There will be less unnecessary fear and confusion now that Utah schools, law enforcement, news media and emergency response agencies have adopted a standardized emergency response protocol with clear terminology, Jordan School District Communications Director Sandy Riesgraf said.

“The problem in the past was we would say LockOut and the parents would think it was LockDown and they would think there was an intruder in the building—they were too similar,” she said. 

The standardized protocols, which were prescribed in Utah’s 2023 legislative session, ensure everyone will be using the same terminology and responses.

“Everybody in the state is using it, every school district is using it, so it doesn't matter which law-enforcement agency it is, they know where to go, and what we’re going to say,” Jordan School District School Safety Coordinator Matt Alvernaz said.

The five emergency responses are: hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate and shelter. They provide a response to any incident that could interrupt the school day such as medical emergencies, intruders, wild animals, extreme weather, and dangers inside or outside the school building.

Hold

Response: Stay where you are and clear the halls.

What it looks like: Classes continue as normal but ignore any bells.

Reason: Hazard in the hall, student has a medical emergency and needs to be wheeled out on a gurney, a squirrel is loose in the hallway.

Secure

Response: Get in and stay inside the building. Lock outside doors and secure the area. 

What it looks like: Classes continue as normal.

Reason: Police activity nearby, cougar spotted in the area, dangerous person outside of the building.

Lockdown

Response: Locks, lights, out of sight.

What it looks like: Classroom doors are locked, lights are turned off, teachers and students stay hidden and quiet. Parents should not try to contact students because cellphone noises could give away their position to an intruder.

Reason: There is an intruder inside the building.

Evacuate

Response: Everyone is directed to leave the building.

What it looks like: Students will leave belongings behind if instructed to do so but may be able to bring their cellphones, if possible.

Reason: There is a fire in the building, the ceiling caves in, mysterious fumes are coming from the chemistry room.

Shelter

Response: Specific safety strategy instructions will be given.

What it looks like: Depends on the nature of the hazard.

Reason: Natural disaster, severe weather or other outside hazard.

The new procedures were introduced at the end of last school year. Teachers and administrators receive regular training in coordination with local police departments and each school has a school safety specialist. Students practice the five responses as part of monthly school safety drills.

Alvernaz said holding regular training and drills ensures everyone understands what to do and why.

“We're trying to normalize all of these drills,” he said. “It's like a fire drill—Kids from all generations just go, ‘Okay, that's a fire drill.’ And so we want to come to a point where if we drill a lockdown, it's normal, it's not a panic, it's not a unique thing anymore. We drill a secure, a hold—whatever drill it might be, it just becomes a part of safety, and it's ingrained in their minds, so that way, it becomes standard and easier to execute.”

Parents will be notified and given instructions through the district’s ParentSquare app if their child’s school implements any of the emergency responses.

“We've produced videos that actually describe and show what each action means,” Riesgraf said. “So if you get an alert as a parent that your school has been placed on Hold, at the very bottom there will be a link to a video, so that if you still don’t know exactly what it is, you just click on that video and it'll show you exactly what it is.” 

More information about the standard response protocols, including the informative videos, can be found on the Jordan District’s student safety webpage at schoolsafety.jordandistrict.org.