Burlington's Public Schools will Transition to a New Emergency Protocol This Fall

BURLINGTON, MA — The Burlington Public Schools will be transitioning to a Standard Response Protocol (SRP) for emergency situations at schools this fall, according to a joint press release from the Burlington Public Schools and the Police Department.

The release indicated that the district will transition to this new system this fall. Police and school officials learned the SRP protocols and the format while attending "The Briefings: A National School Safety Symposium" at Columbine High School in Littleton, CO., hosted by the i love u guys Foundation.

"An SRP allows for a more predictable and safe series of actions if an emergency or unsafe situation were to occur at any of our schools," PoliceChief Michael Kent said in the relase. "Our goal is to ensure that students, faculty and staff remain safe at all times."

According to the release, attendees examined lessons learned from traumatic events and discussed preemptive safety measures that will be implemented at Burlington's schools.

The protocol is based on four specific reactions that can be taken during an incident.

• Lockout is used to safeguard students and staff within the building.
• Lockdown is used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place.
• Evacuate is used to move students and staff from one location to another, or out of the building.
• Shelter is activated for self protection.

Information will be sent home with students and also posted in classrooms. You can view the informational documents here.

"This system of defense allows schools, police and first responders to be on the same page and establish concrete steps throughout an incident that allows for rapid response during an unforeseen and potentially dangerous event," Superintendent Eric Conti said. "We will continue to work with the Burlington Police Department to train using the SRP."

Image via Burlington Public Schools