At MBES, we have a CRISIS Team that is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing the overall crisis plan for our school. This team is composed of approximately fifteen staff members who are not directly tied to children throughout the day. The plan begins with the crisis chart that Stafford County Public Schools has provided each classroom. This chart details the plans for a variety of emergency responses that each teacher and child has been familiarized with. The main responses include, but are not limited to: Full Lockdown, Evacuation, and Shelter in Place.

• A Full Lockdown would be instituted if an outside threat was determined to place our children or staff members in harm’s way. In the event of a Full Lock Down, ALL doors would be locked and covered with paper so that no one could enter or see in the building, all classroom doors would be locked, and ALL children would stay in their rooms away from windows with their teacher. The CRISIS Team would be activated at this time to assist with these procedures. No one would be allowed to leave or enter until the authorities lifted the lockdown. Parents would assemble at our reunification site for information and would wait there for further details.
• An Evacuation would occur if there was a fire or some other harmful event that did not allow us to remain in the building. This would look very much like a fire drill. The CRISIS Team would ensure all quadrants of the building were vacated and all children were accounted for. In the event that we could not reenter the building, the students and staff members would be transported to an offsite reunification site. This would be announced via the media. Directions on transportation and/or how to pick your child up would be detailed at that time.
• A Shelter in Place would occur if a biological/chemical event occurred outside the school within an unsafe distance. In this instance, the building again would be locked down and the children would follow the Full Lockdown plan. The CRISIS Team would be activated at this time to assist with this lock down. No one would be allowed to leave or enter until the authorities lifted the lockdown.

The Crisis Team has practiced these events as a team and also with our entire staff. We are fully confident in our abilities of ensuring your child’s continual safety. In no way do we bring these topics to your attention to worry you or your child. We are merely taking yet another measure to ensure the time your child spends at MBES is comforting, rewarding, enlightening, and SAFE. To best protect all of our Bobcats, we must be vigilant in our efforts as a school community. We will practice these crisis responses with the students in the near future. A note will be sent home detailing these drills before and after they take place. If you have any questions, concerns, comments, or would like more detailed information about any of our CRISIS plans, please contact me at your convenience. I thank all of you for your continual support of your child’s education and aiding us in our efforts to ensure MBES is the BEST place for kids!