8420 - EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS, AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE AGENCIES

Emergency Management and Emergency Preparedness

The Board recognizes that its responsibility for the safety of students and staff requires that it formulate and prescribe in consultation with appropriate public safety agencies emergency management and emergency preparedness procedures for all public schools in the District, including emergency notification procedures for life-threatening emergencies, including, but not limited, fires; natural disasters; bomb threats; weapon-use, hostage and active assailant situations; hazardous materials or toxic chemical spills; weather emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms; and exposure as a result of a manmade emergency and that such emergencies are best met by preparedness and planning. Such procedures shall meet the requirements of the State Board of Education rules.

Policies and procedures for emergency drills and fire drills shall be developed in consultation with the appropriate public safety agencies, including at a minimum, law enforcement, fire service, and emergency management.

The active assailant situation training for each school must engage the participation of the School Safety Specialist, threat assessment team members, faculty, staff, and students and must be conducted by the law enforcement agency or agencies that are designated as first responders to each school's campus.

Pursuant to Policy 8405 - School Safety and Security, the Superintendent (in conjunction with the School Safety Specialist) shall develop, and revise as necessary, a School Safety Plan to provide for the safety and welfare of the students and staff, as well as a system of emergency preparedness and accompanying procedures that provide for the following:

1. a listing of the commonly used alarm system response for specific types of emergencies and verification by each school that drills have been provided as required by law, State Board of Education rules, and fire protection codes (such drills shall include accommodations conducted at exceptional student education centers);
2. the health and safety of students and staff are safeguarded;
3. embraces a collaborative effort with community emergency responders;
4. the time necessary for instructional purposes is not unduly diverted;
5. minimum disruption to the educational program occurs;
6. students are helped to learn self-reliance and trained to respond sensibly to emergency situations;
7. the system is supported by ongoing training that will include practical application and appropriate drills as required by F.S. 1001.42;
8. evacuation drills should represent actual emergencies, including, but not limited to firearm, natural disasters, and bomb threats;
9. emergency egress and relocation drills (including, but not necessarily limited to, fire drills) in accordance with the requirements of the Florida Fire Prevention Code, the Fire Code (NFPA 1), and the Life Safety Code (NFPA 101);
10. drills for active assailant and hostage situations must be conducted in accordance with developmentally appropriate and age-appropriate procedures as specified in State Board of Education rules; and
    
    Law enforcement officers responsible for responding to the school in the event of an active assailant emergency, as determined necessary by the sheriff in coordination with the District's School Safety Specialist, must be physically present on campus and directly involved in the execution of active assailant drills. The District's School Safety Specialist must notify law enforcement officers at least twenty-four (24) hours before conducting an active assailant emergency drills at which such law enforcement officers are expected to attend.
11. floor plans of each school must be provided to all community emergency responders in support of evacuation procedures.

The District shall comply with the school safety requirements, which apply from thirty (30) minutes before the school start time until thirty (30) minutes after the end of the school day, in accordance with F.S. 1006.07(6)(f), including the following:

1. All gates or other access points that restrict ingress to or egress from the exclusive zone of a school campus shall remain closed and locked 30 minutes before school until thirty (30) minutes after school hours.  "Exclusive zone" means the area within a gate or door allowing access to the interior perimeter of a school campus beyond a single point of entry.  A gate or access point to the exclusive zone may only be open or unlocked if one of the following conditions is met:
    
   1. It is attended or actively staffed when students are on campus;
   2. The use complies with a shared use agreement pursuant to F.S. 1013.101;
   3. Another closed and locked gate or access point separates the open or unlocked gate from the areas occupied by students; or,
   4. the School Safety Specialist, or designee, has documented in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool portal maintained by the Office of Safe Schools (OSS) that the gate or other access point is not subject to this requirement based upon other safety measures at the school. The office may conduct a compliance visit pursuant to F.S. 1001.212(14) to review if such determination is appropriate

This paragraph does not apply to the nonexclusive zone of a school campus.  "Nonexclusive zone" means the area outside of the exclusive zone, but contained on school property.  Nonexclusive zones may include, but are not limited to, such spaces as parking lots, athletic fields and stadiums, mechanical buildings, playgrounds, bus ramps, agricultural spaces, and other areas that do not give direct, unimpeded access to the exclusive zone.

2. All school classrooms and other instructional spaces must be locked to prevent ingress when occupied by students, except between class periods when students are moving between classrooms or other instructional spaces. If a classroom or other instructional space door must be left unlocked or open for any reason other than between class periods when students are moving between classrooms or other instructional spaces, the door must be actively staffed by a person standing or seated at the door.  All school classrooms and other instructional spaces with a permanently installed door lock may also use temporary door locks during an active assailant incident.  The temporary door lock must be able to be engaged or removed without opening the door; must be easily removed in a single operation from the egress side of the door without the use of a key and from the ingress side of the door with the use of a key or other credential; may be installed at any height; must otherwise be in compliance with the Florida Fire Prevention Code; and must be integrated into the active assailant response plan.
   
   Instructional spaces for career and technical education that are designed as open areas, for which compliance with the requirements in paragraph B. above would affect the health and safety of students, may be exempted from compliance with that paragraph by the school safety specialist.  To be exempt, the school safety specialist, or designee, must document in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool portal maintained by the Office of Safe Schools that the instructional space is exempt from these requirements due to negative impacts to student health and safety and the presence of other safety measures at the school that prevent egress from the instructional space to hallways or other classrooms or instructional spaces.
   
   Common areas on a school campus, including but not limited to, cafeterias, auditoriums and media centers, when used for instructional time or student testing, must meet the requirements of paragraph B. only when such areas are being used for instructional time or student testing.
3. For schools that do not have a secure exclusive zone, all campus access doors, gates, and other access points that allow ingress to or egress from a school building shall remain closed and locked at all times to prevent ingress, unless
    
   1. A person is actively entering or exiting the door, gate, or other access point;
   2. The door, gate, or access point is actively staffed by school personnel to prevent unauthorized entry; or
   3. The School Safety Specialist, or designee, has documented in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool portal maintained by the Office of Safe Schools that the open and unlocked door, gate, or other access point is not subject to this requirement based upon other safety measures at the school. The office may conduct a compliance visit pursuant to F.S. 1001.212(14) to review if such determination is appropriate. All campus access doors, gates, and other access points may be electronically or manually controlled by school personnel to allow access by authorized visitors, students, and school personnel. 

There must be at least one (1) locked barrier between classrooms and instructional spaces and open school campus.

4. All school classrooms and other instructional spaces must clearly and conspicuously mark the safest areas in each classroom or other instructional space where students must shelter in place during an emergency. Students must be notified of these safe areas within the first ten (10) days of the school year. If it is not feasible to clearly and conspicuously mark the safest areas in a classroom or other instructional space, the school safety specialist, or designee, must document such determination in the Florida Safe Schools Assessment Tool portal maintained by the OSS, identifying where affected students must shelter in place. The OSS shall assist the School Safety Specialist with compliance during the inspection required under F.S. 1001.212(14).

Persons who are aware of a violation of the requirements must report the violation to the Principal. The Principal must report the violation to the school safety specialist no later than the next business day after receiving such report. If the person who violated this paragraph is the Principal or charter school administrator, the report must be made directly to the Superintendent or charter school governing board, as applicable.

Instructional and administrative personnel as defined in F.S. 1012.01 who knowingly violate school safety requirements shall be subject to progressive discipline which may include, but is not limited to, verbal warning up to termination of employment. The seriousness of the employee's violation of a school safety requirement and any prior disciplinary offenses will be taken into consideration in determining the appropriate discipline to be implemented.

All threats to the safety of District facilities, students and staff shall be identified by appropriate personnel and responded to promptly in accordance with the plan for emergency preparedness. Any aspect of the emergency preparedness plan and/or procedures that are included in the School Safety Plan shall remain confidential and exempt from public records disclosure in accordance with State law.

Substitute Teachers

Each substitute teacher must be provided all school safety protocols and policies before beginning their first day of substitute teaching at a school.

Emergency Communication Systems

The Superintendent, as part of the development of the emergency preparedness plan and procedures, shall establish a schedule to test the functionality and coverage capacity of all emergency communication systems and determine if adequate signal strength is available in all areas of school campuses.

Drills

Completion of emergency drills shall be documented at all school facilities in the District.

An after-action report must be completed following each emergency drill and fire drill.  After-action reports must:

1. identify the type of drill, location and date of the drill, participants, and involvement of law enforcement or other public safety agencies;
2. describe actions taken by participants;
3. analyze areas of success and areas where improvement is needed;
4. include input from public safety agencies; and,
5. include a plan for corrective action.

After-action reports must be submitted to the District school safety specialist for review no later than twenty-four (24) hours following completion of the drill.

The District shall maintain a record that is accessible at each school or by the OSS of all current school year and prior school year drills conducted, including the names of law enforcement personnel present for each active assailant emergency drill.

Alyssa's Alert/Mobile Panic Alert System

In accordance with the requirements of F.S. 1006.07, the District shall implement a mobile panic alert system. The District will select a system under contract with FL DOE or procure a different system. The District will maintain current listings of mobile panic alert systems implemented by all public schools, including charter schools, within the District. Such list shall include the school name, address, and MSID number, and vendor or application implemented. The list will be provided to the Office of Safe Schools via email by August 1, 2022, and will be updated within five (5) school days of a school opening or closing, or when any other change occurs that impacts the accuracy of District-provided information.

The District's mobile panic alert system will include mobile devices placed throughout each school campus. In determining the number and placement of devices needed to afford all staff members the ability to silently and easily activate a panic alert in the event of an on-campus emergency, the District will consider using a combination of fixed panic alert buttons, mobile and desktop applications, landline phone capabilities, and wearable panic alerts (such as on a lanyard).

The District's policies and procedures related to Alyssa's Alert/Mobile Panic Alert Systems will be developed in consultation with the County 911 authority and local emergency management office to ensure that the system integrates with local public safety answering point (PSAP) infrastructure to transmit calls and mobile activations.

List of Primary Emergency Response Agencies

The primary emergency response agencies that are responsible for notifying the District for each type of emergency are as follows:

1. Fires:
   
   Brevard County Fire Rescue 
   Municipality-based Fire Rescue Departments

2. Natural Disasters:
   
   Brevard County Emergency Management
   Brevard County Fire Rescue
   Municipality-based Fire Rescue Departments
   Law Enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the District location

3. Bomb Threats:
   
   Brevard County Sheriff's Office
   Law Enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the District location

4. Weapon-Use, Hostage, and Active Assailant/Shooter Situations:
   
   Brevard County Sheriff's Office
   Law Enforcement agency with jurisdiction over the District location

5. Hazardous Materials or Toxic Chemical Spills:
   
   Brevard County Fire Rescue
   Municipality-based Fire Rescue Departments

6. Weather Emergencies, Including Hurricanes, Tornadoes, and Severe Storms:
   
   Brevard County Emergency Management
   Brevard County Fire Rescue
   Municipality-based Fire Rescue Departments

7. Exposure as a Result of a Manmade Emergency:
   
   Brevard County Emergency Management
   Brevard County Fire Rescue
   Municipality-based Fire Rescue Department
    

Parents of District students will be timely notified pursuant to procedures adopted by the Superintendent of threats and the following unlawful acts and significant emergencies that occur on school grounds, during school transportation, or during school-sponsored activities:

1. weapons possession or use when there is intended harm toward another person, hostage, and active assailant situations;
    
2. murder, homicide, or manslaughter;
    
3. sex offenses, including rape, sexual assault, or sexual misconduct with a student by school personnel;
    
4. natural emergencies, including hurricanes, tornadoes, and severe storms.
5. exposure as a result of a manmade emergency.

The individual(s) responsible for contacting the primary emergency response agencies listed above are as follows:

1. administrators;
2. threat assessment team members, staff members, as appropriate to a non-critical incident;
3. any employee during a critical incident. 

The information in this section shall be part of the School Safety and Security Plan, and, therefore, confidential.

Revised 6/30/20
Revised 3/12/24
Revised 10/15/24
Revised 10/28/25

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