School Safety
Committed to Safety and Well-Being
At Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools, the safety and well-being of students and staff are our top priorities. Serving 4,300 students and 700 staff members, we are committed to fostering a secure and nurturing learning environment for all. We have implemented comprehensive safety and crisis response protocols, regularly updated in collaboration with local law enforcement and safety experts, to ensure our schools remain a safe space for growth and education. From physical security measures to mental health support, we are constantly working to create an atmosphere where everyone in our PreK-12+ community feels protected, valued, and cared for.
In today's ever-evolving landscape, ensuring the safety and well-being of students, staff, and the community is paramount for public school districts. Crisis preparedness in Sauk Rapids-Rice Public Schools is guided by five critical mission areas:
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Prevention means the capabilities necessary to avoid, deter, or stop an imminent crime or threatened or actual mass casualty incident. Prevention is the action schools take to prevent a threatened or actual incident from occurring.
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Protection means the capabilities to secure schools against acts of violence and intentional or natural disasters. Protection focuses on ongoing actions that protect students, teachers, staff, visitors, networks, and property from a threat or hazard.
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Mitigation means the capabilities necessary to eliminate or reduce the loss of life and/or property damage by lessening the impact of an event or emergency. In this document, mitigation also means reducing the likelihood that threats and hazards will happen.
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Response means the capabilities necessary to stabilize an emergency once it has already happened or is certain to happen in an unpreventable way; establish a safe and secure environment; save lives and property; and facilitate the transition to recovery.
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Recovery means the capabilities necessary to assist schools affected by an event or emergency in restoring the learning environment.
By integrating these pillars into Sauk Rapids-Rice Public School's operations, we create a comprehensive approach that not only safeguards against potential threats but also ensures swift and effective action in the event of an emergency. Our mission is to foster a safe, resilient learning environment where preparedness is a shared responsibility, ensuring that every student and staff member can thrive, no matter the challenge.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
A uniform, planned, and practiced response to any incident is the foundation of a safe school. The SRP is action-based, flexible, and easy to learn. It rationally organizes tactics for response to weather events, fires, accidents, intruders, and other threats to personal safety.
The SRP’s development is ever-evolving, created with extensive collaboration between experts such as first responders, public safety, school districts, and communities. Its tactics are data-driven, researched, and based on experience and contemporary practices.
Hold is followed by the Directive: "In Your Room or Area" and is the protocol used when hallways need to be kept clear of occupants.
Example: A student or staff member is having a medical emergency in the hallway.
Lockdown is followed by "Locks, Lights, Out of Sight" and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place.
Example: An active threat is in one of the schools.
Shelter and state the Hazard and Safety Strategy for group and self protection.
Example: Severe weather.
Secure is followed by the Directive: "Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors" and is the protocol used to safeguard people within the building.
Example: Local law enforcement is responding to a situation near one of the schools.
Evacuate may be followed by a location, and is used to move people from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
Example: A fire or a utility issue within the building.
Main Contact
CORY ZIMPEL
DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY
320-253-4703
cory.zimpel@isd47.org
Safety and Well-Being Resources
- School Safety and Crisis Teams
- Standard Response Protocol Resources
- Student/Family Reunification
- Family Resources
- Crisis Response and Recovery Resources
- School Safety Partners