Rochester City School District

ROCHESTER CITY SCHOOL

DISTRICT

DISTRICT-WIDE
SCHOOL SAFETY PLAN
Updated June 24, 2022

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Overview
The Rochester City School District is committed to the safety and preparedness of its students,
staff and its visitors. Our District-Wide School Safety Plan is an all-hazards approach to crisis
management and focuses on mitigation/prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery
procedures.

The District-Wide School Safety Plan is decreed by the Superintendent and adopted by the Board
of Education. This plan is implemented at the time of an emergency at the direction of the
Superintendent and/or her staff. "Incident Commanders" (Principal/designee) implement
Building-Level Emergency Response Plans (BLERP) when directed by their respective School
Chief, Deputy Superintendent or the Chief of Operations. In the absence of direction from Senior
Administration, each Building Incident Commander (Principal/designee) is authorized and
directed to implement this plan, or take other action as may be, in her or his judgment, necessary
to save lives and mitigate the effects of emergencies.

The District-Wide School Safety Plan is reviewed annually by the District-Wide Safety Team
under the guidance of the Superintendent or designated Chief Emergency Officer. The District-
Wide Safety Team is appointed by the Board of Education. The Plan is reviewed annually each
spring and made available for a 30 day comment period and one public hearing after any
revisions have been made. The Board of Education reviews and adopts the Plan annually and it is
uploaded to the Rochester City School District website.

New York State Education Code 2801-a and Commissioner’s regulation 8 NYCRR Section 155.17
require that each school district shall amend and adopt a comprehensive district-wide school
safety plan and building-level safety plans in relation to emergency response and management,
and crisis intervention. Plans are annually reviewed by the district-wide school safety team and
building-level school safety teams.

The COVID-19 Pandemic has led to many challenges and new opportunities for school districts
and communities. The Rochester City School District is committed to the health and safety for all
its students, staff and families. The District will continue to follow guidance from the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) and
the New York State Education Department (NYSED).

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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 4

RISK REDUCTION/PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION 6

A. Prevention/Intervention Strategies
B. Training, Drills and Exercises
C. Implementation of School Security
D. Vital Educational Agency Information
E. Early Detection of Potentially Violent Behaviors
F. Hazard Identification

DISTRICT RESOURCES AND CONTACTS 10

A. District Emergency Response Team
B. Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet
C. Chief Emergency Officer
D. Command Post
E. District Data and Contacts
F. District-Wide School Safety Team

GENERAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROCEDURES 12

A. Concept of Operations
B. Building-Level Emergency Response Plans (BLERP)
C. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities
D. Direction, Control and Coordination
E. Administration, Finance and Logistics
F. Communication During Emergencies
G. Multi-Hazard Response
H. Emergency Notifications
I. Responses to Acts of Violence: Implied or Direct Threats
J. Acts of Violence
K. Threat and Hazard Specific Response
L. Obtaining Advice and Assistance from the Local Government
M. District Resources Available for Use in an Emergency
N. Response and Functional Annexes
O. Threat and Hazard Specific Annexes
P. Crime Scene Management
Q. Emergency Evacuation of Non-Ambulatory, Disabled, Individuals
with Disabilities
R. Accounting for All Persons
S. Family Reunification Plans
T. Crisis Occurring Outside of Normal School Hours
U. Pandemic Response Plan
V. Opioid Crisis
W. Procedures for Informing Other Educational Agencies of an Emergency
X. Procedures for Sheltering Students, Staff and Visitors
Y. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
Z. Recovery

RESOURCES 23

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Introduction
School safety is the job of the entire District community. This effort requires leadership and
coordination by District and school administration with involvement and participation from all
areas of the community. Coordination with local law enforcement, fire officials, emergency
officials and the overall community in planning, conducting drills and other training exercises
ensures a comprehensive and unified approach to safety and emergency planning. Relationship
building and community engagement and partnerships are vital efforts in building and
maintaining safety.

The purpose of the District-Wide School Safety Plan and each school’s Building-Level Emergency
Response Plan (BLERP) is to assist District and school officials in identifying and responding to
potential emergencies and crises by assigning responsibilities and duties of District and school
officials, students, families, and other community stakeholders. It is vital to develop, train,
exercise, and maintain BLERPs to ensure an effective response before, during and after an
incident. A well developed and rehearsed BLERP provides parents/guardians, students, District
staff, and the community at large the reassurance that the school has established guidelines,
policies and procedures to respond to threats and hazards effectively and efficiently. The
Rochester City School District utilizes the New York State suggested planning format to assist the
District and schools in meeting legislative mandates outlined in 8 NYCRR Section 155.17 and
provides the use of best practices to improve outcomes following emergency situations.

The content, organization, and terminology provided in the New York State Guide to School
Emergency Response Planning aligns with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s “Guide
for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (2013)”. The organization of
this guide supports two key practices adopted in New York State. First, the guide provides
standardized language that is consistent with current national emergency response protocols.
Secondly, consistent formatting in each BLERP aligns critical information necessary to improve
rapid response to emergencies together in the following sections:

• The Basic Plan

• Functional Annexes
• Threat/Hazard Specific Annexes

The Basic Plan standardizes language and provides a structured framework for school BLERPs
statewide. Individualized policies and procedures have been developed by the Rochester City
School District based upon potential circumstances and resources. The Rochester City School
District uses the recommended New York State Functional Annexes in order to standardize the
terminology used by District employees and emergency responders during an emergency.

Functional Annexes focus on critical operational functions and the courses of action developed to
carry them out.

Courses of action and best practices are outlined in each of the District’s Building-Level
Emergency Response Plans Threat/Hazard Specific Annexes section. These annexes detail what
to do in the event of various emergencies. These BLERP’s provide current information about
school response team members, students and staff with special needs; and any other critical
information relative to each school building. The District has also identified appropriate staff to
fill specific roles related to incident command and appropriate emergency response teams.
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Building principals, assistant principals and other key members have been trained in the Incident
Command System (ICS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). The Superintendent
or designated Chief Emergency Officer District is responsible coordinate and communicate
between staff, law enforcement and first responders. The Chief Emergency Officer is also
responsible for ensuring the completion and yearly update of the Building-Level Emergency
Response Plans. All Building-Level Emergency Response Plans are confidential, but are
submitted to New York State and local emergency responders for review. Appropriate training
and exercises are required at the beginning of the school year to ensure that all District personnel
and students understand the plan and their roles and responsibilities.

Administrators and key members of both building-level and District emergency response teams
are required to implement ICS principals during an emergency. Principals and/or Building
Administrators are required to complete ICS 100: Introduction to the Incident Command System.
Other building leadership and staff are encouraged to complete formalized training when
available. Refresher training will be provided annually, or as necessary or requested, to building
and District leadership. The District reserves the right to require formalized ICS and NIMS
training for designated staff should the training become required by New York State or the federal
government.

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RISK REDUCTION/PREVENTION
AND INTERVENTION
A. Prevention/Intervention Strategies
The administration of the Rochester City School District (RSCD) believes that improved
communication among students, parents/guardians and school staff adds to the quality of life and
sense of safety at all of our schools. Violence prevention and safe environment strategies require
community-wide collaborative efforts that include students, families, teachers, administrators,
staff, social and mental health professionals, law enforcement, emergency response personnel,
security professionals, parents and the business community.

Student Support Services assist in the development of best practices and programs that will
support the social and emotional health of all students. This is achieved through working
cooperatively with school principals, central office staff and collaborating with community
agencies to support student, staff and parent needs. Such communication allows for the reporting,
intervention, and prevention of potentially violent incidents before they actually occur. The
following is a brief list of programs and initiatives that are in place at some or all of the RCSD
schools that promote open communication and have a positive impact on the quality of life in our
schools:

• Primary Project - National evidence-based school program providing early screening of all
children in targeted primary grades and intervention for those children identified with
school adjustment difficulties in pre-kindergarten through second grade.
• PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports) – Elementary students are encouraged
and rewarded for clearly identified positive behaviors through incentives.
• Youth Mental Health First Aid- Designed to teach parents, family members, caregivers,
teachers, school staff, peers, health and human service workers how to help an adolescent
(age 12-18) who is experiencing a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis.
• Restorative Practices – RCSD Restorative Team partners with schools, families and
community organizations who commit to study and implement restorative practices by
building relationships, coaching, applying research based tools and reflectively planning
for change.
• RCSD RocRestorative Student Leaders - RocRestorative is committed to collaboration and
partnership in all aspects of Restorative Practices. Empowered student voices guarantee
we are working with each other to support a restorative community. Students are taught
and trained in restorative language and mindset.
• Help Zones – Assist students to regroup using support and self-control, to reflect on
choices and behaviors, to repair any damages their choices may have caused, to return to
scheduled classes as quickly as possible. Help Zone staff are trained in Restorative
Practices, de-escalation skills, and Crisis as an Opportunity.
• Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools (TCIS) – Provides a crisis prevention and
intervention model for residential child care organizations that will assist in: preventing
crises from occurring, de-escalating potential crises, effectively managing acute crises,
reducing potential and actual injury to children and staff and learning constructive ways to
handle stressful situations.

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• Crisis Prevention Institute Nonviolent Crisis Intervention (CPI) – School Safety Officers
and designated District staff are trained in non-violent crisis intervention.
• Trauma, Illness and Grief Team (TIG) – Responds to crisis situations in the District and
provides education and support as needed.
• Alternative schools and programs – Alternative schools and programs provide students
with alternatives to traditional educational settings. Examples are short-term in-school
programs for students that serve as a consequence for a wide variety of conduct issues.
• Remote Support Teams are coordinated through the Department of Equity, Inclusion and
Social Emotional Support. The teams are designed to assist students and staff in a
culturally responsive manner, to cope with disruptive behaviors and critical incidents
resulting from a school or community related crisis and return to normal routines as
quickly and calmly as possible following a disruption of the educational process.
• Other program examples include Home Hospital Instruction, LyncX Academy,
NorthSTAR, the Rochester International Academy and All City High.

B. Training, Drills and Exercises

Training

The District understands the importance of training and preparation. School staff, students and
other identified individuals and groups will receive training during the school year to better
prepare themselves for an incident. The annual training will include a review of district-wide
school safety, individual building-level emergency response and Emergency Response
Procedures. The staff are also briefed on their roles, responsibilities and communication
procedures during an emergency. The District annually submits certification to NYSED that all
District and school staff have undergone annual training components on violence prevention and
mental health. New employees hired after the start of the school year receive training within 30
days of hire. All staff at the beginning of the school year receive this training by September 15th.

Multi-Hazard Training

The District will provide annual multi-hazard school safety training for staff and students. The
components of this training will be consistent District-wide. Staff training will be routinely
conducted at the school level to include drills with the entire school population. These drills will
focus on our standard response procedures to a potentially threatening incident to include: early
dismissal, hold-in-place procedures, shelter-in-place procedures, and evacuation, lockout, and
lockdown procedures. The use of tabletop drills to compliment this training will be considered to
increase the training needs and standards.

Drills and Exercises

At a minimum, each school will conduct the following exercises/drills annually:

• Section 807 of the New York State Education Law mandates twelve (12) emergency drills
each school year to prepare students to be able to respond appropriately in the event of a
sudden emergency. The statute requires that eight (8) of these drills be evacuation drills
with the remaining four (4) as lockdown drills. Six (6) evacuations drills and two (2) of the
lockdown drills are conducted between the start of the school year and December 31st. The
remaining two evacuation and two lockdown drills are conducted between the end of the
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Winter Recess and May 1st. Four of the evacuation drills must incorporate an alternate
egress route. Two additional evacuations drills are conducted at school buildings which
host summer programs.

• 8 NYCRR Section155.17 €(3) states each Building-Level Emergency Response Plan shall be
tested including sheltering and early dismissal (no earlier than 15 minutes before normal
dismissal). The District will ensure that each school conducts drills and other exercises to
test the components of their Building-Level Emergency Response Plan.

• Lockdown drills will be conducted internally to ensure that school staff have the ability to
secure the facility and students against an immediate threat to life and safety. Such drills
will cause minimal interruption to academic activities and will involve the clearance of
hallways, locking of classrooms and positioning of students and staff in pre-designated
“safe areas” within each room. Where possible, the school should seek out opportunities to
conduct full-scale response exercises with law enforcement. Whenever a lockdown drill is
conducted, school staff should ensure the students and other staff know that it is simply a
drill and not a real life event. This will help to ensure that law enforcement and
parents/guardians are not inadvertently alarmed that a real-life incident is occurring.
School administration is encouraged to notify the Department of Safety and Security of
planned drills and to include local emergency responders. Additionally, a sign or notice will
be placed at all public entrances indicating that a drill is in progress and to wait for its
conclusion. This will serve to notify any uninformed parents or visitors of the drill and
prevent unwarranted panic.

• Mandatory evacuation and lockdown drills must continue along statutory schedules as
established by NYSED. Social distancing may be considered during drills and are
established by each school in accordance with established guidance.

• Principals are required to submit their evacuation and lock down drill tracking forms to
Department of Educational Facilities, Office of Plant Operations quarterly.

C. Implementation of School Security

As described in the District’s Code of Conduct, all members of each school’s community share a
responsibility in promoting and maintaining a safe and orderly school environment. Some of the
more specific measures are expanded upon below.

Security Personnel – Hiring and Training

Rochester City School District School Safety Officers (SSOs) are hired consistent with the
requirements and standards set forth by the Rochester City School District and New York State
Department of Education. All SSOs are licensed by New York State consistent with the
requirements set forth by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Annual and
continual training is provided to maintain licensing and skills. The Rochester City School District
is a licensed New York State Security Guard Training School and provides the annual NYS
Security Guard refresher course to its SSOs. The SSO annual training includes, but not limited to,
topics such as Restorative Practices, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention for Schools, Crisis
Prevention Institute Non-Violent Intervention, youth mental health, CPR, first aid and x-rays
scanners.

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Security Personnel – Responsibilities and Authority

The District employs security personnel to assist the schools in dealing with all matters of security
and safety issues. The principle role of our security personnel is to safeguard the District’s
students, staff and visitors from harm; to deter, detect, respond to, and report infractions of the
District Code of Conduct and New York State Law; and to protect the District’s assets from theft
and damage. Security personnel employed by the District are authorized to carry out this role
consistent with the Policies and Regulations of the District, applicable New York State Law and
District training.

Visitor Access

School access will be controlled during the regular school day by securing the building and
utilizing one point of entry with a buzzer/intercom/camera system to screen visitors prior to
entrance into the building. Consistent with RCSD policy and Code of Conduct, an approved visitor
to a school will present valid government issued photo identification and be given a pass prior to
gaining access to the building. All visitors and non-District personnel will be screened upon entry
into a District building utilizing the Raptor Visitor Management System, should the visitor be
entering the building beyond the main office or main point of entry. This system will assist in
ensuring the safety of students, staff and other visitors by screening individuals against local and
national sex offender databases. In the event of a confirmed offender, any allowance into the
building will be determined by the building principal/administrator in coordination with RCSD
Safety and Security, if necessary. All District employees are required to wear identification at all
times.

Video Surveillance

All District buildings provide video surveillance to enhance the safety of our students and staff.
The cameras may or may not be actively monitored, but the recordings are available for District
officials and local law enforcement use.

Intrusion Detection

The District’s buildings are protected by an intrusion detection alarm system that is linked to a
central monitoring station.

D. Vital Educational Agency Information

The District maintains certain information about each school building within the District
including, but not limited to: school populations, transportation needs, and phone numbers of
key personnel. In addition, similar information on other District departments, as well as the
assets that those departments could provide in the event of an emergency, is also maintained at
the District level.

E. Early Detection of Potentially Violent Behaviors

The District acknowledges the importance of early recognition and intervention into conflicts and
potentially violent behaviors.

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• The District will ensure that appropriate school violence prevention and intervention
training programs will be provided and incorporated into teacher conference days and
provided to all staff during regularly scheduled staff training sessions. All threats of
violence are taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

• We recognize that despite our best efforts, students and parents may need additional
assistance to respond to bullying. To ensure a quick response to parent and student
concerns, the District has developed a bullying reporting process. Students and
parents/guardians are encouraged to speak with school or District staff and report any
suspected bullying incident. Each school annually designates a Dignity for All Students Act
(DASA) Coordinator.

• Students and staff are encouraged to share information regarding any conflicts or
potentially violent behaviors with an administrator (and law enforcement when
appropriate) so an investigation can commence. The District has established an
anonymous 24-hour “Safe School Helpline” to provide another means for such information
to be brought to the attention of those who need to know so that the situation can be
addressed in a timely manner.

• The District has developed guidelines and processes for contacting parents, guardians or
persons in a parental relation to a student in the event of an implied or direct threat of
violence by a student against themselves, including threat of suicide.

• District-wide intervention strategies and programs are listed in Section A. These strategies
and programs are consistent with the District Code of Conduct.

F. Hazard Identification
The list of sites of potential emergencies include all District buildings, playground areas,
properties adjacent to schools, on and off-site athletic fields, buses and off-site field trip locations.
The potential identified hazards, and how to handle each, are documented in each Building-Level
Emergency Response Plan. The list may be expanded as additional hazards are identified.

DISTRICT RESOURCES AND CONTACTS

A. District Emergency Response Team (DERT)
During an emergency, the District Emergency Response Team shall function under the command
of the Superintendent, Chief Emergency Officer or Incident Commander. This team is responsible
for resource assistance and management during emergencies as necessary.

B. Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet

The Superintendent’s Executive Cabinet includes Deputy Superintendent’s, all District Chiefs and
any other specially designated individuals. This group may be activated to provide assistance to
any building or crisis situation.

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C. Chief Emergency Officer

The designated Chief Emergency Officer, or Superintendent, in coordination with the Director of
Safety and Security and the District Emergency Response Planning Coordinator are responsible
for numerous duties and responsibilities surrounding emergency planning and response. They are
responsible to coordinate communication between school staff, law enforcement and other first
responders. The Chief Emergency Officer leads the efforts of the District-Wide School Safety
Team in its annual review and update of the District-Wide School Safety Plan. The Department of
Safety and Security coordinates safety, security and emergency training for District and school
staff to include the annual emergency response plan overview. The Emergency Response Planning
Coordinator assists all schools with annual updates and completion of Building-Level Emergency
Response Plans. The designated Chief Emergency Officer coordinates with multiple departments
to include Safety and Security, Transportation and Information Technology to evaluate and select
appropriate security related technology and any corresponding procedures.

D. Command Post
During an emergency, the Superintendent or Chief Emergency Officer may activate the District
Emergency Response Team. When necessary, a Command Post location will be designated and
established. In addition to the District Emergency Response Team, the Superintendent or Chief
Emergency Officer may summon additional cabinet members and resources to report to this
location. The Command Post location may vary depending on the type and extent of the incident.

E. District Data and Contacts

Routine updates to District data and contacts is available to key personnel (including all building
principals), but is not available to the general public.

F. District-Wide School Safety Team

The District-Wide School Safety Team will meet biannually to discuss school safety issues under
the direction of the Chief Emergency Officer/Director of School Safety and Security. Additional
meetings may be scheduled if a serious incident occurs, the District-Wide School Safety Plan
needs to be updated, or any other identified special need. The team will consist of staff members
from across the District who consult with emergency responders and community members and
include members from District Operations, Board of Education, Safety and Security, Student
Services, Teacher, Administrator, Rochester Association of Paraprofessionals, Board of Education
Non-Teaching Employees and Parent Organizations, Transportation, Facilities, and the Auditor
General office. This team will make recommendations to the Superintendent and Chief
Emergency Officer regarding school safety issues. The team will also be responsible for annual
updates to the District-Wide School Safety Plan for submission to the Board of Education for
annual adoption.

GENERAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE

PROCEDURES

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Subsequent sections of this District-Wide School Safety Plan outline specific response actions for
individual and specific emergency situations. If an emergency situation occurs at the building-
level, it is the responsibility of each and every District employee to take those actions which are
geared toward preserving the health and safety of all students and staff.

At the conclusion of a critical incident or emergency, the Incident Commander should ensure an
incident report or summary of events is written for reporting to the Superintendent or Chief
Emergency Officer. The extent of the report will be determined by the scope of the event, or as
directed by the Superintendent or Chief Emergency Officer.

A. Concept of Operations
The overall strategy of the District-Wide School Safety Plan and Building-Level Emergency
Response Plans is to execute effective and timely decisions and actions that prevent harm, protect
lives and property, mitigate damages, restore order, and aid recovery. These plans are based upon
the concept that the incident management functions that must be performed by the school staff
generally parallel some of their daily routine functions. To the extent possible, the same personnel
and material resources used for daily activities will be employed during incidents. Personnel and
equipment resources are limited, so some routine functions that do not contribute directly to the
incident may be suspended. The personnel, equipment, and supplies that would typically be
required from those routine functions will be redirected to accomplish assigned incident
management tasks.

Implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS)

The Incident Command System (ICS) will be used to manage all incidents and major planned
events and drills. In general, the initial Incident Commander at the school will be the building
principal and is delegated the authority to direct all incident activities within the school’s
jurisdiction. The Incident Commander will establish an Incident Command Post (ICP), as
necessary, and provide an assessment of the situation to the emergency responders, identify
incident management resources required, and direct the on-scene incident management activities
from the ICP. If no Incident Commander is present at the onset of the incident, the most qualified
individual will assume command until relieved by a more qualified Incident Commander. A
defined chain of command is included within each Building-Level Emergency Response Plan.

Initial Response
School personnel are most likely to be the first on the scene of an incident in a school setting. Staff
are expected to respond as appropriate and notify the principal, or designee, of an incident.
Command may be transferred to a more qualified school staff member and/or to an emergency
response agency with legal authority to assume responsibility (Police, Fire or EMS, dependent
upon the nature of the incident) upon their arrival at the school. Staff will seek guidance and
direction from the school, District and emergency responders. Any school or District staff
member in a building that sees or is aware of an emergency shall activate the Building-Level
Emergency Response Plan.

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B. Building-Level Emergency Response Plans (BLERPs)

Each Rochester City School District Building-Level Emergency Response Plan will be developed
by the Building-Level Emergency Response Team under the guidance of the Chief Emergency
Officer. 8 NYCRR Section 155.17 (b) and 155.17 (c) (2) - requires that each school shall have a
Building-Level Emergency Response Team that consists of representatives from the following
groups: teacher, administrator, parent organizations, school safety personnel, other school
personnel including bus driver, monitor or transportation official, community members, local law
enforcement officials, local ambulance or other emergency response agencies, and any other
representatives the Board of Education or other governing body deems appropriate. A Building-
Level Emergency Response Team and Post Incident Response Team will also be appointed by the
principal or administrator annually.

The Building-Level Emergency Response Team is responsible for the overall development,
maintenance, and revision of the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan (BLERP) and for
coordinating training and exercising the school BLERP. Team members are expected to work
closely together to make recommendations for revising and enhancing the plan.

Building-Level Emergency Response Plans will be on file and updated annually with the City of
Rochester Police Department and the New York State Police. BLERPs will remain confidential,
including but not limited to the floor plans, blueprints, schematics or other maps of the
immediate surrounding area. The plans are not be subject to disclosure under Article Six of the
Public Officers Law or any other provision of law and shall not be disclosed except to authorized
department or school staff, and law enforcement officers.

Building-Level Emergency Response Plans will include detailed guidance and directions for the
following situations:

Response Annexes
Shelter in Place - Response
Hold in Place - Response
Evacuation - Response
Lockout - Response
Lockdown - Response

Functional Annexes
Accounting for All Persons
Communications
Continuity of Operations
Recovery
Reunification
Security

Threat Specific Annexes

Abuse Recognition and
Prevention
Active Shooter/Terrorist
After-hours
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Animal
Anthrax
Assaults/Fights
Bomb Threats
Building Events
Bus Incident/Accident
Cold Emergencies
Common Childhood Illnesses
Crime Scene Management
Cyber Threat
Field Trip
Fire
Food Defense
Functional Needs
Gas
General Emergency
HAZMAT
Heat Emergencies
Intruder/Hostage
MCI
Mechanical Emergencies
Medical and Mental Health
Missing/Lost Child
Pandemic
Opioid Crisis
Radiologic Event
Safe Room/Area of Refuge
Serious Injury/Death
Student Unrest
Sudden Cardiac Arrest
Suicide/Threat of Suicide
Threat of Violence
Weapons
Weather/Natural Disaster

C. Organization and Assignment of Responsibilities

The Incident Commander is not expected to manage all of the aspects associated with an incident
without assistance. The school relies on other key school personnel to perform tasks that will help
manage the incident and ensure the safety of students and staff during a crisis or incident. The
Incident Command System (ICS) uses a team approach to manage incidents. It is difficult to form
a team while a crisis or incident is unfolding. Roles should be pre-assigned based on training and
qualifications. Each staff member and volunteer must be familiar with his or her role and
responsibilities before an incident occurs. The Building-Level Emergency Response Team and
Post-Incident Response Team will be used to fill these roles.

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D. Direction, Control, and Coordination

Coordination with Responders
Building-Level Emergency Response Plans identify emergency response agencies and the means
to contact them for emergency and non-emergency situations. The District maintains a positive
working relationship with all emergency response agencies within the District and have regular
communication with their leadership. The Department of Safety and Security will coordinate
biannual safety meetings with the Rochester Police and Fire Departments. Additional meetings
may be scheduled if a serious incident occurs or any other identified special need. Each school
may maintain additional school specific agreements with outside agencies as necessary for its
students. These agreements will specify the means of communication and services to be provided.
In the event of an incident involving outside responders, a transfer of command from the school
Incident Commander should occur and the establishment of unified command with the
responding agencies.

Use of Resources
The school will use its own resources and equipment to respond to incidents until emergency
responders arrive. The District will assist the schools in securing necessary resources.

E. Administration, Finance and Logistics

Agreements and Contracts
If school resources prove to be inadequate during an incident, the school may request assistance
from the District. Additional assistance may be requested from local emergency agencies, or other
agencies, in accordance with an existing Memoranda of Understanding. Such assistance includes
equipment, supplies and personnel. All agreements entered into are authorized by District and
school officials.

F. Communications During Emergencies

The school and District will maintain communications with parents, the media and emergency
responders during an incident. The School Incident Commander or Chief Emergency Officer will
work with the District’s Chief Communications Officer/Public Information Officer and emergency
responders to coordinate the release of information ensuring that information is consistent,
accurate and timely. Communication procedures are detailed further in the Building Level
Emergency Response Plans and include but are not limited to individual phone calls, Robo calls,
emails and letters home to parents and guardians. During an emergency, access to a school
building or classroom by parents or guardians may be limited and will be determined by the
Incident Commander.

G. Multi-Hazard Response
There are many variables that could impact the manner in which the School and/or District
Emergency Response Team responds to a particular occurrence. These variables could include

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but are not limited to: time of year, time of day, weather, and age of student involved, location of
student, anticipated delay from emergency responders, availability of support personnel, and
availability of transportation. General Incident Command procedures are followed for every
incident. Specific decisions are made based on the particular incident. Incident Commanders
focus on critical decisions that need to be made in every emergency pursuant to our primary goal
of preventing the loss of life and injury of students and school staff.

The building principal or their designee is designated as the Incident Commander of their school
during a crisis situation until relieved by a higher authority. The principal or designee will provide
leadership, organize activities and disseminate information with the assistance of the Building-
Level Emergency Response Team or District Chief Emergency Officer.

In most instances where a school level response is warranted, the school may seek assistance from
other emergency responders in resolving the situation. As such, the immediate objective is to
contain the incident and successfully manage the situation until the emergency personnel arrive.

H. Emergency Notifications
Notification of significant events or events that required a call to 9-1-1 shall be made to the
appropriate Chief of Schools, Chief Emergency Officer or Director of Safety and Security in
accordance with the District’s Emergency Incident Report Framework. Further notifications to
the Superintendent, District Emergency Response Team, Executive Cabinet and/or Board of
Education will be conducted in accordance with District guidance. These notifications shall occur
at the earliest and safest possible time during the response phase. Additional resources may be
requested in order to more efficiently and effectively deal with an incident.

I. Responses to Acts of Violence: Implied or Direct Threats

The recognition and early intervention into potentially violent situations is critical, it shall be the
practice of the District to handle all threats and potentially threatening situations or
circumstances in a serious and deliberate manner. In addition to reporting and investigating
direct threats, all staff are responsible for relaying to their school administration information
about any student behaviors or communications that suggest a threatening situation is possible.

Depending on the imminent nature of the threat, the following procedures may be used by the
District:

• Use of staff trained in de-escalation or other strategies to diffuse the situation.

• Inform building principal or designee of implied or direct threat or concerning behaviors
or communications.
• Contact 9-1-1 if the threat may be imminent. Direct threats to personal safety may
necessitate an immediate response by law enforcement.
• The building principal or designee may initiate a threat assessment inquiry to attempt to
determine the level and credibility of a threat.
• As time permits, this inquiry will involve interviewing potential witnesses as well as the
individuals involved. Some factors to consider when evaluating the level of threat include,
but are not limited to, specificity of threat to a person or persons, mention of specific
means or access to weapons, specific reason or justification and history of the student.
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• Monitor situation, adjust response as appropriate, and include the possible use of the
counseling and social work staff.
• Follow up with the appropriate procedures as outlined in the District’s Code of Conduct.
• Additional response guidelines are outlined in the Building-Level Emergency Response
Plan.

J. Acts of Violence
When an act of violence has occurred involving school students or staff, the principal or designee
must quickly obtain all essential information to determine the degree of threat or danger and
decide on what actions might mitigate further risk. General non-specific actions may include:

• Call 9-1-1 and notify Chief of Schools, Chief Emergency Officer or Director of Safety and
Security.
• Isolate the immediate area and initiate appropriate Functional and/or Threat Specific
Annexes (e.g. Lockdown, Lockout, Crime Scene Management, etc.) if necessary.
• Identify and separate the involved persons if possible.
• Monitor situation; adjust response as necessary. Initiate additional Functional or Threat
Specific Annexes as appropriate.
• Follow the District’s designated notification process.
• Additional response guidelines are outlined in the Building-Level Emergency Response
Plan.

K. Threat and Hazard Specific Response

The District has established appropriate response annexes to a variety of emergency situations.
The response guidelines are detailed in each Building-Level Emergency Response Plan as
recommended by the NYSED Safe Schools Template. Acknowledging that some responses may be
managed at the District level, these larger and more encompassing emergencies will involve all
schools to some degree. Building-Level Emergency Response Plans will continue to include these
annexes to ensure consistency and knowledge of responses at the school level. The Rochester City
School District Department of Transportation maintains transportation safety guidelines and
procedures.

L. Obtaining Advice and Assistance from the Local

Government
In the event of an emergency where additional advice, assistance or assets not readily available to
the District, the Superintendent, Chief of Schools or Chief Emergency Officer will activate the
District Emergency Response Team to help provide needed assistance. The Rochester City School
District is partnered with the City of Rochester and its subdivisions (police, fire etc.) for specific
circumstances. In the event of a major disaster, NYS Executive Law, Article 2.B., section 24 may
apply. The City or County Emergency Operations Centers (EOC) may be activated for incidents
impacting the community, to which the Rochester City School District may be part of. The
activities of the EOCs will be coordinated by the Office of Emergency Management.

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M. District Resources Available for Use in an Emergency

The District has identified District-based resources which may be available during an emergency.
These resources are available through the District Emergency Response Team and District
leadership. Resources requested will be dependent upon the nature and extent of the incident or
crisis and may include transportation or student support services or student counselors.

N. Response and Functional Annexes

Response and functional Annexes focus on the critical operational functions and courses of action
designed to carry them out. In New York State, to ensure consistency, schools are provided with
standardized definitions. These annexes are defined in detail in the Building-Level Emergency
Response Plans.

O. Threat and Hazard Specific Annexes

Threat and Hazard Specific Annexes focus on the critical operational functions and courses of
action designed to carry them out. These annexes identify a variety of potential incidents that a
school may face and provide guidance to school and District staff on how to manage the incidents.
Annexes are updated and added as identified and needed. Threat and Hazard Specific Annexes
are defined in detail in the Building-Level Emergency Response Plans.

P. Crime Scene Management

Evidence is critical to the investigation and prosecution of criminal cases. Therefore, only trained
professionals should do the collection and preservation of evidence. Before those professionals
arrive, it is important that the crime scene remain as uncontaminated as possible. There are
things that can be done by people who arrive at the scene first to help protect the evidence.
Specific crime scene management procedures are outlined in the Building-Level Emergency
Response Plans.

Q. Emergency Evacuation of Non-Ambulatory, Disabled or

Individuals with Disabilities
Each building principal is responsible for identifying non-ambulatory, disabled staff or students
and any individual with a disability. The principal is responsible for assigning an area of rescue
for such persons unable to evacuate the building in close proximity to an evacuation stairwell, as
possible. A staff member should be assigned to assist the individuals that are located there. This
information will be a part of the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan and available to local
emergency responders for use during an emergency.

R. Accounting for All Persons

The safety and security of our students is of paramount importance. This includes knowing the
location of all students whom have been entrusted to the District and schools during the school
day. This includes the time from bus pick-up or arrival at schools through the time students are

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dropped off at home by the District or have left the campus under normal circumstances. The
District emphasizes the importance of timely and accurate attendance taken for each classroom
and throughout the school day. The Building-Level Emergency Response Plan has procedures in
place to:

• Report to the principal or administration when a student, staff member or guest cannot be
located.
• Take attendance and report to the Incident Commander when class relocates inside the
building or an evacuation takes place.
• Detailed guidelines are outlined in the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan and is in
line with the District’s Wandering and Elopement policy.

S. Family Reunification Plans

Any incident has the potential for students and staff to have to leave the school building to an
identified alternate location. Due to this potential, it is important for each school to have a family
reunification plan. Families should be reunified at each building’s evacuation site and will require
assigned personnel and plans. The District Emergency Response Team will assist with any family
reunification situation. Detailed guidelines are included in each Building-Level Emergency
Response Plan.

T. Crisis Occurring Outside of Normal School Hours

There are many groups and programs that utilize District facilities during non-school hours.
Every reasonable effort should be made to ensure the leadership of the after-hours groups
understand the District and school emergency procedures and evacuation locations. The
individual responsible for the school-based activity at the building is considered the Incident
Commander and will activate the Emergency Response Plan.

If there is a community-based organization hosting a program, then it is the principal’s

responsibility to brief the program leader on the emergency plan.

For official after-school programs such those conducted through the City of Rochester
Department of Recreation, the program does have an emergency response plan, however, the
principal is responsible for reviewing the building plan with the program coordinator to insure
that appropriate contacts and follow-up reports are completed for RCSD. Once an incident is
identified to have occurred, notifications should follow normal District policies.

For after-school programs conducted through the City of Rochester Department of Recreation,
the program follows their emergency response plan protocol. However the program is responsible
for communicating the outcome to the principal to insure that appropriate follow-up and reports
are completed for RCSD if applicable. Once an incident is identified to have occurred,
notifications should follow normal District policies.

U. Pandemic Response Plan

The District Pandemic Response Plan is an all-encompassing preventative pandemic response
framework that addresses precautions to prevent, mitigate, prepare, and recover from a pandemic
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or epidemic emergency or situation within the Rochester City School District and surrounding
community. The Pandemic Response Plan is maintained by Student Health Services. The District
will work closely with the Commissioner of Health to contain, prevent and respond to infectious
diseases in the school district as well as the community in general. While preparing and
responding to infectious disease, the District will seek out and adhere to all guidance received
from local, state and federal public health authorities as it pertains to continuity of operations,
social distancing and personal protective equipment guidelines.

In accordance with New York Education Law § 2801-a(2)(m) and New York Labor Law § 27-c, the
Rochester City School District drafts the Public Health Emergency Communicable Disease
Protocols (the “Protocols”) to guide District employees and the community in preparation for and
in response to a declared public health emergency involving a communicable disease. The
Protocols will be adopted by the Board of Education, maintained and updated annually as
necessary by the Office of Safety and Security, and posted to the District’s website.

V. Opioid Crisis
The opioid public health emergency is a nationwide crisis that affects all aspects of every
community. In preparation for emergency opioid situations, all District health offices are
equipped with nasal naloxone. School health staff as well as the District School Safety Officers
have been trained in naloxone use and will continue to receive annual training. Student and staff
support, mental health and addiction resources are available if and when any drug or alcohol
abuse or addiction situations are identified. Drug use emergencies will be managed under the
Medical and Mental Health Annex.

W. Procedures for Informing Other Educational Agencies of an

Emergency
The Chief Emergency Officer and Director of Safety and Security will evaluate the impact of an
emergency on other educational agencies within the School District. If the impact is evident, the
Chief Emergency Officer or Director of Safety and Security will coordinate communication with
the contact person at each affected educational agency and inform them of the status of the
emergency. If contact with other educational agencies cannot be made, the Chief Emergency
Officer or Director of Safety and Security will contact the Rochester Police Department and RCSD
Mobile Units or Road Patrol for assistance in communicating information to these educational
facilities. If transportation, sheltering and other types of assistance are to be provided to other
educational agencies, the Chief Emergency Officer and/or Director of Safety and Security will
make arrangements to implement this assistance.

X. Procedures for Sheltering Students, Staff and Visitors

In the event that it becomes necessary to shelter students, staff, visitors, or other individuals, the
building principal or their designee will contact their Chief of Schools, Chief Emergency Office or
Director of Safety and Security in accordance with District guidelines. Internal District
notifications will take place in accordance with District guidelines. If it becomes apparent that
students will not be able to leave the facility, the school principal will make arrangements for
adequate supervision of the students under their direction and to make provisions for building

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maintenance (custodial) and food services. It shall be the responsibility of the Chief Emergency
Officer to inform appropriate police, Red Cross, and emergency preparedness officials. District
resources will be requested and provided in accordance with District guidelines. The District has
also partnered with different local and state agencies to provide shelter to the community during
certain disasters or emergencies. The District is part of the City of Rochester Emergency Plan for
sheltering and additional resources, as needed. The Chief Emergency Officer is the contact for
those agencies during the crisis and will take appropriate actions during such incidents.

Y. Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)

The COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis emphasized the importance of a comprehensive Continuity of
Operations Plan. During any crisis event, the Superintendent, or designee, shall appoint a
Leadership Team, Taskforce or Working Groups to assist in the management of the crisis as
needed. Plans and documents developed in response to a crisis will be maintained by the
appointed group and be made available as needed. For example, the RCSD COVID response and
safety plans, as well as reopening plans, are maintained by the RCSD COVID Taskforce and the
Superintendent’s office. Plans available to the public may be posted on the RCSD website under
the relevant department such as Safety and Security or Student Health Services. The Rochester
City School District will help ensure that essential functions will continue during an emergency
and its immediate aftermath. Essential functions include business services (payroll and
purchasing), communication (internal and external), computer and systems support, facilities
maintenance, safety and security, and continuity of teaching and learning. Each department and
school will maintain and ensure the District’s overall ability to continue with teaching and
learning of our students as well as District business operations for the duration of any crisis
situation. COOP plans are fluid and will follow all local, state and federal guidelines as required
and necessary. Detailed COOP plans are located in the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan.

As part of the COOP, The District will use resources to:

• Identify primary and secondary relocation sites for each building that meet the needs of
school;
• Allow the COOP to be activated at any time and sustained for the duration of the crisis;
• Continuing or re-establishing essential functions, such as restoration of school and District
operations, teaching and learning, food service, and maintaining the health and safety of
our students, staff and the RCSD community as a whole;
• Ensuring students receive applicable related services in the event of a prolonged closure;
• Protect vital documents and make them available at alternate sites;
• Identify personnel to assist in developing and operating the COOP.

Z. Recovery
District Support for Buildings

The District will use all resources at its disposal to support the District Emergency Response
Team, Building-Level Emergency Response Teams and the Post-Incident Response Teams in the
affected school(s) after the incident has been resolved to the point where normal operations can

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resume. Additional support includes but is not limited to mental health services, building security
and facility restoration.

Disaster Mental Health Services

The District Department of Student Support Services will coordinate resources and support as
needed during a disaster or crisis. Each school maintains a Post-Incident Response Team at the
building level and this is detailed in the Building-Level Emergency Response Plan. This may take
the form of seeking additional local support or accessing federal and state mental health
resources, as needed. The crisis and the needs will help dictate the supports and services
necessary.

Post-Incident Response

Each RCSD school maintains a Building-Level Post-Incident Response Team. After the safety and
status of students, staff and visitors has been assured and emergency conditions have resolved
following an incident, staff, teachers and school officials will assemble to support the restoration
of the school’s educational programs. Defining mission-critical operations and staffing this effort
is the starting point for the recovery process. Collecting and disseminating information will also
facilitate the recovery process.

Trauma, Illness and Grief Team (TIG)

The District TIG team is a group of counselors, psychologists, social workers, nurses and other
staff members who have received specialized training in responding to the emotional needs of
students, teachers and other school personnel, which arise from trauma, violence, illness, grief or
loss. The TIG team is responsible for coordinating District crisis team activities. This team will
also oversee the initial and on-going training program for all building crisis teams and maintain
records.

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The Rochester City School District, represented by the Superintendent, and the Board of
Education, supports the following authorities in the compliance for Rochester City School District
emergency planning and management:

• Rochester City School District Code of Conduct http://www.rcsdk12.org/domain/16

• RCSD Human Capital Initiatives-Harassment, Intimidation & Bully Reporting Process and Form
http://www.rcsdk12.org/report

• 34 CFR 104.4 - Discrimination prohibited http://www.ecfr.gov/cgi-bin/text-

idx?SID=1ba9a94cba024d10c834ef0a659cba20&node=se34.1.104_14&rgn=div8

• 8 NYCRR Section 155.17 (New York State Project SAVE-Safe Schools Against Violence in Education)
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/Laws_Regs/8NYCRR155.htm

• NYSED Code 2801-a – Chapter 16, Title II, Article 55 – School Safety Plans
http://www.p12.nysed.gov/sss/lawsregs/2801a.html

• NYSED Law 807 – Fire and Emergency Drills http://www.p12.nysed.gov/facplan/FireSafety/FireDrillFreq_120309.htm

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) http://www.ada.gov

• City of Rochester Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan and County of Monroe Comprehensive Emergency
Management Plan http://www2.monroecounty.gov/safety-oep.php

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD–5) http://www.dhs.gov/publication/homeland-security-presidential-

directive-5

• Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8 (HSPD-8) https://www.dhs.gov/presidential-policy-directive-8-national-

preparedness

• National Incident Management System (NIMS) http://training.fema.gov/emiweb/is/icsresource/index.htm

• New York State Uniform Fire Prevention and Building Code-Title 19 NYCRR 1220-1226, 1240
http://www.dos.ny.gov/dcea/

• New York State Article 2-B http://www.dhses.ny.gov/laws-policies/documents/Exec-Law-Art-2-B-2018.pdf

• Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act

https://www.fema.gov/media-library/assets/documents/15271?fromSearch=fromsearch&id=3564

• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/cor/coord/titlevi.php

• Rochester City School District Policies https://www.rcsdk12.org/domain/22

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