Big Five Basics
You are told there is a hazardous material spill on a nearby roadway. The hazard is outside the school and may affect the air around campus.
There isn't one "correct" person for each role.
The correct response is to:
Assign clear roles quickly.
The team should ensure that:
⭐ SAFETY SHIELD BONUS — 100 POINTS
Why is assigning roles better than having five people all rush toward the student?
Answer
Because organized teamwork reduces confusion and ensures critical tasks aren't missed.
Shelter in Place
Why: It isolates students and staff from the outdoor environment and prevents exposure to airborne contaminants or outside threats.
⭐ SAFETY SHIELD BONUS ANSWER
Any two of the following:
A parent becomes angry in the front office and refuses to leave. There is no weapon, no immediate threat of violence, and no indication that the situation requires a Big 5 protocol.
⭐ Bonus: What changes would cause you to reassess the situation?
Follow established visitor/de-escalation procedures and notify administration.
Why: Not every concerning situation requires a Big 5 protocol. Staff should assess the situation and follow district procedures.
Bonus Answer:
Police are searching for a potentially dangerous individual several blocks from school. Officers request that the school keep everyone inside while they conduct the search.
Which protocol?
Secure Campus
⭐ Bonus: Is this automatically a Lockdown/Barricade? No. The scenario describes a threat/activity in the surrounding community rather than an imminent threat on campus.
The classroom suddenly begins shaking. Books fall from shelves and ceiling fixtures move.
What is your immediate action?
Drop, Cover, and Hold On
Why: It protects students and staff from falling and flying debris during an earthquake or explosion.
⭐ Bonus: What might happen after the shaking stops?
Answer: Depending on conditions, the response may transition to Evacuation.
A person is found unresponsive. A staff member suspects an opioid overdose.
What are the immediate priorities?
Call 911 and initiate the appropriate emergency response. If available and authorized/trained, administer Narcan and provide appropriate first aid/CPR.
⭐ Bonus: Who should be sent to meet EMS?
There is police activity in the neighborhood surrounding the school. Officers have not identified an immediate threat on campus and ask the school to keep everyone inside.
⭐ Bonus: How is this different from Lockdown/Barricade?
Secure Campus
Why: Secure Campus is appropriate when law enforcement activity or a potential threat of violence is occurring in the surrounding community.
⭐ Bonus Answer:
Secure Campus is used when there is a potential threat or law-enforcement activity in the surrounding community and there is not an imminent threat of violence on campus.
Lockdown/Barricade is used when there is an imminent threat of violence or gunfire on campus, or when law enforcement directs the school to do so.
our campus begins under Secure Campus because of police activity in the neighborhood. Ten minutes later, law enforcement reports that the threat has moved onto school property.
What should staff recognize?
he response may need to transition to Lockdown/Barricade.
Why: Emergency conditions can change. Staff must continue to monitor official information and follow directions from administration and law enforcement.
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus: Why is it important not to assume the original protocol will remain in place?
Law enforcement reports an imminent threat of violence on campus and directs the school to initiate its emergency response.
Which protocol?
Lockdown/Barricade
Why: An imminent threat of violence or gunfire on campus calls for Lockdown/Barricade.
⭐ Bonus: What is your responsibility once Lockdown/Barricade is initiated?
Answer: Follow established lockdown procedures and remain in the designated classroom or lockdown location until officially released.
Wildfire smoke moves into the area. Air quality outside becomes unhealthy, but there is no immediate fire threat to the campus.
Which protocol?
Shelter in Place
Why: Shelter in Place protects students and staff from unhealthy outdoor air and airborne contaminants.
⭐ Bonus: What should staff monitor after implementing Shelter in Place?
Answer: Official district/emergency information and changing conditions.
A staff member discovers an individual who may be experiencing an opioid overdose. Another trained staff member retrieves Narcan.
What is the purpose of Narcan?
Narcan (naloxone) can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and restore breathing when administered appropriately.
⭐ Bonus: Does administering Narcan replace calling 911?
Answer: No. Emergency medical services should be activated according to district procedures.
A threat of extreme violence is identified on campus. Law enforcement directs the school to initiate its emergency response.
⭐ Bonus: What is the most important difference between Secure Campus and Lockdown/Barricade?
Lockdown/Barricade
Why: This protocol is used when there is an imminent threat of violence or gunfire on campus, or when directed by law enforcement.
⭐ Bonus Answer:
The location and immediacy of the threat.
A staff member sees an unfamiliar person attempting to enter through a side gate.
The person is not threatening anyone and there is no known emergency.
A teacher asks:
"Should we initiate Lockdown?"
What should staff do?
Not automatically.
Staff should:
⭐ Bonus
What information would cause you to reassess the situation?
Examples:
A staff member sees police officers outside the school and assumes the school is in Lockdown/Barricade. No announcement has been made, and there is no known threat on campus.
What should the staff member do?
Do not assume. Follow official district communication and emergency procedures.
Why: Police presence alone does not automatically mean Lockdown/Barricade. Staff need accurate information and should follow official directions.
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus: Why can acting on assumptions create additional safety problems?
A powerful earthquake occurs.
The shaking stops.
A teacher immediately tells students:
"Everyone outside! We need to evacuate!"
Is that necessarily the correct next step?
Not necessarily.
The immediate response during the earthquake is:
Drop, Cover, and Hold On
After the shaking stops, staff should assess conditions and follow emergency procedures.
If the building is unsafe, Evacuation may then be appropriate.
⭐ Bonus
Why shouldn't staff automatically evacuate during the shaking?
Answer
Because falling and flying debris can create significant hazards.
A student experiences a serious medical emergency in a classroom. One staff member calls 911, another contacts the office, another stays with the student, and another meets emergency responders.
What safety principle is being demonstrated?
Teamwork and clear role assignment.
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus: Why is it valuable to assign specific roles rather than having everyone respond at once?
Answer: It reduces confusion, ensures critical tasks are covered, and supports an organized emergency response.
A strong chemical odor is detected inside a classroom. Staff cannot determine the source, and remaining inside may be unsafe.
Which protocol may be appropriate?
⭐ Bonus: What information should you communicate to the office or emergency responders?
Evacuation
Why: Evacuation is used when conditions make it unsafe to remain inside the building.
⭐ Bonus Answer:
A teacher reports that an individual is behaving aggressively in the parking lot.
The person is yelling at staff and refusing to leave.
There is no weapon observed and no immediate threat has been identified.
Five minutes later, the person begins moving toward the school entrance.
What should staff be thinking about?
The situation is evolving and requires reassessment.
Staff should:
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus
What is the key lesson?
A situation can change. The appropriate response can change with it.
At 10:00 a.m., police notify the school that they are conducting an operation in the neighborhood.
They tell the school:
"Please keep everyone inside and restrict entry and exit until we give you further instructions."
There is no known threat on campus.
Which protocol is most appropriate?
Secure Campus
Why?
The law-enforcement activity is occurring in the surrounding community, not because there is an imminent threat on campus.
⭐ Bonus
What would cause this to become a Lockdown/Barricade situation?
Answer
An imminent threat of violence or gunfire on campus, or direction from law enforcement to initiate Lockdown/Barricade.
An earthquake occurs.
Staff and students complete Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
The shaking stops.
Staff discover:
What should staff consider?
Evacuation may be necessary because conditions may make the building unsafe.
Staff should follow established emergency procedures and official directions.
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus
What makes this different from simply saying "There was an earthquake, so evacuate"?
Answer
The decision is based on the conditions following the earthquake, not simply the fact that an earthquake occurred.
A staff member finds an individual unresponsive.
Another staff member says:
"I think this could be an opioid overdose."
A third staff member immediately calls 911.
Another retrieves Narcan.
What is this team doing correctly?
They are dividing responsibilities and initiating the appropriate emergency response.
Depending on training and district procedures:
⭐ Bonus
Does Narcan replace calling 911?
Answer:
No.
Emergency medical services should still be activated according to district procedures.
A school receives a report that a dangerous chemical spill has occurred on a roadway near campus. The spill is outside the school, and there is concern that fumes could reach the campus.
At the same time, a teacher asks:
"Should we evacuate because there's a hazardous-material incident?"
What Big 5 protocol is most appropriate, and what factor determines your decision?
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus
When might the response change from Shelter in Place to Evacuation?
Shelter in Place
The key factor is where the hazard is and whether remaining inside provides protection from the outdoor threat.
Shelter in Place is appropriate when students and staff need to be isolated from the outdoor environment, including:
Safety Shield Bonus Answer: Answer:
If conditions make the building unsafe or emergency officials/directives indicate that leaving the building is safer, the response may transition to Evacuation.
A school begins the morning under normal operations.
Then:
Stage 1: A disruptive individual is reported outside campus.
Stage 2: The individual begins threatening people.
Stage 3: Police are called.
Stage 4: Law enforcement reports the person may be attempting to enter campus.
Your Challenge
At each stage, what should staff be doing?
Assess and follow normal campus/visitor procedures.
Stage 2:
Notify administration and reassess the threat.
Stage 3:
Follow directions from administration/law enforcement.
Stage 4:
If an imminent threat of violence exists on campus, Lockdown/Barricade may be appropria
A staff member sees several police vehicles near campus.
A colleague says:
"Police are here! We must be on Lockdown!"
Another staff member says:
"I heard there was an incident somewhere in town."
Do not rely on assumptions or rumors.
Staff should:
⭐ Safety Shield Bonus
Why can acting on incomplete information be dangerous?
Answer:
Because the wrong response can create confusion, interfere with emergency operations, or move people into an unsafe environment.
At 8:30 a.m., wildfire smoke creates unhealthy outdoor air.
➡️ Shelter in Place
At 9:15 a.m., conditions worsen and officials report that the building itself is no longer safe.
What happens to your response?
The response may need to change from Shelter in Place to Evacuation, following official emergency direction.
⭐ 500-Point Bonus
What principle does this scenario teach?
Answer
Emergency protocols are not static. Staff must continuously assess changing conditions and follow official direction.
A student suddenly collapses in a classroom.
You have five adults nearby.
The student is unresponsive.
Your team has 30 seconds to assign roles.
Who:
There isn't one "correct" person for each role.
The correct response is to:
Assign clear roles quickly.
The team should ensure that:
⭐ SAFETY SHIELD BONUS — 100 POINTS
Why is assigning roles better than having five people all rush toward the student?
Answer
Because organized teamwork reduces confusion and ensures critical tasks aren't missed.