Standardizing School Safety Measures
The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) has been adopted by hundreds of school districts and emergency response agencies nationwide who are working together to keep students and staff safe at school. The SRP provides a framework of standardized language and actions to follow during every type of event, from minor threats to large scale emergencies.
The SRP utilizes five specific action words with accompanying directions to provide guidance to the school community during an incident.
The five action words are: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, or Shelter. When any of these alerts are given, it is expected that individuals respond accordingly.
The SRP Action: Evacuate directive may be given, with or without a specific location.
An evacuation might be called for in the event of:
- A bomb threat
- Severe weather conditions
- Building damage
- Fires
- Chemical spills or hazards
- Medical emergencies
An evacuation is announced when there is reason to move a student population from one location to another, either within the building or off-campus. An evacuation may apply to the entire student body or even just a single classroom, depending on what the specific incident warrants.
Plan for school emergencies with OSCR360
With the OSCR360 System, schools are able to document their entire campus, inside and out, in 360-degrees. Then, using OSCR360’s software, they can store and organize their photos, add notes and digital documents, label points of interest, and share their completed projects (emergency response plans) with local first responders, emergency dispatchers, and county emergency managers. The Software allows for collaboration and clarity among all parties involved.
Rather than merely referring to lengthy documents filled with written procedures, OSCR360 adds a visual component, taking your Emergency Operations Plans to a whole new level. OSCR360 creates a virtual walkthrough of the campus and your emergency plans – providing school administrators and emergency teams with a visual training tool. Clearly label Points of Interest using different colors, icons, and titles to mark different locations, such as: entries and exits, hallways, classrooms, and other spaces. Clearly identifying each area allows all stakeholders to “speak the same language” so that there is no room for misinterpretation during emergency planning, training, or response.
How does OSCR360 help plan for the SRP Action: Evacuate?
Within OSCR360, districts have the opportunity to plan for any type of emergency response:
- During brainstorming sessions, seminars, workshops and tabletop exercises, OSCR360 allows viewers to virtually walk each evacuation route, noting any potential problems and finding solutions.
- Allow the planning team to determine available spaces that could be used to relocate students and staff within the building.
- Document all remote evacuation locations to include in your school’s reunification plans. Share this with necessary stakeholders. Strategize and then label separate areas within the reunification site to better maintain order as parents arrive to pick up their children.
- Add parent communication templates within OSCR360 for easy access.
- Share and virtually walk through completed evacuation plans with faculty and staff for clarity.
- Share OSCR360 plans with first responders for training purposes. In an evolving situation that may start as a lockdown and then proceed to an evacuation, knowledge of the building/campus layout will save valuable time.
How can we partner with your school community?
OSCR360 plays an integral role in emergency planning and preparedness, collaboration between agencies, and emergency response training. We’d love to hear from you to answer any questions you might have, gather feedback or to set up a demo. Our OSCR360 support team is available 24/7/365.
