Safety Information
Otsego Elementary School Safety Information
Keeping Your Children Safe
The safety of your children is our #1 priority and we prepare and train our staff and students in case of the unimaginable. Below, I have listed and outlined what we preach and teach to your children and our staff as well as the drills we perform each year so that we are as prepared as we can be in case of a threat.
Please see and review the information below and if you have any questions or concerns, its important that you reach out to us and let us know. I can be reached by email at kbaughman@otsegoknights.org or by phone (419) 823-4381.
Two Pronged Approach
- Work relentlessly to build a Culture of Caring at Otsego Elementary School. Develop a Respectful, Responsible, and Safe student body who care about one another. Provide help for students in need. #OtsegoKnights (PBIS & Medal of Honor Character Education, Counseling Services)
- Train and Prepare our students for emergency situations. Give staff and students the necessary tools to report suspicious or threatening comments/behaviors and to act if/when an emergency occurs in our school. (Run, Hide, Fight & School Safety Drills)
PBIS and Bullying Prevention
Character Education
Mental Health & Counseling
Being Prepared for the Worst
RUN, HIDE, FIGHT
Calling 911
- Only call 911 after you are safe
- Try and remain calm and follow instructions
- Keep hands visible at all times once police/first responders arrive and do as they say
- Avoid pointing or yelling
- Know that help for any injured students or staff is on its way
RUN
The first thing we teach students, is that if they can escape and get out of the building they should. Don't think twice just get out.
- Only if they are certain they can get out and have a clear safe escape route.
- Leave their belongings behind
- Help others escape with them, if possible
- Prevent others from going towards harm, into the building
- Call 911, only when they are clear of danger
HIDE
- Lock and blockade doors
- Silence phones/devices
- Hide out of sight
- Remain silent
Ideally, staff and students will hide out of sight from the threat and provide protection if shots (desks/tables) are fired in their direction.
FIGHT
- Students should try and incapacitate the shooter by throwing objects and moving
- Improvise weapons (find or use anything from their surroundings to hit or throw with)
- Act with physical aggression
- Commit to their actions
BUILDING SAFETY ENHANCEMENTS
Cameras
Although Cameras do not necessarily stop a threat from coming in, they help us locate threats and communicate them throughout using our phones in the classrooms or PA System which could help us evacuate students safely based on the location of the threat. Video can also help us identify suspects and help apprehend people.
Secure Doors
The Boot
Reflective Room Markers
DRILLS/PROCEDURES
Rapid Dismissal Drills
Rapid Dismissal Drills concern the evacuation of students from the building in response to sudden emergencies. (Fire, Gas, Etc.)
During these drills, the administration will block entrances, vary the times of these drills, and pull students to simulate different scenarios and to keep our teachers aware.
School Safety Drills
Each year, in addition to our Rapid Dismissal Drills, we have three school safety drills. We practice varying situations and lockdowns as well as off campus evacuations, which requires that our students reconvene off campus at our designated sight. During these drills we reinforce "RUN, HIDE, FIGHT."
In addition to the three safety drills, we conduct one Theoretical Drill, which does NOT involve our students. This is a staff professional development where we work with local law enforcement and first responders to discuss plans and procedures. We have even brought weapons into the building and in a controlled environment fired different types of weapons through the building and practiced our plans. We do NOT do this with students as it is traumatic and we do not want to cause any undue trauma or stress.