School Safety Alert System

The Surrey School District has developed a School Safety Alert System to help keep students, staff and volunteers safe during a real or perceived threat. 

School administrators are authorized to activate a safety alert, and drills take place at schools regularly to ensure familiarity and compliance with safety protocols.

Safety alerts are activated with an announcement over the school's public address system. Areas where the PA system is not audible, such as fields and restrooms, are also secured. Each alert requires specific actions:

LOCKDOWN:

A LOCKDOWN is called in response to a perceived life-threatening emergency either inside or in close proximity to the school building.

HOLD & SECURE:

A HOLD & SECURE is typically called in response to a danger that has been identified outside the school or in the surrounding school community.

ALL CLEAR:

An ALL CLEAR is announced over the school's PA system when there is no longer a threat to the safety of students, staff and volunteers in the school. It signals an "ALL CLEAR".

It’s important to know that when a safety alert is called, the school is not able to immediately communicate the reason for initiating it as staff is focused on ensuring safety protocols are properly followed. Also, the School Safety Alert System is most often enacted as a safety precaution, rather than in response to a direct threat to safety.