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Questions and Answers
What is the main objective of a lockdown in a school?
Who can initiate a lockdown in a school?
What happens during a 'Hold and Secure' situation?
What is the purpose of a 'Shelter in Place'?
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Who can release a 'Hold and Secure' order?
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What happens to exterior doors during a lockdown?
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Who can decide to evacuate the school in case of a bomb threat?
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What is the purpose of a 'Bomb Threat' protocol?
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What is the purpose of designating an evacuation site in a school?
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What should TFS personnel do when arriving at a school lockdown scene?
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What is the role of the Company Officer in a school lockdown response?
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What happens to the area after the scene is secured?
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What should be done if a staging area has not been established?
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Study Notes
School Lockdown Procedures
- The Toronto Police Service has worked with Toronto school boards to adopt school lockdown procedures in response to serious threats to student and faculty safety.
Types of Lockdowns
- There are four categories of lockdowns:
Lockdown
- Initiated in response to an internal threat (e.g., a person within the school posing a threat)
- Objective is to remain out of sight and out of mind
- Inner and outer perimeters are established by the Police
- Teachers and staff lock their classroom doors and cover windows if possible
- Teachers and staff do not open the door once it is locked
- Any teacher or staff member can initiate a lockdown
Hold and Secure
- Initiated in response to a hostile event occurring near the school (e.g., police activity in the area)
- Normal operations continue within the school, but there is no movement from inside to outside (e.g., portables)
- All exterior doors are locked
- Hold and Secure can only be released by the Toronto Police
- Toronto Fire Services can request a school be placed in a Hold and Secure through the Toronto Police if an incident is considered graphic in nature
Shelter in Place
- Initiated in response to an environmental threat in the area (e.g., fire, hazmat incident)
- Considered a precautionary measure
- Normal operations continue within the school
- All exterior doors are locked
Bomb Threat
- Initiated in response to a reported or suspected bomb threat
- Principals ask staff to give a visual scan of their area
- Teachers and staff have the authority to decide if an evacuation is required given the circumstances
Evacuation
- If an evacuation is required, every school has a pre-determined evacuation site (e.g., another school, community center, church)
- TFS Personnel must abide by outer perimeters established by the Police
- TFS incoming crews report to the established Command Post for instructions
- After the scene is secured, the area is considered a crime scene, and entry is controlled by the Police
Responding to a Known or Reported School Lockdown
- Apparatus dispatched to an incident involving a known or reported school lockdown should approach the area with lights and sirens off
- The Company Officer confirms the location of the staging area and reports to it via travel advisories provided by communications
- Do not respond directly to the school address under lockdown
- If a staging area has not been established, the first arriving apparatus stages at a safe distance, advises incoming crews of the staging area, and contacts the Toronto Police on site
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