Lockdown
Litchfield School District’s schools routinely conduct lockdown drills to practice for situations in which students and staff should stay behind locked doors for safety reasons. On rare occasions, a school has gone into an actual lockdown. Most often these occur due to active police investigations occurring in close proximity to a school.
Litchfield School District's highest priority is the safety of its students and staff. Staff has worked closely with our local law enforcement agencies to develop best practices for handling emergency situations.
When a school goes into lockdown the school will:
- Secure all buildings
- Account for all persons
- Communicate pertinent information over the course of the incident.
Guidance During a Lockdown
Do not call the school: Parents will be notified via the District emergency notification system of a lockdown event (please make sure your child’s school has your current cell phone number on file). The school may not be able to answer phones during a lockdown as the telephone system must be available for emergency communications. Once the school is secure and information is verified, a message will be sent to families. In the event that the situation is resolved before communication can be sent, parents will still receive notification.
Do not come to the school: Once a school is in lockdown, they are unable to open the doors for anyone, including parents. Persons gathering outside a school put themselves at risk, and can delay the emergency response, while police work to apprehend a suspect. Driving to a school during a lockdown can create a traffic jam preventing first responders from reaching the school in a timely manner. In a true emergency situation, students will be relocated to an alternate site for parent reunification.