Palm Beach County School District Police Department

“I am school safety” - A Guide for Parents

“Because we all play an important part in the safety of our children”

How You Can Prepare For A School Emergency

Be sure all of your emergency contact information is current and correct.  Contact the school immediately whenever your work, home, or cell phone number changes.

Keep the school nurse informed of any medical conditions or physical limitations your child may have or the medication your child may be taking.  Provide the necessary medical supplies and medication for daily use and an additional supply to carry your child through an emergency.

Identify who is authorized to pick up your child if you are not able to respond.  Make sure their contact information I current and correct.  Please understand your child will only be released to parents and persons identified on the emergency contact list.  It is important to notify the school if you are going through any legal matters:  Custody Issues, Protective Orders, and Guardianship.

Make sure your child knows their parent or guardian’s name, address, and phone number.  If there is only one parent or guardian, your child should have contact information for a second responsible adult.

Talk with your child about the importance of remaining calm and following instructions in the event of an emergency.  If an emergency occurs while they are at school, their teacher will provide them with appropriate instructions and information.

Explain that cell phones should not be used during an emergency.  Emergency responders will depend on cell phones for communication.  If students and parents are trying to contact each other, cell phone circuits may become overloaded, interfering with the ability of emergency personnel to communicate vital information.

Whenever you are on school grounds, remain alert to activity in and around the school.  Report any suspicious activity to the school administration so they can investigate.

Responding To A School Emergency

The most helpful parental responses to a school emergency are to remain calm, be patient, and wait for accurate information.

It is important for you to understand that during such an event individual schools and emergency responders have made preparations to deal with incidents.

Please do not call the school.  It is essential to keep phone lines open so school officials can make outgoing emergency calls. 

Please do not go to the school.  As we have learned from past school emergencies, one of our greatest challenges is now to manage parents and concerned citizens rushing to the scene to “help”.  By doing so, parents can inadvertently create traffic jams that may block emergency responders from getting to the scene or leaving if necessary to transport injured staff or students to emergency medical facilities.

• Remain calm, follow procedures, and cooperate with school and police safety officials.

• Remain close to the phone listed as our emergency contact number.

• Tune in to reliable radio or television stations for updates.

• Obtain current information about the incident from the School Districts website: www.PalmBeachSchools.org

Understand that emergency pickup procedures are different than routine pickup procedures.  In the event, you are notified to pick up your child at school or at the designated family reunification site, bring a photo identification card.

Be patient.  It is essential that the family reunification procedure is carried out in an orderly manner so that we can protect and account for all or our students.

School Visitors

Because the safety of our students (your children) and employees are a top priority, all visitors, including parents, must sign in to the main office, present a picture ID to office personnel, and obtain a visitor’s badge/pass.  Visitors are not allowed to be inside the school without a visitor’s pass at any time.  Anyone without a pass will be directed to the office to obtain one.  Failure to comply will result in the administration taking your behavior as a serious safety incident.

Florida State Statute

810.097 Trespass upon the grounds or facilities of a school; penalties: arrest.  (1) Any person who (a) Does not have legitimate business on the campus or any other authorization, license, or invitation to enter or remain upon school property; or (b) Is a student currently under suspension or expulsion;

Practice Drills:

Schools are required to practice emergency response procedures by conducting practice drills throughout the school year.  These practice drills include Evacuation (Fire Drill), Lockdown, Shelter in Place, and Severe Weather.

Please be aware that during practice drills, the parent will be asked to participate in the drill and follow response procedures according to the drill.

If you arrive at the campus during a lockdown drill, you will be asked to wait outside the campus until the drill concludes.

If you are inside the building and are asked to go into lockdown, you will not be able to leave until the drill has ended.

If you are picking up your child from school, you will be asked to wait until after the drill has ended.

Additional Resources

School District Bullying Hotline: (561) 982-0900

Per the Florida Department of Education, bullying is defined as systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one or more students that is enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment, or unreasonably interfere with the individual’s school performance or participation.

Student Protect App

The Nation’s #1 app technology for students, parents, staff, and faculty to anonymously report threats and suspicious activity, receive instant school-specific safety alerts and notifications and make one-touch instant 911 calls that send law enforcement to your exact location for help.  Available for FREE on Android and iOS.

Student Crime Stoppers: (800) 458-TIPS (8477)

Students can anonymously report a crime and earn a reward of up to $1,000 for information about a crime or $500 for a recovered firearm.  To share a tip, students can call the hotline or download the FREE app (available on Android and iOS).  They must identify themselves as a Student Caller.  The student may be asked some questions but will NOT be asked to give their name.  They will be given a code number and instructions on when to call back to find out the progress of the tip.  If the information provided results in success, they will be given further instructions on how to collect their reward.

Follow Us On Social Media

The School District’s Office of Communications is the epicenter for all breaking news.  Follow @PBCSD on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Be proactive in protecting the safety of our children.

BECOME A VOLUNTEER!


Palm Beach County School District Police Department
3330 Forest Hill Blvd., Ste B-127
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
(561) 434-8400