Emergency Communications Plan 26-27

The Upper Darby School District is committed to inclusivity and ensuring that all members of our community have access to important information. This document is available in several languages to accommodate our diverse population. If you need to access this document in a language other than English, please click the accessibility button (stick-figure) found on the top right of this page and select your language of choice. Please contact Aaronda Q. Beauford, Director of Communications, at abeauford@upperdarbysd.org with any questions, comments, or suggestions related to the translation of this document.

The message below has been translated into the five most common home languages identified by Upper Darby School District families in the Home Access Center (HAC), following English: Spanish, Bengali, Urdu, Vietnamese, and Arabic.

To Translate This Document: The Accessibility and Translation toolbar is located at the top of this page. Click Translate and select your preferred language to view this document in another language.

SPANISH — ESPAÑOL

Para traducir este documento: La barra de herramientas de accesibilidad y traducción se encuentra en la parte superior de esta página. Haga clic en «Traducir» y seleccione el idioma de su preferencia para ver este documento en otro idioma.

BENGALI — BANGLA বাংলা

এই নথিটি অনুবাদ করতে: এই পৃষ্ঠার উপরের অংশে 'অ্যাক্সেসিবিলিটি অ্যান্ড ট্রান্সলেশন' (Accessibility and Translation) টুলবারটি রয়েছে। অন্য কোনো ভাষায় নথিটি দেখতে 'Translate'-এ ক্লিক করুন এবং আপনার পছন্দের ভাষাটি নির্বাচন করুন।

ei nothiti anubad korte: ei prishthar uporer angshe 'axesibiliti and translation' (Accessibility and Translation) toolbarti royeche. anno kono bhashay nothiti dekhte 'Translate'-a click karun ebong aapnar pochonder bhasati nirbachon korun.

URDU — ARDOاردو

اس دستاویز کا ترجمہ کرنے کے لیے: 'ایکسیسیبلٹی اینڈ ٹرانسلیشن' (Accessibility and Translation) ٹول بار اس صفحے کے اوپری حصے میں موجود ہے۔ اس دستاویز کو کسی دوسری زبان میں دیکھنے کے لیے 'Translate' پر کلک کریں اور اپنی پسندیدہ زبان منتخب کریں۔

is dastavez ka tarjamah karne ke liye: 'exisibleti and translation' (Accessibility and Translation) tol bar is safhe ke operi hissay min mojud hay. is dastavez ko kasi dosari zaban min dekhane ke liye 'Translate' par kalk karin or apani pasandidah zaban mantakhab karin.

VIETNAMESE — TIẾNG VIỆT

Để dịch tài liệu này: Thanh công cụ Hỗ trợ tiếp cận và Dịch thuật nằm ở đầu trang này. Hãy nhấp vào "Dịch" (Translate) và chọn ngôn ngữ bạn muốn để xem tài liệu này bằng ngôn ngữ khác.

ARABIC — EARABIUN عربي

لترجمة هذه الوثيقة: يوجد شريط أدوات إمكانية الوصول والترجمة في أعلى هذه الصفحة. انقر على "ترجمة" (Translate) واختر اللغة التي تفضلها لعرض هذه الوثيقة بلغة أخرى.

litarjamat hadhih alwathiqati: yujad sharit 'adawat 'iimkaniat alwusul waltarjamat fi 'aelaa hadhih alsafhati. anqur ealaa "tarjamati" (Translate) wakhtar allughat alati tufadiluha lieard hadhih alwathiqat bilughat 'ukhraa.

This document is subject to periodic revisions and updates. We strive to ensure that all information is accurate and up-to-date; however, changes may occur over time and without prior notice. Please consult the latest version of this document for the most current information.

While we strive to ensure the accuracy and quality of our content, there may be occasional errors or inaccuracies. If you come across any mistakes or issues, please contact us to let us know: Aaronda Q. Beauford, Director of Communications, abeauford@upperdarbysd.org. We appreciate your feedback and will do our best to address any concerns promptly. Thank you for your understanding and assistance in improving our work.

The Upper Darby School District disseminates information throughout each of the four (4) phases of the School Emergency Response Plan as follows. Please note that the following indicates how the District responds with communication during each of the stages of the emergency response:

The District takes a proactive approach in sharing with parents/guardians and stakeholders the School Emergency Response Plan and the UDSD Emergency Communications Plan. The Superintendent, Director of Public Safety, Director of Elementary Education, Director of Secondary Education, Director of Pupil Services, the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services and Principals communicate what the District’s school safety protocols are, the meaning of safety terms and school emergency response protocols.

The Superintendent and Director of Public Safety review this information with the Board and the public every year.

Principals share the School Emergency Response Plan with staff and students and lead practice lock-out, lock-in lockdown and evacuation drills.

The UDSD Emergency Communications Plan has been developed to ensure parents, school district staff, Township residents, school district stakeholders and the media are provided with timely and accurate information during an emergency and serious incident. The Plan is also designed to inform stakeholders of district protocols for changes to the school schedule due to an emergency school closure, late start to school opening and/or early dismissal.

It is the goal of Upper Darby School District that the District be the official source of information for all things related to the Upper Darby School District. The reality for school district is that the emergence of social media has provided a platform, at times, for dissemination of inaccurate information, incomplete information and emergency and serious incident-related rumors from unofficial sources.

Unlike anonymous and/or unofficial sources, the District is obligated to investigate a matter as thoroughly as possible, provide due process to all involved, ensure notification of parent(s)/guardian(s), work with law enforcement and emergency/serious incident response personnel, and ensure student privacy rights are not violated (especially when minors are involved).

One of the goals listed in the District Comprehensive Plan is to continue to improve communication with our stakeholders. This includes ensuring accuracy and increasing the timeliness of our communications as much as possible and providing follow-up information and support when necessary.

The District also has a partnership with local law enforcement and has entered into a state required Memo of Understanding (MOUs) with all appropriate agencies.

Upper Darby School District officials who are charged with communications during an emergency or serious incident aim to disseminate accurate information as quickly as possible. Their objectives include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Maintaining a safe and welcoming school environment at all times for students, staff, parents and the school community at large

• Building trust with staff, students, parents and the community

• Providing timely, reliable and regular information to parents, staff, students

• Providing other professionals the opportunity to fully complete all necessary investigations

How does the school district communicate emergency/serious incidents and/or changes to the school schedule related to inclement weather or other events? The Upper Darby School District will continue to strategically optimize and leverage email, social media and mobile alerting technology to accelerate emergency notification to school staff, parents/guardians and school community stakeholders. Select communications tools are used to:

In the case of an emergency, the following communications tools are activated:

Emergency/serious incident and school schedule change messages are shared through the District’s official CrisisGo app, which are delivered to registered mobile devices.

The CrisisGo mobile app allows UDSD parents to connect with safety message groups from our school district and individual school buildings. UDSD parents can download the CrisisGo app on their mobile device and create a FREE account. Parents will then need to subscribe to the DISTRICT NEWS group and the school(s) of their choice via the appropriate ID number.

CrisisGo is the fastest way to receive district emergency alerts and messaging. Click on the button below to learn how to download the app and register today!

Families are encouraged to become familiar with the District's Emergency Preparedness Safety Terms FAQs, which explain the standardized safety terms and procedures that may be used during emergencies. Understanding these terms in advance helps families know what to expect during an incident and supports clear, consistent communication between the District and our school community. To learn more, please select the Emergency Preparedness Safety Terms FAQs button below.

Emergency/serious incident and school schedule change messages are sent to parents and community registrants ParentLink is a robocall and email system that is used to send out mass emails to all parents/guardians using contact information from the Home Access Center (HAC). Voice messages will be accompany email messages as appropriate.

Parent contact information for ParentLink email and voice messaging is accessed from HAC. Parents/Guardians are responsible for keeping contact information (email and phone number) up-to-date in HAC.

Find resources below to help you keep your information up-to-date in HAC.

Emergency/serious incident and school schedule change messages are shared across the District’s official social media, which include Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Parents are encouraged to Like, Follow, and Subscribe to the District’s official social media platforms and to turn on any notifications when possible.

It is important to note that the Upper Darby School District works closely with the Upper Darby Township, Millbourne Borough, and Glenolden Borough by way of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which is an agreement between the Upper Darby Township and the Upper Darby School District. The District collaborates with the Police and/or Fire Department leadership to ensure that the information that is shared in District communications does not interfere with or compromise an ongoing investigation. It is also important to note that communication protocols are different when the emergency/serious incident involves a crime having been committed. As per the MOU, the responding police department or fire department will lead all communication. The Upper Darby School District will be included and involved when necessary.

Community members may opt to receive district email communications by registering through the link below. Parents/Guardians with contact information on file in the Home Access Center (HAC) do not need to register, as they will automatically receive district and school communications based on the contact information associated with their student's record.

Click the button below to learn more or share the following link with your neighbors, family members, and other community members:

https://upperdarbysdorg.finalsite.com/departments12/communications-media-services/community12/sign-up-to-receive-district-emails

A confirmation email will be sent within 10 minutes of completing registration.

Please note that registered recipients will receive all email communications from the school(s) they select during registration.

When school district personnel determine there to be a critical incident that might impact the safety of the students, staff and visitors, an alert notification is sent through our CrisisGo mobile application. Prior to this alert, the District will alert police and/or the fire department or both. It is important to note that any district staff member can activate a Lockdown emergency alert through the CrisisGo app.

The alert can be designated as a Lock-Out, Lock-In, Lockdown or Evacuation. As indicated in the table below, the type of emergency response alert will determine the level of district response. Learn more about the emergency preparedness and safety terminology used in District emergency communications in the Lock-Out, Lock-In, Lockdown, Evacuation FAQS for Families document.

When an alert is activated in the CrisisGo app, the following ensues:

1. School staff and district officials receive the alert through the app.

2. The School Emergency Response Plan is immediately activated for all students, staff and any visitors. Local emergency response personnel are contacted as appropriate. Students, staff and visitors are required to comply with the emergency response protocol throughout the incident. School staff and district officials are able to engage in two-way communication through the app.

3. The Superintendent’s Command Center is activated as the centralized command location for the handling of and communication regarding an emergency/serious incident. The Superintendent and/or backup will be in communication with emergency responders and begin to establish an incident command post.

4. The District’s Emergency Response Team connects with the School-Level Emergency Response Team for an overview of the incident and to provide support to the school administration in managing the emergency/serious incident. See below for more about the District’s Emergency Response Team and the chain of command during emergency/serious incidents.

5. The Director of Communications activates the internal and external communications protocol and sends out a communication via the CrisisGo app, ParentLink email, and the District’s official social media to provide an overview of the incident. Depending on the seriousness of the incident, the communication will be reviewed with local police and/or fire for accuracy of information and as to not interrupt an investigation.

6. Communication between the District’s Emergency Response Team and the School-Level Emergency Response Team and any emergency response personnel is maintained throughout the incident.

7. Updates are communicated to district stakeholders and the Board of School Directors throughout the incident as often as possible and/or when new information becomes available.

8. The close-out of the emergency response is communicated to district stakeholders when the incident has ended.

9. An incident follow-up communication is sent to district stakeholders in the case of a lockdown. The Principal communicates with the respective school community following a lock-out, lock-in, lockdown or evacuation incident.

10. The District Emergency Response Team conducts a debriefing on the incident and may include local police and/or fire if necessary.

The District’s Emergency Response Team is comprised of members from each school district department, each offering expertise in a certain area as related to providing support to schools during an emergency/serious incident.

Each member of the District Emergency Response Team is responsible for collaborating with the Superintendent of Schools regarding any services and supports that may be activated during an emergency or serious incident.

Each member of the District’s Emergency Response Team is responsible for collaborating with the Superintendent of Schools, the Director of Communications, and the Director of Public Safety to communicate updates as accurately and as quickly as possible. The District also has an internal document listing backups for each position.

Members of the Team are as follows:

• Superintendent of Schools

• Director of Communications

• Director of Public Safety

• Assistant Superintendent of Student Services

• Assistant Superintendent of Personnel and Equity

• Director of Elementary Education

• Director of Secondary Education

• Chief Financial Officer (Transportation, Facilities, Operations)

• Director of Curriculum and Instruction

• Director of Federal Programs, Grants, Food Service, Counseling and Social Work

• Manager of Data and Information (Student Attendance)

• Director of Pupil Services

• Director of Technology

• Secretary to the Superintendent of Schools

The Superintendent has established a chain of command for the Upper Darby School District Administration Emergency and Serious Incident Communications Team to serve as a hierarchy of authority that dictates levels of communication responsibilities throughout an emergency or serious incident. The graphic below is a representation of the Upper Darby School District Administration Emergency and Serious Incident Communications Team chain of command.

The District Incident Commander is responsible for overseeing all matters related to the emergency or serious incident.

The District Communications Leader is responsible for ensuring that communication flows to district stakeholders during an emergency or serious incident.

The District Commander and District Communications Leader work collaboratively throughout an emergency or serious incident to ensure communication to district stakeholders is accurate, timely and disseminated regularly.

Both the District Incident Commander and District Communications Leader roles each designate primary and two back up personnel to carry out the specific responsibilities.

• The Superintendent is designated as the Primary District Commander. In the event the Superintendent is not on site or unavailable, the Assistant Superintendent of Student Services serves in that capacity, the Chief Financial Officer serves as the 2nd back up, and the Assistant Superintendent of Retention, Recruitment and Culture serves as the 3rd back up.

• The Director of Communications is designated as the Primary District Communications Leader. In the event the Director of Communications is not on site or unavailable, the Director of Curriculum serves in that capacity with the Director of Federal Programs and Grants serving as the 2nd back up and the Manager of Data and Information serving as the 3rd back up.

Communication updates to the school district community will proceed from the Superintendent — in collaboration with the Director of Public Safety and the Director of Elementary Education or the Director of Secondary Education — to the Director of Communications. The Superintendent and Director of Communications will be kept informed of the status of the incident throughout the incident.

Again, each member of the District Emergency Communications Team is responsible for collaborating with the District Incident Commander (Superintendent of Schools or designee) and the District Communications Leader (Director of Communications or designee) in communicating to district stakeholders any services and supports that may be activated during an emergency/serious incident.

While the decision to delay school opening, dismiss students early or close schools is based on several factors, the most important factor is student safety. Some of the other factors the District takes into account when making a decision regarding the school schedule include a threat against a school, road conditions, student transportation, temperature, weather predictions, and school campus conditions (i.e. parking lots, sidewalks, bus loops, etc.).

The District aims to make information available to families about the change in the school day schedule as soon as possible through the communication tools outlined on above.

• If a decision to close schools is to be made the day before the inclement weather event or for another reason, we will do our best to make a decision by 6:15 p.m. the day prior.
• If a decision to close schools is made on the morning of the inclement weather event, it will be made by 5:30 a.m.
• There may be circumstances that require us to close school after 5:30 a.m., and we will communicate the reason for such a decision.

• If a decision to schedule a 2-hour delay is made before the inclement weather event, it will be made by 6:15 p.m. If a decision to close schools is made on the morning of the inclement weather event, it will be made by 5:30 a.m.

• A decision as to whether or not to close schools following a 2-hour delay will be made no later than 9:00 a.m.

• A decision to close schools early following an inclement weather event that begins after 9:00 a.m. will be made and communicated as soon as possible.

• A decision as to whether or not to cancel after-school activities will be made no later than 1:00 p.m. on the day of the inclement weather event.

• If a decision to dismiss schools early is made before the inclement weather event, it will be made by 6:15 p.m. If a decision to dismiss schools early is made on the morning of the inclement weather event, it will be made by 9:00 a.m.

• A decision to dismiss schools early following an inclement weather event beginning after 9:00 a.m. will be made and communicated as soon as possible.

• A decision as to whether or not to cancel after-school activities will be made no later than 1:00 p.m. on the day of the inclement weather event.

If an emergency occurs, students will be relocated to Delaware County Community College. Families will receive an email from the district with step-by-step information about the reunification process. This email will include:

• Maps and visuals showing where to pick up your child

  
  

• The entry and exit routes for the campus

  
  

• Parking details

  
  

• Transportation information

  
  

To keep you informed, the district will provide updates every 15–20 minutes.

Please make sure your contact information is up to date in Home Access Channel (HAC) so you receive these important notifications.

The primary parent/guardian listed in HAC will receive a QR code that must be presented at the reunification site in order to pick up your child. Please do not arrive without this notification, as it is required for release.

The Upper Darby School District is committed to providing timely, accurate, and transparent communication before, during, and after emergencies and serious incidents.

By working together and ensuring your contact information remains current, downloading the CrisisGo app, following the District's official communication channels, and becoming familiar with our emergency preparedness procedures, you play an important role in helping us maintain a safe and informed school community.

We encourage all families and community members to rely on the District's official communications for the most current information and to partner with us in our shared commitment to the safety and well-being of every student, staff member, and visitor. Thank you for your continued trust, cooperation, and support of the Upper Darby School District.