A. Purpose
The District-wide School Safety Plan was developed pursuant to Commissioner’s Regulation 155.17. At the direction of the Florida UFSD Board of Education, You said:
A. Prevention/Intervention Strategies and Program Initiatives
To be effective, violence prevention programs require community-wide collaborative efforts that include students, families, teachers, administrators, staff, social and mental health professionals, law enforcement, emergency response personnel, security professionals, school board members, parents and the business community, etc… School administrators bring together all of the above constituencies to develop strategies appropriate for their own particular school and community environments.
While school boards and administrators set the climate of safety within schools, teachers especially, are directly involved and support in all stages of developing and implementing programs to achieve safer schools. Teachers establish the first line of school safety, because they have the most direct contact with students.
Additional prevention and intervention strategies include collaborative arrangements with State and local law enforcement officials.
Note: Risk Reduction/Prevention and Intervention are activities that are taken prior to an emergency or disaster to eliminate the possibility of the occurrence, or reduce the impact of such an emergency, if it does occur.
Program Initiatives
School administrators and teachers have identified and implemented programs that reduce isolation and alienation as well as increase positive self-respect and respect for others. Risk reduction/ prevention and intervention are activities that are taken prior to an emergency or disaster to eliminate the possibility of the occurrence or reduce the outcome. In general, these programs:
- Establish standards for how people should treat each other.
- Promote and ensure that classroom standards are consistent with school and district policies.
- Ensure classroom standards are reviewed in class and that a copy is sent to parents / guardians.
- Coordinate a cooperative effort to create and disseminate statements of values that all affiliates of school will be expected to follow. All members should be able to state their school’s values.
- Establish better lines of communication with students who may feel alienated or isolated and / or have low self-esteem.
- Help students become more successful in achieving desirable short- and long-term goals and increase the likelihood that their progress is recognized and rewarded.
- Teach students how to resist others’ efforts to intimidate or isolate them.
- Model and reinforce values such as learning, respect, character and cooperation.
- Encourage students to work together through the use of cooperative learning techniques such as team products.
- Encourage the contemplation of core values (respect, responsibility, trust, sharing etc…) through the use of age and curriculum-appropriate writing assignments and class discussions.
- Encourage students to become actively involved in the school community.
- Recognize and reward students who exhibit positive and responsible behavior.
- Offer troubled and withdrawn students including victims, help outside of class with schoolwork and personal problems.
- Develop a climate that encourages open communication between students and adults. It should maximize the options by which students can transmit their concerns about violence to school personnel, foster an environment of trust and be sensitive to their fears of retaliation.
Student Rules (Code of Conduct)
The Florida UFSD has revised the student Code of Conduct, which was approved by the Board of Education on July 7, 2014. This document clearly defines the long-standing set of expectations for conduct on school property and at school functions. These expectations are based on the principles of civility, mutual respect, citizenship, character, tolerance, honesty and integrity. This Code of Conduct identifies possible consequences of unacceptable conduct and ensures that discipline, when necessary, is administered promptly and fairly.
Anti-bullying Programs/Anti-Gang Programs
Bullying is a range of behaviors both verbal and physical that intimidate others and often lead to
antisocial and unlawful acts. Florida UFSD employs principles of the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) and conducts yearly training of the subject material. Staff, students and parents/ guardians need to understand that bullying is a pervasive problem that leads to violence. Bullying should neither be thought of as a “kids will be kids” occurrence nor accepted as a way of life. Anti-bullying programs are instituted district wide and include:
- A clear definition of what is considered bullying. Input and involvement from the school community (students, staff, parents, teachers, volunteers and law enforcement) is utilized to clearly communicate the definition to students, teachers, parents and staff. The definition includes all forms such as physical, verbal and psychological aspects of bullying.
- Florida UFSD has established specific rules prohibiting bullying. Consequences for bullying activities are part of a comprehensive school code of conduct.
- Florida UFSD investigates all claims of bullying and their motifs thereof.
- Florida UFSD has established mechanisms by which incidents of bullying can be reported and recorded immediately after they occur.
- Florida UFSD that all reporting and evaluation is completed in adherence to all privacy laws. Care is taken to:
- Protect witnesses and victims from retaliation
- Meet applicable standards for confidentiality
- Ensure that personnel involved with victims and bullies have the information they need to effectively work with them
- Protect the accused from false allegations
- Florida UFSD notifies parents/guardians of both victims and perpetrators whenever a report of bullying is formally filed. Procedures have been developed to determine if an onsite mediation conference is necessary.
- Florida UFSD continually monitors the number of reported incidents of bullying.
- Florida UFSD Regular conducts surveys assessing the prevalence, location and kind of bullying activities that are occurring. Information is reviewed from students, parents and staff. Effort is taken to address activities that occur not only in school but also on the way to and from school.
- When applicable, Florida UFSD holds focus groups to discuss the nature of the problem of bullying and ways to solve it.
- Florida UFSD employs community resources to intervene immediately when necessary. These resources also help to develop additional intervention and/or prevention programs. Florida UFSD ensures adequate social service and mental health resources are both available and utilized.
- Florida UFSD employs principles to identify and provide intervention to bullies and victims and at the classroom level and at other student contact points within schools. Victims are provided with immediate support services and referrals.
- Florida UFSD teachers and staff record events as well as the interventions and strategies that are implemented to address different instances of bullying.
Gang membership is destructive to a healthy school environment. Members of gangs are more likely than other students to carry weapons and engage in acts of violence.
- Florida UFSD has established partnerships with law enforcement in order to exchange information and educate teachers and staff about the presence of gangs and their activities.
- Gang and violence prevention teams have been implemented to provide youth education programs. Teams include educators, law enforcement, probation officers, community leaders, students and school resource officers, gang specialists, mental health professionals and parents.
- Florida UFSD remains aware of gang-related clothing, paraphernalia and behavior. Florida UFSD’ school dress code seeks to exclude outward manifestations of gang membership.
- Parents / guardians are notified should their child be suspected of involvement in gangs. Resources are provided for access to relevant information and counseling.
Extended Day and/or after school activities:
There are many after school clubs that help give our students a chance to further develop their interests and develop leadership skills. Presently, our Golden Hill Elementary after school clubs include, but are not limited to: Enrichment Planet, YMCA Club Kid, Saturday Academy, Odyssey of the Mind and various intramural sports. S.S. Seward Institute activities and clubs include, but are not limited to: Diversity, National Honor Society, Band, Odyssey of the Mind, Baseball, Photography Club, Basketball, School Newspaper, Chess Club, Science Research Club, Chorus, Senior Enrichment, Cooking Club, Ski Club, Cross Country, Soccer, Debate Team, Softball, Drama Club, Spanish Club, Fine Arts Club, Video Club, Volleyball, Student Council, Yearbook, Library Club, Literary Magazine and Youth in Government.
Suicide Prevention
Suicide is a far more common form of violence involving students as compared to a school homicide. It is hoped that effective suicide prevention will decrease the occurrence of both self-inflicted suicide and violence by students who believe their acts will result in their being killed by others. Prevention measures have been taken to include:
- The development of plans and techniques to identify students at risk.
- Proper handling of threats and response actions to a suicide event.
- Florida UFSD provides information to student relating to access to suicide hotlines and counselors utilizing both written / visual materials.
- Florida UFSD provides education to students, parents / guardians, teachers and other school personnel on how to identify and get help for troubled students before they become victims of suicide.
Other Program Initiatives:
- National Incident Management System (NIMS) training for emergency response team members
- New York State School Safety Guide (2007)
- School Safety Plan Guidance (SAVE -2010)
- Collaboration with the Village of Florida / Town of Warwick Police
- Florida UFSD Guidance Services which can assist students with issues concerning: suicide prevention, substance abuse, peer mediation and/or conflict resolution. Florida Union Free School District encourages students to report school violence and any symptoms of potentially violent behavior to counselors, principals, student coordinators, psychologists and teachers or any other mentor without fear of retaliation by communicating this to all students at the beginning of the school year and periodically throughout the school year as appropriate.
B. Training Requirements and Exercises
All district personnel (faculty, custodial staff, office staff and administrators) will receive an orientation to the district’s multi-hazards emergency plans on an annual basis. The orientation will focus on the district’s policies and procedures for fire evacuations and emergency response procedures, emergency communications and the district’s incident command system. (Substitute Teachers and Teacher Aides will receive training and a fact sheet on the district’s policies and procedures upon initial assignment). Building Administrators will be responsible for compliance.
Florida UFSD District-wide School Safety Plan includes policies and procedures for annual multi-hazard school safety training for staff (including bus drivers and monitors) and students, provided that the district must certify to the commissioner that all staff have undergone annual training by September 15th on the Building Level Emergency Response Plan which must include components on violence prevention and mental health, provided further that new employees hired after the start of the school year shall receive such training within 30 days of hire or as part of the district’s existing new hire training program, whichever is sooner. District personnel receive orientation to the district’s potential hazards, policies and procedures, emergency communications and the Incident Command System (ICS).
As per new Commissioner Regulations (CRR 155.7(c)(1)) commencing July 31, 2024, the districtwide school safety plan shall include procedures for review and the conduct of drills, tabletop exercises and information about emergency procedures and drills, including information about procedures and timeframe for notification of parents or persons in parental relation regarding drills and other emergency response training(s) that include students. Schools and the district may participate in full-scale exercises in coordination with local and county emergency responders and preparedness officials. Drills conducted during the school day with students present shall be conducted in trauma informed, developmentally, and age appropriate manner and SHALL NOT include props, actors, or simulations or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence or emergency. At the time that drills are conducted, students and staff shall be informed it is a drill.
What are the differences between drills, tabletop exercises and full-scale exercises?
Drills provide an opportunity to practice and prepare staff & students and establish procedures to be used during an emergency. During drills, the school building & grounds are used to practice responding to a scenario, prepare students and staff, and test operations. Drills involve students & staff.
Tabletop exercises are small-group discussions that walk through a scenario to increase awareness of roles and responsibilities. Tabletop exercises do not involve students. NOTE: Tabletop exercises may be utilized by school and district safety teams as a training resource and may include a discussion-based activity for staff in an informal classroom or meeting type setting to discuss their roles during an emergency and their responses to sample emergency situations.
Full-Scale Exercises evaluate operational capability during simulated conditions with multiple partners (i.e., law enforcement). Full-scale Exercises do not involve students
Trauma-Informed Drill Definitions:
Trauma means an emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience such as, but not limited to, an act of violence, natural disaster, abuse, neglect, or loss.
Trauma-informed means an understanding of what trauma is and how it affects the physical, emotional, and mental health of students and adults.
Trauma-informed drills means avoiding tactics in training or drills that may introduce or activate prior trauma, such as use of props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting, incident of violence, or other emergency, or inclusion of developmentally or age-inappropriate contact; and to recognize that drills may inadvertently prompt a negative emotional or psychological response in staff or students because of previous exposure(s) to trauma.
How should drills be conducted?
Lockdown and evacuation drills practice established procedures that will be used during an emergency.
- Drills should be conducted in a trauma informed, developmentally and age-appropriate manner and shall not include props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting, incident of violence or other emergency.
- Drills should occur after annual training in emergency procedures has been provided to students and staff.
- Drills should be completed on different days and during different times of the school day.
Drills should AVOID:
- Simulation of an emergency
- Use of props, actors, simulations, or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence or emergency
- Calling the Lockdown Drill an Active Shooter Drill
- Leading anyone to believe there is an actual emergency
By October 1st of each school year, there will be written information provided to all students and staff (including bus drivers and monitors) about emergency procedures.
- Building emergency drills are practiced a minimum of 12 times per school year. Four of these drills must be trauma-informed Lockdown drills. The remaining eight will be Evacuation drills. Eight of the overall twelve drills will be completed by December 31st of every school year. Drills are conducted at different times of the school day. Pupils shall be instructed in the procedure to be followed in the event that a fire occurs during lunch period or assembly.
- Florida UFSD conducts one early go-home drill annually to test its alerting and warning procedures, communications procedures, resources, staff procedures, transportation procedures, public information procedures and evacuation procedures.
- Sheltering in the event of severe weather threat such as a tornado or thunderstorm is practiced on an annual basis to test alerting and warning procedures. These include communications procedures, staff procedures and the movement of students to designated areas within the school building.
- Florida UFSD conducts “Table-Top” exercises with local law enforcement agencies and other response agencies to practice and review its emergency procedures. Local law enforcement agencies are also included in at least one of the Lockdown drills to practice and review its emergency procedures.
- Florida UFSD may opt to participate in full-scale exercises in conjunction with local and county emergency responders and preparedness officials and include props, actors, or simulations or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence or emergency shall not conduct such exercises on a regular school day or when school activities such as athletics are occurring on school grounds. Such exercises MAY NOT include students without written consent from parents or persons in parental relation.
- As per Education Law 808, 45 minutes of instruction in arson and fire prevention is given in grades K-12 for each month of school in session.
- A mandatory compliance training is conducted annually.
Following a drill and / or exercise, participants are asked to forward their observations to their Building Emergency Response Team representative for further review and / or discussion. If immediate action is needed, the building Principal will be notified in order to take corrective action. The Building Emergency Response Team will review the after-action reports and forward their recommendations and suggestions to the Director of Instructional Services who consults with the District-wide Emergency Response Team.
C. School Safety Personnel
Hiring and Screening of School Personnel The following hiring and screening practices are followed for the hiring of all personnel:
Fingerprinting and Criminal Background Checks
For all employees hired by the school district, the district completes a fingerprinting and criminal background check prior to appointment. Employees include any person receiving compensation for work from the school district; any employee of a contracted service provider involved in direct student contact; any worker assigned to a school under a public assistance employment program (includes part-time employees and substitutes).
Reference Checks
- References are thoroughly checked prior to extending an employment offer.
- Reference check forms are used for instructional, non-instructional and other personnel.
- Reference checks are completed and reviewed by both the hiring supervisor and the administrator in charge of the program area.
- Prior to making a job offer to a prospective employee, the following mandatory questions are asked during reference checks with immediate and/or past supervisors:
- Do you have knowledge of any violations of safety or security by (prospective employee) related to students, staff or others?
- Why did (prospective employee) leave your employment? Or, Do you know why (prospective employee) is leaving your employment?
- Would you rehire (prospective employee)? If no, why not?
Duties to Include/Not Limited to
School safety personnel have a critical role in violence prevention. The following represents a description of the responsibilities of school safety personnel in the district: The building principal or his/her designee shall serve as the School Safety Representative for the school building. The responsibilities of the School Safety Representative are as follows:
- Monitor hallways, entrance ways, exits and outside grounds during school hours for unusual occurrences or unauthorized visitors.
- Act as building liaison in communicating building level safety issues or concerns.
- Represent the building on the District-wide Health and Safety Committee.
- Serve on building level School Building Response Team.
- Attend school safety meetings and be a resource on school safety and security issues for building staff.
- Develop plans and strategies for building security, crime and violence prevention, safety planning and staff training.
- Participate in school incident investigations.
- Respond to all school emergencies as part of the building’s Emergency Response Plan.
- Coordinate annual school safety multi-hazard training for students and staff. Multi-hazard training shall include crisis intervention, emergency response and management.
- Staff and students shall receive annual training and drill practice on protocols for bomb threats, evacuation, sheltering, lock-down, relocation to hallway, fire emergency, bus drills and appropriate violence prevention strategies.
- Designate procedure for informing substitute teaching and non-teaching staff of school safety protocols.
- Comply and encourage compliance with all school safety and security policies and procedures established by the Board of Education.
- Attend professional development activities on school safety and violence prevention.
Training of all current and new staff regarding violence prevention and intervention using the National Incident Management System (NIMS) training for Schools program or other similar programs that meet the stipulated guidelines and requirements.
Implementation of School Security
Florida UFSD employs the use of security personnel to greet all visitors and monitor the buildings. In addition, Florida UFSD utilizes the local sheriff’s office as on-site law enforcement. Specific guidelines for the hiring of security personnel have been set to include previous law enforcement, military service, juvenile intervention training, etc… A Memorandum of Agreements has been made with the local sheriffs to describe the scope of work and ensure personnel are adequately trained. More details on the Memorandum of Agreement can be found in Appendix 3.
Florida UFSD implements security measures to include entrance restrictions, visitor screening procedures and building hardening. The level of physical security may need to be modified in order to lower the schools’ vulnerability to violent behaviors. Different strategies will be required to address needs specific to elementary, middle and high school ages.
Florida UFSD administrators conduct periodic comprehensive security assessment surveys of the school security staff, physical facilities and its personnel, fire and other emergency service personnel, teachers, staff, students and other school community members. Using the conclusions of that survey, administrators develop a comprehensive security plan (School Site Safety Plan). Based on each school’s needs, school safety plans help the district improve the security throughout the district.
D. School Resource Information (Vital Education Agency Information)
As the Florida UFSD plan is a public document and is posted on our webpage, our vital educational information is included in the Building Level Emergency Response plans.
E. Early Detection of Potentially Violent Behaviors
Florida UFSD uses several tools to help detect potential violent behaviors before they happen. Our students receive the code of conduct as part of their student handbook. During the first week of school there are assemblies, which details expectations and the reporting process. The sharing of information is customized based on the program, age / grade and developmental level of the students.
Florida UFSD administrators receive the following trainings:
- Stop the Bleed
- Threat Assessment
- Crisis Intervention
- Active Shooter/Mass Causality Trainings
- Reunification Trainings
- Promoting a culture of “See Something, Say Something”
- DASA Training
- Sexual Harassment Training
- Violence Prevention Training
- Mental Health Training
- Administrators are all mandated reporters.
Threat Assessment
Florida UFSD utilizes procedures developed by the United States Secret Service as well as assessment strategies from the Dewey Cornell Model of threat assessment.
The following suggestions for threat assessment investigations are based on guidelines developed by the Secret Service’s National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC). Procedures have been critiqued to the application of school situations.
To identify threats, school officials are advised to:
- Focus on individuals’ thinking and behavior as indicators of their progress on a pathway to violent actions. Avoid “profiling” or basing assumptions on socio-psychological characteristics. In reality, accurate “profiles” for those likely to commit acts of targeted violence do not exist. School shootings are infrequent and the great majority of individuals who happen to match a particular profile do not commit violent acts. In addition, many individuals who commit violent acts do not match pre-established profiles.
- Focus on individuals who may pose a threat, not only on those who explicitly communicate a threat. Many individuals who make direct threats do not pose an actual risk, while many people who ultimately commit acts of targeted violence never communicate threats to their targets. Prior to making an attack, potential aggressors may provide evidence they have engaged in thinking, planning and logistical preparations. They may communicate their intentions to family, friends, or colleagues, or write about their plans in a diary or journal. They may have engaged in “attack-related” behaviors: deciding on a victim or set of victims, determining a time and approach to attack and / or selecting a means of attack. They may have collected information about their intended target(s) and the setting of the attack, as well as information about similar attacks that previously occurred.
Once individuals who may pose a threat have been identified, ten key questions guide the assessment of the threat:
- What motivated the individual to make the statement or take the action that caused him / her to come to attention?
- What has the individual communicated to anyone concerning his / her intentions?
- Has the individual shown an interest in targeted violence, perpetrators of targeted violence, weapons, extremist groups or murder?
- Has the individual engaged in attack-related behavior, including any menacing, harassing and / or stalking-type behavior?
- Does the individual have a history of mental illness involving command hallucinations, delusional ideas, feelings of persecution, etc., with indications that the individual has acted on those beliefs?
- How organized is the individual? Is he / she capable of developing and carrying out a plan?
- Has the individual experienced a recent loss and / or loss of status and has this led to feelings of desperation and despair?
- Corroboration-What is the individual saying and is it consistent with his / her actions?
- Is there concern among those that know the individual that he / she might act based on inappropriate ideas?
- What factors in the individual’s life and / or environment might increase / decrease the likelihood of the individual attempting to attack a target?
F. Hazard Identification of Sites of Potential Emergencies
Faculty and / or staff conduct daily inspections of their classrooms, specialty rooms, playground, athletic fields and / or office area to identify, evaluate and if needed to control any potential hazards associated within their work area. All concerns are forwarded to the appropriate administrator. If immediate action is needed, the administrator will contact the Chief Emergency Officer.
Florida UFSD continues to work with outside emergency response agencies and the Risk Management Department to evaluate potential hazards within our district. Florida UFSD has identified the following list of sites and a few of potential hazards.
Buildings
- Golden Hill Elementary School, 478 Round Hill Road, Florida, NY 10921
- S. S. Seward Institute, 53 North Main Street, Florida, NY 10921
- S. S. Seward Memorial Building, 51 North Main Street, Florida, NY 10921
Potential emergencies
- Transportation Accidents
- Black Dirt Storms
- Water Main Break
- UST Leaks
- The Superintendent of School District appointed a District-wide School Safety Team and charged it with the development and maintenance of the District-wide School Safety Plan.
While schools can act to minimize the risk of violence, we can rarely, if ever, predict when it will happen because of the numerous variables involved. We can only analyze the risk and perform a threat assessment. The purpose of the threat assessment is to identify and understand risk factors, often seen in the form of recurring and escalating behaviors and not try to match a student to a predetermined “profile”.
The school district supports the S.A.V.E. Legislation and intends to facilitate the planning process. The Executive Office encourages and advocates on-going District-wide cooperation and support of Project S.A.V.E.
B. Identification of School Teams
The Florida Union Free School District (UFSD) has appointed a District-wide School Safety Team consisting of, but not limited to:
- Superintendent
- Director of Instructional Services
- Business Office Manager/ Supervisor of Bus Drivers and Monitors
- School Principals
- Assistant Principal
- Director of Facilities
- Supervisor of Pupil Services
- School Psychologist
- Counselors
- Social Worker
- Technical Staff
- Board of Education Designee
- Teachers’ Union Representative
- Support Staff Representative
- *Students
- Local Florida UFSD Representative
- PTA/PTSA Representative
- Fire Chief
- Local Police Chief
- Orange County Sheriff’s Office
- New York State Police
*At the discretion of the board of education, a student may be allowed to participate on the District-wide Safety Team, provided however, that no portion of a confidential building level emergency response plan be shared with such student nor shall such student be present when details of a confidential building-level emergency response plan or confidential portions of a District-wide safety plan be discussed. The District-wide School Safety Team will meet quarterly or as needed and will conduct annual reviews of the District-wide Safety Plan.
Districtwide School Safety Team
| Name |
Representation |
Name |
Representation |
| Lori Gorcsos |
Board of Education |
Julianne Potter |
MS/HS School Counselor |
| Dr. Lisamarie Spindler |
Superintendent |
Donald Lewis |
HS Teacher/FTA President |
| Christopher Slesinski |
School Business Manager/Supervisor of School Bus Drivers and Monitors |
TBA |
School Nurse |
| |
Director of Facilities |
Andrea Simulcik |
Parent/PTA/Support Staff |
| Jeanne Marie Pavlik |
Supervisor of Pupil Personnel |
Duane Lopez |
Orange-Ulster BOCES Safety Coordinator |
| Dana Castine |
Director of Instructional Services |
Sheriff Paul Arteta, Sergeant Diana Miller |
Orange County Sheriff’s Office Representation |
| Starla Ciarelli |
Elementary School Principal |
Anca Watt |
New York State Police |
| Bianca Mendola |
Elementary School Counselor |
Chief James Coleman |
Village of Florida PD |
| Michael Maesano |
MS/HS Principal |
Chief John Rader |
Town of Warwick PD |
| Amanda Collins |
MS/HS Asst. Principal/CIO |
Chief William Babcock |
Village of Florida Fire Department |
| Christine Bermudez |
Psychologist |
|
|
The District Wide School Safety Team was appointed by the Board of Education on: August 29th, 2024 CR155.7(b) (14)
District Chief Emergency Officer
The designation of the Chief Emergency Officer or designee, as the district chief emergency officer whose duties shall include, but not limited to:
- Coordination of the communication between school staff, law enforcement and other first responders.
- Lead the efforts of the District-Wide School Safety team in the completion and yearly update of the district wide school safety plan and coordination of the district wide plan with the building level emergency response plans.
- Ensure staff understanding of the district wide school safety plan.
- Ensure completion and yearly update of the building level emergency response plans for each school building.
- Assist in the selection of security related technology and development of procedures for the use of such technology.
- Coordinate appropriate safety, security and emergency training for district and school staff including required training in the emergency response plan.
- Ensure the conduct of required evacuation and lock-down drill in all district buildings as required by Education Law section 807.
- Ensure the completion and yearly update of building-level emergency response plans by the dates designated by the commissioner.
- Ensure the required evacuation and lock-down drills are conducted in a trauma-informed, and developmentally and age-appropriate manner that does not include props, actors, or simulations or other tactics intended to mimic a school shooting or other act of violence or emergency in all district buildings as required by Education Law section 807.
| Name |
Title |
Contact |
Email |
| Dr. Lisamarie Spindler |
Superintendent |
845-651-3095 x40010 |
lspindler@floridaufsd.org |
The District Chief Emergency Officer is Dr. Lisamarie Spindler and was appointed on: August 29th, 2024 CR155.17(c)(1)(xix)
C. Concept of Operations
Emergencies in schools are defined as undesirable events that occur and have the potential to cause injury or illness to members of our school community or disrupt the orderly educational process. They range from acts of bullying or harassment to catastrophic natural or man-made events. To address these threats, the State of New York has enacted the Safe Schools Against Violence in Education (S.A.V.E.) law. Project S.A.V.E. is a comprehensive planning effort that addresses prevention, response and recovery with respect to a variety of emergencies in schools. Florida UFSD supports the S.A.V.E. legislation. As such, the Superintendent, Board of Education and the entire district staff encourages and advocates on-going District-wide cooperation of Project S.A.V.E.
Emergency management is the discipline of dealing with and avoiding risks. It is a discipline that involves preparing for an emergency situation or disaster before it occurs as well as supporting and rebuilding from the emergency after natural or human-made disasters have occurred.
Emergency management in our schools is the continuous process by which our staff, students, administrators, parents, school groups, emergency responders and our community manages hazards in an effort to avoid or mitigate the impact of disasters resulting from hazards. Preventive measures and good planning will reduce the likelihood that emergencies will occur and allows us to address those that do in an expeditious and effective manner.
Districts are required to develop District-wide School Safety and Building Level Emergency Plans designed to prevent and effectively manage such events to minimize the effects of serious incidents and emergencies. These plans also facilitate the coordination of the district with local and county plans and resources when incidents and emergencies occur.
The District-wide Safety plan is responsive to the needs of all schools in the district and is the foundation of which the confidential and highly detailed Building-Level Emergency Plans are developed from.
In the event of an emergency or violent incident, the initial response to all emergencies at an individual school will be by the Building-Level Emergency Response Team whom, if need be, will call upon the District-wide Emergency Response Team and local emergency responders.
It is important to prepare the threat assessment strategy so that when a threat occurs, everyone will know the plan of action. Threats are alarming statements or behaviors that give rise to concern and potential violence. Among the possible components of threat assessment, Florida UFSD has developed strategies which include:
- Florida UFSD Threat Assessment Team would be called in to assess the credibility of any and all threats. Assessment would include the severity of the threat and the appropriate response needed. The Threat Assessment Team is comprised of school administrators and representatives from local law enforcement and when necessary additional resources may be called from the NYS Police and the Mid-Hudson office of the FBI. Mental Health Professionals, Technical Staff and Crisis Intervention are also individuals among the group.
- Depending upon the nature of threats, Florida UFSD will use its discretion in the handling of the situation. At times many threats are assessed and a determination is made that the district can handle the response internally. However, at no point will Florida UFSD hesitate to involve outside law enforcement agencies to assist in the investigation and response of threats. The range of situations may include bomb threats, threats against children by parents / guardians in custody battles, personal vendettas between students or gangs, threats against teachers or staff involved in domestic conflict, threats of retaliation, efforts to intimidate and any other type of alarming behavior that involves members of the school community or its property.
- Florida UFSD has procedures to assure timely and appropriate reporting of all threats submitted from both inside and outside the school. These reports are routed to the appropriate administrator and or law enforcement to be investigated.
- Florida UFSD has procedures on how to properly record and monitor for threats. These guidelines have been set to provide the most accurate and detailed account of information pertaining to the threats.
- Florida UFSD ensures cooperation between law enforcement and school authorities in collecting and preserving all evidence of threats.
- When a threat is received Florida UFSD will evaluate the situations with the appropriate members of the Threat Assessment Team. When necessary, in adherence of all privacy laws, potential victims will be notified.
- Florida UFSD will determine what additional security measures, if any, should be put in place after a threat. Changes might include requesting additional police patrols, increasing the number of security guards, activating an Emergency Response Procedure (SHELL Protocol), additional training, adding additional video surveillance, etc…
- Florida UFSD will provide counsel to potential victims about the various civil criminal options available to them such as obtaining an order of protection. The potential reactions of the offender should be considered when seeking an order of protection. Additional security precautions should be taken if the offender is likely to respond negatively to the intervention chosen, especially during the period immediately following the initial application of the intervention.
- Florida UFSD has procedures to screen mail and packages left on school sites after a threat has been made. Florida UFSD will contact the U.S. Postal Service, Local Police, State Police, or the FBI for guidance.
- Florida UFSD has procedures for releasing any threat-related information to the school community or media. Considerations to the potential consequences of the dissemination of information will be evaluated. Upon the activation of the School Emergency Response Team, The Superintendent or his / her designee will be notified and where appropriate local emergency officials will also receive notification.
The District-wide School Safety Plan is directly linked to the individual Building-Level Emergency Management Operations Plan for each of the school buildings. Protocols reflected in the District-wide School Safety Plan will guide the development and implementation of the individual Building-Level Emergency Management Operations Plan.
The District-wide Plan was developed through extensive analysis of the local environment, emergency potential and available resources. Through training and workshops that included school staff, administration and local emergency services, the plan has been developed to address the specific needs of the Florida UFSD and the community.
In the event of an emergency or violent incident, the initial response to all emergencies at an individual school will be by the school’s Building Principal or Designee/Emergency Response Team. Depending on the emergency the Building Principal is responsible for notifying the Director of Instructional Services and the Superintendent of Schools of any necessary building level plan activation. This notification shall be accomplished through the use of telephone or the district’s radio network.
Upon activation of the building level emergency response team, the Superintendent or designee shall be notified and, where appropriate, additional local/county/state emergency officials shall be engaged.
County and state resources supplement the school district’s emergency action planning in a number of ways:
- State and local law enforcement provide building reviews and staff training
- Local law enforcement and emergency services participate in planning and training exercises and develop strategies for managing building-level emergencies, e.g. a protocol has been developed for using emergency services vehicles to block roadways approaching district buildings for accident/incident scene management
- A protocol exists for the school district to use certain municipal buildings for sheltering during times of emergencies
- A protocol exists for the use of county mental health resources during post-incident response to include the Orange County CISM Team.
Plan Review and Public Comment
Districtwide School Safety Plan
As required by state education law, the Florida Union Free School District maintains a District-Wide Safety Plan and posts it on its website. This plan is designed to prevent or minimize the effects of violent incidents and emergencies and to facilitate the coordination of schools and school districts with local and county resources in the event of such incidents or emergencies. The district’s safety team is responsible for reviewing and updating the district wide safety plan prior to the new school year, and making it available for public comment for 30 days following.
- The District-Wide School Team was appointed by the Board of Education on: Auguat 29, 2024 CR 155.17(b) (14)
- The District-Wide Safety Plan was made available for public comment at least thirty days prior to its adoption by the Board of Education. The 30-day public comment began on: July 25, 2024 and ended on August 23, 2024 CR 155.17(c)(3)
- At least one public hearing that provided for the participation of school personnel, parents and any other interested parties, was held prior to adoption of the plan. Date of Public Hearing on: August 29, 2024 CR 155.17(c)(3)
- The District-Wide Safety Plan was posted on the district website. The URL must be submitted to the Education Department with the requirement that the plan be submitted to the commissioner within 30 days from adoption.
- Date District-Wide Emergency Plan was posted on the District Website: July 25, 2024.
URL for the District-Wide School Safety Plan:
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