FCPS superintendent, county sheriff outline five-part emergency response plan for schools

Dr. George Hummer, superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools, and Frederick County Sheriff Lenny Milholland gave a joint safety briefing ahead of the new school year to explain how the district responds to emergencies. They presented the district's Standard Response Protocol, or SRP, as a single, unified approach used across all schools.

"There are 5 key components to the SRP, and our staff is fully trained to guide your child through each," Hummer said, introducing the steps staff will use in different incidents. The officials described each component: Evacuate (students leave the building for hazards such as smoke and return only after an official all clear), Hold (used for isolated medical emergencies, clearing hallways and keeping students in place), Secure (bringing outdoors students inside and locking exterior doors when a threat is nearby), Shelter (used for weather events), and Lockdown (used for an active threat inside the building, with classrooms locked and lights off).

Sheriff Milholland added operational detail about expectations during each mode, including how students should move and when the school day will resume. "If we ever encounter a encounter a safety concern, local law enforcement and emergency personnel work hand in hand with school administration to practice these responses regularly," he said, describing the partnership between schools and first responders.

The officials said staff are trained so that responses become second nature and stressed that parents will receive verified information through official district channels in the event an SRP is initiated. Dr. Hummer closed by directing questions to the FCPS safety and security department and urging families to partner with the district to maintain a safe school year.