School Safety Sanity

 In Climate, Leadership Development, Legal
We all know that getting back in the swing can be a daunting task, but setting up those first drills of the year shouldn’t add to the chaos.  Follow these easy steps to prepare and familiarize your students, staff, and families for situations that may arise.      Remind all classroom teachers to practice one of each of the safety drills prior to the end of the first week of school.  (Fire, Tornado, Earthquake, Active Shooter, Nuclear Contamination, Exposure to Chemicals, Man-Made Occurrences, ) This allows them to ask questions, confirm policies, and get their pre-drill jitters out prior to a whole-school safety drill.     Inform staff, students, and families that you will be holding monthly safety drills to ensure that everyone is prepared and informed during critical situations.  The more you inform them, the less anxious they will be if a situation arises.      Be sure to perform your first whole-school fire drill within the first 10 days of school.  This is a MUST!      You must perform at least one fire drill each month and one tornado drill each semester.  You must also perform your first active shooter drill within the first 90 days of school, so make sure that everyone knows what to expect early on.    Most importantly, make sure that your drills are scheduled in advance, so you don’t overlook any and that you keep a detailed record of each drill you hold.  

Click HERE to find the IDOE School Safety Calendar of important events!  

Register HERE for the Great American Shakeout!  (Millions of people worldwide will practice how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On at 10:17 a.m. on October 17* during Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills!

Indiana Law:EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS DRILLS  IC 20-34-3-20 Each building within a corporation shall perform; one tornado and one man made dill per semester and fire drills shall be done monthly (allowing two substitutions per semester).  Drill records shall be certified by the principal and kept on file. a. Suggest Practices i. Conduct drills at varied times and simulate unusual conditions; passing periods, lunch, arrival and/or dismissal. ii. Review procedures for reverse evacuation, room clear and securing sections of the building.  iii. Invite first responders to participate in drills and partner with them in crossover training possibilities through functional and/or full scale exercises.     iv. Utilize tabletop trainings to discuss with staff a variety of situations. (For more information, click HERE.) 

Follow @EducateIN @IN_SchoolSafety on Twitter!   
https://www.doe.in.gov/safety

Basic Training- new specialists only, Nov. 11 and 12, 2019 and Feb. 7 2020

https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/safety/basic-training-group-21-registration-forms.pdf

Advanced Training- September 30-October 1

https://www.doe.in.gov/safety/advanced-level-training

Contact Information:  

Stephen Balko

    Director of School Building Security

    sbalko@doe.in.gov

    (317) 232-4914‬

Ryan Stewart

    Senior School Safety Specialist

    rstewart@doe.in.gov

    (317) 234-1362

Bullying Information

https://www.doe.in.gov/school-improvement/bullying-cyberbullying-prevention-and-response
Additional IDOE resources for Indiana Administrators:  https://www.doe.in.gov/idoe/information-administrators

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