Each school shall develop a written school crisis, emergency management and medical emergency response plan as defined below.  The School Board includes the chief law enforcement officer, the fire chief, the chief of the emergency medical services agency, the executive director of the regional emergency medical services council and the emergency management official of the locality, or their designees, in the development of such plans.  The Board, the chief law enforcement officer, the fire chief, the chief of the emergency medical services agency, the executive director of the regional emergency medical services council and the emergency management official of the locality, or their designees annually review each school’s plan. The Department of Education and the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety will provide technical assistance to the school division in the development of the plans.  In developing these plans, schools may consult the model school crisis, emergency management and medical response plan developed by the Board of Education and the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety. 

The School Board designates the Assistant Superintendent for Administration as emergency manager. 
 
Each school shall annually conduct school safety audits as defined below in collaboration with the chief law enforcement officer of the locality or with that officer’s designee. The results of such school safety audits shall be made public within 90 days of completion. The School Board may withhold or limit the release of any security plans, walk-through checklists and specific vulnerability assessment components as provided in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Va. Code § 2.2-3705.2. The completed walk-through checklist will be made available upon request to the chief law enforcement officer of the locality or the officer’s designee.  Each school shall maintain a copy of the school’s safety audit report, which may exclude such security plans, walk-through checklists and vulnerability assessment components, within the office of the school principal and shall make a copy of such report available for review upon written request.  

Each school shall submit a copy of its school safety audit to the Superintendent. The Superintendent shall collate and submit all such school safety audits, in the prescribed format and manner of submission, to the Virginia Center for School and Campus Safety (VCSCS) and shall make available upon request to the chief law enforcement officer of the locality the results of such audits for the officer’s review and recommendation. The superintendent includes the designation of the division safety official, which includes a current mailing address, a current working daytime phone number, a current functional email address, and a current functional fax number, with the school safety audits when they are submitted to VCSCS.

The Superintendent shall establish a school safety audit committee to include, if available, representatives of parents, teachers, local law-enforcement, emergency services agencies, local community services boards, and judicial and public safety personnel. The school safety audit committee reviews the completed school safety audits and submits any plans, as needed, for improving school safety to the Superintendent for submission to the School Board.

“School crisis, emergency management and medical emergency response plan” means the essential procedures, operations, and assignments required to prevent, manage, and respond to a critical event or emergency, including natural disasters involving fire, flood, tornadoes, or other severe weather; loss or disruption of power, water, communications or shelter; bus or other accidents; medical emergencies, including cardiac arrest and other life threatening medical emergencies; student or staff member deaths; explosions, bomb threats; gun, knife or other weapons threats; spills or exposures to hazardous substances; the presence of unauthorized persons or trespassers; the loss, disappearance or kidnapping of a student; hostage situations; violence on school property or at school activities; incidents involving acts of terrorism; and other incidents posing a serious threat of harm to students, personnel, or facilities.  The plan shall include a provision that the Department of Criminal Justice Services and the Virginia Criminal Injuries Compensation Fund shall be contacted immediately to deploy assistance in the event of an emergency as defined in the emergency response plan when there are victims as defined in Va. Code § 19.2-11.01, as well as current contact information for both.

“School safety audit” means a written assessment of the safety conditions in each public school to (1) identify and, if necessary, develop solutions for physical safety concerns, including building security issues and (2) identify and evaluate any patterns of student safety concerns occurring on school property or at school-sponsored events.  Solutions and responses shall include recommendations for structural adjustments, changes in school safety procedures, and revision to the School Board’s standards for student conduct. The audit is consistent with a list of items identified by the Virginia Center of School and Campus Safety to be reviewed and evaluated.  As part of each audit, the School Board creates a detailed and accurate floor plan for each school building or certifies that the existing floor plan is sufficiently detailed and accurate. 

Each school shall maintain records of regular safety, health and fire inspections that have been conducted and certified by local health and fire departments.  The frequency of such inspections shall be determined by the School Board in consultation with the local health and fire departments.  In addition, the school administration shall equip all exit doors with panic hardware as required by the Uniform Statewide Building Code. 

Each school shall have contingency plans for emergencies that include staff certified in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), the Heimlich maneuver, and emergency first aid.  In addition, the school administration shall ensure that the school has:
1.  Written procedures to follow in emergencies such as fire, injury, illness, allergic reactions and violent or threatening behavior.  The procedures include Policy 437P, Students- Administration of Medications to Students and Regulation 437R, Students- Administration of Epinephrine.  The plan shall be outlined in the student handbook and discussed with staff and students during the first week of each school year;
    2.  Space for the proper care of students who become ill; and
3.  A written procedure, in accordance with guidelines established by the School Board for responding to violent, disruptive or illegal activities by students on school property or during a school sponsored activity; and 
4.    Written procedures to follow for the safe evacuation of persons with special physical, medical or language needs who may need assistance to exit a facility. 

Legal Reference(s):
Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, Section(s) 2.2-3705.2, 22.1-279.8.

8 VAC 20-131-260.

Adopted: August 19, 2013
Amended: June 17, 2014
Amended: April 17, 2018
Amended: June 18, 2019
Amended: June 16, 2020
Amended: June 21, 2022
Amended: June 20, 2023