Safety & Security

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At Palo Pinto ISD, we are dedicated to providing a safe and secure environment for the students, faculty, staff and visitors on our campus. In order to support that commitment, we have a comprehensive emergency operations plan that addresses emergency mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery procedures relevant to natural and human-caused disasters.

The plan is updated annually, reviewed by staff as well as emergency response personnel, and shared with stakeholders who may have a role in the event of an emergency. The plan prepares our staff and students for action and establishes teams, chains of command, and specific steps to take in an emergency situation. We are ready to provide for the safety and security of your children and others if the need ever arises.

As part of the plan, each campus practices fire, evacuation, reverse evacuation, exterior lock-down, full lock-down, safe shelter and bad weather drills throughout the year. This allows our district administrators to be sure that faculty/staff and students know the correct procedures in the event of an emergency.

Additionally, Palo Pinto ISD, is located within seconds of the local law enforcement agency who provides support and a regular presence on our campus.

 

 

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Programs to Ensure School Safety

As a district, we have several programs in place to ensure schools are safe, including:

• Emergency response safety teams
• Cameras
• ID badges for employees, as well as contracted service providers, students, and visitors while on district property
• Visitor check-in software (coming soon)
• Emergency operations plans
• Support/Presence of Local Law Enforcement Agency
• Safety drills

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Message to Parents

There are specific ways parents and others in the community can help ensure campus safety at school, including:

• Enter and exit the building through the main entrance when visiting the campus.
• Always sign in at the front office to ensure that parents and other visitors are properly identified.  This is not a matter of inconvenience, but instead a safety measure for the well-being of students and guests.
• Leave entrances and exits locked at all times. Exterior doors should not be propped open.
• Continue to be timely in picking up your child after school and after school functions so as not to leave the child waiting for a ride.

 

In Emergency Situations

 

• Listen to your local television/radio stations and check the district website www.palopintoisd.net for information.

• As soon as possible, the district will activate its emergency call line (School Messenger) to place a phone call explaining the situation to you. Please listen carefully to the message. There will be limited personnel available to answer phone calls from parents and phone lines may become overextended. Calling the school will tie up the phone lines and disrupt the flow of vital information between the school and authorities.

• When schools are in lock-down, please do not come to the school. A lock-down is designed to keep the children and staff inside the building away from harm. Entrances to the school are to be kept locked during this time to allow no guests, except emergency officials, through the doors.

• If your child reports to you that a drill took place at his/her campus that day, please take the opportunity to discuss the importance of drills and safety precautions.

• In the event of an emergency, students will be released to their families as soon as it is safe to do so. Local response personnel will determine when it is safe for the schools to begin releasing students. Only an authorized person as noted on the student forms on file in the school office will be able to pick up your child. A driver’s license or other form of photo I.D. must be shown before staff can safely release your child. Note that in the event of an emergency, phone calls authorizing a student’s release to a person other than a parent or name on file will not be accepted.

• If the need arises to implement these safety protocols, cooperating with campus personnel in a calm manner will ensure safe and timely release for students.

• Please notify the office staff with any changes in address, home phone number, cell phone and office numbers. We want to keep our parents informed of any emergency situations.