system ; Threat Assessment protocol based on the Cornell Model ; District Threat Assessment Review Panel ; Options-based Active Shooter protocol ( endorsed by San Diego Sheriffs and Chiefs Association ); Options-based Bomb Threat protocol ; Remote Reunification district-supported Incident Action Plan ; and a Student Demonstration safety and communications plan .
Infrastructure initiatives include a phoneto-PA project ; safe school lock upgrades ; Raptor electronic screening systems ; analytic video pilot systems ; RFID electronic lockset retrofits ; vestibule pilots ; districtwide radio replacement and upgrade project ; and a classroom emergency bucket project . Formal vulnerability studies have been conducted at all sites with an active shooter reemphasis . 175 point comprehensive infrastructure reviews are in progress that use universal Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design criteria . Natural disaster hazard and risk assessments for the southern San Diego region drive the responses for the Disaster Preparedness Work Group and the evolving Continuity of Operations Plan .
Our district requires two Active Shooter / Lockdowns , two Secure Campus Drills , and one Clear Room Drill per year plus fire / earthquake ( varied by grade level ) requirements that all go beyond state requirements . Drill Verification Reports are required that provide planning and after-action verification . Options-based drill guidelines are provided that clarify district and SRO support for options-based drills .
In addition , Sweetwater has gone above and beyond state requirements and provided the sixth annual mandatory Train the Trainer event for all school safety committees over a two-day period . This is an exhaustive comprehensive training day including interactive , hands-on active shooter scenario-based training led by SROs . We will hold our third annual half-day training events for all-staff ( four days ).
Partnership initiatives include MOUs with four local police and sheriff departments , SROs support all staff trainings ; members contributed to San Diego County Office of Education Active Shooter Workgroup , outreach / training provided to multiple local elementary school districts with
10 Leadership shared and overlapping boundaries , members of local civic Public Safety Advisory Committees , members contributed to joint San Diego County DA - local police and sheriff - San Diego County Office of Education Targeted Violence Work Group ; and First Annual Summit , and members certified as Law Enforcement Coordination Center ( LECC ) Infrastructure Liaison Officer .
Crisis Communications
Communications are one of the most important elements of emergency management aside from planning . The effectiveness of crisis communications is enhanced by a system with a smooth transition between ordinary and emergent use .
Notification protocol flowcharts ensure a standardized flow of information between school administration , district officials , local law enforcement , as well as the board of trustees , as appropriate . These flowcharts indicate who should pass information to whom at the onset of an incident . The flowcharts are organized for four levels of incidents in increasing level of severity and scope .
Sweetwater has emphasized providing guidance and training to school leadership on the subject of alerting and informing staff , students and community during and after critical incidents .
The release of information must balance physical and climate security goals . Site and district leadership must consider how the information being sent will directly protect the physical safety of staff , students and visitors . Similarly , it must be considered how the information may have the potential to positively or negatively impact the emotional and psychological climate of a school community .
Alerting and informing staff during critical incidents must be viewed in the context of an ongoing cycle of team situation assessment , team decision-making , communication and response . Crisis communication to staff may be divided into at least two broad categories of alerting and informing . Alerting is defined as security-related directions , whereas informing is defined as providing background or reasons behind the directions .
Any alerting or informing presumes at least a careful preliminary assessment . Consult law enforcement partners and threat assessment team members as appropriate . The speed of communication is determined by the assessed threat level . In contrast with active shooter threats , most other security threats have a “ slower clock .” Ideally , leaders should prioritize the global protection considerations to best manage decision-making and sequence of events .
Information must be released in accordance with the assessed threat level . The potential threat and context determines the amount and speed of information release . Too much / too quick can lead to panic , rumors and unnecessarily conflicting information . Too little / too slow can increase anxiety , “ information vacuum ” mistrust and loss of control . The ideal controlled information release of accurate , pertinent information fosters control and helps maintain confidence and calm .
Ideally , staff should be trained in the complex and uncertain nature of security communications in advance to help strengthen the security teamwork process .
Radio Communications
Over the past year , the district has completed a comprehensive campus two-way radio replacement and upgrade program . The old , existing radios lacked complete campus coverage . The new system is now FCC compliant with Part 19 regulations . Additionally , it has superior coverage , digital encryption , and a standardized multichannel format that provides schools more options for designating local talk-groups , both within a school site and throughout the district .
Programming and networks : Large schools can require more than a single channel to efficiently manage administrative , campus assistants , custodial , PE and after school program communications . So , every school radio system has five local channels that may be designated as desired . Administrative radios have a separate administrative private channel . Nevertheless , in an emergency any user has the ability to communicate to all local users across all five local channels by switching to channel one , the emergency all-call channel . The district has also added a regional wide area network channel called D-WIDE EMERG . Every