Safety-Related Communication

At San Marcos Middle School student safety is the number one priority. Every emergency is evaluated on a case-by-case basis in order to determine the best course of action for the specific situation. Many factors influence the school’s response to emergencies such as: the time of the emergency, the location of the emergency, the type of emergency (fire, dangerous person, wildfire, electricity blackouts, no water, etc.) and the severity of the emergency.

Designated District Office staff help manage safety-related communications and also advise individual schools of potential emergencies.

School Resource Officers (SRO’s) regularly monitor their internal radio system for incidents that may affect SMUSD schools. SRO’s may order a safety measure such as a lockdown. In the case of Sheriff-mandated a lockdown, SRO’s immediately contact a school administrator to order the lock down. Site administrators (or designees) also may initiate a lockdown when encountered with an imminent threat to student safety.

Any time a SMUSD school initiates a lockdown, that school contacts the District who subsequently notifies all SMUSD schools.

In the event of a significant school emergency, parents may be contacted via one or more of the following methods: phone call, text, school website update or social media post. These communications may come from either the school or the District.

NOTE: These two terms are often misinterpreted:

A hard lockdown is when all students, staff and visitors are in a “duck and cover" position in a locked room.

A soft lockdown is when students, staff and visitors stay in a locked room, but may engage in normal activities (typing, reading, writing, etc.).

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