Emergency Preparedness and Support

The Bacon County School District (BCSD) takes proactive measures to protect the safety of all our students and staff members. BCSD representatives sit on the Bacon County local emergency planning committees and emergency management teams, the groups that are planning our community's responses to potential threats.

The school district and all school facilities have safety and security plans. The plans are designed with the help of school security staff members, as well as local law enforcement, emergency management, and public health officials. Plans are regularly reviewed and updated. These plans include procedures to respond to critical incidents, such as fire or tornado, and school system personnel practice these drills regularly.

The Bacon County School District works in close collaboration with local, state, and federal health, safety, and emergency personnel to develop and maintain plans for coping with a variety of emergency response situations. These plans involve efforts to protect all students while they are at school. BCSD also is a key resource for facilities and transportation in regional emergency response situations.

The actions taken during any type of emergency situation depend a great deal on the specifics of the incident. For example, one or more schools may evacuate, lock down, or initiate a shelter-in-place response, according to the nature of the threat. The main objective is the protection of the students and staff members. School administrators have a variety of "tools" to use and have received training on how to work with each of these. The ability to remain flexible is a key component of each school's plan and of district wide preparations. Additionally, BCSD would follow direction from public safety officials.

If you have questions about your child or about your school's safety and support responses, please contact your principal. Everyone in the Bacon County School District continues to work to make all our schools safe and secure environments for all our students.

Overview and Resources

Emergency Messages

BCSD broadcasts emergency messages, when necessary, using a number of media. General emergency messages and early and late school openings and closings can be found on the school system public web home page.  Emergency messages are transmitted to local media, and parents are encouraged to listen to the radio or television.

Crisis Response

Effective crisis response is a team effort. In the Bacon County School District, three offices play lead roles in shaping the organization's response to critical incidents. In any such event, these offices work with each other, with the leaders at the site, and with public safety officials to provide immediate and coordinated action.

Crisis communications
Ensuring that students, staff members, parents, the media, and the community have accurate and timely information during a crisis is the responsibility Bacon County Board of Education.

  • The office is responsible for broadcast of all BCSD emergency messages.
  • For more information, contact Shane Bennett, shane@bcraiders.com

Crisis Intervention
Providing care and support for students and staff members affected by a crisis is led by crisis response teams staffed by school psychologists, social workers, and counselors.

Resources for Major Critical Incidents