Emergency Response & Preparedness

"In your classroom or area"

Students are trained to:

• Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the “All Clear” is announced
• Do business as usual

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Close and lock the door
• Account for students and adults
• Do business as usual

"Get inside, lock outside doors"

Students are trained to:

• Return to inside of building
• Do business as usual

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Bring everyone indoors
• Lock the outside doors
• Increase situational awareness
• Account for students and adults
• Do business as usual

"Locks, lights, out of sight"

Students are trained to:

• Move away from sight
• Maintain silence
• Do not open the door

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Recover students from the hallway if possible
• Lock the classroom door
• Turn out the lights 
• Move away from sight
• Maintain silence
• Do not open the door
• Prepare to evade or defend

"To a location"

Students are trained to:

• Leave stuff behind if required to  
• If possible, bring their phone
• Follow instructions

Adults and staff are trained to:

• Bring roll sheet and Go Bag (unless instructed not to bring anything with them, dependent on the reason for evacuation.)
• Lead students to the Evacuation location
• Account for students and adults
• Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green Card method.

"State Hazard and safety strategy"

Hazards might include:

• Tornado
• Hazmat

Safety strategies might include:

• Evacuate to a shelter area
• Seal the room
• Drop, over and hold
• Get to high ground

Students are trained in:

• Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies 

Adults and staff are trained in:

• Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies
• Accounting for students and adults
• Report injuries or problems using Red Card/Green Card method.

Students and staff participate regularly in a variety of emergency drills, which provide us all with an understanding of responses to various situations. Each school is required to conduct 11 safety drills throughout the year to ensure students and staff know what to do in an emergency (5 Evacuate, 5 Lockdown, 1 Shelter). 

During emergencies, parents/guardians will receive texts, emails, and/or phone calls with timely information. If an evacuation is required, parents/guardians will receive  instructions for reuniting with their child.

Please keep your emergency contact information current in the Campus Parent portal, and designate people authorized to pick up your child if you cannot in the emergency contact areas.

Reunification is a formal process used to safely and securely reunite students with their families during an emergency. Unlike a normal school dismissal, this method ensures that every student is accounted for and released only to approved individuals.

District 196 follows the Standard Reunification Method (SRM), which helps reduce confusion and keeps everyone safe. This process may include:

• Verifying parent/guardian identity
• Using reunification cards or ID checks
• Organizing pick-up in designated areas with staff assistance

• Stay home. Parents are advised not to come to the school until notified.

• Refrain from calling. Staff will be responding to the situation and calls could take them away from supporting students.

• Stay informed. Watch for official messages from the district through ParentSquare or other communication tools.

• Bring ID. You’ll need a photo ID to pick up your student.

• Follow directions at the reunification site. This helps the process run smoothly and ensures student safety.

• The reunification site may be different from your child’s school. In some cases, students will be transported to a nearby school or another safe location.

• If your child’s school becomes a reunification site for another school, your child may also be released through the same controlled process.