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9 Tips for More Effective School Lockdowns

2. Schools that only have one type of lockdown procedure are more likely to have plan failure during a crisis.

While it is normally good to keep things simple in school crisis planning, we have found that schools that only have one protocol based on active shooter situations and other crisis events have a high fail rate because school administrators are averse to overreacting in a situation they feel is too “minor” to warrant a school lockdown.  This can allow a situation to escalate into a deadly event because an early opportunity to lock down the building is missed.  Having a lower level, “preventive” or “soft” lockdown option is important because most situations where lockdowns are needed do not involve weapons.

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