What is a lockdown?

An emergency may prevent the safe evacuation of a school building and require steps to isolate students and faculty from danger by instituting a school lockdown. In an interior lockdown situation, all students are kept in classrooms or other designated locations that are away from the danger. Faculty members are responsible for accounting for students and ensuring that no one leaves the safe area. School personnel will also secure building entrances, ensuring that no unauthorized individuals leave or enter the building. Exterior lockdown procedures restricting the perimeter of the entire building may also be used to ensure the safety of students when an incident occurs in the community.

Content adapted from materials prepared by the Montgomery County Public Schools; Rockville, Maryland; 2003, http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/index.cfm.