Emergency Preparedness

District 58 staff and Downers Grove emergency responders meet annually and as needed to review District 58’s emergency management procedures. Updates are recommended based on national emergency response best practices and the unique safety needs of District 58.

District 58 also has a Threat Assessment Team comprised of administrators, social workers, other school staff and Downers Grove police.

Any emergency procedure updates are communicated to administrators and principals, who review the plan with their teachers and staff at the start of the school year, and as needed throughout the year.

A primary safety component of the emergency plan requires that plan details only be available to employees and emergency responders.

Teachers keep copies of a summarized emergency classroom action guide, which they can quickly reference during actual emergency situations. These guides are also available to, and reviewed with, substitutes.

District 58 schools regularly review school safety and behavior expectations with students in an age-appropriate manner. Safety presentations promote respectful, responsible and safe behaviors and discuss school visitor protocols, technology safety, harassment and bullying, prohibited items, threats, when and where expectations apply, and consequences. 

 The District offers Safe2Help, a monitored system where students can safely and confidentially report a crisis, threat or bullying involving themselves or someone they know. District 58 schools also have social workers, behavior specialists, school psychologists and counselors on staff to support students.

 District 58 schools practice a variety of safety drills throughout the year to ensure everyone is prepared if an emergency occurs. The safety drills include: fire drills, tornado/severe weather drills, bus evacuation drills and active threat drills. Drills are designed to educate and prepare students. Schools take precautions to avoid scaring students during drills. Building principals will notify parents when a safety drill occurs, either by email or newsletter.

Schools screen all visitors using the Raptor System, and all staff and approved visitors wear a District 58 color-coded lanyard with their identification.

District 58 is in the process of building more secured entrances at all schools, using funding from the District’s successful fall 2022 referendum.

Keep your child’s information up-to-date. This ensures that the District can contact you during an emergency, and it lets your school know who has permission to pick up your child. Please also provide multiple emergency contacts. If you need to update your contact information, please call your school office.

Opt in to receive text messages. The District will sometimes use text messaging in addition to email and phone calls when communicating emergency information.

To receive text messages, text YES to 67587. You can always opt out by texting STOP to 67587.

Follow the rules. Exterior school doors are locked during the school day. Visitors must ring the doorbell and be visually and verbally identified via the entry camera before gaining school entry. Visitors will be asked to provide a valid ID, which will be scanned into the Raptor Visitor System. The system checks the visitor's name with a national database of sexual predators. Once entry is approved, Raptor will print a badge that identifies the visitor, the date, and the purpose of his/her visit. Visitors will be asked to wear this badge before continuing to their destination. Thank you for your cooperation!

 Be a role model. District 58 expects mutual respect, civility and orderly conduct among all visitors while on school property or when communicating with school district staff via telephone or email. School property includes all District and school buildings, grounds, parking areas, school-sponsored events, Board of Education meetings, and buses/vehicles used for school purposes. Please see Board Policy 8:30 for details. Please note: parents/guardians are not allowed on the bus or in school, unless authorized by school personnel.

Talk to your child and monitor their social media usage.

Use age-appropriate language to: 

• Describe the importance of safety drills in preparing for the unlikely event of an emergency.
• Stress the importance of remaining calm and listening to the teacher or trusted employee in charge during a drill or an actual emergency. 
• Encourage children to be vigilant and report information if they see or hear something suspicious. 
• Emphasize that it is never okay to make a threat (even as a joke) against anyone or the school, either in person or online. 
• Remind children that they cannot bring a weapon or lookalike weapon to school, including toys.
   

Create a family plan. School safety drills complement home safety drills. If you haven’t already, create a family preparedness plan.

Keep informed. Depending on the crisis, District 58 will send emails, texts and/or robocalls district-wide informing families and staff of updates. If a situation merits early dismissal, please be aware you may need to arrange a pickup for your child.

Avoid calling or driving to school. If there is a crisis, the school may be locked down, and you will not have immediate access to your child. Clogging the phone lines may hinder other important emergency response calls from getting through. In addition, heavy vehicle traffic near school can delay access for emergency vehicles. Please remain vigilant and wait for communication regarding next steps.

During a crisis situation, District 58’s top priority is student, staff and visitor safety. The District works closely with the Police and Fire departments, and it takes time to gather and confirm accurate information.

District 58 will communicate crisis information to families and staff as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience!

For smaller crisis situations, District 58 or the school will email families and staff information.

For larger crisis situations, or emergencies requiring parents' immediate response (i.e. early dismissal), District 58 or the school will send families and staff an email, robocall and text message. You must opt in to receive a text message. Opt in by texting YES to 67587.

Depending on the situation, District 58 will also post updates on social media.

The District aims to provide families and staff as much detail and transparency as possible in our crisis communications. However, by law, school districts cannot release confidential information and information that could compromise an investigation.

If you receive an emergency message from your school or the District that does not provide details, it is likely because additional information cannot be shared. District 58 realizes that families and staff are on high alert when situations arise. District 58 and/or your school will share as much information as possible in any given situation. Thank you for your understanding and support!

There are occasions when emergency responders may visit your child's school that do not require a communication. For example, our Police and Fire departments often visit schools to teach students lessons on safety.

If you see emergency responders at your child's school, please do not jump to conclusions or speculate. Your school or the District will contact you if there is a safety issue. If you have questions about something you've observed, please contact your child's school to get the facts and refrain from spreading rumors. Please be patient: in true emergencies it takes time to verify and coordinate information with emergency responders!

Severe Weather procedures are used when severe weather requires relocation within the building.

Examples include: tornadoes and other severe weather.

During tornado watches, all students must stay indoors, but instruction and bus service will continue. During a tornado warning, all regular school activities cease, and students move to a designated area until the warning is lifted. During tornado warnings, students may only be dismissed if a parent or designee arrives to take the child home. If a bus is en-route when a tornado warning is issued, the bus will return to the closest District 58 school. The classroom teacher and principal must be advised before a student leaves the building. The District will send families an email, robocall and text if severe weather alters the school schedule or causes a safety hazard.

To view winter weather/snow day procedures, visit www.dg58.org/family-resources/winter. View heat relief procedures at www.dg58.org/family-resources/heat-relief. 

Secure Building and Teach procedures are used when there is a hazard outside the building that requires all individuals to remain inside the school building. Students who are outside at recess or physical education are brought indoors, and instruction will continue as normal inside. All exterior school doors are locked, and no one is permitted to enter or exit.

Examples include: a local hazardous waste spill, a nearby bank robbery, or other nearby police activity.

During these situations, the school will email families and staff, as soon as information can be coordinated and confirmed with the appropriate emergency responder. 

Hold-in-Place and Teach procedures are used in any crisis that does not place students and staff in imminent danger but does require containing everyone in the building. Classroom instruction continues, but everyone in the building is directed to remain in their current locations until instructed otherwise.

Examples include: a medical emergency or an escalating student or visitor who is not perceived to be imminently dangerous.

During these situations, the school will email families and staff information, as soon as information can be coordinated and confirmed with the appropriate emergency responder. 

Evacuation/Fire procedures are initiated when a hazard inside the building requires relocating outside the building.

Examples include: Fire, gas leak or other in-school hazard.

The school will email and possibly call/text families and staff as soon as information can be coordinated and confirmed with the Fire Department and any other emergency responders.

Active Threat - Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate (ALICE) procedures are implemented when there is an active threat to the school.

Examples include a dangerous intruder in the building.

Teachers lock classroom doors and choose to take shelter/lockdown in the classroom or evacuate the class. The District or school will email, call and text families and staff as soon as information can be coordinated and confirmed with the appropriate emergency responder.

Other/Threats Outside the School Day: District 58 realizes that a large emergency responder presence at school is alarming to families. When this occurs, even during situations that do not fall in the above categories, the District or school will contact parents.

Examples include police presence due to a false alarm or a minor emergency.

Please keep in mind, police and fire personnel frequently visit our schools to conduct curricular safety lessons. Your school likely will not send parents a message when police or fire staff are at school for a scheduled visit.

In addition, District 58 takes threats received outside the school day very seriously. In these situations, the District will work closely with police to investigate the threat and evaluate whether the school is safe for students and staff. The District or school will send families and staff an email and, depending on the situation, a call and/or text message, with as much information as possible without jeopardizing an investigation or violating confidentiality.