Rochester Public Schools uses the Standard Response Protocol in response to emergencies that may occur in our school buildings. Students and staff will be training, practicing, and drilling the protocol throughout the year.
In the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is labeled with a "Term of Art" and is then followed by a "Directive." Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers, and first responders. The same terminology will be communicated to parents/caregivers via messaging from the district. The SRP is based on the following actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter.
Hold
"Hold" is the protocol used when hallways need to be kept clear of occupants. "Hold" is followed by the directive: "In Your Room or Area."
Students are trained to:
Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the “All Clear” is announced
Do business as usual
Secure
"Secure" is the protocol that safeguards people within the building when there is a threat or hazard outside of the building. "Secure" is followed by the directive "Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors."
Students are trained to:
Return inside the building
Do business as usual
Should parents come to the school during a secure event?
Probably not. Every effort is made to conduct classes as normal during a secure event. Additionally, parents may be asked to stay outside during a Secure event.
Lockdown
"Lockdown" is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place. "Lockdown" is followed by the directive: "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight." Note that we are still using the ABCs during lockdown.
Students are trained to:
Move away from sight
Maintain silence
Not open the door
Should parents come to the school during a lockdown?
Parents' natural inclination is to go to school during a Lockdown. This is understandable but perhaps problematic. If there is a threat inside the building, law enforcement will respond. Parents will not be granted access to the building during a lockdown. If parents are already in the school, they will be instructed to lock down as well.
Evacuate
"Evacuate" is called when there is a need to move people from one location to another for safety reasons. "Evaucate to a [stated location]" is the directive that will be given.
Students are trained to:
Leave stuff behind if required to
Follow instructions
Shelter
"Shelter" is called when specific protective actions are needed based on a threat or hazard.
Hazards might include:
Tornado
Severe weather
Wildfires
Flooding
Safety Strategies might include:
Evacuate to the shelter area
Seal the room
Notifications
If a notification has to be sent out about an SRP, parents/caregivers will be notified via Alerts (email, phone call, text message), on the school and District websites, via push notifications on the RPS app, and through RPS’ social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter/X). We will be utilizing the terminology above to explain what is happening. Note that if you have asked to be removed from our mailing lists, you will not receive emails, phone calls, or texts. You will have to receive the information via one of the other channels listed above.
Drills
As a school district, we are required to conduct five drills during the school year. These drills prepare students for a variety of scenarios and include hold, evacuations, secure, shelter, and lockdown. Note that RPS does not conduct active-shooter simulations.
Before your student(’s school conducts a lockdown drill, the school admin will send home information about the lockdown drill. Parents will have the option to opt their students out of a drill. Please contact your principal with any questions.
For more information about the SRP, its terms, and the directives that follow, and to view a downloadable PDF of the SRP (also available in other languages), please visit our website at www.rochesterschools.org/standard-response-protocol.