New York City Department of Education

Mark Rampersant, Senior Executive Director

Office of Safety and Youth Development

Parent Guide to School Safety

And Emergency Preparedness

This guide outlines school planning to ensure a safe and secure learning environment for all students and staff. It
includes information that is part of the overall School Safety Plan.

The Department of Education is committed to ensuring that parents are aware of emergency incidents and
occurrences that may pose a threat to the health and safety of students and staff in New York City school buildings.

Parents may enroll to receive emergency notifications by e-mail, through the Notify NYC system, which may be
accessed at the following websitewww.nyc.gov/notifynyc or by calling 311.

In the event of an emergency, you can obtain information about your child’s school in the following
ways:
. Call 311
. Check the Department of Education’s website at http://schools.nyc.gov
. Receive calls from the school's automated phone system, or text or e-mail notifications.
. Read letters sent home with the students, or posted on the school webpage.
. Parents must discuss with school officials the ways that the school will communicate emergency
information with parents.

In the event of an emergency, school personnel will work in collaboration with the Central Department of Education
administration, New York City Police Department, the New York City Office of Emergency Management, as well as
State and Federal agencies as necessary to ensure the safety and security of students and school staff.

Parents are advised not to immediately report to the school during an emergency and to follow specific directions
that are provided to ensure that all staff and students remain safe and that first responders can safely address the
incident.
School Information
Building New York City Police Department

P.S. 268 - QUEENS Precinct: 103 PCT PBQS

Address Information

Street Address: 92-07 175 STREET

City/State/Zip: QUEENS, NY 11433

School Contacts

PS/IS 268 (29Q268)

Main Phone: 718-206-3240 MARIA MARTINEZ (Parent Coordinator)

Fax Number: 718-206-2938 WILBURN SMITH (Principal)

P.S. 009 (75Q009)

Main Phone: 718-526-6210 YOLANDA JONES (Parent Coordinator)

Fax Number: 718-526-4726 JOHN GONZALEZ (Principal)
Critical Security Notifications and Offices
New York City Department of Education:

Office of Safety & Youth Development: (212) 374-4368

Office of Pupil Transportation: (718) 392 - 8855

Division of School Facilities: (718) 349 - 5799

Office of Special Investigations: (718) 935-3800

Respect For All (Bullying) Hotline: (718) 935-2288

New York City Police Department:

Precinct: 103 PCT PBQS (718) 657-8818

Borough Safety Director Borough Telephone

Sami Abbassi Queens 718-557-2501

Other related New York City and State Agencies:

Office of Special Commissioner of Investigations for the New York City School District: (212) 510-1500

New York State Central Register (Reporting of Suspected Child Abuse): (800) 635-1522
What is a School Safety Plan?

At the beginning of each school year, all schools develop a School Safety Plan. The plan outlines the procedures that
the school uses every day and in cases of emergency to provide a safe and secure environment in which effective
teaching and learning take place. Each plan is approved by the Office of Safety and Youth Development and NYPD. In
order to ensure safety for all students and staff, the specific emergency response plans and procedures of the School
Safety Plan must remain confidential.

The School Safety Plan addresses the following major areas:

School/Program/Academy Information - This section lists the staff members, hours of operation, chain of command,
class schedules, dismissal schedules, extra-curricular activities, and use of special facilities (i.e. swimming pools).

Special Needs Students - This section identifies students with special mobility needs and ways of addressing those
needs.

Medical Emergency Response Information - This section outlines procedures for the dissemination of health
information of individual students, implementing health recommendations, and for maintaining and accessing health
supplies and trained medical personnel. It also outlines the use and storage of Automatic External Defibrillators (AED).

School Safety Personnel Procedures and Assignments - This section includes visitor control procedures, security
scanning (where applicable), and protocols for responding to specific disaster or emergency conditions such as fire,
sheltering-in, bomb threat, suspicious packages, hazmat, shooting, and kidnapping.

Who is on the School Safety Plan Committee?

Chancellor’s Regulation A-414 requires that the following individuals are required to serve on a school’s Safety
Committee: The principal, the UFT Chapter leader, the PT/PTA president (or designee), the school’s Level III School
Safety Agent (or designee), the custodial engineer, the dietician (or designee), the NYPD commanding officer (or
designee) of the local precinct, and a student representative.

School Safety Agents

School Safety Agents, who are part of the NYPD, work in conjunction with the school administrators to help maintain
order and safety.

School Safety Agents have the following responsibilities:

Respond to immediate security situations

Help school personnel maintain discipline and order

Follow visitor control procedures

Patrol areas within and immediately surrounding the school building

Prevent intruders from entering the school building

Report serious incidents to the school administration and School Safety Division
Emergency Information

AED (Automated External Defibrillator) Procedures

According to New York State Education Law Section 917, all public schools must provide and maintain AED equipment
at strategic locations to ensure access for use during medical emergencies. Whenever public school facilities are used
for school-sponsored or school-approved curricular or extra-curricular events or activities and whenever a school-
sponsored athletic contest is held at any location, school officials and administrators must ensure the presence of at
least one AED/CPR certified staff volunteer. Where a school-sponsored competitive athletic event is held at a site other
than a public school facility, school officials shall assure that AED equipment is provided on-site.

Public school facilities are deemed “public access defibrillation (PAD) sites” and are subject to the requirements and
limitations of this definition. Schools are required to post a list of the locations of each AED unit at their main
entrance.

AED Locations

BudingName Location
Q268 - P.S. 268 - QUEENS 4TH FLOOR NEAR GYM

Q268 - P.S. 268 - QUEENS MAIN ENT

Q268 - P.S. 268 - QUEENS Main Entrance

Building Response Team (BRT)

The Building Response Team (BRT) should consist of a BRT Leader (Principal from one of the schools on campus) and
at least five additional staff who form the building’s core emergency response group. The Building Response Team
includes the following roles:

BRT Position Brief Description of Role

The BRT Leader is responsible for providing direction, leadership and guidance to BRT
members during an emergency. At the onset of an incident, s/he activates the necessary BRT
BRT Leader
roles. The BRT Leader also acts as the communications liaison between the BRT and Principal
during an emergency.
The Emergency Officer (EO) provides support based on the specific circumstances of each
incident. The EO may relay information between BRT members if communication devices are
unavailable. In some incidents, the EO may be required to report to the hospital with staff or
Emergency Officer students. The EO may be assigned to a relocation site prior to staff and student arrival to
review the relocation plan with the host school. The EO may also coordinate parent staging
areas if required. Based on building size, the BRT Leader may assign more than one
Emergency Officer and activate them as needed during an incident.
Incident Assessor (s): The incident assessor conducts an on-scene initial assessment of the incident or emergency to
To work with the nurse assess the severity of the situation. S/he fulfills a secondary role by collecting all essential
in medical situations elements of information (EEI) from the scene, relays the information to the BRT Leader, and
and the custodian compares this information to other information gathered by the BRT recorder for the purpose
during facility of completing official reports. [EEI includes incident specific information that is documented
situations during an incident, such as names of 911 responders, DOE, and external agency responders.]
Special Needs
The Special Needs Coordinator (SNC) serves as the primary contact when issues with special
Coordinator: On a
needs students and staff arise during an emergency. S/he tracks all special needs students
campus with a Living
and staff during emergencies, collects information on unaccounted for Limited Mobility
for the Young Family
individuals, and ensures that all special needs students and staff have what they need during
through Education
incidents that involve an evacuation or sheltering-in. S/he works with the school’s Coordinator
(LYFE) Center and/or
for Limited Mobility students and staff to ensure that staff members assigned to limited-
District 75 program, an
mobility students are present (daily) and that they keep track of necessary personal
additional SNC is
equipment and supplies.
required for each
program

The Assembly Point Coordinator monitors and assists with the relocation of staff, teachers,
and students to either an internal or immediately external assembly point(s) during an
Assembly Point emergency. S/he fulfills a secondary role by collecting information from teachers and other
Coordinator staff on missing students or unaccounted for individuals (including contractors, vendors,
substitute staff, or persons who were signed into the building as visitors) for emergency
responders.
The recorder is responsible for collecting detailed information from the beginning to the end
(recovery phase) of an incident. Multiple recorders can be assigned to a BRT and activated in
Recorder
an incident. One recorder may work with the Principal and another may work with the BRT
Leader.
Visitor Control Procedures

The Principal (or, in buildings with multiple schools, the Principals’ Council / Campus Council) has the overall responsibility and
authority to regulate admission of visitors and to oversee their conduct while in the school or on school property. Each principal
also has authority to grant or deny a visitor's request to enter the school. Such decisions should be reasonable and consistent
with the needs of the school, its safety, and the right of the public to visit the school.

In order to establish a uniform visitor control standard, the following procedures should be implemented in all Department of
Education facilities. These procedures are designed to ensure minimum standards to control visitors to school buildings. The
School Safety Committee may establish additional procedures beyond those outlined below.

1. The main entrance must be covered by a Safety Agent or other appropriate staff person from the time the
Custodian opens the building until the end of the school day. The door used as the main entrance to the school may
not be locked during times when the building is open. It must remain unlocked and accessible. The NYPD School Safety
Division will assign a School Safety Agent (SSA) to the main entrance. When a school's designated SSA is not at that location,
the Principal(s) shall designate an appropriate alternate person to be stationed at the main entrance. This person will follow
the same visitor control procedures that the SSA. must perform.

2. Signs should be posted at the main entrance informing visitors that they must stop at the desk to sign in
and show photo identification. A visitor entering the building will be requested to provide at least one (1) item of valid
photo identification (for example, this may include a driver’s license, foreign or US passport, or consulate identification card
(NYC Municipal ID card)). Parents who do not have acceptable photo identification shall not be denied access
to their children’s school. Where acceptable photo identification cannot otherwise be made and there is no
other reason to deny access, the principal/designee, who may be the parent coordinator, must be contacted.
The principal/designee will then escort the parent to the office he or she is visiting and following the meeting escort the parent
out of the building. The SSA or staff member on duty at the main entrance will record the date, time, visitor’s name and
visitor’s destination in the Log Book. All visitors are required to sign next to the entry made by the SSA or staff person on duty.
Log books must be maintained at the site for a period of three years. Posted signs should inform visitors that failing to follow
these guidelines may result in their removal from the building. Please note: signs regarding visitor access must be
posted in all covered languages as defined in Chancellor’s Regulation A-663.

3. Schools must ensure that parents in need of language assistance services are not prevented from reaching
the school’s administrative offices due to language barriers. If a parent or visitor does not speak English, the SSA or
staff member should try to determine the language the individual is speaking, and then attempt to locate a translator within
the building by contacting the main office. If a translator is not present within the building, the SSA or staff member on duty
should escort the individual to the main office, where a school representative should contact DOE’s Translation and
Interpretation Services Unit at 718-752-7373 to request telephone translation.

4. Every visitor should be given a pass to the general office. At the general office, visitors will be issued a second
pass and/or appropriate instructions, should they be visiting other areas in the building. Before issuing a second pass, general
office staff must confirm with the appropriate destination staff member that the visitor is expected.

5. The SSA or staff person at the main entrance will record the time of departure the Visitor's Log, parallel to the
initial entry for that visitor, and collect all passes issued.

6. The SSA or designated staff person should make a periodic check of the Log Book to ensure that no one
remains in the building for an extended, unauthorized period of time. In such instance, it should be verified whether
the visitor(s) is/are still in the building. In the event that a visitor remains in the building:

1. Search and notification of the visitor's location in the school.

7. Any school, program, or academy at the site may employ additional procedures (above and beyond but not
inconsistent with the procedures defined above) to log visitors into the building. For example, visitors may be
issued color-coded passes to specify locations in the building, or visitors may be escorted by staff or students to their
destination. Special visitor log procedures:

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This plan contains confidential information and should not be posted online, reproduced, or distributed, except in cases of emergency.
Print Date: Nov 21, 2022 3:56:43 PM
8. Visitors who violate procedures regarding visits to schools, or whose conduct jeopardizes the safety of
students/staff, interferes with programs in the school, or damages property are subject to immediate removal
from the school by order of the Principal, and may be subject to arrest.

9. All staff members must be aware of visitors who do not have appropriate passes for a designated area, or
who have no visitor's pass at all. Where feasible, staff should approach such persons and request that they
return to the Main Office. Staff should then immediately notify the Principal and the NYPD SSA. of the
situation.

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This plan contains confidential information and should not be posted online, reproduced, or distributed, except in cases of emergency.
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General Response Protocols
The General Response Protocol (GRP) outlines the initial response to a variety of conditions that may occur inside or
outside of a school building that would require the administration to either Evacuate, Shelter-In, or Lockdown the
campus. Each protocol has specific staff and student actions that are unique to each response. In the event that a
student or staff member identifies the initial threat, calling 911 and administration is required.

Implementation of each GRP Action is performed by all staff, students, and visitors until first responders
arrive to provide specific direction to school officials.

1.Evacuate is always initiated by the Fire Alarm or specific directions, and is used to move students and staff from
one location to a different location out of the building. This may be used when the hazard is found inside or outside
of the building. An evacuation may be conducted by the entire building at the same time, or in a controlled fashion
based on the direction of first responders.
2.Shelter-In is always initiated with the announcement:”Attention: This is a Shelter- In. Secure the exit doors.” and
is the protocol used to safe guard students and staff within the building. It is always followed by a specific
instruction and is used when the hazard is found outside of the building. The hazard may be environmental or be
related to the actions of first responders in the neighborhood. Shelter-In may also include relocation to different
rooms within the building.
3.Lockdown is initiated with the announcement, “Attention. We are now in Soft/Hard Lockdown. Take
proper action.” and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place.
Lockdown is used when the hazard is found within the building.
Soft lockdown implies that there is no identified imminent danger to the sweep teams.
Administrative teams, Building Response Teams, and School Safety Agents will mobilize at the
designated command post.
Hard lockdown implies that imminent danger is known and NO ONE will engage in any building
sweep activity. All individuals, including School Safety Agents will take appropriate lockdown
action and await the arrival of first responders.

Shelter-In vs. Lockdown

The differentiation between Shelter-In and Lockdown is a critical element in GRP. A Shelter-In recovers
all students from outside the building, secures the building perimeter and locks all outside doors. This
would be implemented when there is a threat or hazard outside of the building. Criminal activity,
dangerous events in the community, or even a vicious dog on the playground would be examples of a
Shelter-In response. While the Shelter-In response encourages greater staff situational awareness, it
allows for educational practices to continue with little classroom interruption or distraction.Lockdown is
a classroom-based protocol that requires locking the classroom door, turning off the lights and placing
students out of sight of any corridor windows. Student action during Lockdown is to remain quiet.

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This plan contains confidential information and should not be posted online, reproduced, or distributed, except in cases of emergency.
Print Date: Nov 21, 2022 3:56:43 PM
GRP Summary of Staff and Student Response

Lockdown (Soft/Hard) –Soft lockdown implies that there is no identified imminent danger to the
sweep teams. Administrative teams, Building Response Teams, and School Safety Agents will mobilize at
the designated command post for further direction. Hard lockdown implies that imminent danger is
known and NO ONE will engage in any building sweep activity. All individuals, including School Safety
Agents will take appropriate lockdown action and await the arrival of first responders

“Attention: We are now in soft/ hard lockdown. Take proper action”

(Repeated twice over the PA system)

Students are trained to:
1. Move out of sight and maintain silence
Teachers are trained to:
1. Check the hallway outside of their classrooms for students, lock classroom doors, and turn the lights
off
2. Move away from sight and maintain silence
3. Wait for First Responders to open door or the “All Clear” message
“The Lockdown has been lifted” followed by specific directions.
4. Take attendance and account for missing students by contacting main office
Evacuate – The fire alarm system is the initial alert for staff and students to initiate an evacuation.
However, there may be times when the PA system and specific directions will serve as the alert initiating
an evacuation. Announcements will begin with “Attention” and be followed with specific directions.
(Repeated twice over the PA system).

Students are trained to:

1. Leave belongings behind and form a single file line. In cold weather, students should be reminded to
take their coats when leaving the classroom. Students in physical education attire WILL NOT return to
the locker room. Students without proper outdoor attire will be secured in a warm location as
immediately as possible.
Teachers are trained to:
1. Grab evacuation folder (with attendance sheet and Assembly cards).
2. Lead students to evacuation location as identified on Fire Drill Posters. ALWAYS LISTEN FOR
ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS
3. Take attendance and account for students.
4. Report injuries, problems, or missing students to school staff and first responders using Assembly
Card method.
Shelter-In – “Attention. This is a shelter-in. Secure the exit doors.” (Repeated twice over the PA
system).

Students are trained to:

1. Remain inside of building
2. Conduct business as usual
3. Respond to specific staff directions
Teachers are trained to:

1. Increase situational awareness

2. Conduct business as usualALWAYS LISTEN FOR ADDITIONAL DIRECTIONS
3. The Shelter- In directive will remain in effect until hearing the “All Clear” message “The Shelter- In
has been lifted” followed by specific directions.

BRT members, floor wardens, and Shelter- In staff will secure all exits and report to specific post
assignments
 Reunification Planning Guide

There may be times when an emergency will require an evacuation and relocation to another building. When this
occurs, dismissal procedures must be conducted in a safe and organized fashion by using procedures to account
for all students who have been reunified with their families. Advanced planning, through the use of the
Reunification Planning Guide, will result in a successful reunification. Various factors must be considered during a
relocation which include the number of people being reunited, the available space at the relocation/reunification
site, and the appropriate security personnel that may be required. During these emergencies, school officials must
work with DOE staff and School Safety Agents who respond to the relocation site to assist.
Reunification at all relocation sites will require:
• A minimum of four pre-designated rooms/ common spaces, or sections of the school yard (external
only);
• A command post (established by the host building prior to the arrival of staff and students from the
relocation building);
• Access to the medical office or an established medical station to facilitate basic first-aid if needed.
• Families must be informed in advance that identification will be required during the reunification
process.
2- The Student Staging Area: Required staff: 1
1- The Family Staging Area: Required staff (based on
Student Staging Area Coordinator (reporting to the
the size of the room and the number of parents): 1
Assembly Point Coordinator), all classroom teachers,
Family Staging Area Coordinator (reporting to the
3-5 School Safety Agents, adding additional agents as
Assembly Point Coordinator), 2-4 staff (to collect
necessary based on the number of students in the
information), 1-2 School Safety Agents.
staging area.
• Teachers are required to have their classroom
• This area must be separated from the student
evacuation folder including class rosters, daily
staging area.
attendance, and GRP assembly cards.
• Students will remain with their class until they
• This area must be supervised by staff and School are reunited with a family member. Students must be
Safety Agents. escorted to the Reunion Area, restrooms, and medical
areas by school staff.
• Families must complete Part 1 of the Student • Classroom teachers must remain with their
Release Form, prior to being escorted to the Reunion assigned students until a runner arrives to call for
Area. specific students.
Parents must be escorted to the Reunion Area All students who were absent from school must
in small manageable groups (i.e. 1 staff be reported to the Assembly Point Coordinator
member: 5 family members) upon reaching the Student Staging Area.
3- The Reunion Area: Required staff: 1 Reunion Area 4- The Counseling & Medical Areas: Required staff:
Coordinator (reporting to the Assembly Point Counseling Area: Members of the school crisis team
Coordinator), 3-5 staff (to collect information), 4-5 (number of staff to be determined based on need).
runners, 3-5 School Safety Agents. Medical Area: School nurse and health aide
• A family member completes/submits the • The Counseling Area must be identified upon
Student Release Form with Part 1 completed. arrival and used as needed.
• Identification is verified by staff to ensure that
• Clinical staff (counselors, psychologists, etc.)
the individual is listed on school records. The staff
will work with families and students who may need
member will complete Part 2 of the Student
additional support before leaving the relocation site.
Release Form.
• The runner (school staff) is given the Student
• If necessary, the Counseling Area is where the
Release Form. When the student is retrieved, Part
family will receive information about their child if the
3 of the Student Release Form is completed by the
child cannot be released to them.
runner.
• The student is escorted to be safely reunited
• If the Counseling Area is used, components of
with their family, and Part 4 of Student Release
the school Crisis Plan must be used as appropriate.
Form completed by staff.
Family members must sign for students in Part 4 of • The medical area must be located near the
Student Release Form to take custody of their child. host-school medical office.
Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD)

The goal of the Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD) is to make every public school in New York City a
safe and secure teaching and learning environment for all students and staff. To achieve this goal, the Office of
Safety and Youth Development works closely with the New York City Police Department and its School Safety Division
as well as with regional support staff, principals and other school personnel.

Central Office of Safety and Youth Development (OSYD) staff, the Borough Safety Directors (BSDs) assigned to each
of the five Boroughs and representatives from District 75 and District 79 address safety and security issues in our
schools each day, providing information, guidance and support. Safety Administrators make site visits to schools;
serve as a resource for principals; work with school safety teams; provide professional development and training to
school personnel; and work with parents on issues relating to student safety. The Office of Safety and Youth
Development also conducts comprehensive safety and security assessments of schools on a continuing basis
throughout the year to assist schools in implementing best practices that establish and maintain a safe and secure
school environment, which is the foundation upon which effective teaching and learning take place.

In addition to its focus on day-to-day safety and security in school buildings and other Department of Education
facilities across the city, the Office of Safety and Youth Development provides professional development to build the
capacity of teachers and other school personnel to implement prevention and intervention programs that engage
students in taking responsibility for and improving their own behavior. Professional development focuses on
implementation of comprehensive conflict resolution programs, including peer mediation; programs which reduce and
eliminate bullying and other forms of harassment; and instruction and programming that promote respect for
multicultural diversity.

All students deserve the opportunity to achieve academic success and to grow and flourish emotionally and socially.
Each school must be a safe haven in which students are challenged to meet high standards and are supported in their
efforts to do so.

Additional information and resources about school safety

These sites are valuable sources of school safety information developed with parents in mind. The topics covered on
these sites include safety in school, safety in the community, and safety on the Internet. Most of the other sites listed
also include links to numerous other recommended school safety sites that may be of interest to parents.

. www.schoolsecurity.org/faq/parents.html
. www.psparents.net/studentsafety.htm
. www.keepschoolssafe.org/parents
. www.pta.org
. www.healthinschools.org/
. www.fema.gov/kids/teacher.htm
. www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/nonviolence/parent.htm
. http://pmct.org/helpsucceed/safety.html
. www.fldoe.org/
. www.safekids.com/
. www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm
. http://www.nea.org/home/16364.htm
. www.protectkids.com/kidsonline/chapt.7.html
. www.mcgruff.org/
. http://www.nasponline.org/resources/crisis_safety/neat.aspx