Safety

An important component of maintaining a safe and secure learning environment is proactively practicing safety drills to ensure our students and staff understand what to do in the event an emergency situation arises during the school day. In addition to practicing fire drills and tornado drills, our schools also practice lockdown drills.

An emergency lockdown may be used in response to a potential or confirmed threat situation occurring inside or outside of a school building. A non-emergency lockdown may occur for a medical condition or as a precaution.

DCG CSD will not share specifics of our lockdown procedures for security reasons. During an emergency lockdown only law enforcement is allowed to enter the school and procedures are taken to ensure the safety and security of students and staff inside our building.

In conjunction with our safety committee, every school in our district conducts one lockdown drill per semester for a total of two lockdown drills every school year. These drills are in addition to the four fire drills and four tornado drills we practice every school year in support of state regulations and safety protocols. The safety committee is comprised of school leaders, building representatives and school nurses.

What parents should do to prepare for a school emergency?

• Be sure your child’s emergency contact information is correct on Infinite Campus. Notify your child’s school promptly if this information changes. The people on this list are the only ones that can obtain your child during an emergency. Please contact your building secretary to update your emergency contact information.
• Talk with your child about the importance of remaining calm and following instructions in the event of an emergency.
• Have your child practice his or her full name, address, and phone numbers in order to contact you or other authorized adult in the event of an emergency.

What should parents do during an emergency?

• Do not call the school until notified
• Wait for communication via school communication system – ParentSquare.
• Tune in to local television or radio stations
• Check district social media sites for possible updates. These include Facebook and X.
• Understand that the district may require families to pick up their children at a reunification site other than their school. In this case, please bring your photo ID. The district will communicate the location of the reunification site through the channels provided above.

What should parents do following an emergency?

• It is important to provide emotional support to a child in the aftermath of a crisis situation.
• Watch for clues that your child might want to talk, but understand that not all children will want or need to talk about these events. Some children may not express their concerns verbally.
• Be aware of signs that children might be in distress, e.g. changes in behavior, anxiety, sleep problems, acting out, problems at school or with academic work.

The safety and emergency-related issues confronting our schools and community are serious. Each year the DCG School Safety Team, in coordination with local law enforcement, reviews our safety plan to ensure it remains current and accurate.

Safe+Sound Iowa