News September is National Preparedness Month

National Preparedness Month is recognized each September to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning now and throughout the year. The 2019 theme is “Prepared, Not Scared.”

Pella Community Schools would like to take this opportunity to identify district safety highlights and resources (links are in green text).

• The district follows procedures from the I Love You Guys Foundation.

  • The foundation is committed to school and community safety, and family reunification following a crisis. Its programs have been implemented by over 25,000 schools, agencies and organizations across the United States and Canada.

• Common terms used in school safety procedures:

  • Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
    • Lockout is followed by the Directive: “Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors” and is the protocol used to safeguard students and staff within the building.
    • Lockdown is followed by “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place.
    • Evacuate is always followed by a location, and is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
    • Shelter and Hold is always followed by a type and a method and is the protocol for group and self protection.
  • Standard Reunification Method
    • The Standard Reunification Method provides school and district safety teams with proven methods for planning, practicing and achieving a successful reunification of students with their parents or guardians in the event of a school crisis.
  • Run, Hide, Fight  are our basic choices when faced with a dangerous situation.

• Drill schedule (annually)

  • 4 fire drills
  • 4 tornado drills
  • 2 lockdown drills

For more details on district safety, please visit the Safety and Security page on our website.