Safety and Security
Catalina Foothills School District Emergency Operations
CFSD is committed to providing a safe environment for teaching and learning. We hired a firm to conduct a comprehensive safety and security audit during the summer of 2022. They evaluated all eight (8) school campuses and the district office campus. We are reviewing all of the audit recommendations to determine what additional facility modifications we may make to increase security.
Here are the steps we take to maintain the well-being of our community:
Each school has an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that is adaptive and scalable. Specific details within the EOP are intentionally kept confidential for the safety of our staff, students, and visitors in our buildings.
We build partnerships with law enforcement and first responders to regularly monitor and evaluate our protocols.
School Emergency Response Teams plan emergency response procedures for each site.
Drills and staff training occur throughout the year.
Specific safety protocols are in place for each type of emergency response: evacuation, lockdown, and shelter in place.
Schools have a single point of entry for visitors and required sign-in through the front office.
Schools maintain staffing resources for CPR, first aid, and counseling.
If you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, please call 9-1-1.
Anonymous Tip Line
In order to maintain the safest learning environment, CFSD offers a Safe School Line for students, parents, and community members to anonymously report threats or suspicious activity. Any messages will be retrieved during the district's regular business hours and reported to the appropriate school principal.
Anonymous Tip Line 520-209-8599
If you see something, say something.
Communications
Parents will be notified during a school crisis or shortly thereafter, depending on how long the event lasts. It is critically important that parents follow the district’s protocol in the event of an emergency. The school will not answer their phone during an emergency. Parents and visitors will not be allowed on campus until the campus has been deemed safe.
Important: To ensure timely communication with families in the event of an emergency, it is critical that families keep emergency contact information up to date. Families can verify or update their contact information in ParentVue. If you need help accessing ParentVue, please contact your child’s school for additional support.
During a crisis, CFSD may communicate with families through email, text, and phone dialer, as appropriate. The fastest and most effective of these, during an active situation, is text message. Families must opt-in to receive texts. To opt-in, first verify that your mobile number is correct in ParentVue, then simply text “Y” or “yes” to 67587.
In the event of a prolonged situation, with a series of regular updates, the District uses cfsd.org/911 as a central communications hub.
Please note that during a school crisis, the school may not answer the phone. The staff’s number one priority is to ensure everyone’s safety on campus. The school will share information with families once it has been verified.
Depending on the type of crisis situation, students may be asked to text their parents and let them know that they are safe. In some crisis situations, students will not be allowed to use their phones.
In the event of a crisis, we know that you will have many questions. Information will be shared as it becomes available to us as quickly as possible.
Key Personnel
Emergency preparedness is a shared responsibility across CFSD. It takes the commitment of all employees, strong partnerships with emergency responders, and the support of our community. Any employee of the school may be tasked by the school’s EOP.
Responses to Incidents, Emergencies, and Disasters
Emergencies can range from incidents, which are limited in scope and potential effects, to disasters, which are events beyond the capability of local emergency responders. Depending on the situation, the following protocols may be employed.
Shelter-in-Place
Shelter-in-place provides safe refuge for students, staff, and visitors at the school. This might include a situation taking place in the community, near the proximity of the school or a biohazard situation. During a shelter-in-place, students and staff will remain indoors with the doors locked, as directed by either law enforcement or the school principal, although the educational learning environment may proceed as usual. A shelter-in-place may be used in situations like: wildlife on campus, an assault or fight on campus, law enforcement activity in the community, or a social media threat.
Lockdowns
Lockdowns may be issued in situations involving dangerous intruders or other incidents that may pose a threat to a student or staff’s immediate safety. During a lockdown, all interior and exterior doors will be locked. Parents and visitors will not be allowed on campus during a lockdown. Lockdown situations include: a violent visitor, a weapon on campus, or a social media threat.
Evacuation
The district’s evacuation protocol includes any situation where students and staff are moved to an alternate location. A school may be evacuated during the following examples: fire, a gas leak, a power outage, a natural disaster, or a suspicious package.
In the event of an off-site evacuation, the district will advise families of the location where students can be picked up. Please note that proper identification will be required to further ensure each child’s safety.
Each school’s EOP includes specific guidelines for relocating students with disabilities and non-English speaking students.
How You Can Help
Ensuring the safety of our schools is a group effort. We ask students, parents, and community members to partner with us to keep our students and employees safe and secure. Here’s how you can help:
- Promptly report concerns and remind your student to be confident in their role of reporting issues as well.
- Follow campus protocols and understand that our processes prioritize safety.
- Remember that posts to social media and other mediums are always taken seriously, regardless of intent. The community should abstain from sharing rumors and unsubstantiated information that could prolong investigations.