Standard Response Protocol

If an emergency happens at a school or an office, there usually is not much time to warn students, employees and guests about what is happening or what to do. That is why the Douglas County School District, which includes American Academy, has implemented the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) at all of its facilities.

To assist site administrators, American Academy, along with all DCSD schools and local law enforcement, utilizes the Standard Response Protocol (SRP). This system guides administrators, staff, classrooms, and students through standardized responses, regardless of the specific threat. SRP uses an all-hazards approach that focuses not on the incident itself, but on the appropriate response required by those involved.

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) outlines simple, concise actions to follow in any situation—whether it’s a nearby tornado, reported criminal activity, or wildlife in the area. Rather than using different procedures for each scenario, the SRP applies the same set of standardized actions to address all potential threats:

Two hands facing outward on a blue circle with the word 'HOLD' below.

A door with a diagonal line through it on a purple circle with the word 'SECURE' below.

A padlock symbol on a red circle with the word 'LOCKDOWN' below.

Three figures holding hands on a green circle with the word 'EVACUATE' below.

Circle with an icon of a person under a roof labeled 'SHELTER'.

Below is further information about the five actions and, if necessary, the reunification process. Please review each action carefully to stay informed.

HOLD: Action - Hold in your room or area. Clear the halls.

SECURE: Action - Get inside. Lock outside doors.

SECURE: Action - Get inside. Lock outside doors.

Potential danger or active danger OUTSIDE the building, students and staff pulled inside the building, perimeter secured, business as usual.

Secure calls for increased situational awareness when there is a potential threat or active threat outside the building, but class and school business will otherwise be conducted as usual. All staff and students are brought inside and outside doors are all locked. A Secure can be called by the district or a school administrator. A Secure can be called when staff or students notice something weird or strange. A Secure could be the response to a violent person or incident in the community near your school. During a Secure, teachers will take roll and notify the incident commander of missing or extra students. A Secure during dismissal will result in a Controlled Release dismissal procedure.

LOCK DOWN: Action: Locks, lights, out of sight

LOCK DOWN: ACTION: Locks, lights, out of sight

Active danger INSIDE the building, rooms locked, staff and students inside rooms and out of line of sight.

Lock Down is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place. Teachers will lock classroom doors and turn lights out. In addition, students and staff will move away from corridor line of sight and maintain silence. The teacher will take roll and account for all students. Occupants of rooms will not unlock their rooms for anything or anyone. When the incident is over, a responsible person capable of unlocking the room from out in the hall (administrator, custodian, law enforcement, etc) will unlock the door and brief the occupants.

EVACUATE: Action - Follow the Directions

EVACUATE: ACTION: Follow the directions

Potential danger or active danger INSIDE the building, students and staff follow instructions specific to circumstances.

Evacuate means moving students in an orderly fashion from point A to point B. A fire drill is really “evacuate out of the building.” The order to evacuate will always be followed by a location. (e.g., evacuate to the gym, evacuate to the parking lot, etc.). Administrators and staff work together to quickly, quietly, and safely evacuate students to the evacuation point. Students and staff will leave stuff (backpacks, books, etc) behind. Instructions detailing specific actions during the evacuation may take place such as holding hands, covering heads, and/or crawling. Once the location has been safely reached during an Evacuation, teachers will take roll and notify the incident commander of missing or extra students.

SHELTER: Action - Danger Outside; Follow the Directions

SHELTER: ACTION - Follow the directions

Potential danger OUTSIDE the building, students and staff follow instructions specific to circumstances.

This action is similar to “shelter in place;” however this SRP gives specific instructions within the action. For example instead of just announcing shelter, the command may be “Shelter for tornado, drop cover and hold”. The command will be to shelter, what we are sheltering from, and the specific self protection action to do. Some examples of announcements could include:

Disaster Type	Action
Earthquake Drop, cover and hold	Tornado Drop, cover and hold	Hazmat Seal the room	Outside Fire Drop and crawl	Silence Maintain silence

REUNIFICATION: Action - Stay Home, Stay Informed, Be Prepared!

Reunification

In some cases, the student may be moved to another location, like a nearby school, park, or other offsite building. When asked, parents and guardians need to come to the reunification check-in location.

Parents and guardians will be asked to fill out a reunification card and to show photo identification. It is crucial that we have an accountable exchange, in which a student is only released to an authorized parent or guardian. Please be patient. This process can take time.

Finally, if for any reason students have self-evacuated from a situation, it is important for them to let parents or guardians know they are safe. The families will then need to let DCSD know they are accounted for, so that the District knows they are safe. Often the District will share a number to facilitate this communication.

VIDEO: Watch what the five SRP commands mean

What Should Parents/Guardians Do During an Emergency?

American Academy's top priority in any emergency is student safety. Families can help by following three key steps:

1. Stay Home

While it’s natural to want to come to school, doing so may put you and your child at risk or disrupt emergency response. Please stay home and wait for instructions.

2. Stay Informed

Accurate updates may take time to verify. American Academy will share information through:

American Academy website
Voice, text, and email messages
Social media (Facebook)
Local news outlets

3. Be Ready

Some situations, like reunification, may require you to pick up your child. Follow directions from American Academy to ensure a safe, efficient process.