Terms and Procedures
The Ames Community School District is committed to the safety of our students, staff, and visitors. We have a plan in place for safety, security, and responding to emergencies and disasters. We post our plan in every building and classroom. In the event of a school emergency situation, the District and school staff may use the following terms to ensure a common language. These terms are also used by local law enforcement.
Emergency Response Terms
Hold
Issued when a non-imminent threat is occurring within the building. May be issued when there is a need to isolate movement in a specific portion of the building.
Expectations of Students:
- Clear the hallways and remain in room or area until the “All Clear” is given.
- Carry on normal activities in the classroom.
Secure
Issued when a non-imminent threat is occurring outside the building. May be used when there is a need to isolate movement in and out of the building.
Expectations of Students:
- Return to inside of building.
- Carry on normal activities within the building.
Evacuate
Issued when it is determined that an internal threat makes it safer outside the building than inside. Evacuations may be called for any type of threat, including fire.
Expectations of Students:
- Leave belongings behind.
- If possible, bring your phone and follow staff instructions.
Lockdown
Issued when an imminent threat of violence could jeopardize the safety of students and staff.
Expectations of Students:
- Report to the nearest classroom.
- Close, cover, and lock all doors.
- Shut off lights and be quiet.
- Be prepared to implement ALICE protocols.
- Ignore all bells/alarms unless otherwise instructed.
- May lead to an evacuation.
In the case of a fire, evacuate immediately. For tornado, proceed to the designated shelter.
Coordination With Local Agencies
We coordinate our response to a crisis with local public safety agencies, such as the Ames Police and Fire Departments, the Story County Sheriff and Emergency Management Agency, and area hospitals.
Communication
We make it a priority to communicate with parents/guardians as soon as practical when there is a safety concern at a school. This will occur once measures have been taken to respond to the emergency to help ensure the safety of students, staff, and visitors, and when accurate information is confirmed. We realize that students often text or call parents when the school implements a safety protocol. Please know that we do our best to communicate specifics with students in a timely manner. However, students may not have all of the information and may unknowingly share incomplete or inaccurate information.
The Director of Communications manages the information given to the community and to media to ensure it is accurate, consistent, and serves to enhance the response to the situation. We provide information to parents and guardians about the situation, dismissal procedures, and procedures for reuniting families with students. The methods we use to get in touch with parents and guardians may vary, depending on the nature of the situation.
- We will use ParentSquare/StudentSquare to send text and/or email messages to subscribed parents and guardians. Please make sure your contact information is accurate in the Infinite Campus Parent Portal. Update your phone number and email address if there are changes and ensure you do not block the school district’s emails or calls.
- If appropriate to the situation, we will post alerts on the District website and distribute them to the media.
During a school emergency, we ask that parents do not come to or call the school, or approve your child to leave school grounds. It is important to keep the streets and parking area near the school, and phone lines open for emergency responders and communication. We need to be able to effectively account for all students and staff following an incident.