*Student SRP Instructional Videos by Badger Cast coming soon!

🦾 DRILLS & EXERCISES

What is the difference between a drill and an exercise?  

The main difference between a drill and an exercise in school safety is that a drill is used to practice specific actions or functions, while an exercise is used to test capabilities and familiarize people with their roles and responsibilities.

• Drills:  These are coordinated exercises that practice specific actions or functions in the event of an emergency. Drills help build muscle memory and are important for teaching people how to respond in an emergency. Drills should be age and developmentally appropriate, and should not use realistic simulations that could cause trauma. 

• Exercises:  These are simulations that test capabilities and familiarize people with their roles and responsibilities in the school's Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). Exercises can be discussion-based, such as workshops or seminars, or operations-based, such as drills, functional exercises, and full-scale exercises. Exercises are often used to test capacity and resources across the system.

⚖️ It's the LAW!

 Per Nebraska State Law (Neb. Rev. Stat.79-706), all schools are required practice school safety drills for emergency responses in compliance with the Nebraska State Fire Marshal and in cooperation with the Standard Response Protocol. Valentine Community Schools observes and obeys these required drills.

• • Fire Drills (Evacuation): Schools must conduct a fire drill each month that the school is in session, plus an extra drill within the first 30 days of operation. All people in the building must participate in the Evacuation drill. Monthly drills can be deferred in months with severe weather, but only if four drills have already been conducted.

  • Tornado Drills (Shelter):  Schools must conduct two tornado drills per year.

  • Bus Evacuation Drills (Evacuation): Schools must conduct two emergency bus evacuations per year. Schools must also provide instructions on safe riding practices for all students and staff who ride the bus for school activities, field trips, or other reasons.

• Highly encouraged drills by the Nebraska Department of Education Safety & Security include actions from the SRP:

  • HOLD - clear the halls, hold in your classroom or area

  • SECURE - get inside, lock exterior doors, business as usual inside

  • LOCKDOWN - locks, lights, out of site

  • REUNIFICATION - reunify students with parents after an event

📡 COMMUNICATION TOOLS

Some common internal and external communication tools that Valentine Community Schools may use include the following:

• Cell phones:  These phones may be the only tool working when electric service is out; they are useful to faculty/staff enroute to or from a site.

• Apps: GroupMe, E3, Thrillshare, Rooms, Remind

• Landline Phone:  A designated school telephone number as a recorded "hotline" for parents to call for information during incidents. *The goal is to keep other telephone lines free for communication with first responders and others.

• Intercom systems: The intercom system includes teacher-initiated communication with the office using a handset rather than a wall-mounted speaker.

• Bullhorns and megaphones: A battery-powered bullhorn is part of the school's emergency to-go kit to address students and staff who are assembling outside the school. 

• Two-way radio: Two-way radios provide a reliable method of communication between rooms and buildings at a single site. 

• Computers: A wireless laptop computer may be used for communication both within the school and to other sites. Email may be a useful tool for updating information for staff, other schools in an affected area, and the district superintendent. An assigned staff member(s) will post information such as school evacuation, closure, or relocation on the home page of the school and district website: www.valentinecommunityschools.org 

• Alarm systems: Bells or buzzers are in place and sound in different ways to signal different types of incidents - for example, fire lockdown or special alert (with instructions to follow). 

• Whistles: Whistles are included in crisis buckets in order to signal a need for immediate attention or assistance.

👾 DIGITAL SAFETY

Valentine Community Schools and their IT Department (Information Technology) use GoGuardian to protect students in the digital world. Go Guardian is a software program that helps schools protect students online and manage classroom resources. Go Guardian uses machine learning to block websites based on the content of the screen. It can examine images and words on a web page for inappropriate content and block it if it is deemed unsuitable for students. This software is installed on all VCS devices and works even when devices are outside of school grounds. VCS devices are monitored 24/7, 365 days of the year.

⚠️ THREAT ASSESSMENT

Valentine Community Schools uses threat assessment teams to identify and respond to potential threats to the school community. The process is intended to prevent violence and create a safe and secure environment for students and staff. Threat assessment teams receive training to assess behaviors and risks associated with targeted violence. Teams include members from different backgrounds, such as school personnel and mental health professionals. Law enforcement is always present at threat assessment meetings. Teams gather information about reported or observed behaviors and determine what supports may be needed to help a student or staff member. If a threat assessment team determines that a report is credible, the school administration will notify the student's parent or guardian. Information gained by the team is considered confidential and is a secured record that is separate from educational records.

⛑️ MEDICAL EMERGENCY TEAM

Valentine Community Schools has a Medical Emergency Team in each building. The team is composed of building employees trained in First Aid and CPR. These teams respond to victims in a medical emergencies and/or life threatening situations such as: heart attack, air obstruction, or severe bleeding. Each classroom has an Emergency Response Packet that provides employees with quick reference guide as to what may occur in the event of a crisis. The guiding principle is to return to a normal routine as soon as possible. Events such as the sudden death of a teacher or student, natural or accidental disasters, traffic-bus accidents, and real or threatened violence may produce a crisis for students and faculty alike. The Emergency Response Packet is used in conjunction with the district's Emergency Operations Plan and SRP.

❤️‍🩹 CRISIS TEAM

Valentine Community Schools has an established and trained Crisis Team. The team is trained to assist students, families, school personnel, and school partners in the aftermath of an emergency. Crisis relief is designed to reduce the initial distress caused by emergencies, and to foster short- and long-term adaptive functioning and coping.

🌤️ MENTAL HEALTH TEAM

Valentine Community Schools School has a Mental Health Team that is composed of trained professionals who provide mental health services to students. Our team includes school counselors, psychologists, mental health professionals and nurses. The team helps students by identifying mental health challenges, providing treatment options and prevention programming, providing support and resources for students and their families, and training teachers and staff to recognize early warning signs. Valentine Community Schools Mental Health Team also partners with community mental health organizations and outside counseling services.