District adopts Stand Response Protocol (SRP)

A critical component to school safety is the uniform response to any incident. Weather events, fires, accidents, intruders and other threats to student safety are scenarios that are planned and trained for by district and school administration and staff. Historically, schools have taken a scenario-based approach to respond to hazards and threats. It is not uncommon to find stapled papers or a tabbed binder in a teacher’s desk that describes a variety of things that might happen and the specific response to each event.*

With that in mind, and in conjunction with the Travis County Sheriff’s Office and area school districts, LTISD has adopted the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), effective with the 2019-2020 school year. SRP is based not on individual scenarios but on the response to any given situation. SRP demands a specific vocabulary but also allows for great flexibility. It is a proven method of creating shared language and actions among students, staff, and first responders.

There are five specific actions that can be performed during an incident. When communicating these, the action is labeled with a “Term of Art” and is then followed by a “Directive.” Execution of the action is performed by active participants, including students, staff, teachers and first responders.

• Lockout is followed by “Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors” and is the protocol used to safeguard students and staff within the building.
• Lockdown is followed by “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight” and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place.
• Evacuate is always followed by a location, and is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
• Shelter is always followed by a type and a method and is the protocol for group and self-protection.
• Hold is always followed by “In Your Classroom, Clear the Halls” and called when the hallways need to be kept clear, even during class changes.

These specific actions can act as both a verb and a noun. For example, if the action is Lockdown, it would be announced via the school’s public address system as “Lockdown! Locks, Lights, Out of Sight.” Communication to local law enforcement officials would then be "We are under Lockdown." Each response has specific student and staff action. Please refer to the flyer for a color-coded depiction and description of these actions.

Within the next several weeks, students across our district will receive an introduction and overview of the SRP emergency response including classroom practices and drills.

We ask you that you please take a moment to review these procedures. Rest assured, student safety is our top priority. With your help, we will continue to protect our children and foster a safe learning environment.