School Lockdown Drills: How to Reduce Fear and Trauma

Lockdown drills have become a standard part of school security across the United States. Although it is important to feel prepared to respond to a school emergency, these drills often elicit anxiety, fear, and sometimes trauma among students and staff.Ian Lopez, director of safety and security for the Cherry Creek School District in Colorado and a 2024 K-12 Campus Safety Director of the Year finalist, has worked diligently to ensure lockdown procedures minimally impact student and staff mental health -- so much so that other districts have turned to him for advice.In this interview, Lopez shares:Techniques for mitigating fear and trauma during lockdown drills (4:55)How the district ties in its alarm system during emergency drills (12:04)How he spearheaded the creation of the district's dispatch center while reducing operational costs (1:11)How threats and anonymous tips are handled by the dispatch center (3:04)CAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/campussafetymagazine Twitter: https://twitter.com/CampusSafetyMag Instagram: https://instagram.com/campussafetymag LinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305/ YouTube: @CampussafetymagazineCAMPUS SAFETY SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS: Facebook: https://facebook.com/CampusSafetyMagazineX: https://x.com/CampusSafetyMagInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/CampusSafetyMagLinkedIn Group: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/1836305YouTube: @Campussafetymagazine