PREVAIL!® The 3-OUT Approach for Schools

Name: PREVAIL! for Elementary Schools
Uploaded: 2024-09-05T07:55:23-0500
Duration: 23 min
Description: An ordinary school day takes a sudden turn when an intruder enters, triggering a lockdown. Teachers and students quickly follow their training, with teachers making tough decisions and preparing to protect their students. The lockdown ends, highlighting the importance of their preparedness.

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Are You Ready to Act if an Intruder Enters Your School?

When a critical incident threatens school safety, swift and decisive action can be the difference between life and death. Schools must be prepared to manage both routine situations and emergencies with clarity and resolve. It’s not about waiting for the perfect plan; it’s about equipping everyone with the skills to respond effectively when every second counts.

PREVAIL!® is a training program tailored to equip educational institutions with essential skills to respond to an active threat. The program introduces a structured framework for managing threats through three critical responses: Lock Out, Get Out, and Take Out. Participants will learn precise, actionable strategies for securing areas, executing safe evacuations, or confronting intruders, thus enhancing their readiness to face any emergency with assurance and efficiency.

How do you respond to armed intruders and create a safety plan for students?

Use the 3-OUT approach - LOCK OUT, GET OUT, TAKE OUT - to prepare for and respond to potential threats. This strategy improves the chances of success, helping schools protect students and staff.

The 3-OUT Approach for Schools

Summary: The video covers how to respond to an armed intruder in a school using the three-part 'LOCK OUT, GET OUT, TAKE OUT' approach. It provides detailed guidance on locking down, evacuating, and engaging the threat as a last resort, while highlighting the importance of preparation, awareness, and having a proactive plan.

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How should you react to a dangerous situation at school?

Teachers and students should be trained and prepared to take action in emergencies, as this can significantly save lives. In these situations, teachers play a crucial role in guiding and protecting students.

PREVAIL!® for Middle Schools / High Schools

Summary: Zack meets Molly and John after the traumatic school event where a shooter entered the school. Molly and John recount how their teachers led them to safety, while others prepared to defend against the threat.

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How to prepare and respond to a threat on school grounds?

Teachers who are trained know how to respond quickly, protecting students and saving lives by locking down, barricading doors, and preparing to defend against the threat.

PREVAIL! for Elementary Schools

Summary: An ordinary school day takes a sudden turn when an intruder enters, triggering a lockdown. Teachers and students quickly follow their training, with teachers making tough decisions how to protect their students.

Preview the Program ‌

Scenarios Covered

Threat Outside the School: When a threat is near the school, all entry points are secured, and students and staff move to safe locations inside the building.
Threat Inside the School: If an intruder enters the school, immediate lockdown procedures are initiated to isolate and protect students and staff.
Locking Down a Classroom: Classrooms are secured by locking doors, covering windows, and positioning people out of sight to prevent the intruder's entry.
Escaping (GET OUT): When possible, students and staff are instructed to safely evacuate the area and move far away from the danger.
Barricading an Inward-Opening Door: Furniture and other objects are used to block inward-opening doors, creating a physical barrier against the intruder.
Securing an Outward-Opening Door: Techniques such as using chairs or ropes are applied to secure doors that open outward, preventing the intruder from entering.
Taking Out the Intruder: If escape or lockdown is not possible, participants are trained to subdue the intruder using objects as weapons to defend themselves.

Key Benefits for Trainees

Situational Awareness: Develop the ability to recognize and assess potential risks in real-time, enabling quicker and more informed decisions.
Practical Lockdown Strategies: Master proven techniques to secure classrooms and other areas quickly, improving lockdown efficiency and protection.
Effective Evacuation Techniques: Gain knowledge on safely evacuating students and staff during emergencies, minimizing exposure to danger.
Empowerment Through Action: Understand when and how to take decisive, life-saving actions if lockdown or evacuation is not possible.
Collaborative Team Response: Strengthen coordination with colleagues, ensuring a unified response that maximizes safety for everyone involved.
Increased Confidence in Crisis Management: Build the mental resilience and confidence to act decisively under extreme stress, reducing panic and improving outcomes in violent situations.

Competencies Covered

Situational Assessment: Ability to evaluate and interpret threats, and make quick decisions based on the environment and available information.
Evacuation Planning: Skills in planning and implementing effective evacuation strategies, including identifying exits and safe areas, and guiding others to safety.
Crisis Communication: Clear and effective communication during emergencies.
Barrier and Lock Reinforcement: Тechniques to reinforce barriers and locks to delay or prevent an intruder's access.
Decision-Making Under Pressure: Capability to make critical decisions swiftly under high-stress conditions.
Team Mobilization: Ability to mobilize and lead a group in a coordinated response, including organizing collective actions and ensuring everyone's safety.
Mental Resilience: Psychological readiness and resilience to handle the stress associated with emergency situations effectively.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What should you do if an armed intruder is identified outside the school building?

Implement lockdown procedures: secure doors, clear hallways, cover windows, and move to a safe area inside.

How should you handle a situation where an armed intruder is inside the school building?

Follow LOCK OUT procedures: secure doors, take attendance, stay out of sight, and prepare for evacuation if necessary.

What are the immediate actions to take if you are in a classroom and the threat is inside the building?

Lock and cover doors, move to a safe wall, stay quiet and wait for an "all clear."

What should you do if you’re in a gym or cafeteria and there's a threat inside?

Either find an exit to GET OUT or barricade the area if you can’t LOCK OUT. Prepare to confront the threat if needed.

What if you are next to the threat and can't GET OUT or LOCK OUT?

Prepare to TAKE OUT the intruder using available objects as weapons and coordinate with others.

What should you do in an open space like a cafeteria with a threat approaching?

GET OUT if possible, or move to a secure area to lock out the threat. Be ready to confront the intruder if neither is feasible.

How should you respond if you hear unusual sounds but have not confirmed a threat?

Move to a secure area, lock and barricade doors, and stay alert for further confirmation.

What if you are outside during a threat and need to return to the building?

If it's unsafe, GET OUT of the area and find a secure location away from the building.

What should you do if the lockdown fails and the intruder is trying to enter your room?

Prepare to TAKE OUT the intruder using available objects and work with others to defend the room.

If you are in a classroom and hear a fire alarm during a lockdown, what should you do?

Ignore the fire alarm; it's not the method for evacuation during a lockdown.

How should you handle a situation where the intruder is visible through a window?

Move away from the window, lock and barricade doors, and stay out of sight.

What if I don't have a training program for intruder situations in place?

Here are some of the risks that may arise:

Increased Risk: You may be less prepared to respond to an active intruder situation, increasing the risk of harm to yourself and others.
Poor Decision-Making: Lack of training can lead to poor decision-making under pressure, potentially resulting in dangerous and ineffective responses.
Confusion and Chaos: Without a clear understanding of the OUT approach, confusion and chaos can ensue, complicating emergency situations.
Ineffective Lockdown Procedures: Untrained individuals might implement lockdown procedures incorrectly, leaving areas vulnerable to intruders.
Delayed Response: The absence of training may delay response times, reducing the effectiveness of evacuation or lockdown measures.
Increased Panic: Inadequate preparation can lead to heightened panic and stress among students and staff, impairing their ability to act calmly and efficiently.
Legal and Liability Issues: Schools may face legal and liability issues, potentially resulting in significant financial and reputational consequences.