LCHS Safety Drill on May 7th
Dear LCSD Parents:
Hello and happy spring! We want you all to know that we continue to prioritize school safety in Lake County Schools. Many of you will remember that we had a drill last year at the high school that practiced a Lock Down and Evacuation. This year, along with our partnerships with the Lake County Office of Emergency Management, Leadville Police Department and Lake County Sheriff’s Office, we will continue to improve our preparedness and practices by adding a Reunification to the High School Drill on May 7th. This drill will be the Annual Emergency Responder Training/Exercise. See attached flier from the Lake County Office of Emergency Management.
LCHS Evacuation and Reunification Drill
We have been working for many months with our law enforcement partners to plan a large-scale evacuation and reunification drill that will take place at Lake County High School the afternoon of Tuesday, May 7th. We want to share some information about the drill with all district families so that you understand our plan and our purpose.
What will happen on May 7th at the High School?
Starting at about 1:15pm, students and staff at Lake County High School will participate in a normal lockdown drill, their final one of the year. With the support of law enforcement and school administration, students and staff will proceed with their crews in an orderly fashion to the evacuation location. Once accountability for all students is confirmed, students participating in the Reunification will stay at evacuation site and those not participating will return to the high school.
In a real event we would have the involvement of many different agencies, Members of the police department, sheriff’s office, emergency management team and public health will participate in the drill. We will also have the participation of first responders from surrounding counties. Again, the purpose of this is to allow us to practice together and improve our plans. If you are in the neighborhood of the high school between Noon-4:00 pm, you will see a large law enforcement presence; please be assured that they are merely there to assist with the drill.
Drills of this nature are extremely important to school and student safety. It is highly encouraged that your student be engaged and involved in this drill. We will not be releasing high school students between 1:00-3:35pm on May 7th. Please plan ahead. We will have specific instructions for students who will be off-site at CMC for college classes during this time. We will also have mental health support staff available for any student who needs it before, during and after the drill.
Participating students and Parents
Students whose parent/guardian will be participating in the reunification will stay at the evacuation site. Parents/guardians will receive a text notifying them when to arrive at the evacuation site and the procedures they will need to follow. This will be between 2:15-3:15 pm. Detailed instructions will be given to participants. If interested in volunteering to pick up your high school student, please contact Bunny Taylor at 719-486-6805, or 719-293-0738 or email at btaylor@lakecountyschools.net
What will happen on May 7th at Other Schools?
Other schools in LCSD will have a very normal day on May 7th. The only change to their schedule is that the schools will be on a soft lockout during the high school drill. This is an opportunity to practice a procedure that would likely be in place during a real event. This means that there will be no outdoor recess between 1:15-3:30pm. Parents will be able to come to these schools to pick students up as necessary during this time. Instruction will continue as normal within the school buildings according to the daily schedule.
Why are we doing this?
Reunification of a school is a complex undertaking, and we will be more prepared for an actual event if we practice it. This drill will give us valuable practice should we ever need to reunify and also a chance to work with our partner agencies in law enforcement to improve our practices.
Do I need to talk to my student(s) about this drill?
We will be training all high school students on what they need to know during Community Meetings. PK-6th grade students will not be impacted by the drill other than staying inside during the afternoon; while you are of course welcome to talk to younger students about it, we do not anticipate that they will need any preparation given the very minor impact. Schools will be prepared to answer any questions that come up the day of the drill.
Please contact any of us if you have questions about the drill planned for May 7th. We appreciate your support in our efforts to keep our schools safe.
Sincerely,
Wendy Wyman Ben Cairns Mike Vagher
Superintendent LCHS Principal District Safety Coordinator
719-486-6800 719-293-1232 719-293-0112