McAuliffe Emergency Preparedness

McAuliffe International Middle School is committed to the safety of our students and faculty.  Student safety  is paramount to overall student achievement and well-being. This document explains our emergency procedures for students and families.

Prevention

Situational Awareness is the ability to identify, process, and comprehend the critical elements of information that surrounds you.  Things to take notice of as you monitor your surroundings are:

•  Unusual items or situations such as unattended packages, doors/windows open that shouldn’t be, or vehicles parked in an odd location.  
• People eliciting information that is beyond normal curiosity levels such as questions about the buildings operations or security measures
• Observation/surveillance being conducted such as sketching the building, taking photographs of children playing, or recording activities on the grounds

While some of these activities may be innocent for most, please inform a member of the administration or culture team so that they can follow up on the incident.  Remember, situational awareness is everyone’s responsibility.

Access Control – First line to ensure safety of students, staff and visitors. All exterior doors remain secured during school hours. 

The main entrance is the single point of entry for all visitors.  When a visitor enters the building they must go directly to the main office to check in.  All non-DPS employees must get a visitor badge through the Raptor Visitor Management System.  No guest will be allowed in the building without the visitor badge.

Preparedness

MIS will practice and prepare for situations requiring emergency response. 

Emergency Drills and Procedures will be scheduled and documented according to DPS Department of Climate and Safety policies.  Evacuation drills will be conducted monthly through the year and Lockdown drills will be conducted twice a year, at the beginning of each semester.  

All teacher workspaces, classrooms and office spaces have an evacuation map and “In An Emergency” poster posted in each space near the doors.   

Standard Response Protocols

Hold: is used to prevent foot traffic in an area. Although there is no life safety threat, remain in your area until the all clear has been given.  A Hold may be called if there is a medical emergency or behavior incident where privacy is required.

• The main office or administration will direct an area to HOLD.  At this time faculty in the designated area close doors and remain in classrooms or offices.  Classroom activities continue as normal until the HOLD is lifted.

Secure perimeter is called for when there’s an incident in the vicinity of a school. Students who are outside for class will be brought into the building.

• Administration or DPS Safety and Security, will direct that the building be secured through an internal and external announcement. All students, staff and visitors remain inside the school building. School business and classroom activities continue as normal.  PE classes will remain inside.

Lockdown is called for when there is an imminent threat to the school. When a lockdown is called, it is imperative that students, faculty and visitors follow the instructions. During a lockdown, the only people who will be able to enter your building are the first responders.  

• Administration, DPS Safety and Security, or faculty members, may direct that the building be secured and all students via internal and external announcement, duress button or by calling 3911. Staff and visitors must remain inside the school building in a locked space and out of sight of door and hallway windows.  School business and classroom activities cease. Teachers immediately lock classroom doors, turn off the lights and both teachers and students move out of sight from doors or interior windows.  
  • Student Accountability Process
    • Teachers will report via designated communication routes, students who are missing from the classroom. 

An Evacuation: A fire alarm is the most common cause of an Evacuation. There are other building and weather-related hazards that might lead to an evacuation, such as a pipe burst or a tree falling. If the building is being evacuated due to fire, an alarm will sound and strobe lights are visible. If you are evacuated for any other reason, instructions will be given by the incident commander. Be sure you familiarize yourself with the evacuation map for your area.

• Alarms will sound throughout the building. Students should move quickly in an orderly manner out of the building, according to the exit plan posted in each classroom. Students will stand away from the building in designated areas. Students should remain in the area until directed by staff to return to the building. Each classroom has red folder and map of primary and secondary evacuation
  • Student Accountability Process
    • Teachers will exit the building with the red folder.  Once outside, the teacher will hold up the red folder only if a student(s) is missing from their class.  Each AP will report “students are clear” for each section.  The Principal will call “all clear” to return to class.

Take Shelter when there is an imminent threat of severe weather that may cause injury to students and faculty or damage structures.  

• An alarm or announcement will notify faculty to take shelter.  It is important that you shelter on the lowest floor of the building or in the hallways away from glass.

Response 

The building Emergency Response Team (ERT) has been designated to coordinate McAuliffe’s handling of an emergency.  The Emergency Response Team includes:

• Site Incident Commander – Principal or Designee – Leads emergency response in the building and coordinates with DPS Dep’t of Climate and Safety.  
• First Aid Coordinator
• Student Supervision
• Student-Parent Reunion Coordinator
• School Crisis Recovery Team Coordinator
• Campus Safety Officer
• First Aid/CPR Assistants

Reunification (Full Campus Evacuation)

In the event of a full campus evacuation and reunification, students will be moved to Hallett Elementary (2950 Jasmine St, Denver, CO 80207).  There are multiple reasons a building cannot be reoccupied such as HVAC contamination, natural disasters, fires, criminal activity, and more.  

DPS Department of Safety will determine the level of evacuation required at the school site.  DPS Emergency Management will take the lead in coordination with the Incident Commander and any resources needed will be delegated by the Department of Safety.  Multiple DPS departments and other agencies will be there to assist.  Reunification is not a quick process.  A properly executed reunification can take hours to complete.  However, the goal is to ensure that everybody is reunited with a trusted person. 

During a reunification, the district will use multiple means of communicating the evolving situation.  The best place for parents to receive these critical updates is through our district’s social media outlets.

Standard Communication Protocol

In the event of an emergency, communication will come from the McAuliffe Principal, DPS communications and/or Colleen O’Brien the executive director of NDIZ.  Please note that DPS or DPD protocol may dictate how much information and when information may be released to families.