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Emergency Planning

Emergency Planning

School leaders work throughout the year evaluating security measures and planning for crises and emergencies. Safety is our top priority. We work with local first-responders, develop building-specific security procedures, participate in emergency management training and activities, and attend school safety conferences to stay in step with best practices.

Read on for details about:

  • Safety Drills
  • Information for Families in the Event of an Emergency
  • Crisis Management Plans
  • Safety Audits

Safety Drills

As required by the State of Virginia, throughout the year, Charlottesville City Schools conducts a number of drills, ranging from fire drills to lockdown drills to prepare for a threatening in-school situation.

Natural Disaster Drills

Annually our division participates in the following natural disaster drills: 

  • 11 fire/evacuation drills
  • 1 reverse evacuation drill
  • 2 school bus evacuation drills
  • 1 tornado/duck and cover drill
  • 1 shelter-in-place drill
  • 1 earthquake drill

Most of these drills are scheduled by each school, with the exception of tornado drills, which are scheduled statewide. Often these drills will be communicated to the parents and students beforehand. During the drills, the staff will inform and direct students to perform the appropriate actions, like evacuating to a specific place during a fire drill.

 

Lockdown Drills

Per state rules, each school will hold four lockdown drills per school year. During the drills, students will practice staying securely in one room while the teacher locks the door, turns off the light, closes the shades, etc. 

For lockdown situations, we are training our staff in safety protocols called ALICE. ALICE is an acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. We have begun the process of training our staff in this approach, which provides guidance on how to respond to an armed assailant or other violent critical incident. While our old training focused on lockdowns (staying secure in one room), ALICE training empowers our staff to evaluate a situation and decide whether the class should stay in lockdown, evacuate, or take other steps to promote safety. Virginia’s state safety plan for schools has also begun to incorporate ALICE concepts.

Based on this new training, our lockdown drills now include age-appropriate discussions about how staff might respond during an actual emergency. Ideas included in these discussions:

  • For all students: In a real emergency, the teacher would decide whether the class should stay in the classroom or leave the building. 
  • For students in grade 3 and older: In a real emergency, the teacher might ask students to help block the door or gather items.
  • For students in grades 7 and older: In a real emergency, the teacher might ask them to participate in other activities, like creating a distraction.
  • For all students: Lockdown drills close with the reassurance that schools are very safe places – statistically, they are among the safest places to be.
  • Note: Students will not participate in a roleplay and they will not practice barricading a door, etc. 

 

Preparing Your Child for a Lockdown Drill

    • Families and staff are notified one day to one week in advance (though the exact day/time may not be announced). You are encouraged to tell your child to help them prepare.
    • Students, staff, and visitors are notified at the start of every drill. The school will announce that it is doing a practice drill. 

    • Set a calm tone as you let your child know that a lockdown drill will be coming soon.
    • You know your child best and your guidance will help them. Let them know that school is a safe place and that part of the job of teachers and school staff is to practice safety skills. “Just like you practice fire drills at school, you also practice lockdown drills so that you know exactly what to do to stay safe in an emergency.
    • Explain that the lockdown drill is like the many safety habits you do on a regular basis, for example, wearing seatbelts and bike helmets. Though it may be new to your child, the lockdown drill is best learned through practicing.
    • Follow your child’s lead. If they seem worried or uncomfortable, help them to identify their feelings and talk with them about ways of handling them. For example, taking a few deep breaths, reminding themselves the drill will end soon, asking the teacher for help or staying close to a friend.
    • Let your child know that schools perform lockdown drills throughout the school year and that they are announced as a drill or a practice. Consider your child’s unique needs. If you are concerned about how your child will handle the lockdown drill, reach out to the school and partner with your child’s teacher to address your concerns.

  • You will receive notification from the school after the drill so that you know when it has happened. 

    Check in and follow your child’s lead.

    • Let your child know the school made you aware that there was a lockdown drill today. Children feel safer when they know that families and schools are working together. 
    • Ask if they would like to talk about it and let their comments guide you. Children process events in many ways: 
      • If they prefer not to talk about it, this is fine. Some children may simply want to spend some together in a shared activity with few words. Young children often process through their play. 
      • If they share that they felt okay about the drill, reinforce that the purpose of the drill is to keep them safe by knowing what to do. 
      • If they share that they felt scared, sad, or nervous, acknowledge the feeling while directing the student towards positive coping skills. “Yes, sometimes we all have scary feelings. What helps you to feel safer when you are scared?” Some things that may help them feel safer might include knowing their teacher is there with them and knowing they have responded in a way that will keep them safe. You can also share a time when you felt scared and what helped you get through it.
    • Maintain routines. Following your typical home routines helps everyone feel calm and safe. Most children will feel better with the passage of time and returning to their familiar routine.

Information for Families in the Event of an Emergency

There may be times when an incident inside or outside a school requires a change in school routines. Below you’ll find important instructions if there is an incident at your child’s school. During urgent situations, we will provide timely updates through ParentSquare. 

School Safety Protocols

The schools have developed -- and practiced -- a number of protocols to address situations ranging from medical incidents to off-campus police activity to when the fire alarm goes off. Our ParentSquare messages may refer to the following protocols:

  • Stay Put, Stay Tuned
    “Stay Put, Stay Tuned” is used for situations in the school such as a fight or a medical incident. This protocol is intended to clear the halls so that staff or first responders can adress the incident quickly. Details: Classroom instruction continues, but classroom doors are closed and locked, and blinds are pulled. Unless otherwise notified, outdoor classes/recess can continue as normal. No hallway passes are issued, and the bell schedule is temporarily suspended.
  • Indoor Instruction
    “Indoor Instruction” is used for incidents outside the building, e.g., policy activity near the school. Details: Classes are kept inside the school building (or moved inside, if they were outside for gym or recess). Regular bell schedule and instruction continues, and staff members and students are free to move about the building as usual. At Walker, CMS & LMA, staff escort students moving between buildings.
  • Lockdown
    “Lockdown” is used for potential or active threats near or inside the building. Instruction stops, and no one enters or exits the school except public safety personnel. In a lockdown, staff will evaluate the situation and decide whether the class should stay in lockdown, evacuate, or take other safety steps.
  • Shelter
    “Shelter” is used to quickly move students, staff, and visitors to safe locations in the event of a severe weather incident or if hazardous materials are released in the area outside of the building.
  • Evacuation
    "Evacuation" is used when it’s safer outside than inside -- it's what students practice during a fire drill. During an evacuation drill, students/staff leave the building in an orderly fashion. If students must remain outside the school building, they may be relocated to designated sites.

School Reunification Sites

Students will only be released to adults who are listed as emergency contacts; ID will be required.

Information about reunification sites will be announced as part of the school’s official event communications. In case of emergency, please wait for information about reunification before going directly to the school (or reunification site).

Crisis Management & Safety Audits

Crisis Management Plans

Our division maintains both division-level and school-specific plans for a variety of crisis situations. These plans were developed in collaboration with Charlottesville Police and Fire Departments. Staff receive training and the full printed plan. Flip-charts of the plan are also available in each classroom. 

Safety Audits

  • Virginia School Safety Survey (annually)
  • Division Safety Survey (annually)
  • Virginia School Crisis Management Plan Review and Certification (annually)
  • Virginia School Survey of Climate and Working Conditions (administered each spring at CHS or Buford)
  • School Safety Inspection Checklist, required every 3 years
  • School Safety Audit Written Assessment