A school lockdown is a procedure that is initiated when school officials believe there is a credible threat to the safety of students and staff. Lockdowns are typically used to protect students from school shooters, bomb threats, and other forms of violence, but they can also be used when the police are engaged in an operation nearby or when a national disaster has been declared. The goal is to protect students and staff, and although it may be frightening or disruptive, it is important for everyone to comply with the lockdown for safety reasons.
When a lockdown is ordered, people are told to stay inside their classrooms and lock the doors. This is designed to prevent anyone from entering rooms from hallways and corridors. Windows will also be closed, locked, and covered with blinds to obscure visibility, and people are often encouraged to stay away from doors and windows, taking shelter in an area where they cannot be seen.
The school itself will also be locked down to prevent people from entering or leaving the building until the lockdown has been lifted. In the case of precautionary ones, like those initiated while the police attempt to apprehend a suspect or serve a warrant, the lockdown will be lifted as soon as the threat has passed. In cases like bomb threats, police officers must clear the school. A lockdown may also be changed to an evacuation order if school officials believe students and staff would be safer outside, or in the wake of a national disaster, once transportation has been arranged for students and staff.
Lockdown announcements are commonly made through public address systems, and in schools where classrooms are equipped with phones, the phones will ring to alert teachers of a lockdown. Some schools also send text messages to students and parents to inform them of the action, so that students who are off-campus know it is not safe to return to school. This type of alert is very common on university campuses and lets students know they should stay where they are rather than moving within the campus.
People are usually asked to avoid using cell phones during a school lockdown so as not to clog the phone network. They are usually also ordered to remain as quiet as possible and to avoid interacting with anyone who is unfamiliar, except for clearly identified police, firefighters, and other emergency personnel. Although the situation may distress parents, they should stay away from the school until the lockdown has been lifted so as not to interfere with first responders or police operations.
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