Safer Schools Coalition of Kern

The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) provides guidance to schools and first responders to facilitate clear and consistent emergency response actions. The SRP is not a replacement for any school safety plan or protocol. It is a response enhancement to critical incidents, designed to provide clear, consistent language and actions among all staff, students and first responders.

SRP consists of five specific actions:

Hold: This protocol is used when the hallways need to be kept clear of people. 

Secure: This protocol is used to safeguard students and staff when there is a potential threat OFF CAMPUS.

Lockdown: This protocol used to safeguard students when a potential threat is ON CAMPUS.

Evacuate: This protocol is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building.

Shelter: The protocol is used when specific protective actions are needed based on a threat or hazard.

Click HERE to access SRP materials

Ed Code 32282 (J) requires a school’s comprehensive school safety plan to include procedures for conducting tactical responses to criminal incidents (e.g. active assailants). Kern County Law enforcement recommends utilizing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Run, Hide, Fight model in response to an active assailant.

Run, Hide, Fight Poster
Run, Hide, Fight Response Manual

The following video series is designed as a training tool for staff and older students. The content is not recommended for students in elementary school.

OVERVIEW

ELEMENTARY

INTERMEDIATE

HIGH SCHOOL

The Emergency Planning Rubric for Schools is a tool to help Kern County school administrators and their teams prepare for and be in the best position possible to respond to critical incidents on local school campuses.

The Rubric was created by a subcommittee of the Safer Schools Coalition of Kern with representation from Bakersfield Police Department, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, Bakersfield City Fire Department, Kern County Fire Department, Kern High School District, Bakersfield City School District, and the Kern County Superintendent of Schools office. This tool is a fluid document, meaning it will be updated regularly as needed.

It is important to note that the strategies and tactics outlined in this document are not requirements, but rather, best practices that have been developed in partnership with law enforcement/first responders with the following objectives in mind:

• Ensure schools are compliant with Ed Code 32281 (b)(3), which requires Comprehensive School Safety Plans to be developed in consultation with a representative from a law enforcement agency, a fire department, and other first responder entities.
• Ensure schools countywide are as safe and secure as possible.
• Unify response and share best practices among Kern County’s 46 school districts and law enforcement/first responders.
• Adopt a common language for emergency responses
• Assists schools to become compliant with Ed Code 32282 (J) (e.g., AB1747), which requires a school’s comprehensive safe school plan to include procedures for conducting tactical responses to criminal incidents (e.g. active assailants).

Download the Planning Rubric

Miscellaneous

• • Active Shooter Awareness Guide (Cal OES)
  • Federal Commission on School Safety
  • Hazard & Vulnerability Assessment Checklist
  • Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operation Plans (FEMA)
  • Sample Schools Emergency Operation Plan (FEMA)
  • Safe Schools, A Best Practice Guide (Council of Educational Facilities Planners International)
  • Ten years of school shootings
  • Intro To Door Hardware: Options for Securing Classroom Doors
  • Armed Assailant Drill Best Practices
  • Helping Youth After Community Violence – Tips for Educators
  • Talking to Children About Violence Infographic
  • RehabSpot.com
  • SchoolSafety.gov
  • Walking to/from school safety
  • Infectious Disease Plan Template

Department of Homeland Security

• Protecting America’s Schools, A Secret Service Analysis of Targeted School Violence 2019
• Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model 2018 (FULL REPORT)
• Enhancing School Safety Using a Threat Assessment Model 2018 (BRIEF)

Sandy Hook Promise

• Know The Signs Curriculum Overview

The California Education Code (sections 32280-32288) outlines the requirements of all public school districts operating any schools (including charter schools) serving grades kindergarten through 12, inclusive, to write and develop a Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP) that include strategies aimed at the prevention of, and education about, potential incidents involving crime and violence on the school campus.

The following resources are intended to assist Kern County School Districts with their school safety plans.

• Comprehensive School Safety Plan Overview & Compliance Guidelines
• Comprehensive School Safety Plan Template
• Tactical Response to Criminal Incidents Template (AB1747 requirement)
• Comprehensive School Safety Plan Self-Monitoring Tool
• Comprehensive Safe School Plan Worksheet (CDE)
• Public Meeting Invite Letter Template

The Kern County Department of Public Health Services Department (KCPHSD) and Kern County Superintendent of Schools (KCSOS) have partnered together to provide an update and resources on the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarette), vaping/Juuling products and the emerging severe vaping pulmonary illnesses now medically termed EVALI.

Along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), KCPHSD is urging everyone to stop vaping altogether, no matter the substance or the source, as the potential danger to students is insurmountable.

There has been rising concerns regarding students using e-cigarettes on campus and often times it goes unnoticed. With over 15,000 flavors that attract our youth and discreet devices on the market, school staff and parents are at a disadvantage. Therefore, we must be educated in the emerging trends. What’s more, as of fall 2019, the CDC has reported over 1,888 cases of EVALI across the country. In Kern County, we have had 3 reported cases and likely many that have gone unreported.

We are still learning how dangerous these products are and the long-term health impacts of these products is unknown. Second hand vapor also carries health risks as the aerosol contains harmful chemicals like nicotine, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds, and ultrafine particles that can be inhaled deeply into the lungs.

The health and safety of our students is our top priority. For this reason, we are pleased to provide a toolkit for educating teachers, parents, and students.

Toolkit for Teachers

The term bullying has come to reflect a specific situation that does not always connect to the general culture of meanness that many teens experience daily. While only one-third of teens list bullying as a top concern today, twice as many say they regularly experience more specific behaviors like drama, teasing, and exclusion. When it comes to these instances of cruelty or meanness, teens don’t realize that their words and actions can be hurtful, even if that wasn’t their intent.

New “Because of You” PSAs encourage teens to reflect on the power of their words and actions and consider their long-lasting effect on others. By supporting the campaign, you can help to inspire teens to create a more empathetic and inclusive culture around them.

Click HERE for more information about the “Because of You” campaign.