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Student safety and security is at the center of our emergency protocol.
We work closely with the Medford Police Department and other law enforcement partners on our security and safety plans and drills. We also work closely with police in the event of an emergency or incident that impacts your student’s school.
In the event of an incident, Medford School District’s communications team will be in contact with you via phone, email and text. Please contact your school if you believe your information is not up to date in our system.
We ask that parents do not drive to the school when in an emergency or serious event, like a LOCKDOWN or SECURE situation, occurs.
We understand this is a big ask, but the primary reason for this is that the roads around our schools can quickly become congested and make it impossible for police and first responders to arrive quickly.
In the event of a major emergency that warrants offsite reunification, we will communicate with you where to pick up your child.
While we do ask that you not arrive at the school, we do want you to know we will work quickly to keep you informed and Medford Police are committed to keeping your children safe.
We use the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) to respond to various incidents that may occur at your student’s school. SRP Commands include Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter.
Below is a brief description of each, you can read more here in English and Spanish.
Your students’ safety is the basis of everything we do. Thank you for entrusting us with your most precious resource, your children and our students.
If you would like to discuss school safety with your student(s), we recommend some of the resources below.
If you have any questions for us, don’t hesitate to reach out.
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Hold
We use this command if hallways need to be clear, in case of something like a medical emergency. Students would clear the hallways, remain in the room and wait until they hear the ‘All Clear’ to leave the classroom or space they are holding in.
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Secure
This command replaces what was previously known as ‘Lockout.’ This would happen when there is a possible threat around the school, but not targeting the school - like a wild animal or police activity in the area. Students would return to the inside of the school and go about business as usual indoors.
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Lockdown
This command is used when there is a direct threat on campus. In this case, students will go into a locked classroom or the nearest securable space, turn out lights and stay out of sight.
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Evacuate
This command goes into place when the school needs to be evacuated. Students would leave their items behind and go to the evacuation location they’ve practiced during fire drills.
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Shelter
This command is used when there is a need to shelter in place such as an earthquake or an extreme weather event. Adults would account for all students and use appropriate safety strategies for the hazard.