Safety and Security I Love U Guys Protocol: Shelter

Welcome back to our Safety and Security Campaign. If you’re unfamiliar with the Campaign, or what I Love you Guys Means then please check out the previous articles and videos and come back soon.

To recap, we’re looking at the “I Love U Guys” standard response protocols, offering insights on how school staff is continuously preparing for critical response, and sharing information on how you and your students can better prepare for the unexpected.  You can find the overview article explaining what I Love U Guys is in more detail here.

This week we’re covering “Shelter.” Before we review the symbol, signs, and actions for this protocol, we’ll listen to a story about a relevant emergency from a friend in the district that demonstrates the value in utilizing I Love U Guys protocols and preparations.

Our district storyteller today is none other than Deputy Superintendent, Jason Cox, sharing his story about a hike through the slot canyons where a detour put a group of teachers into a perilous position. Although his story takes place outside of the school district, his story has key takeaways that can better prepare anyone living through an environmental emergency. 

Here’s where the Evacuation Response comes in. The call sign (or the word that staff will use to inform other students and staff) for the protocol is “SHELTER.” Shelter is ordered when personal protection is necessary from dangerous weather conditions such as a tornado, blizzard, or hail. It may also be called in the event of a hazmat situation nearby. Here are the general instructions for each hazard:

• Tornado: Evacuate to shelter area
• Hazmat: Seal the room
• Earthquake: Drop, cover, and hold on
• Flood: Get to high ground

When ordered, staff will:

• Lead Safety Strategy Required for Hazard
• Account for students and adults
• Notify administration of any missing, extra, or injured students and adults

When ordered, students will:

• Leave school materials behind if required
• Bring their phones, if possible
• Await instructions from teacher

And lastly, here is a list of preparative actions for the Shelter protocol we can take from Jason Cox’s story:

• Try to inspect and update your first-aid kit quarterly
• Pack proper rations and emergency blankets in your emergency kit
• Keep track of your party and implement the “buddy system”

For families who’d like to learn more, download our Emergency Reference Checklist and Tips, or browse the I Love U Guys website for more information.

Keep in mind that this is a broad overview of the protocol– more comprehensive training and training documents are available for staff members. Still, the goal is to put everyone on the same page to speak the same, simplified language in an emergency.

And that concludes this week’s coverage of the first I Love You Guys. Next week, I’ll share my story on the first-day-fire while teaching (and don’t worry, it wasn’t at Provo).

Thanks for checking in, stay tuned for more safety and security information, and stay safe.

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