Safety & Security » Emergency Response

Emergency Response

Standard Response Protocol (SRP)

A critical piece of school safety is the uniform response to any incident at school. Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by school and district administration and staff.
 

CISD has adopted the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which provides common language around five protective actions campuses can take when an emergency arises.

The SRP is based not on individual scenarios, but on the response to any given situation. The actions used are as follows:

lockdown Action schools will take to secure school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose an immediate threat in the school.
 
secure Action schools will take to secure school buildings and grounds during incidents that pose a threat or hazard outside of the school building. 
 
evacuation Action schools will take to quickly move students and staff to safer locations outside of the building.
 
shelter Action schools will take to quickly move students and staff, for an extended period, because it is safer inside the building than outside (i.e., weather, hazardous material release).
 
hold Action schools will take when hallways need to be cleared; subsequent bells and any/all scheduled class changes are disregarded.
 
These actions are discussed and drilled regularly at all CISD campuses.
 
To learn more about the SRP or the "I Love U Guys Foundation", visit https://iloveuguys.org/. 

Reunification

Reunification is the safe, orderly reunion of parent(s) / guardian(s) with their child(ren) when a school has been evacuated or closed. This may be necessary due to weather, a power outage, or if a crisis occurs on the campus. In the event that students and staff need to be relocated to a safe offsite location, parent(s) / guardian(s) and students would be reunited using the Standard Reunification method (SRM).

Parent(s) / guardian(s) will be directed by the District as to their child's specific location via the Comal ISD emergency communications plan.  Students will be released ONLY to parents and/or guardians who are documented as emergency contacts and who present a valid government issued picture ID.

The reunification process can be time consuming so parents are urged to be patient.

Lockdown Alert System

Installation of a Lockdown Alert System has been completed on all campuses across Comal ISD. You will see several blue push button stations throughout the campus, as well as blue lights on the ceiling, similar to what you have seen for the fire alarm systems.

Why a Lockdown system?

This equipment is part of the District’s initiative to continuously enhance the safety and security of all students and staff. The Lockdown system is a faster and easier way for campuses to go into Lockdown mode, meaning no one is allowed in or out of the campus, and all students and staff are secured in classrooms. This system can be used to notify the campus when it is necessary to go into Lockdown, simply by pushing one of the blue buttons located throughout the campus.

What happens when the Lockdown system is activated?

  • A local alarm will sound when the plastic case on the button is lifted, similar to what happens when a fire alarm pull station cover is lifted.
  • When the button is pushed, a recording will play over the campus PA system in both English and Spanish repeating “Attention, Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight!” The blue strobe lights will also activate throughout the campus, and law enforcement will be contacted to respond.
  • Campus staff will initiate Lockdown procedures immediately following activation of the alert system just as they would if the announcement was made manually over the PA system by a staff member.
 

What the Lockdown system does not do.

The Lockdown Alert System will not manually lock doors throughout the campus; therefore, all Comal ISD Lockdown procedures must be followed by campus staff. This system only notifies that a Lockdown is needed from various points throughout the campus using the push buttons, strobe lights, and automated recording.

How will this new system be incorporated into Lockdown drills?

Drill procedures and expectations will be modified to ensure that the system is tested when Lockdown drills are conducted. As with fire drills, it is important to test all procedures that could be used to inform the campus that a specific emergency action is needed.