander (Principal or Designee) to call 911. (To be done simultaneously With step 2) 2. P/A Announcement / Classroom phone call of Lock - Down. a. One long sustained bell/siren followed by a announcement "We have a Lock - Down situation." b. Periodic announcements should be made during the Lock - Down " "We are in a Lock - Down condition. Remain in Lock - Down." 3. Notify District Office a. Use telephone, cellular or email. 4. Obtain Crisis Response Box for responding Law Enforcement a. Student/Faculty Rosters, School map, Aerial photographs, District contact numbers. 5. An Administrator or Designee to log onto Crisis Email account and/or monitor classroom intercoms/phones. a. Send mass email/ phone call to teachers verifying threat condition or training. b. Receive emails/calls from teachers regarding student well being. 6. Prepare for evacuation at Law Enforcement direction a. Designate liaison to Law Enforcement. b. Take Reunification Kits on evacuation. 7. Evacuate as directed by Law Enforcement a. Pre-defined roles and responsibilities for reunification 8. Prepare reunification area and student waiting area with assistance from Law Enforcement. a. If possible two separate locations out of sight of each other. # Recommended Propositional Text: General Issues ## Advanced preparation, coordination with Law Enforcement and frequent practice of Lock - Down drills at various times are essential for a quality crisis plan. A Countywide or at least District wide crisis response plan would be optimal. The following are recommendations in preparing for critical incidents: ## Crisis Plan - Keep it simple. An involved plan is confusing and easily forgotten. - The plan must be flexible in its design and allow for immediate changes. - Collaborate with Law Enforcement as to their response. ## Create the following: - A one-page instruction sheet for staff to be kept in every room/office. - A Critical incident email address for staff mass email, accessible from the school site as well as the District Office. - Crisis Response Box updated regularly. (See State Attorney General's guidelines) - Evacuation Folder-containing student and faculty information, District contact phone numbers and basic supplies to be used at the reunification center. - Crisis Envelope, to be kept in every room, containing: o Lock - Down procedure for teachers o A green laminated piece of paper, to be placed in the room window, if there are no injured persons in the room. o A red laminated piece of paper, to be placed in the room window, if medical attention is needed inside the room. - A box of supplies for a limited duration Lock - Down, containing: o One gallon of water o First aid kit o Non - perishable food - An "Accu-Voice" message that could be used during a reunification to check welfare of students that may have fled the campus and inform parents unaware of the situation to pick up their child. # Staging Locations Identify potential evacuation areas with Law Enforcement. These locations are confidential and not to be discussed. This would provide a suspect with a possible secondary assault location. Understand that once Law Enforcement arrives they are in control of the incident. Any evacuation will be done at their direction. ![img-7.jpeg](https://popdatasets.blob.core.windows.net/popdatasetmdimgs/03-60/img-7.jpeg) 1. Law Enforcement will respond to a school involved in a crisis situation. Once on scene, Law Enforcement becomes the Incident Commander. If there is an active shooter on campus, the initial officers (2-5 officers) will immediately deploy to contain or neutralize the threat. Officers may note locations of injured or trapped persons via radio, but will continue to the active shooters location. A S.W.A.T activation will also be initiated. During a crisis situation near a school campus, a liaison officer may be sent to the school depending on the type of incident. However, in any crisis situation near a school, the school will be notified by phone and a Lock - Down may be initiated depending on type of incident. 2. Additional responding officers will establish a perimeter and an Incident Command Post. 3. Law Enforcement will contact the school office to establish a liaison. If possible an administrator and a custodian will be escorted to the police command post. 4. Once the threat is contained or neutralized, Law Enforcement will determine how and when an evacuation will occur. Until then all rooms remain in Lock - Down. 5. If an evacuation is done, Law Enforcement will assist school administrators with creating a holding area for students separate from the reunification area. Law Enforcement will assist with containment of these areas, however, it is the schools responsibility to reunify parent and student. # L. Classroom doors are to remain locked at all times. A1/2-inch wedge will be attached to the door, by a wire, so that the door may be propped completely open or opened about a $1 / 2$ inch. ## Lock - Down during class: - Remove the wedge from the door and shut the locked door. - Have students sit on the floor and close curtains - Log onto school email and notify school specific crisis email account of number of persons in classroom and need for any medical attention. - Provide medical aid as necessary. - Place appropriate color placard in window. - Remain in Lock - Down, until evacuated by Law Enforcement or the Lock - Down is cancelled by an administrator. - Check email for updates every 10 minutes. - If evacuated, bring a role sheet, stay with the class to the evacuation zone. Submit role sheet and assist with reunification as directed by administrators. ## Lock - Down during break time: - If in a room, lounge or office. Stay there. - Allow students into unlocked offices, cafeteria, rooms etc. and lock the doors. - Move students out of line of sight. Have them sit on the floor. - Log on to email, if possible, and notify office of your location, number of people with you and any need for medical attention. - If email is not available, use phone or intercom to communicate with the office - Provide medical attention as necessary. - Place appropriate color placard in window. - Remain in Lock - Down until evacuated by Law Enforcement. - Check email every 10 minutes for updates. - If evacuated stay with students to evacuation area and submit a roster of all persons in the room. May 29. 03 11:41a Berry Elementary School (619) 424-4300 P.2 2001 Rimbey Avenue San Diego, California 92154-3099 STEPHEN M. BAITY, Principal (619) 628-3500 FAX: 628-3580 "Melding The Future" May 29, 2003 To Whom It May Concern: I am writing this letter to inform you that through the efforts of the San Diego Police Department's Southern Division, my school, Godfrey G Berry Elementary School is now better prepared for dealing with an emergency response situation. The San Diego Police Department's Southern Division has a very unique situation in that it serves four different school districts in its area of responsibility. The situation is further unique, I believe, because in the same area the San Diego Sheriffs Department and Chula Vista Police Department also have some jurisdiction. The San Diego Fire Department and Chula Vista Fire Department also operate in the area. There was definitely a need to bring everyone together to coordinate the effort necessary to respond to an emergency at one of our schools. Through the coordinated efforts of all responsible parties, but most of all the San Diego Police Department, I believe that the local schools are in the process of coordinating efforts to be ready for an emergency. Law enforcement, has taken a proactive roll in helping all of the schools in all of the four school districts, coordinate from beginning to end what needs to be done and who will do what in an emergency. Police officers have toured facilities to plan for emergency response, they have informed staff of their responsibility and helped hold emergency drills. They have provided immediate Board of Trustees Elvia Aguilar Chris Brown Althea F. Jones Russ McKay Dee McLean 29 03 12:12P Berry Elementary School SOUTH BAY UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT 2001 Rimbey Avenue San Diego, California 92154-3099 STEPHEN M. BAITY, Principal (619) 628-3500 FAX: 628-3580 "Making The Future" feedback on what was done correctly and what is needed to improve on to provide for the safety and welfare of all concerned. This process began last year at an initial training session attended by all interested parties and has evolved into a process that should help all of us be better prepared. While I hope that I never have to be involved in a life threatening emergency situation, I know that in today's world we must be prepared. I appreciate law enforcement efforts and hope that the schools my grand children will attend someday will get the same type of planning and cooperation from all those responsible. [Signature] Board of Trustees Elvia Aguilar Chris Brown Althea F. Jones Russ McKay Dee McLean