School Custodians: What To Do Before, During, & After a Crisis

Ted Hayes is the author of If It’s Predictable, It’s Preventable: More Than 2000 Ways to Improve the Safety & Security in Your School.

Books can be ordered at [email protected] or at www.littlecreekpress.com (click in to bookstore).

Let’s face facts, your school’s custodial staff understands the physical layout and day-to-day required operations better than any other school employee - including the school principal. Custodians may be the most valuable resource your school has to prevent a crisis, minimize damage and injuries during a crisis, and stabilize the school after a crisis.

 School custodians perform their many daily tasks but also have to have a clear understanding of what to do if fights, riots, lockdowns, evacuations, natural disasters, chemical spills, or other safety issues arise in your school. Unfortunately, custodians are often undertrained, not included in school emergency planning, and not part of school crisis teams.

 The following is a partial list of security controls that custodians can address to improve your school’s crisis prevention program:

 #1 - ENSURE A DISTRICT WIDE VISITOR CONTROL PROGRAM IS IN PLACE

 Ensuring visitors, non-school employees, vendors, contractors, and most importantly intruders with bad intentions out of the school is paramount. As a custodian, there are many things you can do to ensure an effective visitor control program is in place:

•  Remind school employees the importance of keeping all exterior doors locked, all of the time. Doors are not allowed to propped open for a teacher to run out to their car, left open for a delivery driver who will be stopping by ‘sometime this morning,’ etc… Exterior doors need to be locked, no exceptions. School staff members who violate this policy should be reported to the principal.
•  All visitors must ‘report to the office’ in one manner or another. The majority of visitors must go through the main office and follow visitor protocols (confirming identification, issuing visitor badges, and possibly holding their car keys to ensure their return to the office).  

 Subcontractors and vendors who call on your school must call the main office upon arrival where they will be met by a staff member to enter the school to perform their duties or deliveries. As mentioned before, a door should never be left open for the expected arrival of a subcontractor or vendor.

 #2 - LOCK ALL EXTERIOR DOORS AFTER THE SCHOOL DAY STARTS

 Keep your school’s exterior entrance doors to a minimum – one or two at the most.

•  Post a staff member (wearing a brightly colored reflective vest and carrying their cell phone) at each exterior door when students are entering the school each morning.
•  Ask this staff member to secure the exterior door at a designated time when the vast majority of the students have entered the school for the day (never post the time that doors will be secured).
•  Custodians (and school staff) should develop the habit of checking exterior doors throughout the day. If open doors are identified, this should immediately be addressed with the principal.

 #3 - KNOW WHERE TO GO DURING AN EMERGENCY LOCKDOWN OR EVACUATION

 As mentioned earlier, a custodian is a critical resource during a crisis situation. School administration must know where you are or be able to find you quickly.

•  Consider identifying ‘safe rooms’ – areas where key school personnel will meet during a crisis.
•  Most importantly, during a lockdown, get to the nearest securable room where your cell phone still works.
• Always maintain communication - you will be able to provide valuable information during any crisis taking place.

  #4 DETERMINE IF CUSTODIANS CAN HEAR EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENTS

 A custodian’s job duties take them inside and outside of the school building. You may be on the roof, in a tunnel beneath the school, or on a noisy lawn mower on the football field. How will you be notified of a crisis?

•  Always carry your cell phone.
•  Consider immediate notification software applications for your phone to notify those outside of the school building; my research shows that CrisisGo applications work extremely well for this exposure.
•  Consider flashing strobe lights on the building’s exterior or in interior areas where announcements cannot be heard.

 #5 - NEVER PROVIDE CRISIS PLAN INFORMATION TO ANYONE

 As a school custodian, you may understand the physical design and operation of the school better than anyone.

•  Don’t release information such as security systems, location of utility rooms and electrical panels, chemical storage rooms, access means to the roof, food storage concerns, etc…

#6 - LEARN TO RECOGNIZE SUSPICIOUS PEOPLE & VEHICLES

 Custodians are constantly moving inside and outside of your school building when performing their job duties. You won’t find a better set of eyes to monitor school activities. Learn how to recognize suspicious people and vehicles in and around your school.

•  Go with your gut feeling, if it doesn’t appear right, call the police.      

Watch for suspicious people.

• Watch for suspicious or unknown people who are taking pictures or videotaping school activities/buildings.
• Someone who displays suspicious or unusual interest of school activities.
• Someone involved in surveillance which is suspicious in nature.
• Someone taking inappropriate photographs or videos, note-taking, drawing of diagrams, annotating maps or using binoculars or night vision devices.

 Watch for suspicious vehicles.

• Watch for any vehicles moving slowly and without lights. A vehicle that is aimless or repetitive is suspicious in any location.
• Watch for parked, occupied vehicles containing one or more persons, especially if observed at an unusual hour.
• Watch for vehicles being loaded with valuables.
• Watch for a suspicious vehicle parked in front of closed businesses or unattended residences even if the vehicle is a legitimate looking commercial vehicle.

 Watch for suspicious behavior.

• Unknown individuals acting secretively and suspiciously.
• Individuals who avoid eye contact when confronted.
• Individuals who depart quickly when seen or approached.
• Individuals in places they don’t belong.
• A strong odor coming from a building or vehicle.
• An overloaded vehicle.
• Fluid leaking from a vehicle, other than the engine or gas tank.
• An individual who is over dressed for the type of weather.

 #7 - DON'T LABEL ROOM DOORS

 An intruder may be searching for a certain student or teacher, or the location of your school’s utilities.

 #8 - KEEP YOUR CUSTODIAL CLOSETS LOCKED WHEN NOT OCCUPIED

It is important that access is restricted the hazardous substances and potential weapons found in a custodial closet. This especially important in elementary schools where small children are present.

 Unsecured custodial closets can quickly become secluded areas where bad things can occur.

 #9 - SECURE CUSTODIAL WORK ROOMS WHEN NOT OCCUPIED

 Much like custodial closets, custodial work rooms must be secured when not occupied by school staff.   Don’t provide easy access to the multiple hazardous substances and potential weapons that are present. Additionally, don’t encourage theft and vandalism to occur.

 #10 - KEEP YOUR KITCHENS LOCKED WHEN NOT OCCUPIED

Access to knives (weapons) and food tampering are a great concern.

•  Periodically check the kitchens to ensure they are secured, especially when a school staff member is not present.

 #11 - CONSTANTLY LOOK FOR THE OBVIOUS FIRE HAZARDS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL

•  Constantly be aware of the obvious fire hazards – blocked hallways/exit doors, accumulation of debris, paper products, flammables, and combustibles.

 #12 - REVIEW EVACUATION PATHS

•  Periodically review posted evacuation plans throughout the school building. Ensure evacuation routes are accurate and as short as possible.
•  Always designate a secondary evacuation path in case the primary evacuation path is blocked.

 #13 - REMIND TEACHERS TO KEEP DOORS LOCKED WHEN THEIR CLASSROOM IS NOT OCCUPIED

 Bad things tend to occur in unsupervised or hidden areas.

•  If an unoccupied, unsecured classroom is found, instruct the teacher and the principal that the room must be secured.

 #14 - REMIND TEACHERS TO NEVER HANG OBJECTS FROM THE CEILING OR TOO MUCH ON THE WALLS

 Hanging objects or paper products (art work) from the ceiling of classrooms and hallways can:

•  create an increased fire spread exposure
• block the line of sight to exit lights and signs
• limit air flow down a hallway
•  Periodically remind teachers to never hang objects or paper products from the ceiling. Any hanging objects must be immediately removed.
•  Only 20% of the classroom walls can be covered with combustible materials; 50% if the room is sprinklered.

 #15 - REMIND TEACHERS NOT TO COVER CLASSROOM DOORS OR DOOR WINDOWS WITH DECORATIONS

It is important to maintain visual communication during an emergency. Blocking classroom door windows with paper product eliminates any visual communication. Additionally, combustible paper product presents a serious fire exposure if it is applied to a classroom door.

 The blocking of classroom door windows also presents a potential liability exposure – a school staff member and a student alone behind closed doors with no visual contact – a bad practice no matter the scenario.

•  Remind teachers to never cover their classroom doors or door windows with decorations or paper product.

 #16 - DON'T POST STUDENT ROSTERS BY CLASSROOM DOORS

•  Remind teachers of the potential dangers associated with posting student rosters by their room door. An intruder may be searching for a certain student or teacher – don’t make it easier for this to occur.

 #17 - HELP STAFF IDENTIFY LARGE ITEMS TO BLOCK DOOR DURING LOCKDOWN

 Intruders are looking for ‘easy targets of opportunity.’ Blocking the classroom door during a lockdown will make access to the classroom more difficult.

•  Assist teachers in identifying classroom objects that can be easily moved yet are effective in preventing entry in to the classroom.

 #18 - DETERMINE IF FLAMMABLE LIQUIDS ARE EASILY AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT YOUR SCHOOL

•  Ensure a flammable liquid storage plan is in place and is being followed.

 Technology education rooms, theater prop rooms, and garages often contain flammable liquids – often left out in plain site or unsecured cabinets.

•  Remind other school staff members to always secure flammable liquids. An approved flammable liquid storage cabinet that is closed and padlocked when not in use should be considered.

 #19 - SECURE UNUSED LOCKERS

 Unused lockers may be a good spot to hide weapons and contraband in the school. Ideally, see through mesh lockers offer the best protection.

•  Secure (brightly colored zip tie) all unused lockers so they cannot be used to hide objects.

 #20 - END OF SCHOOL DAY – SECURE WINDOWS

 It’s not the custodian’s job to ensure all windows are closed and secured at the end of the school day – this is the responsibility of the classroom teacher.

•  If an unsecured window is observed at the end of the day, close it and inform the teacher of the importance of maintaining secured windows.

 #21 - SECURE MECHANICAL SYSTEMS

 Major disruption could occur if a foreign substance was purposely introduced in to the building’s ventilation system. It is important to ensure that building fresh air intakes are secure or placed high on the walls to restrict access.

•  Ensure support staff and administrators know how and when to shut off ventilation system. There may come a time when the custodian is not present and the ventilation system must be shut off.

 #22 – MOVE TRASH CANS, BICYCLES, AND OTHER OBJECTS AWAY FROM THE BUILDING

 Trash cans can be a good storage spot for weapons and contraband right outside of the school building. Additionally, trash cans can be placed in front of the exit door causing serious problems during an emergency evacuation.

•  Review the location of trash cans located by exterior entrance doors. Locate the trash cans so they do not present a hazard during a crisis.

 Large objects can present evacuation problems during an emergency evacuation. Bicycles, motorcycles, or vehicles parked near building exits can create a ‘log jam’ near the exit thereby slowing the evacuation.

•  Periodically review building exits to ensure they are not blocked by large objects. If anything is observed blocking the exit zone, it must be removed immediately.

#23 - PLACE DUMPSTERS IN A SECURED UNMOVABLE LOCATION

 Dumpsters are a great place to store weapons/bombs/contraband, or start a fire close to the school. They can also be rolled against the building to gain access to a higher elevation.

•  Periodically inspect the location and security controls associated with all dumpsters.

 #24 - CHECK LANDSCAPING AROUND YOUR SCHOOL

 Trees, bushes, and other objects can easily block the view in and out of the classroom windows. Additionally, trees and objects can be used to access the second story or the roof of your school building.

•  Periodically walk around the perimeter of the school building to review vegetation landscaping concerns. Look for objects that could be placed against the building to access the second floor or roof area.
•  Pay special attention to areas where debris can pile up – outside of technology education garages, areas where theater props are stored, outside kitchen doors, around greenhouses, etc.

 #25 – MAINTAIN CLEAR TRAFFIC PATTERNS

 A serious emergency or crisis could create a traffic nightmare around your school.

•  Ensure an emergency traffic flow plan is in place. This type of plan usually identifies designated parking areas, access for emergency responders, and access for school buses. Any vehicle observed parking in the wrong location should be removed immediately.

 #26 - BE SAFE WHEN WORKING ALONE AT NIGHT

•  Never allow others in the building unless it is an approved entry.
•  Ensure all exterior doors are secured at night.
•  Ensure the entrance door where custodians enter/exit the building is well illuminated.
•  Carry a cell phone or walkie-talkie (instant emergency communication) at all times.
•  Don’t ever hesitate to call for assistance (police) if needed

#27 – MONITOR OUTSIDE GROUPS USING YOUR FACILITY

 It’s great that outside groups are allowed to use your school facilities. However, facility use agreements must be in place to ensure appropriate safety and security controls are in place.

•  Ensure outside groups are always following the school’s security plan – especially when it concerns building access and facility/equipment use.