Safety & Security

You will notice a bookmark at the top left of your Google homepage entitled QACPS Safety & Security. This bookmark has been designed to anonymously report school-related safety, security, and mental health matters or concerns. 
Tips submitted through the Safe Schools Maryland website, Mobile App, or telephone calls to the tip line are a high priority and may prompt a school administrative and/or local law enforcement response and investigation. Tips submitted to cause a false investigation or found to be a prank or hoax may also prompt law enforcement and administrative investigation. See false report of a crime.
Please dial 911 for emergencies or crimes in progress.

See it, hear it, report it. Keep our schools, students, and staff safe! (833) 632-7233

Report an anonymous tip to Safe Schools Maryland

YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE. The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is an anonymous reporting system used to report threats to the safety and/or well-being of students.  Students, parents, faculty, staff, and members of communities throughout Maryland may use this anonymous, app- and web-based reporting system to share their concerns, to include;

• Mental health crises
• Bullying
• School and community violence
• Drug activity
• Abuse
• Harassment
• Other issues affecting our Maryland students

The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line is a tool for proactively addressing harmful situations and helping students who need it. Using various communication modes to support the reporting and routing of tips, The Safe Schools Maryland Tip Line empowers the citizens of Maryland to create a culture of preparedness, prevention, and school safety for our students.

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLANS

Advance preparation and planning can minimize the risks inherent in any emergency situation. QACPS works closely with the Queen Anne’s County Office of the Sheriff, Queen Anne’s County Department of Emergency Services, and other State and Local partners to develop and maintain coordinated emergency response procedures.

School Emergency Response Plans

Each Queen Anne’s County public school is provided with a School Emergency Response Plan. The plan is updated annually and reviewed with all building staff. The plan includes school site information, staff responsibilities in times of emergency, the type of training staff will receive and when training will occur, and annual plans for all types of drills.

The plan also defines emergency response operations such as potential command post locations, communications plans, student release procedures, general emergency actions, and hazard-specific procedures.

The emergency plan includes site maps, which identify assembly areas, traffic flow information, loading areas, utility controls, and potential medical station areas. 

Emergency Incident Kits

Portable Emergency Medical Kits have been provided for each school classroom. The kit contains lifesaving medical supplies which are critical during an emergency. Most school classrooms also have emergency folders, including school floor plans, student rosters, student emergency procedures cards, and area maps.

Drug Free Campus

QACPS has partnered with the QACSO to promote a drug-free campus and safe learning environment.

This is to notify you that periodic drug scans will be conducted on school premises by police canine drug detection teams from various law enforcement agencies.  This action is being taken to protect you and to work towards a drug-free school environment.  You are being given prior notice of this program pursuant to school system policy.

Tips to Support Students During Drills  

QACPS works to ensure all students’ physical safety. The training received during school drills provides a safety rehearsal to prepare students and staff for emergencies. Teachers and staff members explain the purpose of each drill and that they are designed to keep students safe. Students are encouraged to ask questions about each drill to understand the meaning of each one better. School staff members are always available to assist students who may be uncomfortable during school safety and security drills. Parents must communicate with teachers should their students require any special needs. 

Emergency Drills  – “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”

The initial actions and quick responses taken during the first few moments of a critical incident are essential to student and staff safety. Examples and explanations of response drills are listed below.

Lockdown – “Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”

Students are trained to: 

 ●Move away from sight 

 ●Maintain silence 

 ●Do not open the door 

Adults and staff are trained to: 

 ●Recover students from hallway if possible 

 ●Lock the classroom door 

 ●Turn out the lights 

 ●Move away from sight 

 ●Maintain silence 

 ●Do not open the door 

 ●Prepare to evade or defend  

A Lockdown is called when there is something dangerous inside of the building. Students and staff are trained to enter or remain in a room that can be locked, and maintain silence. A Lockdown is only initiated when there is an active threat inside or very close to the building. 

SHOULD PARENTS COME TO THE SCHOOL DURING A LOCKDOWN? The natural inclination for parents is to go to the school during a Lockdown. Understandable, but perhaps problematic. If there is a threat inside the building, law enforcement will be responding. It is unlikely that parents will be granted access to the building or even the campus. If parents are already in the school, they will be instructed to Lockdown as well. 

SHOULD PARENTS TEXT THEIR STUDENTS? The school recognizes the importance of communication between parents and students during a Lockdown event. Parents should be aware though, during the initial period of a Lockdown, it may not be safe for students to text their parents. As the situation resolves, students may be asked to update their parents on a regular basis. In some cases, students may be evacuated and transported off-site for a student-parent reunification.

WHAT ABOUT UNANNOUNCED DRILLS? The school may conduct unscheduled drills, however it is highly discouraged to conduct one without announcing it as a drill. That’s called an unannounced drill and can cause undue concern and stress. Parents should recognize that the school will always inform students. It’s important to differentiate between a drill and an exercise. A drill is used to create the “Muscle Memory” associated with a practiced action. There is no simulation of an event; this is simply performing the action. An exercise simulates an actual event to test the capacity of personnel and equipment. 

CAN PARENTS OBSERVE OR PARTICIPATE IN THE DRILLS? The school welcomes parents who wish to observe or participate in drills.  

EVACUATE “To a Location” 

Students are trained to: 

 ●Leave stuff behind if required to 

 ● If possible, bring their phone 

 ●Follow instructions 

Adults and staff are trained to: 

 ●Bring roll sheet and Go Bag (unless instructed not to bring anything with them, dependent on reason for evacuation.) 

 ●Lead students to Evacuation location 

 ●Account for students and adults by taking roll and advising via their assigned portable radio  

●Report injuries or problems using your assigned portable radio 

SECURE “Get Inside. Lock outside doors”

Students are trained to: 

 ●Return to inside of building 

 ●Do business as usual 

Adults and staff are trained to: 

 ●Bring everyone indoors 

 ●Lock the outside doors 

 ● Increase situational awareness 

 ●Account for students and adults 

 ●Do business as usual  

Secure is called when there is something dangerous outside of the building. Students and staff are brought into the building and the outside doors will be locked. The school might display the Building is Secured poster on entry doors or nearby windows. Inside, it will be business as usual. 

SHOULD PARENTS COME TO THE SCHOOL DURING A SECURE EVENT? Probably not. Every effort is made to conduct classes as normal during a secure event. Additionally, parents may be asked to stay outside during a Secure event. 

WHAT IF PARENTS NEED TO PICK UP THEIR STUDENT? Depending on the situation, it may not be safe to release the student. As the situation evolves, Secure might change to a Monitored Entry and/or Controlled Release. 

WILL PARENTS BE NOTIFIED WHEN A SCHOOL GOES INTO SECURE? When a secure event is brief or the hazard is non-violent, like a wild animal on the playground, there may not be a need to notify parents while the Secure is in place. With longer or more dangerous events, the school should notify parents that the school has increased their security.  

 HOLD “In Your Classroom or Area” 

Students are trained to: 

 ●Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the “All Clear” is announced 

 ●Do business as usual 

Adults and staff are trained to: 

 ●Close and lock the door 

 ●Account for students and adults 

 ●Do business as usual  

 SHELTER “State Hazard and Safety Strategy” Hazards might include: 

 ●Tornado 

 ●Hazmat 

 ●Earthquake 

 Strategies might include: 

 ●Evacuate to shelter area 

 ●Seal the room 

 ●Drop, cover and hold on  

●Get to high ground 

Students are trained in: 

 ●Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies 

Adults and staff are trained in: 

 ●Appropriate Hazards and Safety Strategies 

 ●Accounting for students and adults 

 ●Report injuries or problems using their assigned portable radio  

EARTHQUAKE  (Drop, Cover and Hold On) 

• Drop, Cover and Hold On:  Train students to get onto their hands and knees immediately, tuck under a sturdy desk or table and hold on until the shaking stops.
• If no sturdy furniture is nearby, instruct students to crawl against an interior wall, protecting their head and neck with their arms, while staying away from windows, glass and heavy objects that may fall.
• Avoid doorways, as these can slam shut and do not protect from falling debris.
• If outside, move to an open area away from trees, gas lines, electrical lines and buildings.

For more information, click here. (PDF)

School Safety During an Emergency or Crisis: What Parents Need to Know

Stay calm and alert:

In the event of a school emergency, please remain calm and know that school staff, district personnel, and emergency first responders are working to keep your child safe. Please keep your phone close and follow the directions provided. Please note that information relayed through external social media sources may not always be accurate. 

Please do not come to the school:

We understand your desire to go to the school and the need to see your child, especially when you hear of a school-based incident. However, arriving at the scene before it is secure can interfere with the emergency response and put you in danger. Past school emergencies have shown that one of the greatest challenges to first responders and school staff is managing the number of parents and concerned citizens rushing to the scene. By rushing to the school, parents can unintentionally create traffic jams that may block emergency responders from getting to the school or leaving if necessary to transport injured students or staff to emergency medical facilities. Families should not pick up their students unless given the direction to do so from the District.

Please do not call the school:

We ask that families do not call the school. This allows phone lines to stay open for communication with emergency personnel and school officials. It also helps school staff remain focused on their students’ safety. The school and District will ensure information is shared via our phone messaging system and email. 

If your child texts or calls you, please keep them calm:

We know that many of our students will try to call or text their parents or guardians during a school emergency. If this occurs, we ask that you stay calm and reassured that help is on the way. Encourage your student to follow the directions of the school staff. 

The District will call families in an emergency at a school. Please ensure your emergency contact information is always up to date in PowerSchool. 

Don’t call the police department or 911:

The police department will be dealing with the school emergency, and the dispatch line should remain open for any other emergencies that could occur in the community.

Be prepared with photo ID:

In the event of an evacuation, the District will follow a standard reunification plan to ensure all students are safely returned to their families. During a reunification, families and individuals listed as authorized persons to pick up your child should do the following:

● Bring a valid form of identification (ID).

● Follow signage and parking directions of the reunification location.

● Wait patiently while you are reunited with your student. 

Only approved adults with valid photo identification will be allowed to pick up students from the evacuation location.

Click here for printable version

Our children are our most valuable asset.  Parents have entrusted us with the safety of their children. These safety procedures are part of that commitment.  Schools, along with law enforcement officials, routinely assess and refine our response plans to provide an environment that is safe and conducive to education.