The Goals of the Springfield School District Safety and Security Plan INCLUDE:

• The protection of students and staff
• The protection of school property
• The establishment of a climate conducive to learning

Plan Initiatives:

• Regular Practice and review of emergency procedures and protocols
• Crisis Management Guidelines
• Staff Identification Badges
• Visitor’s Pass via Raptor Visitor Management System
  • Instant Screening to check visitors against the registered sex offender databases in all 50 states, as well as custom databases which can contain custody alerts and/or banned visitors
• Ongoing Review of Policy with the Safety Committee
• Anti-Harassment/Bullying Policies
• Emergency Communication Devices
  • Digital two-way radios
• Security Systems for Buildings
• Anti-Bullying/Positive Behavior Support Programs

Building Security:

• At the start of the student day until dismissal, exterior doors are locked, with the exception of the main entrance, which is monitored.
• Schools have a procedure to lock classrooms in the event of a crisis.
• Staff members and visitors are required to wear identification badges. 
  • All persons entering any school building will be required to present and swipe their driver’s license or state issued ID in the District’s Raptor Security System; upon running the identification, the system will automatically generate a visitors’ pass. Persons without a driver’s license or state-issued identification will still be expected to present a photo ID and will have to meet with building administration to determine building admittance. 
• Administrators and teachers have school specific crisis prevention and intervention plans. 
• Springfield School District has a policy and guidelines for direct intervention for students who threaten or who are heard to threaten harm to others or themselves. Any threats of this nature are taken very seriously.
• Each school has a team of professionals to offer intervention and referral for students deemed to be at risk. School Counselors, Nurses, Psychologists, Social Workers, Child Study Teams, and others provide direct intervention.

SSD Threat Assessment Team

Springfield School District has a Threat/Crisis Response Team comprised of the Superintendent and/or his designee, the Director of Safety and Security, members of the Facilities department, as well as district office and building administrators. The Threat/Crisis Response Team’s primary responsibility is to assess and intervene, as needed, with students whose behavior may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, school facilities, the community, or others.

Springfield School District does have in place various Crisis Response Plans that are comprehensive and responsive to the range of crisis situations that could affect schools. Of course, the key principles of emergency preparedness are planning, teamwork, and practice. Springfield School District continues to work directly with local emergency agencies, first responders, and law enforcement agencies to prepare for any and all contingencies.

School and parent communication also plays a vital role in a crisis situation. The District will provide families with accurate information about a situation as quickly as possible. This communication will occur when the school emergency occurs and again when the emergency is resolved or information has changed. While it is important for us to quickly update parents, it is also important that the information we send is accurate. Please be aware that emergency situations are fluid and always changing, and that information received from non-District sources such as the news media and social media may be inaccurate.

In the event of any need to establish immediate communication with our students’ families, Springfield School District will utilize the following methods of communication:

Phone

• Via the District’s Broadcast Communication System, student home phone numbers and/or guardian phone numbers will be called depending on the time of day of the emergency notification.

• Parents may update the phone numbers provided at the time of student registration by accessing their Home Access Center (HAC) account online: http://www.ssdcougars.org/HAC. Instructions to update your email and/or phone numbers can be found on the same page.

Web/Social Media

• On the homepage of the district website.
• On our App/Facebook/Twitter

TV

• On Springfield Educational Television (SETV): Comcast channel 8, Verizon channel 29 and RCN channel 51.

Email/Text

• You will receive email notifications through our Broadcast Communication System with information provided by HAC. 

Below are some quick tips to help families when there is an emergency at a school.

Stay calm and alert:

In the event of a school emergency, please remain calm and know that school staff, District personnel and First Responders are working to keep your child safe. Please keep your phone close for important directions and updates. 

Please do not come to the school:

We understand your desire to go to the school and the need to see your child especially in a situation that feels scary. However, arriving at the scene before it is secure can interfere with the emergency response and puts you in danger. Past school emergencies have shown that one of the greatest challenges is how to manage the number of parents and concerned citizens rushing to the scene. By rushing to the school, parents can unintentionally create traffic jams that may block emergency responders from getting to the school or leaving if necessary to transport injured students or staff to emergency medical facilities. Families should not pick up their student unless given the direction to do so from the District.

Please do not call the school:

We ask that families do not call the school. This allows phone lines to stay open for communication with emergency personnel and school officials. It also helps school staff to remain focused on the safety of their students. The school and District will ensure information is shared via our Broadcast Communication system. If a student is injured, the families of those children will be notified directly. 

If your child texts or calls you, please keep him/her calm:

We know that during a school emergency many of our students will try to call or text their parent or guardian. If this occurs, we ask that you stay calm and reassuring. Encourage your student to follow the directions of school staff. We know this is difficult, but experts recommend to prevent confusion or added safety risks, ask them to turn off their cell phone and refrain from using social media.

Make sure your contact information and all emergency contact information is accurate and updated:

The District will call families when there is an emergency situation at a school. Please make sure your emergency contact information is always up to date in Home Access Center (HAC). In the event of a serious emergency, all emergency contacts will be called. Please make sure the emergency contacts you have listed for your child are up to date and they understand the District's procedures. Also, make sure that they know they are listed as an emergency contact.

Be prepared with photo ID:

In the event of an evacuation, the District will follow a standard reunification plan to ensure all students are safely returned to their families. During a reunification, families and/or individuals listed as an authorized person to pick up your child should bring valid form of identification (ID).

Please note that only approved adults with valid photo identification will be allowed to pick up students from the evacuation location.

There is much students can do to help create safe schools. Talk to your teachers, parents, and counselors to find out how you can get involved and do your part to make your school safe. Here are some ideas that students have tried:

• Listen to your friends if they share troubling feelings or thoughts. Encourage them to get help from a trusted adult, such as a school psychologist, counselor, teacher, social worker, leader from a faith community, or another professional. If you are very concerned, seek help for them. Share your concerns with your parents.
• Know your school’s code of conduct and model responsible behavior. Refrain from teasing, bullying, and intimidating peers. Avoid being part of the crowd if a fight should break out and instead seek help from an adult.
• Be a role model by taking personal responsibility to react to anger without physically or verbally harming others.
• Help develop and participate in activities that promote student understanding of differences and respect for the rights of all.
• Participate in violence prevention programs, such as peer mediation and conflict resolution. Employ your skills in other settings such as home, neighborhood, and community.
• Create, join, or support student organizations that combat violence, teach tolerance and understanding, and promote a positive self-image.
• Work with your school to create a safe process for reporting threats, intimidation, weapon possession, drug possession or sales, graffiti, and vandalism. Use the process.
• Volunteer to be a mentor to younger students or provide tutoring to your peers. Seek help from your parents or a trusted adult, such as a school psychologist, counselor, teacher, social worker, leader from a faith community, or another professional, if you are experiencing intense feelings of anger, fear, anxiety or depression.
• Work with local businesses and community groups to organize positive youth-oriented activities that help young people think of ways to combat violence and isolation. 

The Springfield School District continually focuses on preparedness in the case of any emergency. With the safety of all students and staff in mind, we hope you find the information and resources below useful.

• Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
• PA Federal Emergency Management Agency (PEMA)
• Delaware County Emergency Preparedness Guide
• PA Safe Schools
• The National Center on Safe Supportive Learning Environments