Dear Parent/Guardian of a Hartford School District Student:

The safety of the students is our top priority. We want you to know that we have taken many steps to ensure that there are procedures and equipment in place to maintain the safety of everyone in an emergency situation. We also want you to know that the school district has a strong relationship with the Hartford Police Department and the Hartford Fire Department. We meet monthly to plan for any type of incident that could occur in our schools. All school district staff participate in ongoing training in the "Standard Response Protocol " developed by the I Love You Guys Foundation. This program provides training and consistent procedures for schools to follow to address the different types of emergency situations. Lieutenant Jay Pedro of the Hartford Police Department has trained all staff in the various approaches. Lieutenant Pedro also sits on the school district safety team and advises the district administration on safety protocols.

The attached parent handout outlines the various procedures schools use to train students and staff to be ready in an emergency. Please feel free to visit their website for more information at:

https://iloveuguys.org/srp.html

It would be helpful if you could review the language involved with your students so they are familiar with the procedures and what will occur in schools for training and in the event of a real emergency. It would also be helpful, in the event of a real emergency at school if you could wait for instructions from the school, police or fire department. If you approach the school and the "Amber Emergency Beacon" is flashing, it means the school is in an emergency situation or a drill and you should wait in your car for instructions or until the light goes off. Do not try to call the school or remain at the front door until the light goes off, it may not be safe.

Together we can hopefully prevent an emergency from ever happening in our schools. However, in the event of a real emergency we strive to be ready to safely manage the situation. If you have concerns please do not hesitate to contact your school administrator or me. I can be reached at 295-8600 or email at debalsit@hartfordschools.net.

Thank you,

Tom DeBalsi
Superintendent