Thursday, Jan 26, 2017 | Tracy Hendrix

Emergency Lockdown - What You Need to Know

An emergency lockdown occurs when a business, a school, or other public place is facing an imminent security threat and needs to be put on high alert. Business owners may someday find themselves faced with the need to have a lockdown on their property. While it can be frightening to have to do this, it is for the safety of everyone involved, so it’s extremely important to be prepared and have a plan of action in place well before you should ever need it. If you’re looking to implement an effective lockdown plan for your business, read on for some things you need to know.

Don’t go it Alone

It can be overwhelming to try to write up a lockdown plan all by yourself. You don’t have to do this, and it can actually make your plan less effective if you do. Instead, talk with others who are in the know. Your local police department is an excellent resource. Not only are officers trained for these types of situations, but they can also point you towards city or county procedures that you may need to adhere to. You should also discuss your plan with other business owners in your area. Some of them may already have their own plans, and can offer you advice. Others may not realize the need for such a plan, and you can help them to get started on their own.

Prep and Practice

Once you have your plan in place, make sure that all of your employees are in the know. Have a mandatory meeting so that everyone is present to get the important info and ask questions. After you’ve done the book work, it’s time to put the plan into practice and have a trial run. Practice your lockdown procedures until everyone is comfortable with them and knows what to do in the event of an actual emergency.

Customize Your Plan to Fit Your Needs

A lockdown for an active shooter is much different than one for severe weather. Ideally, you should have plans in place for all of these situations. However, if there is a type of threat that is more likely than others to occur in your area (if you live in a place where tornados often come down, for example), you should emphasize your prep for that. You should have a plan in place for general emergency situations, but spend the most time working on the threats that are most likely to affect you.

It’s important to have a mind for proper use of emergency proceedings, and any plan that you and your staff cook up is only as useful as it is utilized. Take some time to determine beyond what threshold your plan should kick in – what sort of activity or event would prompt such an extreme measure of protection? If you know this well and your planning and preparation is on point, emergency situations will seem less exhaustive on your business.

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