Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

Preparing Students for a Campus Lockdown

  • 10/01/18
safe kids inc

Safe Kids Inc., an organization founded by law enforcement officers and educators, is designing curriculum to teach children to recognize, avoid, and survive active shooter and violent intruder events.

The H.E.R.O. Program consists of student-facing, age-appropriate curriculum built upon Empowerment Theory with interactive, non-threatening lesson plans, that are based on original narratives for K-8 students. The program, designed to mitigate violence and empower children to take safe action during an active shooter situation, includes all-staff professional development with optional continuing education credits issued by Brandman University, a guide for students with disabilities, a drill and scenario guide for schoolwide contextual drills, along with rubrics and training records.

The first real-life test of the H.E.R.O. Program came on March 15, 2018, at 1:30 p.m. at Cathedral City Elementary School in Cathedral City, Calif. While nearly 700 K-5 students and 65 staff were going about their school day, teachers began reporting gunshots from a residential backyard that borders the school’s playground. At nearly the same time, a frantic delivery driver ran into the school’s office and reported seeing a “bloody” person driving away from the area with people running in all directions, some towards the school.

All of the K-3 students were playing at recess, and the 4th and 5th grade students were eating lunch. Fearing for the safety of her students, the principal immediately issued a lockdown order, but only K-3 students had completed the H.E.R.O. Program.

Students who had completed the H.E.R.O. Program immediately: dispersed from common outdoor areas to lockdown in classrooms; erected barricades quickly; and worked together as a team.

Older students took leadership roles and passed out “Overcome” items. Students took the situation seriously, remaining quiet and focused and greeted law enforcement when the all-clear signal as given, thanking them for their help.

safekidsinc.com

This article originally appeared in the School Planning & Management October 2018 issue of Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • Chartwells Launches Campus Dining Evaluation Framework

    Contract food-service management provider Chartwells Higher Education recently announced the launch of BLUEPRINT, according to a news release. The evaluation framework was designed to provide a data-driven and customizable roadmap towards optimizing campus dining services and, by extension, the student experience.

  • Stanford Completes Construction on Graduate School of Education Facility

    Stanford University in Stanford, Calif., recently announced the end of construction on a new home for its Graduate School of Education, according to a news release. The university partnered with McCarthy Building Companies on the 160,000-square-foot project, which involved two major renovations and one new construction effort.

  • University of Oklahoma Announces New Campus Master Plan

    The University of Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., recently announced that it will soon launch a new, comprehensive Campus Master Plan to guide the campus’ physical development during the next decade, according to a news release.

  • Spaces4Learning Trends & Predictions for Educational Facilities in 2026: Part II

    As education leaders look toward 2026, the design of K–12 and higher education facilities is being reshaped by powerful, converging forces. Survey respondents point to the rapid growth of Career and Technical Education, deeper alignment with workforce and industry needs, and the accelerating influence of AI and emerging technologies.