An Emergency Lockdown Checklist
By Stephanie Osorno, Marketing Copywriter at Alertus Technologies
In honor of Emergency Preparedness Month, we’re diving into some of the most common emergencies — severe weather, emergency evacuation, emergency lockdown, and fire — in a series of webinars and articles.
So what’s next in the lineup? For this third Emergency Preparedness article, we put together a lockdown checklist to help your organization prepare for a safe and successful emergency lockdown.
Emergency Lockdown: What is it?
First, let’s review what it means to conduct an emergency lockdown. An emergency lockdown typically occurs when there is an immediate threat to building occupants, such as an intruder incident — whether that be in a school, business organization, or other public entity. Keep in mind that emergency lockdowns are different from emergency evacuations because they require staying inside the building until the specific emergency has been cleared.
While emergency lockdown situations may be few and far between, it’s important to always be prepared with an effective emergency lockdown plan.
Emergency Lockdown Checklist
1. Assign lockdown roles.
Make sure to appoint specific people within your organization to help conduct a successful emergency lockdown. These people will be in charge of activating your alerting system, turning lights off, covering windows, locking all doors and rooms, and more.
2. Coordinate with nearby emergency services.
Reach out to first responders in your area or a local police station to put a communication and response plan in place. This will help ensure rapid communication with emergency personnel in the event of a lockdown.
3. Implement a comprehensive alerting solution.
A comprehensive mass notification approach is key to not only alerting everyone about the emergency, but also providing them with clear instructions on exactly what to do during a lockdown. The Alertus System, for example, uses solutions like Text-to-Speech (TTS) technology to deliver instant, intelligible emergency notifications.
4. Maintain an up-to-date contact database.
As people come and go within your organization, make it a point to keep your contact list up to date. This way, during a time-sensitive lockdown, you’ll be able to easily reach your intended recipient without having to stop and search.
5. Create a plan for special needs clients, staff, visitors, or students.
It’s critical to account for all individuals, including those with different disabilities. Alertus offers both audible and visual notification devices, such as the Alertus Alert Beacon, for anyone who is deaf or hard-of-hearing.
6. Provide peace of mind when the lockdown is over.
Letting your organization know when the lockdown is over is just as important as notifying them when it begins. Provide peace of mind by giving everyone the “ALL CLEAR” when it’s safe to do so.
7. Offer regular emergency lockdown training and drills.
Don’t wait until an emergency lockdown event to educate your organization on the emergency lockdown plan. Conduct regular lockdown drills and display lockdown procedure directions in high-visibility areas.
8. Develop a backup plan.
Unfortunately, things may not always go according to plan — especially during an unpredictable crisis. Be sure to have a backup plan in place to avoid panic and remain proactive for everyone’s safety.
Learn More
Check out our emergency lockdown video to learn how Alertus can become an integral part of your emergency lockdown plan.
And for additional tips and insight on emergency lockdowns, watch our on-demand webinar, Prepare Your Organization for an Emergency Lockdown with Alertus.
Additional Resources:
Emergency Lockdown Guidance: