3516
Non-Instructional Operations
Safety
Safe and Secure School Facilities, Equipment, and Grounds
It is the goal of the Board of Education (Board) to ensure that all facilities, grounds, equipment, and vehicles meet accepted injury and violence prevention standards for design, installation, use, and maintenance and to establish and insist upon safe employee practices at all times.
District Safety Planning Team
The District Safety Planning Team (DSPT) shall have overall responsibility for the safety program of the district. The DSPT will ensure the district adopts a plan that is compliant with all state and federal requirements for safety, and that schools adopt plans that meet the same level of compliance. All plans shall be submitted annually to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection, with the required documentation, in the manner requested. The DSPT will meet monthly through the school year. Membership will include town officials, first responders, and school district staff, as invited or appointed by the Superintendent.
General areas of emphasis shall include, but not be limited to: in-service training; accident record-keeping; plant inspection; driver and vehicle safety programs; fire prevention; and emergency procedures and traffic safety problems relevant to students, employees and the community; school climate and bullying issues; and any other issues raised by the school safety teams that requires district-level planning.
Further, the DSPT will ensure:
- Involvement of local officials, including the Mayor, the Superintendent, law enforcement, fire, public health, emergency management and emergency medical services, in the plan’s development.
- A command center organization structure based on the federal National Incident Management System and a description of the responsibilities of such command center organization.
- A requirement that a school security and safety committee be established in each school.
- Each plan includes detailed crisis management procedures for managing various types of emergencies.
- Local law enforcement and other local public safety officials evaluate, score and provide feedback on fire drills and crisis response drills.
- The Board of Education submits annual reports to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection regarding fire drills and crisis response drills.
- The plan includes provisions for reporting hazards to appropriate staff, prompt repairs or upgrade of identified hazards and other shortcomings, and appropriate communication of repair/upgrade plans.
- The Board of Education conducts a security and vulnerability assessment for each school in the district every two (2) years and develop a school security and safety plan for each school based upon the school security and safety plan standards developed by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. (DESPP)
- Safety and hazard assessments are conducted annually for building facilities, grounds, classrooms, gymnasiums, playgrounds, sports-related equipment, laboratories, and industrial arts facilities. Written inspection reports shall be kept on file for 3 years. The District shall correct identified hazards before used by students, staff, or community members.
- The School Safety Planning Team (SSPT) of each school (which encompasses the Safe School Climate Committee) collects and evaluates information relating to instances of disturbing or threatening behavior that may not meet the statutory definition of bullying and report such information, as necessary, to the district’s Safe School Climate Coordinator.
- Each school provides an orientation pertaining to the security and safety plan to each employee and provide violence prevention training as prescribed in the school security and safety plan.
School Safety Planning Team
The SSPT shall develop and implement written school security and safety plans that include all state and federal requirements, are aligned with the District plan, and are specific to the safety and security of each facility. The SSPT will meet regularly through the school year and be comprised of school staff members, including but not limited to an administrator, teacher, and mental health professional, a parent or guardian of enrolled student, and any other member deemed necessary by the District. Any parent or guardian serving as a member of a school security and safety committee shall not have access to any information that violates FERPA or student confidentiality.
The SSPT will communicate all aspects of the school safety and security plan to the staff, and will ensure students are instructed on the protocols to be used in emergencies, including but not limited to fire, bomb threats, and bullying. The practice of safety shall also be considered a facet of the instructional plan of the district schools by virtue of educational programs in traffic and pedestrian safety, driver education, fire prevention, emergency procedures, etc., appropriately geared to students at different grade levels.
Maintenance
The District shall conduct regular safety and hazard assessments of all classrooms, buildings, school grounds, gymnasiums, playgrounds, and sports-related equipment. The district will require the transportation company to conduct regular safety assessments of buses and other vehicles used to transport students.
The District shall develop maintenance plans for all classrooms, buildings, school grounds, gymnasiums, playgrounds, sports-related equipment, and buses and other vehicles used to transport students. The plan shall include provisions for reporting maintenance needs to appropriate staff, schedules of maintenance activities, and communication of details to appropriate staff, students, and family members. Maintenance reports shall be kept on file for 3 years.
Supervision of Students
All school-related activities shall be supervised by adults to enforce safety rules and prevent injuries. At least one adult trained in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and infection control shall always be available when students are present on school grounds to respond to injuries and medical emergencies. All adults supervising playgrounds, athletic fields, gymnasiums, science classrooms, industrial arts classrooms and cafeterias shall have easy access to appropriate first aid supplies. Supervising adults shall be informed of any relevant medical guidance on file with the school concerning limits on the participation of individual students in physical activity. Such information will be treated with strict confidentiality.
Staff Training
The District will provide regular training and information to all school employees pertaining to the District’s school emergency management systems and protocols, including violence prevention training and emergency response procedures.
Use of School Security Consultants
When determined necessary, the District will utilize qualified school security consultants operating in Connecticut. Such consultants used will be listed on the registry maintained by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and published on its website.
(cf. 3517 – Security of Buildings and Grounds)
(cf. 4131 – Staff Development)
(cf. 5125 – Student Confidentiality)
(cf. 6114 – Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness)
(cf. 6114.1 - Fire Emergency/Crisis Response Drills)
(cf. 6114.3 - Bomb Threats)
(cf. 5131.911 - Bullying)
Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes
10-203 Sanitation
10-207 Duties of medical advisors
10-220f Safety Committee
10-222k District safe school climate coordinator. Safe school climate specialist. Safe school climate committee
10-222m School security and safety plans. School security and safety committees
10-222n School security and safety plan standards
10-231 Fire drills
29-389 Stairways and fire escapes on certain buildings.
52-557b Immunity from liability for emergency medical assistance, first aid or medication by injection. School personnel not required to administer or render
P.A. 13-3 An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety
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Policy revised: |
March 9, 2021 |
HAMDEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS |
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Policy adopted: |
January 13, 1998 |
Hamden, Connecticut |