School Violent Critical Incident Planning

Central High School
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Main Telephone Number
Last Updated [New Date]

School Critical Incident Plan

Overview
In this
document
Overview ................................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ............................................................................................................... 4
School Profile ............................................................................................................ 5
Section 1: School Critical Incident Planning Team ....................................................... 6
Overview ................................................................................................................... 6
Section 2: Critical Incident Roles and Responsibilities ................................................. 8
Law Enforcement and Emergency Response ........................................................... 8
Unified Command ..................................................................................................... 11
School Response Team ............................................................................................ 14
Section 3: Emergency Locations ................................................................................. 19
Overview ................................................................................................................... 19
Law Enforcement and Public Safety Sites ................................................................ 20
Student Sites ............................................................................................................. 23
Media and Parent Sites ............................................................................................. 25
Section 4: Incident Supplies & Equipment................................................................... 26
Emergency Kit ........................................................................................................... 26
Law Enforcement Equipment .................................................................................... 31
Section 5: Critical Incident Communications ............................................................... 33
Overview School Communications ........................................................................... 33
Law Enforcement and Emergency Response Communications ............................... 35
Section 6: General Critical Incident Procedures .......................................................... 36
Overview ................................................................................................................... 36
Lockdown .................................................................................................................. 37
Shelter-in-Place ........................................................................................................ 40
Drop, Cover, and Hold .............................................................................................. 41
Lockout ..................................................................................................................... 42
Evacuation ................................................................................................................ 44
Special Needs Evacuation Plan ................................................................................ 48
Section 7: Specific Critical Incident Procedures .......................................................... 50
Overview ................................................................................................................... 50
Bomb Threats and Destructive Devices .................................................................... 51
Active Shooter ........................................................................................................... 64
Hostage Situation ...................................................................................................... 71
Riot or Mass Disorder ............................................................................................... 74
Terrorist Alert Levels ................................................................................................. 76
Additional Critical Incident Scenarios ........................................................................ 81
Section 8: Contact Information .................................................................................... 83
District and School Directories .................................................................................. 83
2
Hospitals ................................................................................................................... 85
Media Directory ......................................................................................................... 86
Important Numbers ................................................................................................... 87
Community Volunteers and Services ........................................................................ 90
Section 9: Facility and Grounds Information................................................................ 91
Overview ................................................................................................................... 91
Utilities ...................................................................................................................... 92
Fire Alarm and Equipment ........................................................................................ 93
Security Equipment ................................................................................................... 94
Bell System ............................................................................................................... 95
Campus and Facilities Information ............................................................................ 96
Section 10: School Vulnerability Considerations ......................................................... 97
Overview ................................................................................................................... 97
Section 11: SCIP Approval and Sign-off...................................................................... 99
Review and Approval ................................................................................................ 99
3
Introduction
Purpose The purpose of this document is to assist law enforcement personnel in

working with schools to plan and prepare for first response to violent critical
incidents. It should serve as a foundation for preparing for violent critical
incidents and as a reference guide for information needed during a critical
incident.
Though this document includes specific categories of violent critical

incidents, it is important to keep in mind that critical incidents can take many
forms. There may be situations in which these responses are insufficient or
inappropriate. However, the general procedures were designed to cover a
wide range of situations and can be adjusted as needed. Law enforcement
first responders and school personnel should practice flexibility in applying
these procedures during drills, training sessions, and actual critical incidents.
Existing plans This document was not designed to replace existing district or school
emergency and crisis management plans. Rather, this guide, which serves as
a supplement to these plans, focuses on integrating the response of law
enforcement and school personnel during a critical incident.
Many school emergency and crisis management plans focus on fires and other
natural disasters with limited detail about violent incidents. However, the
focus of this guide is to provide detailed reference in responding to violent
critical incidents.
Caution This document contains sensitive information that could compromise the
security of the school. Use caution when distributing this document to ensure
sensitive information is not released inappropriately.
4
School Profile
Demographics The following table provides basic demographic information about [School].
Type of school [Elementary, Middle, High, Other]

Total student enrollment
Total number of staff members
(teachers, administration, other)
Total special needs students and staff
(limited mobility, developmentally
disabled, etc.)
Campus The following table provides “at a glance” information about the school
information campus. Additional information about some of these items can be found in
other sections of this plan.
Emergency contact numbers for

school
Type of exterior construction
Number of stories
Approximate total square footage
Approximate acreage of school
campus
Type of perimeter fencing
Number and locations of entry points
to building(s)
Cross streets of campus entry points
GPS Coordinates of school
Estimated time of arrival of EMS
Estimated time of arrival of fire
department
Estimated time for arrival of law
enforcement
Location(s) of hazardous materials
on/near campus
5
Section 1: School Critical Incident Planning Team

Overview
Introduction The School Critical Incident Planning (SCIP) Team is an interagency group
responsible for gathering input from stakeholders and coordinating to
determine the best, integrated response to violent critical incidents in the
school. The SCIP Team consists of law enforcement personnel, first
responders, and school personnel.
SCIP Team The following table provides scheduling details of SCIP Team meetings.
meetings
Chairperson or Point of Contact

Frequency of meetings
Person responsible for scheduling
meetings
Regular meeting location
Continued on next page
6
Overview, Continued
SCIP Team The following table lists each member of the SCIP Team.
members
Name Title Organization/ Contact E-mail Address

Agency Number(s)
Memorandum The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a document that details the

of relationship between the school and law enforcement, which further serves to
Understanding
integrate the two organizations.
[School] has signed an MOU with the following agencies:
 [Agencies]
7
Section 2: Critical Incident Roles and Responsibilities

Law Enforcement and Emergency Response
Primary agency The primary responding law enforcement agency for [School] is [Primary
Agency]. The following table provides information about the capacity of
[Primary Agency] to respond to various critical incidents.
Profile Information [Primary Agency Name]

Point of contact & number
Estimated response time: 1 officer
Estimated response time: 4 officers
Total # of officers
# of officers on day shift
Personal protective equipment
Rapid deployment training
Patrol rifles
# of K-9 units
# of explosive detection dogs
Other law The following tables profile additional law enforcement agencies that are
enforcement available to respond to critical incidents.
agencies
[Add as many tables as there are agencies as per user input]
Profile Information [Agency Name]

Estimated response time: 1 officer
Estimated response time: 4 officers
Total # of officers
# of officers on day shift
Personal protective equipment
Rapid deployment training
Patrol rifles
# of K-9 units
# of explosive detection dogs
8
Law Enforcement and Emergency Response, Continued
Special units The following tables profile special units that are available to respond to
critical incidents.
Profile Information [Tactical Response Team]

Total # of personnel
# of full-time personnel
# of part-time personnel
# of Marksman/Observer teams
# of entry personnel
# of perimeter personnel
Estimated response time
WMD environment capability?
Explosive entry capability?
Armored rescue vehicles?
NVG/thermal imaging capabilities?
Air mobility?
Mutual aid agreements
Profile Information [Explosive Ordinance Device

Team]
Robot available?
Additional comments
Profile Information [WMD Detection Response Team]

WMD detectors available?
Additional comments
9
Law Enforcement and Emergency Response, Continued
Special units,
(continued)
Profile Information [Additional Units]

Additional comments
Fire The following tables profile fire departments that are available to respond to
departments critical incidents.
Profile Information [Department Name]

Distance from School
# of volunteer personnel
Personnel available - day shift
Equipment
HAZMAT capabilities
EMS response The following tables profile EMS agencies that are available to respond to
critical incidents.
Profile Information [Agency Name]

# of ambulances
estimated response time
# of personnel in vehicles
HAZMAT capabilities
10
Unified Command
Unified Unified command is defined by FEMA as “a unified team effort which allows
command and all agencies with responsibility for the incident, either geographic or
the Incident
Command
functional, to manage an incident by establishing a common set of incident
System objectives and strategies. This is accomplished without losing or abdicating
agency authority, responsibility, or accountability.”
The Incident Command System (ICS) is a system for dealing with crises in an
organized manner with a defined chain of command. The ICS allows
multiple emergency response and law enforcement agencies to work in
concert with one another. National Incident Management System (NIMS) is
the national standardized plan to manage emergency incidents using a unified
chain of command for federal state and local lines of government for incident
response.
Incident The Incident Commander is the person who manages the operations of the
Commander incident, integrating the efforts of the various agencies involved. The
Incident Commander will be the ranking supervisor of the agency with which
operations are most critical as the incident unfolds.
Example: In an active shooter incident, law enforcement would have initial

incident command responsibility. Once the suspect(s) are neutralized, the fire
department may assume command responsibility for rescue efforts. If the
incident unfolds as a terrorist plot, the FBI may then assume command.
ICS functions The Incident Command System specifies five functions:
 Command – Establishes overall policy direction

 Planning – Gathers and assesses information
 Operations – Implements priorities and coordinated tactical response
established by the Incident Commander
 Logistics – Obtains resources to support the operations
 Finance/Administration – Tracks all costs and many administrative aspects
associated with the operations
Each of these functions should be represented in any critical incident response.

However, these functions can be expanded and further segmented for larger
incidents that span a long period of time.
11
Unified Command, Continued
Mutual aid The following table lists agencies that have signed mutual aid agreements
agreements with the primary law enforcement agency for large-scale critical incident
responses.
Agencies Nature of Agreement
Unified The following table lists the roles that law enforcement, fire, and rescue
command/ICS personnel will fill during critical incidents.
roles and
responsibilities
Note: These roles can be adjusted as needed during critical incidents to fit
the needs of the situation.
Role Description Assignment

Incident Establishes command post; determines First command officer from the
Commander strategies and tactics for operations; primary agency to arrive at the
activates teams/units; coordinates efforts of scene; the responsibility can
all responding agencies later shift to another arriving
supervisor or to another agency
Public Obtains approval on all press releases;
Information conducts frequent media briefings; receives
Officer and escorts VIPs; coordinates with school
Media contact
Safety Officer Ensures all operations are performed in the
(required for safest possible manner; monitors and
HAZMAT assesses hazardous and unsafe situations;
incidents) develops measures to ensure safety of
personnel
Liaison Officer Identifies representatives from each law
enforcement, fire, rescue, and special unit
agencies, as well as school and district;
serves as liaison to keep all agencies
informed of incident progress; identifies
potential inter-agency issues
12
Unified Command, Continued
Unified command/ICS roles and responsibilities, (continued)
Role Description Assignment

Logistics Officer Arranges for appropriate facilities, staff,
services, and material; anticipates the
staffing needs for the incident duration;
serves as liaison with agencies and
organizations that can provide logistical
support
Planning Officer Gathers intelligence on the incident, as
well as people involved in the incident (via
field and command); maintains status of
situation and resources; predicts probable
courses of action and incident potential
Finance and Accounts for all financial and cost
Administration requirements of the incident; tracks
Officer timekeeping and payroll issues; handles all
incident paperwork (forms, reports,
documentation)
Agency Directs all agency resources; maintains An individual from each agency
Representatives contact with Liaison officer; provides input involved in the incident
regarding the use of agency resources response who has the authority
to make decisions regarding the
agency’s participation
13
School Response Team
Introduction This section details the roles and responsibilities of the School Response
Team, or school personnel who help direct the response for critical incidents.
These roles have been assigned to school personnel who are:
 Best suited for the specific role

 Most likely to be on site when critical incidents occur
 Least likely to have individual responsibilities for student evacuations
and lockdowns
Some of these roles, if they do not conflict, can be performed by the same
person. Some critical incidents require all of these roles; other critical
incidents may only require that a subset of these roles be performed. In any
case, law enforcement and emergency personnel may replace school
personnel at any time in these roles.
School Incident The School Incident Supervisor is usually the Principal or his/her designee.
Supervisor The School Incident Supervisor directs staff and students until law
enforcement arrives. After law enforcement arrives, the School Incident
Supervisor may act as a liaison between the staff and law enforcement. The
School Incident Supervisor’s role will shift toward a more focused
responsibility for the students. The School Incident Supervisor also provides
guidance to the School Response Team as directed by the law enforcement
supervisors.
The following table specifies the chain of command for School Incident
Supervisor during critical incidents.
Name Position
1 Principal
2
3
4
14
School Response Team, Continued
Temporary In the event of a critical incident, the School Incident Supervisor should set
command post up a temporary command post until an official Incident Command Post can be
established by law enforcement. The temporary command post is used to
coordinate initial critical incident response efforts. The following table lists
the primary and alternate locations of the temporary command post.
Location Description
Primary: Main office [Description of location on campus]
Alternate: [User input] [Description of location on campus]
School The following table lists the roles that school personnel will fill during critical
Response incidents, or until law enforcement or emergency personnel can provide relief
Team roles and
responsibilities
from these duties. If the “primary” staff person is not able to fill the role
during an incident, an alternate should be chosen according to availability.
Note: These roles can be adjusted as needed during critical incidents to fit
the circumstances. One person can fill more than one role, as long as the
roles do not conflict with one another. Depending on the nature of the
incident, some of these roles may not be necessary to fill.
Role Description Primary Alternates

[School Responds as appropriate to
Resource incidents according to level of
Officer/Security training and equipment
Officer/other]
Command Post Monitors situation and reports to
Liaison School Incident Supervisor;
serves as school Agency
Representative; communicates
and coordinates with the ICS
Liaison Officer; in some
instances, the Command Post
Liaison and School Incident
Supervisor may be the same
person
Outer Perimeter Directs emergency responders,
Coordinator media, parents, school
transportation, and general
traffic to appropriate or
designated areas
15
School Response Team roles and responsibilities, (continued)

Staff/Volunteer Assigns staff to fulfill roles as
Resource needed; coordinates volunteers;
Coordinator coordinates with the School
Incident Supervisor and ICS
Logistics Officer; check
credentials of responding
counselors, volunteers, and
clergy
Media Contact Works with the ICS Public
Information Officer to write
media statements and parent
communications
Parent Site Makes emergency notifications
Coordinator to parents, meets parents at
parent site, coordinates early
release procedures with Student
Accounting Coordinator
Student Prepares and supervises
Evacuation evacuation location; gathers
Coordinator missing/extra student lists;
requests emergency services;
coordinate with Transportation
Coordinator to request
transportation to off-site location
Student Obtains attendance records,
Accounting visitor sign-in sheets, and
Coordinator missing/extra student lists;
coordinates efforts to account for
missing students; coordinates
early release procedures with
Parent Site Coordinator
Search Team Facilitates school campus and
Coordinator evacuation route safety sweep
for suspicious items and persons;
assembles search teams; assigns
search zones; gathers findings
from teams; may coordinate with
law enforcement
16
School Response Team roles and responsibilities, (continued)

First Aid Obtains medical supplies;
Coordinator oversees care to the injured at
triage/medical site until
paramedics arrive; tracks
students that are taken to specific
area hospitals
Transportation Contacts district transportation,
Coordinator arranges off-site evacuation
transportation and early or late
releases; coordinates with
Perimeter Coordinator to direct
buses where needed
Facility and Disables utilities, fire alarm,
Grounds Contact sprinklers, bell system, etc. as
required; secures entrances and
exits to school grounds; provide
keys to gain access to various
campus locations
Record Keeper Documents events as they occur,
including events, decisions, and
actions by time; communicates
with and gathers information
from Command Post Liaison
[Additional
roles]
17
ICS - School The following table shows how the School Response Team roles align with the
Response five ICS functions.
Team
integration
ICS Function School Response Team Member

Command  School Incident Supervisor
 [School Resource Officer]
 Command Post Liaison
 Media Contact
Planning  Teachers and other instructional staff can
assist law enforcement in this function
Operations  Perimeter Coordinator
 Parent Site Coordinator
 Student Evacuation Coordinator
 Student Accounting Coordinator
 First Aid Coordinator
 Facility and Ground Contact
Logistics  Staff Resource Coordinator
 Transportation Coordinator
Finance and Administration  Record Keeper
18
Section 3: Emergency Locations

Overview
Introduction Determining locations to gather and protect students, parents, and media, as
well as coordinate law enforcement and public safety officials during a
critical incident, is essential to ensuring a smooth response management
process. Each of the emergency locations has been selected to ensure safety
and security, while providing sufficient access and space for vehicles and
people. The selected areas should be reviewed annually to determine whether
they still meet the following criteria:
 Capacity is sufficient to handle the number of anticipated students,

parents, law enforcement, media, emergency responders, fire personnel,
and other public safety officials
 Walking route from school to student sites is clear of hazards
 Emergency locations should be:
 protected from weather, intruders, and other hazards
 separated from other sites to minimize interaction between
students/parents, law enforcement, emergency responders, and
media
 Owners or operators of the locations (if applicable) are still amenable to
providing access and other requested resources
19
Law Enforcement and Public Safety Sites
Introduction The Incident Command Post is the location from which all decisions and
actions are coordinated among the various participating agencies. The
command post locations were selected to be located near the school, but
removed from the media and parent sites. In addition, the command post
facilities should have the following attributes:
 Safe, clean, and dry with tables

 Communications access, including phone lines
 Relatively close to incident location
 Easy, but controllable access
 Water and sanitary services accessible
 Source of electricity
Command post If the primary command post location is too close to the scene of the critical
locations incident, the Incident Commander will select the most appropriate alternate
location. The following table lists the primary and alternate locations for the
Incident Command Post.
Location Directions and GPS Contact Person Traffic/Security

Coordinates Concerns
Primary:
Alternate:
Law The following table lists the primary and alternate locations for staging
enforcement arriving law enforcement personnel.
staging area

Primary:
Alternate:
20
Law Enforcement and Public Safety Sites, Continued
Fire and rescue The following table lists the primary and alternate locations for staging
staging area arriving fire and rescue personnel.

Primary:
Alternate:
EMS staging The following table lists the primary and alternate locations for staging
area arriving EMS personnel.

Primary:
Alternate:
Triage/medical The following table lists the triage/medical site to which injured students and
site staff can be treated during the course of a critical incident.

Primary:
Alternate:
Helicopter The following table lists the primary and alternate locations for the helicopter
landing zone landing zone.
Location Directions and GPS Street Directions Traffic/Security

Primary:
Alternate:
21
Law Enforcement and Public Safety Sites, Continued
Traffic control The following table lists streets and intersections (routes) that should be
monitored and controlled to prevent traffic back-ups and allow emergency
vehicles to pass through easily.
Streets, Intersections, or Routes # of Required Officers/Cruisers
Emergency The following table details the location and contact information for the
Operations Emergency Operations Center.
Center
Location Point of Contact and Number
22
Student Sites
Evacuation Evacuation locations have been selected to accommodate multiple critical

incident possibilities:
 On-campus locations if the critical incident is contained to a small area

 Off-campus locations within walking distance if the critical incident
renders the entire campus unsafe (north, south, east, or west locations to
allow for options based on the critical incident, such as wind direction
or line of sight)
 Remote locations if the off-campus locations are unsuitable or if the
incident extends beyond the school campus to the local neighborhood
area
When an evacuation is necessary, the School Incident Supervisor may confer

with public safety officials to determine the most appropriate evacuation
location according to the incident circumstances. Consideration should be
given to the safety of the evacuation routes and locations to ensure they are
free from hazards when an evacuation is ordered (i.e., avoid parked cars,
dumpsters, utility boxes, and fuel storage tanks, which are common places to
hide secondary explosive devices).
On-campus The following table lists the primary and alternate locations for on-campus
locations evacuations.
Location Traffic/Security Concerns
Off-campus The following table lists the northern, southern, eastern, and western locations
locations for off-campus evacuations. Use the location marked as “Primary” unless
otherwise notified.
Primary Location Directions Point of Contact and Traffic/Security
Number Concerns
North:
South:
East:
West:
23
Student Sites, Continued
Remote [Remote location] will be used as a remote evacuation location in the event
location none of the other evacuation locations are suitable. The contact person for
this location is [Name, contact number]. Students will be transported to the
remote location using the following procedures:
 [Transportation assembly area, directions]

 [Arrangements for transportation]
Conduct a safety sweep of vehicles and routes used for transportation.
Shelter-in-place When sheltering in place is necessary, the School Incident Supervisor may
locations confer with public safety officials to determine the most appropriate
location(s) according to the incident circumstances.
The following table lists possible shelter-in-place locations.
Location Conditions for Use
24
Media and Parent Sites
Media site The media site is used to gather the media and brief the media on unfolding
events and public announcements. The following table lists the media site
location(s).
Location Directions Contact Person Traffic/Security

Concerns
Parent site All parents should be directed to the parent site, where the Parent Site
Coordinator should explain the details of the situation and the timeframe and
procedures for student release. The Media Contact should also alert the
general public via the media about the location of the parent site and the
student release procedures.
The parent site should be equipped with communication systems to enable the
Parent Site Coordinator to talk to the Incident Command Post, Media Contact,
and others.
The following table lists the parent site location(s).
Location Directions Contact Person Traffic/Security

Concerns
Student The Student Accounting Coordinator is responsible for notifying parents or

emergency authorized emergency guardians of students who are injured or otherwise
notification
involved in a critical incident.
[Provisions for emergency notification]
25
Section 4: Incident Supplies & Equipment

Emergency Kit
Introduction The [Emergency Kit] contains supplies, materials, and information that assist
both the school and law enforcement in responding to critical incidents. The
school should maintain two identical Emergency Kits in separate locations so
that if one is not accessible that another is available for use. Both kits should
be maintained so that they contain up-to-date information about the school
campus and students. The School Incident Supervisor is responsible for
retrieving an Emergency Kit and providing the supplies and information
where it is needed.
Contents The following table indicates the contents of the Emergency Kit.
Item Date Placed or Updated
26
Emergency Kit, Continued
Contents, (continued)
27
28
29
Daily items In the case of an emergency, an office staff designee should gather the
following records before vacating the office.
30
Law Enforcement Equipment
Equipment The following table indicates the equipment that is maintained and available
for officers of agencies likely to respond to violent critical incidents.
Item SRO [Primary [Agency] [Agency]

Agency]
31
Law Enforcement Equipment, Continued
Equipment, (continued)
Item SRO [Primary [Agency] [Agency]

Agency]
32
Section 5: Critical Incident Communications

School Communications
School The following table details the general communication capabilities on the
communication school campus.
capabilities
Communication Locations Description/Notes

Method
Initiating When a critical incident occurs, it is important for everyone to be well versed
actions in the methods of communication so that vital information is passed quickly
and the school response is rapid. School Response Team members, teachers,
staff members, and students should all be aware of the signals that indicate
the appropriate action to take. The following table indicates the primary and
alternate methods of initiating general response procedures.
Procedure Primary Communication Alternate Communication

Method Method
33
School Communications, Continued
School While teachers, staff, and students only need to know whether to evacuate or
Response lockdown, the School Response Team members must know more about the
Team
communication
critical incident to perform roles and responsibilities appropriate for the
situation. The following primary communication method will be used to
communicate among School Response Team members about critical
incidents:
[Primary School Response Team communication method, including radio

frequency/channel and tone codes if applicable]
The alternative method for communicating among the School Response Team
is as follows:
[Alternate School Response Team communication method, including

radio frequency/channel and tone codes if applicable]
Other The following table details the communication methods for locations that are
communication outside of the realm of the regular school communication network.
methods
Location Communication Method
34
Law Enforcement and Emergency Response

Communications
Introduction Once law enforcement and emergency responders reach the Incident
Command Post, it will be important for each responding agency to
communicate with one another.
Primary The following method will be used as a first choice for ICS communications:
communication
method
[Primary ICS communication method, including radio frequencies and
tone codes if applicable]
Alternate The following method will be used as a second or back-up choice for ICS
communication communications:
method
[Alternate ICS communication method, including radio frequencies and

tone codes if applicable]
Communicating The following table details available methods of communication for public
to the public safety matters.
Communication Point of Contact & Description/Notes

Method Number
35
Section 6: General Critical Incident Procedures

Overview
Introduction While there are specific procedures and considerations for unique critical
incidents, the general lockdown and evacuation procedures are appropriate for
a wide range of situations. It is important for teachers, staff, and students to
become well-versed in these general procedures so that response during a
critical incident is automatic and swift.
Initiating It is generally the responsibility of the School Incident Supervisor to make a

general decision about whether to evacuate or lockdown the campus. Public safety
procedures
officials may also determine when it is appropriate to evacuate the campus
following a lockdown period. Teachers, staff, and students should listen
closely for announcements and signals to determine which action to take.
In the event teachers or staff members witness a violent critical incident

unfold, they may initiate the appropriate procedure to protect students. They
should then contact the office as soon as possible to alert the school of the
event and inform the School Incident Supervisor about the actions they took.
If the School Incident Supervisor determines that early release of students is

appropriate following a critical incident, then the student release procedures
will be initiated.
36
Lockdown
Definition of A lockdown is a critical incident response that secures students and staff,
action usually in classrooms, to prevent access or harm to the occupants of the
lockdown locations. This may also involve quickly moving students and staff
from unsecured locations to secure locations.
Use this procedure, in combination with the applicable critical incident

procedures, as a guideline for responding to a critical incident.
Lockdown Follow the procedures below during or between classes to protect building
procedure occupants from potential dangers.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
Law 
Enforcement
Maintenance 
or other
37
Lockdown, Continued
Lockdown procedure, (continued)
Role Procedure
Teachers 
School IF law enforcement has deemed the situation safe enough to
Response proceed, assist the School Incident Supervisor as needed and
Team fill previously stated roles.
38
Lockdown, Continued
Variations on The following lockdown procedures are applicable during times when a large
procedure number of students are outside of classes.
Situation Procedure
39
Shelter-in-Place
General Follow the procedures below for sheltering in place in the case of chemical,
procedure biological, or radiological agent releases.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
School 
Response
Team
Teachers & 
staff
Maintenance 
staff
Emergency 
responders
40
Drop, Cover, and Hold
General Follow the procedures below when an explosion or other danger is imminent
procedure (i.e., evacuation is not feasible) and threatens the stability of the building.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
All building 
occupants
Emergency 
responders
41
Lockout
Definition of A lockout is a critical incident response that secures the school campus to
action prevent unauthorized entry to all school facilities. Limited movement around
the school campus may be permitted, depending on the circumstances of the
incident.
General Follow the procedures below to lock out the school campus.
procedure
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
Law 
Enforcement
Maintenance 
or other
42
Lockout, Continued
General procedure, (continued)
Role Procedure
Teachers 
School IF law enforcement has deemed the situation safe enough to
Response proceed, assist the School Incident Supervisor as needed and
Team fill previously stated roles.
43
Evacuation
Definition of An evacuation is a critical incident response that involves the controlled

action movement of students from the campus to a pre-specified safe location, either
to a remote area of the campus or to an off-campus location.
These procedures should be used as a supplement to the school evacuation

plan, in combination with the applicable critical incident procedures, as a
guideline for responding to a critical incident.
General The procedures below are suggested when conditions outside are safer than
evacuation inside, and students can safely reach the evacuation location without the
procedure
threat of danger.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
44
Evacuation, Continued
General evacuation procedure, (continued)
Role Procedure
Law 
enforcement
School 
Response
Team
Maintenance 
or other
Office staff 
designee
45
General evacuation procedure, (continued)
Role Procedure
Teachers 
Special needs 
assistants
46
Reverse Reverse evacuation is a procedure that moves students and staff from
evacuation vulnerable open spaces to more secure locations. Reverse evacuation is used
during critical incidents when a large group of students and staff are located
in unsecured areas. Examples include:
 Before school
 After school
 During extracurricular events (see Additional Critical Incident
Scenarios for more information)
 During classes or recess periods on the playground or athletic field
Follow the procedures below for reverse evacuation in various situations.
Situation Procedure
Adjacent Public safety officials may initiate an adjacent neighborhood evacuation when
neighborhood residences or businesses in the vicinity of the school campus are vulnerable
evacuation
during a critical incident. Examples may include being within the impact
zone of destructive devices or within the line of sight of an active shooter.
The following table lists the addresses and phone numbers of all businesses
and residences that may need to be evacuated during a critical incident.
Address Phone
47
Special Needs Evacuation Plan
Roster and An updated special needs roster is located in the Emergency Kit, which
assignments details the names of all special needs students and staff, as well as their
individual class schedules and campus locations. The Emergency Kit also
contains the staff and specific responsibilities for assisting special needs
students and staff during evacuations.
Note: The staff to special needs ratio should be about 1:2. Update this plan
to add staff members as needed to maintain this ratio.
Alternate The following table details the alternate evacuation procedures for special
evacuation needs students and staff. [Suggested solutions are shown; users can change
plans
solutions as desired to fit their situation.]
Scenario Solution
There is not enough time to move Use one of the following alternative,
limited mobility students and staff to accessible safe shelter locations:
the evacuation location  [Alternate LMS evacuation
locations]
Limited mobility students and staff Wheelchair users and others who
cannot be evacuated from second cannot use stairs should make their
story or higher locations way - either accompanied or on their
own - to [a designated refuge or
other place of safety on the same
floor, e.g., a closed staircase
landing]. They should inform a staff
member or other available person
that they will remain in that place of
safety and wait for assistance. The
person informed should in turn
inform the School Incident
Supervisor, a law enforcement
officer, or a fire fighter there is
someone awaiting assistance at the
location(s) concerned.
Debris is obstructing the pathway to Each classroom location has two
evacuation or lockdown locations means of emergency escape that are
remote from each other and that
provide unobstructed exits.
48
Special Needs Evacuation Plan, Continued
Alternate evacuation plans, (continued)
Scenario Solution
Students or staff have special needs A Personal Evacuation Plan should
for medicines, power supplies, or be in place to address all steps that
medical devices need to be taken and equipment
needed to ensure the safe evacuation
of each individual. These Personal
Evacuation Plans, where necessary,
include mechanical device
procedures and other appropriate
systems to maintain the operation of
medical devices and power supplies.
[Other scenarios] [Additional LMS evacuation
procedures]
49
Section 7: Specific Critical Incident Procedures

Overview
Introduction It is important to be prepared for critical incidents by preparing standard

lockdown and evacuation procedures, as well as preparing specific responses
to various critical incidents. The procedures outlined in this section were
developed as a potential response to a number of violent critical incidents,
though it is impossible to anticipate every type of incident that may occur.
Use these specific critical incident procedures, in conjunction with the general
procedures, to guide your response during a critical incident. However, be
sure to use your judgment and alter the procedures as necessary to deal with
unexpected issues.
Individual roles The roles and responsibilities of law enforcement officers and School
and Response Team members are not divided out in this section according to
responsibilities
individual responsibility, but rather are presented as an unordered list of
general responsibilities. The Incident Commander and School Incident
Supervisor should delegate responsibilities to individuals according to:
 Prescribed roles as listed Section 2

 The size or scope of the critical incident
 The specific needs of the critical incident
Law enforcement officers and School Response Team members should be
aware of their individual roles and responsibilities, but should also be
prepared to shift roles and be flexible in providing help as needed.
50
Bomb Threats and Destructive Devices
Definition of Bomb threats are defined as any communicated threat regarding the presence
critical incident of destructive devices on a school campus. Destructive devices are weapons
of mass destruction (WMD), which include any explosive device, as well as
incendiary, chemical, biological, nuclear, or radiological devices or materials.
Receiving Follow the procedures below to properly handle the receipt of bomb threats or
bomb threats threats of any destructive devices.
Note: All threats of destructive devices will be referred to as “bomb threats”

in the remainder of this document.
Source Procedure
Phone 
51
Bomb Threats and Destructive Devices, Continued
Receiving bomb threats, (continued)
Source Procedure
Written 
Note: Anyone who has handled the materials or
package may be contaminated and should avoid contact
with other people until decontamination can take place.
E-mail 
52
Receiving bomb threats, (continued)
Source Procedure
In person 
District policy District policy for bomb threats is as follows:

on bomb
threats
[District policy (e.g., mandatory evacuation)]
53
Assessing The first step in the bomb threat response process is to assess the situation and
bomb threats determine the most appropriate response. If a suspicious item is found, the
School Incident Supervisor should immediately initiate evacuation. If there is
no suspicious item that has been identified, the School Incident Supervisor
should determine the most appropriate response (within District policies)
given the nature of the threat.
The following table provides guidance for responding to bomb threats.
Reference: See the ATF and U.S. Department of Education’s “Bomb Threat
Response: An Interactive Planning Tool for Schools” for more information.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident Threat Characteristics Response Options
Supervisor
54
District policy District policy for search teams is as follows:

on search
teams
[District policy (e.g., staff members can search; only law enforcement
search; combination) or N/A]
Search without Follow the procedures below to conduct a search for suspicious objects
evacuation without evacuating the campus.
Role Procedure
Search Team 
Coordinator
Teachers and 
Staff
School 
Response
Team
55
Search with Follow the procedures below to conduct a campus search for suspicious
evacuation objects after evacuating the campus or a portion thereof.
Role Procedure
Search Team 
Coordinator
Teachers and 
Staff
School 
Response
Team
56
Discovery of Follow the procedures below to manage responses to the discovery of a

suspicious suspicious device.
device
Role Procedure
Discoverer 
School 
Incident
Supervisor
Incident 
Commander
57
Discovery of suspicious device, (continued)
Role Procedure
Law 
Enforcement
Maintenance 
or other
58
Responding to If an explosion or agent release occurs, in most jurisdictions the fire

an explosion or department will have initial responsibility for incident command. Once the
release
scene has stabilized, incident command may shift to law enforcement for
investigative purposes.
Follow the procedures below to respond to an explosion or agent release.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
Maintenance 
or other
59
Responding to an explosion or release, (continued)
Role Procedure
Law 
Enforcement
60
Responding to an explosion or release, (continued)
Role Procedure
Incident 
Commander
61
Special The following table lists special considerations for each type of destructive
considerations device.
Destructive Device Considerations

Biological, Chemical, 
Radiological
(HAZMAT)
62
Special considerations, (continued)
Destructive Device Considerations

Nuclear 
63
Active Shooter
Definition of An active shooter is an armed person(s) who has used, or has demonstrated
critical incident the intent to use, deadly physical force on other persons and continues to do
so while having unrestricted access to additional victims. An active shooter
may use guns, knives, explosives, or other weapons in the assaults. A sniper,
suicide bomber, and drive-by shooter are also examples of an active shooter.
Many incidents involving an active shooter develop into a hostage situation.

In this case, refer to the Hostage Situation procedures.
Unknown or If an intruder is found on campus and the threat level is unknown (e.g., lost
hostile intruder visitor versus hostile parent), follow District or school procedures to report
the intruder. The first priority is always to protect the students, so teachers
should initiate lockdown and inform the School Incident Supervisor at any
time a threat of violence is suspected.
64
Active Shooter, Continued
Rapid Rapid deployment (also called immediate action or extraordinary

deployment deployment) is the law enforcement tactical response to active shooter
incidents. The National Tactical Officers Association defines rapid
deployment as “the swift and immediate deployment of law enforcement
resources to ongoing, life threatening situations where delayed deployment
could otherwise result in death or great bodily injury to innocent persons.”
Specifically, rapid deployment entails deploying the first several officers on
the scene to immediately neutralize the threat.
 Deploy teams of officers.

 While four officers is generally the recommended minimum, officers
may choose to act when fewer are available (even when only one or two
officers can immediately respond).
 Teams with less than four officers have substantially elevated risks, but
this should not be excluded or prohibited as an option.
 Officers at the scene must judge the relative risks of action versus
inaction with less than four officers. The instant response of individual
officers may be critical in preventing further loss of life.
 Use one of several different formations, such as the diamond, “Y,” or
“T.” Each officer in the formation has a specific area of responsibility,
such as front, rear, left, or right.
 Provide 360-degree coverage to maximize officer safety.
 Use the three modes of operation (Contact, Search, and Rescue) as
appropriate and necessary.
Reference: See “Rapid Deployment as a Response to an Active Shooter

Incident” for additional information about rapid deployment.
65
Rapid The following table details the procedures for each of the rapid deployment
deployment, modes of operation.
(continued)
Mode Procedure
Contact 
Search 
Rescue 
66
Standard Follow the procedures below to manage responses to critical incidents

procedure involving an active shooter.
Role Procedure
Faculty and 
Staff
67
Standard procedure, (continued)
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
68
Role Procedure
Law 
enforcement
Incident 
Commander
69
Special In addition to active shooter standard procedures, the following table lists
considerations special considerations for other types of active shooter threats.
Threat Role Consideration

Suicide bomber School Incident 
Supervisor
Law enforcement 
Drive-by shooter or School Incident 
sniper Supervisor
Law enforcement 
EMS/Fire 
70
Hostage Situation
Definition of A hostage situation is any situation in which a person or persons are detained
critical incident by threat of violence. Weapons are usually in the possession of the hostage
taker(s) and hostages are threatened with some degree of bodily harm if the
hostages or outside officials do not cooperate. Also use these procedures as a
guideline for responding to suicidal or barricaded subjects.
Note: Hostage situation may escalate into an active shooter situation. Follow
the procedures for active shooter if warranted.

procedure involving a hostage situation or suicidal subject.
Role Procedure
Faculty and 
Staff
71
Hostage Situation, Continued
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
Law 
enforcement
72
Hostage Situation, Continued
Role Procedure
Incident 
Commander
Hostage If taken hostage, consider the following procedures:

guidance
 Direct all hostages away from windows and doors and as far away from
hostage takers as possible.
 Obey all hostage taker orders and be polite; do not become
confrontational or antagonistic.
 Talk in a normal voice; avoid whispering or raising your voice.
 Avoid abrupt movements.
 Answer all questions unless responses may provoke hostage takers.
 Inform hostage takers of any medical conditions or disabilities.
73
Riot or Mass Disorder
Definition of A riot or mass disorder is defined as a relatively large group of students

critical incident engaged in disruptive or violent behavior that is destructive to either persons
or property.
Note: Mass disorder may escalate into an active shooter or hostage situation.
Follow the appropriate procedures.

procedure involving riots or mass disorder.
Role Procedure
School 
Incident
Supervisor
Incident 
Commander
74
Riot or Mass Disorder, Continued
Role Procedure
Law 
enforcement
Teachers and 
staff
75
Terrorist Alert Levels
Suggested The following table lists suggested actions for each risk level of the
actions Department of Homeland Security Advisory System.
Note: Suggested actions for Low (Green) represent security procedures that
should be standard practice at the school.
Risk Suggested Actions

Low (Green) 
76
Terrorist Alert Levels, Continued
Suggested actions, (continued)

Guarded (Blue) 
Elevated (Yellow) 
High (Orange) 
77
Terrorist Alert Levels, Continued
Suggested actions, (continued)

Severe (Red) 
78
Bus Critical Incidents
Bus Buses should be equipped and prepared for critical incidents at all times.
preparedness Items that are considered vital for preparedness include the following.
 Drivers should be briefed on alternate routes and alternate locations to

take students in the event of an emergency.
 The fuel tank should be at least half full at all times.
 A first aid/disaster kit and area maps should be accessible on board.
 At least two communication methods should be operational at all times
(e.g., radio and cell phone).
 Drivers should conduct a visual inspection of the bus after any period in
which the bus has been left unattended.
Standard Follow the procedures below to manage law enforcement responses to critical
procedures incidents that occur on a bus.
Incident Procedure
Active 
shooter
Hostage 
situation
Bombs 
threats and
destructive
devices
Riot or mass 
disorder
79
Bus Critical Incidents, Continued
Communication The following table provides information about the methods of

communicating between the bus, school, and district offices.
Method of notifying school, district,

or transportation of incident on bus
Method of notifying bus (en route to
school) about critical incident at
school
Alternate The following location should be used as an alternative location to transport

location students if the school is not safe:
[Alternate location]
80
Additional Critical Incident Scenarios
Extracurricular Follow the procedures below to respond to critical incidents during

events extracurricular events.
Neighboring Follow the procedures below to integrate responses to critical incidents with
schools schools that share a campus.
81
Additional Critical Incident Scenarios, Continued
Mobile The following table describes special considerations for mobile classrooms in
classrooms the event of critical incidents.
Extended stay The following table describes special considerations for critical incidents that
at school require students to stay on the school campus for an extended period of time
(i.e., significantly longer than the regular school day).
82
Section 8: Contact Information

District and School Directories
School and An updated faculty and staff roster with campus locations and classroom
district telephone numbers is located in each Emergency Kit. An updated district
directories
directory with all local schools, district offices and administration,
transportation, and other contact numbers is also located in each Emergency
Kit.
Mobile The following table lists school staff members with mobile communication
numbers devices, as well as telephone numbers to each.
Name Campus Cellular Pager Number

Location Number
83
District and School Directories, Continued
Special skills The following table lists school staff members with any of the following
special skills:
 CPR, first aid, emergency medical, or nursing

 Search and rescue
 Hazardous materials
 Media relations
 Counseling/mental health
 Firefighting
 Critical incident training
 Language skills
 Reserve or former police
 Amateur radio operators
 Military experience
 Physically powerful and able-bodied
 Construction, carpentry, electrical, or welding skills
 Other knowledge or skills
Name Campus Location Mobile Number Skills

or extension
84
Hospitals
Information The following table provides vital information about local hospitals for
critical incident responses.
Hospital Contact and Distance from School Trauma Level and

Number (miles & time) Airlift Capabilities
85
Media Directory
Newspapers & The following table lists contact information for local newspapers and news
news service service organizations.
Organization Address Phone Numbers Contacts
Television The following table lists contact information for local television stations.
Station Address Phone Numbers Contacts
Radio The following table lists contact information for local radio stations.
Station Address Phone Numbers Contacts
86
Important Numbers
Introduction This section provides information for various organizations you may need to
contact for critical incident response efforts.
Federal and
State
Organization Contact Phone Numbers Description
87
Important Numbers, Continued
County or City
Commercial
services &
supplies
88
Important Numbers, Continued
Community
services
89
Community Volunteers and Services
Introduction This section provides a listing of all local community businesses and
organizations that have committed to donating materials or providing
volunteer services in the event of a critical incident.
Businesses
Organization Contact Phone Numbers Material or Services

Available
Local churches

Available
Civic
organizations

Available
90
Section 9: Facility and Grounds Information

Overview
Introduction Some critical incidents require the shut-down of various utilities and systems
in the school. In order to provide the most effective tactical response, law
enforcement units need to know a host of information about the facilities.
Facility and grounds information is included in this section to give people the
ability to shut down or control the systems as needed, even if they are
unfamiliar with the campus.
91
Utilities
Overview The following utilities are located on or near the school campus:
[Utility]
Contact The following table provides contact information for the companies providing
information utilities on campus.
Organization Contact Phone Numbers
Back-up [Information about location of generator and procedures for use]

generator
92
Fire Alarm and Equipment
Overview [Description of fire alarm and equipment on campus]
[Fire
equipment]
93
Security Equipment
Overview [Description of security equipment on campus]
[Security
equipment]
94
Bell System
Overview [Description of bell system on campus]
[Procedures]
95
Campus and Facilities Information
Map of campus [Insert image here]
Floor plans [Insert image here]
Aerial photo [Insert image here]
Roof access [Insert image or description of location(s) here]

points
96
Section 10: School Vulnerability Considerations

Overview
Introduction The purpose of this section of the document is to present information related
to potential vulnerabilities or hazards in or around the school that may be
important to be aware of in the event of a critical incident.
Note: The information in this section serves as a general and unofficial

survey of the school campus. The local tactical team that is identified as
having primary responsibility should conduct an official site survey of the
school campus.
Geographic Geographic or weather-related concerns for this school include:

concerns
Special Special populations or targets of concern include:

populations or
targets

Vulnerabilities The following school or campus vulnerabilities have been identified:
Crime patterns The local area around the school has the following crime patterns or history:

97
Overview, Continued
Hazardous The following table details hazardous materials on or around campus, as well
materials as procedures for accessing these materials.
Material Location Comments
98
Section 11: SCIP Approval and Sign-off

Review and Approval
Review The following parties and/or agencies will review the SCIP during the
development and revision to provide input and suggestions:
Approval The following people will review the final version of the SCIP [how often]
for approval before distribution:
Distribution The following parties and/or agencies will receive a copy of the approved
SCIP to keep in the event of a critical incident:
99
About School Safety Partners
School Safety Partners (www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org) is dedicated to creating long‐term funding partnerships to
support school safety best practices. We are a facilitator of joint research projects, reaching out to the general
public as well as stakeholders in the public, private, non‐profit, and academic sectors. Since our start in January,
2008, our projects have addressed the legislative, training, compliance, funding, and public awareness sides of
school safety. Here are some highlights:
1. We created a reference library documenting all aspects of Colorado Senate Bill 08‐181, a first‐of‐its‐kind
measure introduced by Senator Tom Wiens to modernize emergency planning in schools, so students,
teachers, and first responders can act fast in an emergency.
2. For the 10th anniversary of the Columbine High School tragedy, we produced the national media event,
"Colorado Rising," focusing on the future of school safety in America, and our guests and speakers were
covered by NBC‐TV, CNN, NPR, FOX, Oprah Radio, Channel One News, Associated Press, Reuters, the
Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, German Public Radio, the Guardian, and dozens of
other news sources.
3. We assisted in the 2008 Symposium and the 2009 Symposium on the Prevention of School Violence at
Johnson & Wales University, and in the tabletop exercises on interoperable communications conducted
for these events by one of our partners, SchoolSAFE Communications (www.SchoolSAFEcom.org).
4. We produced over 4 hours of video footage, with 2 video crews, covering a full‐scale active shooter and
multi‐hazard school exercise that involved 18 agencies and over 1,200 persons, and tested interoperable
communications in several school‐related settings.
5. We co‐created the School Response Framework Fund in support of the National Incident Managment
System (NIMS) and to help Colorado schools become NIMS‐compliant as quickly as possible.
6. We also developed a virtual campus that schools can use as an online training site for their safety
teams, and as an action center where schools can build strong relationships with community partners,
or local responders.
7. We have developed with ABC‐TV a nationwide community awareness campaign, giving recognition to
educators as first responders, and calling for the creation of public‐private partnerships to make school
safety sustainable in communities across America.
8. We have also developed with the creators of the feature motion picture, "April Showers," the
educational and school safety materials to accompany the film as it is released to the worldwide
educational market.
9. Other states have shown an interest in what we have done in Colorado about school crisis response, and
for them we have designed webinars and information kits about improving school safety legislation and
finding long‐term funding solutions.
We hope that you find our information useful and our contacts productive. We invite you to explore all parts of
our website, and also share with us your views, experiences, lessons learned, best practices, and innovations.
Please visit us at www.SchoolSafetyPartners.org and register online in order to access all of our sections.
Registration is free.

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School Violent Critical Incident Planning

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Central High School

Last Updated [New Date]

School Critical Incident Plan

Purpose The purpose of this document is to assist law enforcement personnel in

Though this document includes specific categories of violent critical

Type of school [Elementary, Middle, High, Other]

Emergency contact numbers for

Section 1: School Critical Incident Planning Team

Chairperson or Point of Contact

Continued on next page

Name Title Organization/ Contact E-mail Address

Memorandum The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is a document that details the

[School] has signed an MOU with the following agencies:

Section 2: Critical Incident Roles and Responsibilities

Profile Information [Primary Agency Name]

[Add as many tables as there are agencies as per user input]

Profile Information [Agency Name]

Continued on next page

Law Enforcement and Emergency Response, Continued

Profile Information [Tactical Response Team]

Profile Information [Explosive Ordinance Device

Profile Information [WMD Detection Response Team]

Continued on next page

Law Enforcement and Emergency Response, Continued

Profile Information [Additional Units]

Profile Information [Department Name]

Profile Information [Agency Name]

Example: In an active shooter incident, law enforcement would have initial

ICS functions The Incident Command System specifies five functions:

 Command – Establishes overall policy direction

Each of these functions should be represented in any critical incident response.

Continued on next page

Unified Command, Continued

Agencies Nature of Agreement

Role Description Assignment

Continued on next page

Unified Command, Continued

Unified command/ICS roles and responsibilities, (continued)

Role Description Assignment

Continued on next page

School Response Team

 Best suited for the specific role

Continued on next page

School Response Team, Continued

Role Description Primary Alternates

Continued on next page

School Response Team, Continued

School Response Team roles and responsibilities, (continued)

Role Description Primary Alternates

Continued on next page

School Response Team, Continued

School Response Team roles and responsibilities, (continued)

Role Description Primary Alternates

School Response Team, Continued

ICS Function School Response Team Member

Section 3: Emergency Locations

 Capacity is sufficient to handle the number of anticipated students,

Law Enforcement and Public Safety Sites

 Safe, clean, and dry with tables

Location Directions and GPS Contact Person Traffic/Security

Location Directions and GPS Contact Person Traffic/Security

Continued on next page

Law Enforcement and Public Safety Sites, Continued

Location Directions and GPS Contact Person Traffic/Security