Sarasota County Schools to hold second district-wide safety drill

On Wednesday, Feb. 27, the Sarasota County Schools Police Department will host a district-wide safety drill for all public elementary, middle and high schools.

The drill will be conducted as a means of reviewing lockdown protocols with students, staff and faculty.

“After this second district-wide drill, each of our schools will be conducting random monthly safety exercises so students can experience a drill outside of their normal routines,” Sarasota County Schools said in a statement. “The element of surprise will help students and staff better prepare in case of a real emergency … Parents will be notified afterwards that a safety exercise took place and be prompted to speak to their child about the experience.”

Sarasota County Schools has also moved away from a color-coded classification of emergency situations in favor of the following system:

• Lockdown – An incident has been identified as having a wider impact on a school campus. Instructional time is ceased.
• Limited lockdown – Used in a heightened state of awareness to secure the building and students where a higher than normal threat is present, near or in the vicinity of the campus. Instructional time proceeds as normal.
• Evacuation – An incident has been identified as an imminent threat to the school campus, rendering it unsafe. Instructional time ceases and evacuation ensues.