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School Drills

Contact Information

Schools are required to have at least one drill per month, including summer sessions with students. Due to geographic location, schools have unique safety challenges. It is the responsibility of school principals and administrators to assess the threats and hazards most likely to impact their school.

See for more info.

Basic Threat & Hazard Responses

  1. 厂丑别濒迟别谤-颈苍-笔濒补肠别—To limit the exposure of students and staff to hazardous materials, such as chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants, released into the environment by isolating the inside environment from the outside
  2. 尝辞肠办诲辞飞苍—To isolate students and staff from threats of violence, such as suspicious trespassers or armed intruders, that may occur in a school or in the vicinity of a school
    - adds the following language: “Lockdown drills may not include live simulations of or reenactments of active shooter scenarios that are not trauma-informed and age and developmentally appropriate.”
  3. 贰惫补肠耻补迟颈辞苍—To move students and staff away from threats, such as fires, oil train spills, or tsunamis
    - In addition, a pedestrian evacuation drill must be included for schools in either a mapped tsunami or lahar hazard zone
  4. Earthquake—To practice the "drop, cover, and hold" protocol
    - The annual October Great Washington ShakeOut provides an excellent opportunity to practice drop, cover and hold on

Drill Documentation

To ensure that schools practice at least one drill per month, and to allow for response to locally identified threats and hazards, schools may practice basic selected drills more than once.

At a minimum, schools shall document the date, time, and type (shelter-in-place, lockdown, evacuation, or earthquake) of each required drill, and shall maintain the documentation in the school office. Districts and schools may also determine additional documentation sites and methods. Schools must document each drill. Adapt this Sample Drill Reporting Form as needed for local use. Coordination with local fire and emergency responders is strongly encouraged.

is a 5-minute video tutorial for Washington schools to assist them in their preparedness efforts.

Earthquake Resources

ShakeAlert is the taxpayer-funded earthquake early warning system for the West Coast of the United States. It is managed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and operated in conjunction with several academic institutions, including the University of Washington. Public alerting began in Washington in 2021.

ShakeAlert rapidly detects earthquakes and estimates the amount of shaking around the quake. Then, USGS-licensed technical partners deliver alerts to individuals and organizations such as schools. ShakeAlert can provide seconds to tens of seconds of advance warning before shaking is felt. For information on how to connect your school to ShakeAlert, please contact Gabriel Lotto or Bill Steele.