School Safety

Contact: Kara Grasser

Manassas Park City Schools has comprehensive school safety plans to cover a wide range of crisis events. We work in collaboration with the police department and the fire department to construct specific crisis and crisis communication plans for each school in the division.Safety Light

Crisis planning includes: immediate threat to the school building, weather related emergencies, other unplanned events that alter the course of the school day, threats to self or others, cyber threats, and evacuation plans. Schools complete all required drills annually including: fire drills, tornado drills, earthquake drills, and lockdown drills. 

Communication channels

In the event of a crisis in the schools, we will utilize the following communication channels: Communicate (our phone call, text message, and email system), Facebook and Twitter. We will also coordinate communication with Manassas Park City Government, Manassas Park Police Department, and Manassas Park Fire Department. 

ALICE- Armed Intruder Training 

Manassas Park City Schools has adopted enhanced safety procedures that we, as well as the experts across the country, believe will increase the chance of survival should an armed intruder enter our schools. These enhanced procedures provide our staff and students additional response options by utilizing the ALICE approach.

Alert - Get the word out! Use clear, concise language to convey the type and location of the event
Lockdown - We will continue to lock down students when it is the best option
Inform - Communication allows for good decision-making
Counter - Apply skills to distract, confuse and gain control
Evacuate - Get out! Put distance between you and the intruder

In short, when faced with an armed intruder invading our secure area, we will use the ALICE approach to:

- Listen carefully to the location and type of event
- Get to and/or remain in a secure area until it is safe to evacuate
- Apply skills to distract, confuse and gain control should an armed intruder enter the area
- Evacuate as soon as it is safe

In No Way are we asking or teaching our students to make any attempt to subdue an armed intruder. However, we will provide them with options that can be applied if faced with a life or death situation to enhance their chances for survival. Some of the methods that will be taught, in the event they are confronted by an armed intruder are:

- Cause distractions to interfere with the ability to shoot accurately
- Cause as much chaos in the room as possible to create sensory overload
- Do not be a stationary target
- How to control the attacker using body weight
- Where to go once you have escaped, i.e. identified reunification point

ALICE Program FAQ

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