The Bemus Point Central School District and our community clearly prioritize the safety and well-being of children above all else. Crisis teams, emergency plans, and school safety drills are just some of the priorities that have long been established in our district to help ensure that everyone knows exactly how to respond to an emergency or crisis. A priority for our administrators and other interested staff has been to update our practices and make sure that all staff are comfortable, confident, and prepared.
Based on input from the state and national practitioners and stakeholders from the education community; in partnership with national not-for-profit, the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, NYSED has developed a New York-specific edition of the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) Operational Guidance and Standard Reunification Method (SRM) as an optional resource that New York schools and districts may incorporate into their building-level emergency response plans.
The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) is based not on individual scenarios but on the response to any given scenario. SRP demands a specific vocabulary but also allows for great flexibility. The premise is simple - there are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident.
- Hold - In your room or area
- Secure Lockout - Get inside. Lock outside doors
- Lockdown - Locks, lights, out of sight
- Evacuate - A location may be specified
- Shelter - Hazard and safety strategy
These specific actions can act as both a verb and a noun. If the action is Lockdown, it would be announced on public address as "Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight." Communication with the local Law Enforcement Agency would then be "We are under Lockdown." Each response has specific student and staff actions. The Evacuate response is always followed by a location: "Evacuate to the Bus Zone." Responses can also be chained. " Evacuate to the Hallway. Shelter for Tornado. Drop, Cover, and Hold."
These resources are aligned with Education Law §2801-a and Commissioner’s Regulations §155.17 regarding the development and adoption of Building-Level Emergency Response Plans and District-Wide School Safety Plans. New York’s districts and schools may opt to implement these resources in consultation with their required emergency response teams, local law enforcement, and other first responders. For more information, visit the I Love U Guys Foundation Website at http://iluvuguys.org.
In New York State, schools are required to conduct eight evacuation (fire drills), four lockdown drills, and one early-release drill each school year. Six of the evacuation drills and two of the lockdown drills must be completed before December 31st each school year.
The Bemus Point Central School District has made the following improvements regarding how it conducts safety drills:
- Parental Notification: A notice will be sent out via SchoolMessenger within one week before any safety drill is conducted (at least one day and no more than seven days before the drill). This notification will not include the exact date and time of the safety drill.
- Drill Announcements: All drills (except for evacuation/fire drills) will be announced to students and staff as drills. For example, a lockdown drill may be announced as, “This is a drill. Locks, Lights, Out of Sight. This is a drill.” For the purpose of evacuation (fire drills), the activation of the fire alarm will serve as notification.
- Drills are conducted in a “Trauma-Informed Manner”: All safety drills will avoid tactics that make it seem like an actual emergency, a school shooting, or an act of violence is occurring. This means we will never use props, actors, or simulations during our safety drills.
- Developmentally Appropriate: Teachers and staff educate students about the kinds of safety drills we will practice during the school year, how a safety drill will be announced, and what they should do in each type of safety drill.
The Bemus Point Central School District is a safe place for our students. Our safety drills help to continue to strengthen our school safety by allowing us to be better prepared in the event of an emergency.
If you have any questions regarding school safety drills, please contact your child’s building principal.
Standard Response Protocol
2024-2025 District-Wide School Safety Plan