In an era where school safety concerns are more urgent than ever, having strong emergency procedures in place is a core part of preparedness. Administrators and school security officials know that managing safety requires a comprehensive plan that addresses a variety of emergency situations, including extreme weather events, medical risks, bomb threats and active assailants.
For K-12 schools, lockdowns are an essential part of a school safety plan and can be an effective strategy for managing security during a crisis. The Washington Post reports that during the 2017-2018 school year, over over 4.1 million students experienced at least one school lockdown. CNN reports that over 95% of public schools in the U.S. had conducted lockdown drills before the COVID-19 pandemic.
While experts consider lockdowns to be the best response to some school crisis situations, there are downsides to this approach. The National Association of School Psychologists reports that lockdowns can produce anxiety, stress and symptoms of trauma in students and staff.
Despite the potential drawbacks, lockdowns are a crucial part of crisis management strategies for schools. However, it’s imperative that administrators clearly understand when and how to implement a lockdown and the different types. Additionally, school safety managers must be able to quickly initiate lockdown procedures and communicate key details and instructions to faculty members, students and parents.
A soft lockdown, also known as a lockout, is a precautionary security measure used when there is a potential threat in a school’s surrounding area. As there is no threat inside the school, normal activities can continue during a soft lockdown. However, access to the school is restricted and students remain indoors.
During this precautionary lockdown, school administrators, security officers and staff monitor the situation, ready to take further action if necessary or to lift the measure if deemed safe to do so.
There are many factors to consider when running a soft lockdown procedure, whether it is a drill or not. It’s essential that drills optimize safety without exacerbating the negative psychological impact on students. With proper planning, administrators can prepare the community to respond to a crisis without inflicting unnecessary fear.
It’s vital for schools to have more than one emergency protocol; different situations and environments require unique responses. For example, the emergency response drill for a weather event should differ from that for a medical issue or an active shooter. That’s where a soft lockdown is the answer, for situations deemed lower-risk, such as bad weather and police activity in the surrounding area.
School administrators may initiate a soft lockdown whenever they feel it is necessary to protect students, teachers and other staff members.
For example, if a crime or dangerous incident happens in the city, town or local area near the school, security officials will often communicate with law enforcement to determine whether the school should be put on soft lockdown. If there is a suspect in the area or an arrest is being made nearby, district officials may decide to institute a soft lockdown until law enforcement indicates that the situation has concluded.
Other examples of when a school soft lockdown can be initiated include:
Dangerous weather conditions
Local environmental hazards
Trespassing situations
Wild and dangerous animals in the local area
For a soft lockdown at a school to work effectively, there must be clear communication between 9-1-1, local safety managers and administrators.
There are key differences between a hard lockdown (which affects internal operations) and a soft lockdown (which involves the town, county or community):
During a hard lockdown, students and faculty members are prohibited from moving around within the school. They are required to remain within a locked classroom. In some districts, students and teachers are advised to move away from the doors and windows and/or to seek shelter. If a school is in a region affected by severe weather (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes or tornadoes), the campus may have a separate protocol for responding to these situations.
In a soft lockdown, teachers and students may move around within the school. Classes typically continue as usual, though class periods or schedules may change, depending on the situation. However, no one is allowed to leave the school during a soft lockdown, and some schools may prohibit movement between buildings, which could affect some classes. For example, a coach likely can not hold physical education classes outdoors.
During a soft lockdown, individuals may be prohibited from entering the school. Even parents and registered guardians may be required to request permission to enter, and administrators maintain the right to deny entry in order to ensure school safety. In some instances, the school may heighten security when doors are typically open, such as during the morning drop-off period.
School administrators must create clear, comprehensive lockdown procedures ahead of time so they can be implemented quickly and correctly during a crisis. Emergency preparedness documents and crisis management strategies should include assessment questions for determining when to initiate a hard or soft lockdown, along with steps for doing so.
The exact steps of a school’s soft lockdown procedure will depend on the facilities, infrastructure and crisis scenario. However, the following steps are included.
Initiate a soft lockdown to secure the perimeter and gather relevant information on the situation, including whether law enforcement and emergency services are involved and the location of the event.
Issue the alert and provide information to students, staff, local officials, law enforcement and parents/guardians of soft lockdown status via multiple channels (e.g., PA system, smartphone notifications, SMS text messages and emails).
If a school’s soft lockdown procedure incorporates restrictions on entering the campus, it’s crucial for administrators to communicate the rules beforehand to prevent panic and confusion.
Designated individuals (e.g., school safety officers and administrators) should report to the predetermined muster location for incident management.
Follow established procedures for continuing (or stopping) classroom instruction to reduce potential anxiety about the event, all while remaining vigilant and ready to initiate further responses.
During a lockdown, it is vital for administrators, teachers and staff to communicate. There must also be clear communication with students, parents and law enforcement (when necessary). Mass communication software facilitates fast, reliable emergency notifications to targeted groups and two-way communication that simplifies status checks and improves situational awareness.
During these procedures, there are several considerations for safety managers to make. For example, they must make sure teachers (including substitutes and temporary instructors) know how to properly lockdown the classroom. Administrators may also need to notify staff members, such as the school nurse, of a medical emergency or mental health crisis.
A panic button app can also be a valuable tool for assisting with a soft or hard lockdown. In the event of an immediate threat, any individual with the panic button app (including students and teachers) can notify designated staff members of an emergency with two taps on the screen. A feature-rich app will provide pre-set options for various types of scenarios, such as a fire or a firearms event. Once administrators know about the threat, they can initiate lockdown procedures.
The best panic button apps can also contact law enforcement immediately and provide vital location data, facilitating collaborative communication between administrators, teachers, 9-1-1 and first responders during and following the crisis. Where the emergency is outside but near the school, 9-1-1 dispatch can activate the panic button app to alert staff of the nearby incident and initiate lockdown or evacuation procedures.
A mass communication system can be an integral part of a school’s safety and emergency response plans, offering a reliable and effective way to respond to a crisis and provide key information to affected parties during a lockdown.