Active Intruder Drills

Dear Pottstown Parents and Guardians:

All districts are required to complete security drills twice per year when fully in session. This year, we will be practicing the best way to “HIDE” in a classroom during an emergency. We are sensitive to the needs of all our students and will be conducting “pre-drill” teaching so that our students know what to expect.

Much like we practice a fire drill these drills should be seen as preventative training and will not require ‘surprise’ in order to be effective. Please do not be alarmed if your child is aware a drill is occurring soon. We will not reveal the exact time or day of the drill but will talk about it beforehand.

We will be conducting these unannounced drills sometime next week, May 23-27, for Pre-K through 12th Grade. As a reminder, we have adopted and practiced the Law-Enforcement recommended model often referred to as “Run-Hide-Fight” which enables students and staff to respond appropriately based on the location and with situational awareness as a key part of our process. Depending on that situation, we will:

Run- Staff and students’ should evacuate the area safely and stay out of harm’s way.
Hide- If evacuation is unsafe, staff and students will hide and barricade themselves safely.
Fight- As a last resort, staff and students will protect themselves by throwing objects, etc.

Please take a moment to have conversations with your child about the importance of these measures to keep them safe while at school and in the community.

Sincerely,
Stephen J Rodriguez
Superintendent of Schools

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