Sweetwater County School District No. 2  

TIPS for an Emergency School Situation within the District

BASED ON THE EVER EVOLVING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS OCCURRING AT SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION, WE WANTED TO SHARE SOME TIPS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ALL STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

STAY CALM AND ALERT:

In the event of a school emergency, please remain calm and know that school staff, district personnel and Police are working to keep your child safe. Please keep your phone close and follow the directions provided. Based on the situation, the district may alert you to visit the district website, pay attention to social media: Facebook, or tune in to local media outlets, check Infinite Campus. Please know that the news will NOT always report accurate information.

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 is 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, when the suspect(s) are still not positively identified by law enforcement, you place yourself in danger of being mistaken as one of the suspect(s), thus taking valuable time away from law enforcement’s focus on the true assailant. Also, 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. 

NOTE: If a Relocation is needed, DO NOT pick up your child while they are getting to the area of Relocation.  

PHOTO ID IS ALSO REQUIRED FOR GUARDIANS PICKING UP THEIR CHILD FROM A RELOCATION LOCATION.

REMOVING CHILDREN FROM SCHOOL: 

It is always up to the parent to remove their child from school.  However, Sweetwater County School District will place all schools into a Secure, if an emergency situation is occurring at any other school within our district. During a Secure, no one is allowed in or out of the building, so as a parent you will not be allowed to enter the building until the Secure has been released. Having students walk out of the building, or having parents standing outside the building, could place you or your child in harm. 

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 Infinite Campus messaging system.

IF YOUR CHILD CALLS OR TEXTS YOU, KEEP THEM CALM:

We know that during a school emergency many of our students will 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. To prevent confusion or additional safety risks, ask them to refrain from using social media. HIgh cell phone usage can cause a network outage. 

MAKE SURE ALL YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND EMERGENCY CONTACTS ARE ACCURATE AND UP TO DATE:

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 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 those listed understand the district's procedures. Also, make sure that they know they are listed as an emergency contact.