When is a Lockdown Needed?

“The prudent foresee danger and take precautions…” (Proverbs 22:3)

There are two types of actions intended to put effective barriers between the population and a threat. The difference is in the type of threat and what kinds of actions are suggested.

Shelter-in-place and lockdown (secure-in-place) notifications are based on the pending threat to the facility.  Most often used in school settings, both instructions are intended to put effective barriers between the population and a threat.  The difference is in the type of threat and what kinds of actions are suggested.

Shelter in place means to take immediate shelter where you are within a facility or structure to provide protection.  Certain situations, such as a weather emergency, environmental hazard (chemical release, air pollution), or local emergency (nearby police activity), require sheltering in place.  A multitude of hazards can require sheltering in place, but in general, shelter in place is appropriate when conditions outside are unsafe and a higher degree of protection is available inside.

A Lockdown is a sheltering technique used to limit exposure of occupants within a facility to an imminent hazard or threat outside.  When locking down, building occupants shelter inside a room to prevent access from an intruder outside.  A lockdown may be instructed during situations such as the presence of a hostile or armed intruder on a campus.  A lockdown requires locking doors and windows, and barricading or blocking entry to a facility, classroom, or office. The purpose is to create a secure a location where a threat may be physically prevented from entering spaces before and/or during law enforcement activity.

Like shelter in place, when it is necessary to lockdown, you should find an interior room, and lock all doors and windows. If possible, avoid locking down in rooms with glass windows or panes, as they are easily penetrated.  In addition to locking, fortify entrance ways with heavy items such as furniture.  In a lockdown, avoid creating indicators that the intruder may see or hear to detect people. Turn off lights, silence phones, and close blinds.  Turn off other items that may cause noise, such as TVs, radios, or Web browsers.

Await further instructions, and do not leave until an “all clear” is received from authorities.

Your Plan should be defined by two aspects, any special security areas or zones, and people and processes in danger or at risk.  All lockdown strategies must be clearly established and they must be practiced to be sure they work.  There are several steps that organizations can take to make sure that their lockdown strategy provides their staff, members and visitors of the building or facility with the greatest amount of protection.

The strategy needs to be designed from each room to the perimeter of the facility.  There must be alternate plans and possible adjustments that can be made to make sure clear line-of-sight surveillance and entrance way monitoring.  There should also be a good method of communicating details or changes to be made.

All organizations need to decide the type of lockdown solution they will need to make sure that all the building lockdown procedures and preparations are detailed and maintained.  They need to know who will call for, direct, and assure that the Plan has been carried out and make any needed changes.

Organizations will also need to learn what types of hardware or methods work best and which to avoid using, and they will need to make sure that lockdown standards are understood by all staff and those who are in the building or coming to it.  Parents may get very concerned if they don’t know that their children are safe and being cared for.

Together, communicating these steps to all who may be involved or become subject to them, will help make sure that an organization’s lockdown Plan and procedures are successful and will work to protect them and those for which they are responsible.

If you do not have a Plan, and a Team to carry it out as well as Safety Teams to help, and if it has not been put into practice after training of all who will be responsible for putting it into action, you have not prepared yourself for the future.

Be safe!

Russ Sharrock
 

Integrity Security Consulting

Russ Sharrock

405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com

 I have developed and made available to anyone interested, for FREE, a series of Security & safety forms that can be printed for your use:

1) A Safety & Security Risk Assessment Form

2) Church Security Plan Template

3) Church Emergency Plan Template

4) A General Fire Safety Checklist

5) A Bomb Threat Checklist

6) A Bomb Threat Distance Chart:  Includes various types of explosive devises and to be referred to in an event of a bomb threat evacuation.  These are minimum distances to evacuate away from the area of explosion.

7) Facility Lockdown Checklist

8) Child Protection Covenant

These MS Word documents can be adapted as necessary to fit your church size and needs.  I will be adding new forms as time allows.

For a copy of any of these FREE forms, or if you have any questions, contact me and let me know what your needs are.