Sullivan STEAM SAFETY DRILLS
Student and staff safety is our top priority. At Sullivan STEAM, we review safety and security procedures regularly and follow consistent systems to ensure our staff members are prepared to handle crisis situations and provide students with support. Our staff members are trained in our procedures and students participate in emergency drills at least five times a year. All schools are required by the Minnesota Department of Education to schedule regular safety drills throughout the school year. The three different drills practiced are fire, tornado, and lockdown. We also are prepared for an evacuation if that is ever needed. We have a team that meets each school year to review our emergency plans and revise as needed. In addition, we debrief after drills to consider ways to improve.
Fire Drills
In order to assure the safety of our students, the Minnesota Department of Education requires five fire drills throughout the school year. When the fire alarm sounds, students and staff leave the building in a quiet, orderly manner. Teachers take their Emergency Grab and Go backpacks, do an attendance check, and report their status to the principal or admin designee. Our goal is to be out of the building in under 2 minutes.
Tornado Drills
One tornado drill is held in the spring to coordinate with the Statewide Tornado Drill Day. Students are moved to designated safe areas to help minimize exposure to falling or flying debris. The principal or admin designee checks all areas for proper procedures.
Lockdown Drills
The lockdown drill is a “code yellow” and/or a “code red". We have five lockdown drills each school-year. A code yellow is an external lockdown (awareness of events in the area), access to the building is strictly monitored, and doors remain locked (as usual), program continues in classrooms. A code red is a full school internal and external lockdown. All students and staff stay out of sight in their locked classrooms. The principal and engineers check the building to make sure all staff and students are properly following procedures. The goal is to maintain a safe environment for all our students and staff.
Evacuation
Our fire drill serves as our evacuation practice--getting out of the building efficiently. In the event of a true evacuation, all students, staff, and visitors would evacuate to our primary evacuation site: Hiawatha Collegiate High School (primary evacuation site: Hiawatha Collegiate High School, 3500 E 28th St, Minneapolis, MN 55406, secondary evacuation site: St. Albert's Church, 2836 33rd Ave S, Minneapolis, MN, 55406). There would be a formal system in place for parents to be united with their children.
We thank you in advance for your cooperation to ensure the safety of our students.
