Safety & Security

District 79 uses the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), a service of the I Love U Guys Foundation, in our school safety and emergency response plans. It is a trusted brand for several preK-12 school districts and higher education across the country. Locally, the SRP is utilized in many area school districts and has the support of the Lake County Sheriff’s Department and other local emergency response agencies.

The SRP is designed to provide consistent, clear, shared language and actions among all students, staff and first responders. Protocol terms and action steps are as follows:

HOLD:
When a HOLD is called, it is due to a situation in the hallways that does not pose a threat to students or staff. During a HOLD, hallways need to be kept clear, even during class changes. Teachers should continue learning as usual and instruct students to stay in classrooms until the “All clear” is announced.

SECURE:
When a SECURE is called, it is due to a possible threat outside of the building. During a SECURE, students and staff will remain inside or be moved inside, with doors remaining locked. Learning continues as normal inside with increased situational awareness.

LOCKDOWN:
When a LOCKDOWN is called, it is due to a threat inside the building. During a LOCKDOWN, classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off, students and staff stay silent and doors are not opened until first responders come into the room.

EVACUATE:
When an EVACUATE is called, it is due to a hazard inside. During an EVACUATE, students are moved to a safe location in a quick and orderly process.

SHELTER:
When a SHELTER is called, it is due to a situation outside such as severe weather. During a SHELTER, students may be instructed to relocate within the school and take cover.

MORE INFORMATION:
For additional details on the new Standard Response Protocol, visit I Love U Guys website.

A = Alert: Staff is notified that a threat is present, and that defensive action is to be taken;
L = Lockdown: As a first defense, students are ushered out of sight and protected behind locked doors;
I = Inform: Staff is notified of the nature and location of the threat to build situational awareness;
C = Counter: As a last resort, staff and students may work to either physically avoid or engage the threat; and
E = Evacuate: As a preferred action, staff and students will move rapidly away from the threat.

FSD79 students are trained annually in an age-appropriate manner on how to respond during a lockdown situation.

Visitors will be required to bring one of the following forms of identification to be scanned when visiting a school:

• U.S. state license
• U.S. state identification card

Information that is scanned from the ID includes date of birth, partial license number, and photo for comparison with a national database of registered sex offenders. Additional visitor data will not be gathered and no data will be shared with any outside company or organization.

All visitors and volunteers granted access into the school building during the day while students are present must have their form of identification scanned and wear a visitor badge. Once your ID is scanned, the information will be stored in the system, making subsequent visits more efficient.

The process pertains only to granting access into the school beyond the main office during the school day while students are present. It does not apply to parents who are simply dropping off a forgotten item or who are picking up their student from school.

These procedures do not apply to school activities OUTSIDE of the normal school day. These procedures do apply ANY TIME a visitor will be granted access into the school during the day while students are present, regardless of the nature of the visit.