Protocol. What is the Standard Response Protocol? It is a protocol that allows a uniform response to any incident in schools. Whether that incident is a weather event, fire, accident or intruder to a school or another threat to student safety, these scenarios are planned and trained for by school and district administration and staff using the Standard his month, on September 27th the Tenth Annual Emily’s Response Protocol. Parade starting from Columbine High School. Many of The SRP provides a common language and a standard our readers attend this annual parade that winds from response for students, teachers, administrators, parents and Columbine High School in Littleton, CO to Platte Canyon first responders (police, rescue, fire personnel). By defining High School in Bailey, CO. The parade is dedicated to Emily terms (like Lockdown, Lockout, Evacuate and Shelter) across Keyes and the survivors of the violence at both Columbine that spectrum of parents, administrators, students, teachers and Platte Canyon High Schools. Benefitting the I Love U and first responders, everyone “speaks the same language” Guys Foundation, Emily’s Parade is a fundraiser for the and understanding is immediate across that spectrum. foundation and proceeds help to further their goals of making The Standard Response Protocol (SRP) provides four and keeping our children safe in school. standard responses utilized in the classroom to train for Most everyone in the United States is familiar with the events like weather, fire, accidents or intruder in the school. tragic events at Columbine High School, the starting point The four bases of the protocol that are trained are Lockout, of Emily’s Parade. The ending point of the parade is Platte Lockdown, Evacuate and Shelter. Canyon High School where, in 2006 a gunman held seven Lockout is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of girls hostage and ultimately shot and killed Emily Keyes. the school building. Lockout is Secure the Perimeter requiring While Emily was hostage, she sent her parents these text students to move to the inside of the building and do business messages: “I love you guys” and “I love u guys. k?” as usual as teachers recover staff and students from outside, Emily’s kindness, spirit, fierce joy, and the dignity and grace take roll and account for all students, operate on an increased shown by the Keyes family following this tragic event define awareness of the situation and maintain business as usual the core of The “I Love U Guys” Foundation, the organization as administrators/assigned staff ensure the building is locked that Emily’s Parade benefits, and an organization that now to entrance from the exterior, while business as usual is helps to keep our children safe while at school. conducted within the school. Recently, Thunder Roads Colorado was given the Lockdown is called if there is a hazard or threat within the opportunity to meet with John Michael and Ellen Keyes and, building. Lockdown is Locks, Lights, out of sight, with students after having attended Emily’s Parade for the last five years, moving away from sight as teachers lock the classroom door, we were excited to speak with them to learn more about the turn lights out, move away from sight and take roll, accounting I Love U Guys Foundation, their mission, and how they are for all students while waiting for first responders to open the helping schools, teachers, administrators, students, parents door. and first responders to keep our children safe and secure Evacuate is called to move students from one location to while they are at school; both here in Colorado and across another. Evacuate is always to a specific location. Students the United States and Canada. bring their phones, leave their stuff behind, form a single file During the first two years of the Emily’s Parade, the proceeds line, show their hands, be prepared for alternatives during from the Parade were used to help the families of those at response. Teachers grab roll sheet if possible, lead students Platte Canyon High School, the third year and thereafter, to evacuation location and take roll accounting for students. the proceeds have gone to the I Love U Guys Foundation Shelter is called when there is a need for personal providing the foundation with nearly 25% of their income and protection using a safety strategy for events such as tornados, keeping the costs for training and use of the programs offered hazardous materials, etc. Students and teachers evacuate by the foundation free to schools in Colorado and either low to the specified shelter area and perform the appropriate cost or free, to schools outside of Colorado. John Michael hazard and safety strategies with teachers also taking roll said “Without the Emily’s Parade this would not exist, and it is and accounting for students. a significant part of our revenue. We try to honor the riders.” Currently, the I Love U Guys Foundation offers the SRP What do they do? and another protocol called the Standard Unification Method. The I Love U Guys Foundation has created, presents and The Standard Unification Method is a critical aspect of crisis offers training designed to help our children keep safe and response to provide accountable reunification of students secure in school. This starts with the Standard Response with their parents or guardians in the event of a school crisis
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or emergency. The need for a Standard Unification Method growing to the 7500-10000 schools that use the SRP and (SUM) was discovered after a 2003 school fire where there SUM today. were some difficulties in reuniting parents with students. The way the foundation evolved helped John Michael and The Standard Response Protocol and the Standard Ellen to identify and create what was needed by extensive Unification Method materials are available to school systems work with law enforcement, insurers and administrators. free of charge. Train the trainer training, presentations to John Michael said “We did a lot of the right actions correctly law enforcement, administrators, teachers and other first without having a brilliant master plan. Today we recognize responders and stakeholders are available at additional cost. that what we do well is identify the missing piece and look Within Colorado, the presentations and training are kept free around at who is doing it well, package that and redistribute of charge. It is free of charge because of the funding provided it.” Because of all of the different players involved, these by Emily’s Parade to the foundation. put them into the perfect position to see where things were Both John Michael and Ellen Keyes work for the foundation. needed and create protocols that are elegant and effective John Michael works full time and has since he changed his helping all parties involved from teachers in the classroom career in 2008. He decided that his work with the foundation to law enforcement. John Michael explains; “Because of the was what he was thinking about the most and decided to back story there is a credibility, because the foundation is move his efforts there full time. “We didn’t realize how big doing it, we are a neutral third party in this and it makes it the vacuum was when we started it. Emily’s story gave us a more accessible.” voice to start talking about this and it has grown organically.”
On behalf of all of the students in Colorado and beyond that utilize these protocols, all of us here at Thunder Roads Colorado offer our heartfelt thanks to Ellen and John Michael Keyes as well as the other members of the I Love U Guys Foundation for helping to bring more safety and security into our schools. We truly felt honored to meet with them and see their dedication.
John Michael conducts presentations and training both here in Colorado and elsewhere in the United States and Canada as well as working on the protocols themselves and the materials used to present, train and use the protocols. He is quite involved with all aspects of the foundation from working with law enforcement to working on the icons that are used in the protocol materials. While implementations of the We would also like to thank our readers for their support protocols can and often do begin with law enforcement, they of the Emily’s Parade in the past and we invite any and all of can also be initiated by school systems and administrators; you out there to join Thunder Roads Colorado this year at the because the cost is kept low, it is kept affordable to law 10th annual Emily’s Parade on September 27th, 2015. enforcement, schools systems and schools. 10th Annual Emily’s Parade How many schools use the SRP and Standard Unification September 27th, 2015 Method? Columbine High School (south parking lot) Because the programs are free, it is a bit difficult to come 6201 S. Pierce St Littleton, CO 80123 up with accurate numbers but here is what we do know: The I Love U Guys Foundation protocols have been presented Motorcycles assemble at the south parking lot at 10:45 am more than 300 times with 183 of those right here in Colorado. bikes begin to roll out at 11:15 Even though the program is free, they do request people to Suggested donation is $25 per rider/passenger notify the foundation if they are using it. Using the notifications to estimate, the current estimate is between 7500 and 10,000 Patrick and Carrie McCauley schools in the United States and Canada both public and private use the protocols to help keep our children safe and secure. The foundation is currently working on a certification process that will soon be offered again, keeping costs low to the program users as most schools and schools systems and first responders typically have limited funding available.
10th ANNUAL EMILY’S PARADE
The protocols work with pre kindergarten through 12th grade. They are also being repackaged for adult use with schools like Texas State University, considering rolling out the program. After talking at length with John Michael and Ellen Keyes we were struck by their enthusiasm and optimism about the foundation, what it does and what it offers, both now and in the future. They have worked with police, school administrators and school insurers, helping to create and roll out the protocols, starting with a few schools and school systems in Colorado where the protocols were created and refined and www.thunderroadscolorado.com
09.27.2015 Last Sunday in September
Communities united. Columbine to Platte Canyon Bikes out at 11:15 a.m.
www.iloveuguys.org email: parade2015@iloveuguys.org P.O.Box 1230, Bailey, CO 80421 303-426-3100 This is a fundraiser for The “I Love U Guys” Foundation. All funds are responsibly applied toward the stated goals of The Foundation.
September 2015
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