Safety Procedures & Practices

Drills

Federal and state law requires The Valley School to conduct the following minimum number of drills per year:

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1 fire drill per month requiring evacuation

3 emergency drills per year (earthquake, lockdown, lockout)​

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Evacuation: In the event the building needs to be evacuated, unless otherwise notified, all occupants follow predetermined routes and exit the building, gathering at our emergency staging area located to the west of our building in our parking lot. Attendance is taken for students, staff, volunteers, and visitors. There we remain for further instructions from administration, school security, fire or police officials.

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Lockdown: A lockdown is called if there is a threat to those on our campus within school boundaries. The Valley School utilizes the ALICE method (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate). Due to the open nature of our campus, officials have recommended do not enter traditional lockdown, but make informed decisions on evacuation routes. Each classroom is equipped with a professional handheld radio to communicate and be alerted to an emergency situation on campus.

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Earthquake: During an earthquake or earthquake drill, find the nearest surface under which to duck and cover. There are many studies and theories that suggest other actions to take. This is the action that our local police and fire departments require us to take.

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Lockout: A lockout is called if there is a threat in our neighborhood or immediate area, but not directly on campus. Our Safety Resource Officer, Mark Patterson, will contact the school to notify us of the threat and post outside our school for extra security. All doors and windows will be locked and students will not be allowed to move between buildings until officer Mark has advised us the threat warning is lifted.