Laramie County School District #1 continues to work diligently to protect and safeguard your children.  Only when children and youth feel safe at school are they truly capable of learning and reaping the benefits of the entire educational experience.  

Here are some things you should know about safety and security in our schools:

• A comprehensive, multi-hazard emergency response plan is in place in the school district and will be reviewed and practiced on a regular basis.
   
• Each individual school/facility in the district will also have a building specific emergency response plan and an emergency response team in place to prepare for an emergency situation on campus. 
   
• These plans are aligned with county, state and federal emergency response plans and community emergency first responders (ie. law enforcement, fire & rescue) under the National Incident Management System (NIMS).  The school system works closely with local public safety officials and relies on their expertise and intelligence.
  
• Training programs are continually being developed and encouraged for building level emergency response teams, building certified and classified staff, student populations, parent groups, and community organizations. 
   
• Emergency response drills are conducted in each school building/facility throughout the course of each school year to test our procedures and equipment and to fully assess our readiness. 
   
• Cheyenne police officers are assigned as school resource officers (SRO’s) in all junior and senior high schools in LCSD #1, and additional police protection can be easily accessed for assistance in any of the elementary schools. 
   
• You will be notified of an emergency, including a severe weather situation, natural disaster, or civil disturbance, via the district’s rapid communication system, ParentLink, and via local television and radio stations.
   
• Schools are prepared to engage in the appropriate emergency response, including conducting Lockdowns, evacuations, or a shelter-in-place, to protect your children.
   
• The school district has specific plans for the reunification of parents and their children in the event of a major emergency.
   
• School psychologists, school social workers, and counselors—trained in crisis intervention and recovery—are available to students and their families in all emergencies.
   
• If you are in need of additional information about safety and security in LCSD #1, please feel free to contact district and building administrators at any time.

PARENTS:  HOW YOU CAN HELP IN AN EMERGENCY

Should there ever be a threatening situation or an emergency on a school campus and, for the safety of your child(ren) and all students:

• PLEASE, remain as calm as possible.
• PLEASE, DO NOT attempt to go to the school.  Access routes and streets need to be clear for emergency vehicles.  Traffic congestion will make emergency response much more difficult for first responders, including law enforcement, fire departments, and ambulances, to get to the school to deal with the emergency quickly and efficiently.  This is an issue of safety for all concerned.
• PLEASE, remain at home or at work to make it easier for officials to contact you, if this becomes necessary.  If schools have the need to mass evacuate students off site, students will be taken by bus to an alternate location—you will be given information through the media and through ParentLink as to how and when to pick-up your children.
• PLEASE, DO NOT call your child on his/her cell phone.  If numerous people are using cell phones at one location, it will jam the airways, which will overload the system and could prevent emergency and school officials from using their emergency communication devices.  This would seriously hinder efforts to assist students.  Schools also hope to limit student use of cell phones for the same reason.  However, school personnel will work with students on the use of their personal cell phones and text- messaging in an emergency to keep you informed with the most accurate and reliable information possible and to reduce anxieties. 
• PLEASE, DO NOT call your child’s school building, as telephone lines will need to remain open to deal with the emergency.  If the phone system becomes overloaded, it will hinder efforts to help students and to provide valuable information.
• Stay tuned to local TV and radio stations for ongoing information and emergency instructions.
• Check for updates at: www.laramie1.org 
  
  
  REMEMBER, in an emergency, school officials will need your assistance.  Thank You!