Reply to Did you Receive Notification of Lockdown Drills?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We got this on 9/4/19 (i.e., the day before the first drill):

Every school facility in Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) has in place crisis management and emergency preparedness plans, designed with the help of the school system’s security planning staff, local law enforcement, and emergency management officials. The plans include procedures to respond to critical incidents, like fire and tornadoes, and we practice these drills regularly. Currently, we participate in a fire drill once a week within the first twenty instructional days of the new school year and once a month thereafter. We also participate in a tornado drill in March. Additionally, all Fairfax County Public Schools participate in a drill, called a lockdown drill.

While we have no reason to believe that any threat of violence will arise, it is always best to be prepared. It is important to train students and staff members so that we can effectively implement a lockdown in the event one becomes necessary. Training helps ensure a calmer, more effective lockdown.

To implement this training, [School] will conduct 2 lockdown drills in September. The drills will occur on Thursday, September 5 and Wednesday, September 18. A lockdown drill is generally short, typically lasting no longer than a fire drill. [/quote]

OP here -- that was exactly what I would have liked to have received.  It is helpful for me to know that other schools in the district did this, thanks. [/quote]

I think the notification needs to happen afterwards.

I'm a special ed teacher.  I teach in a school that announces fire drills and lock down drills to staff, and someone always leaks it to the kids, which means that my students know when they are coming.

The problem?  While my kids all do great during drills that they know are coming, they panic when they're surprised by them (e.g. we had someone accidentally set off the fire alarm with a science experiment).  Because in their mind drills are announced so they think anything unannounced must be real.

If there was ever a real lockdown, my best strategy would be to convince my kids it was a drill.  Making drills announced takes this away, and I can guarantee that if we notified the hundreds of parents in our school, someone would tell their kid, and it would become an announced drill.[/quote]

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