Five words.
Every school in Michigan.
Haslett Public Schools uses the Standard Response Protocol, a five-action emergency framework the Michigan State Police adopted as the state model. Every action pairs a word with a plain directive, so students hear not just what is happening but what to do. It is the language behind every drill we run and every real event we respond to.
For Families
Get the handoutDownload the one-page family handout
All five actions and their directives on a single sheet, plus what an announcement sounds like.
Why One Shared Language
This is not a protocol Haslett wrote. It is the one the state adopted, and there are three reasons that matters to your family.
- It is the state standard. In 2024 the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety adopted the Standard Response Protocol as the state model, and Public Acts 270 and 271 of 2024 require every Michigan school to use standardized response terminology beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
- It covers everything. Five actions cover all emergencies, such as a tornado, a chemical spill, a police search nearby, or a threat inside a building. Nobody has to remember which of forty plans applies.
- It travels with your child. A substitute who taught in Okemos last week knows these words. So does a transfer student, and so does the Meridian Township officer on the radio. Common language removes confusion.
Hear It From the State
The Michigan State Police Office of School Safety produced this short explanation of the standardized response terminology every Michigan school is adopting. It is the same five actions your child will hear in a Haslett building.
Video courtesy of the Michigan State Police Office of School Safety. Watch on YouTube.
The Five Actions
Each action has a term and a directive. The directive is announced with the term, so nobody has to interpret a code.
HOLD
“In Your Classroom or Area”
Used when the hallways need to stay clear, for a medical situation or an incident in a corridor.
- Students clear the hallways and stay in their room until the All Clear is announced.
- Staff close and lock the door, account for everyone, and carry on with the lesson.
SECURE
“Get Inside. Lock Outside Doors”
Used when there is something potentially dangerous outside the building. Inside, it is business as usual.
- Students return inside and continue class.
- Staff bring everyone indoors, lock exterior doors, increase situational awareness, and account for everyone.
LOCKDOWN
“Locks, Lights, Out of Sight”
Used when there is an active threat inside or very close to the building. It is not called lightly.
- Students move away from sight, stay silent, and do not open the door.
- Staff recover students from the hallway if possible, lock the door, turn out the lights, move out of sight, stay silent, and prepare to evade or defend.
EVACUATE
“To a Location”
Used to move people away from a hazard. The announcement names where to go.
- Students leave belongings behind if told to, bring their phone if possible, and follow instructions.
- Staff bring the roll sheet and go bag, lead students to the location, and account for everyone.
SHELTER
“State Hazard and Safety Strategy”
Used when it is safer inside the building than outside.
- Hazards in our area: tornado, hazardous material, severe weather.
- Strategies: move to the shelter area, seal the room, or drop, cover, and hold.
What an announcement sounds like
“Hold! In your classroom or area.” “Secure! Get inside, lock outside doors.”
The action is always followed by its directive. If it is a drill, the announcement says so.
What Families Ask
Should I come to the school during a Lockdown?
We understand the instinct. Please do not. Going to the school makes you and your child less safe, not more. Law enforcement is responding and needs clear approach routes and a controlled perimeter, so it is unlikely anyone will be granted access to the building or the campus. Wait for our message. We will tell you where to go and when. If you are already inside the school, you will be asked to Lockdown with us.
Should I come to the school during a Secure?
Probably not. Every effort is made to hold classes as normal during a Secure, and you may be asked to stay outside. If the situation allows, we may move to a monitored entry or a controlled release.
Should I text my child?
Not right away. During the initial minutes of a Lockdown it may not be safe for your child to answer a phone. As the situation resolves, students may be asked to update their families on a regular basis.
How will I be notified?
For a brief, non-violent Secure, such as a loose animal on the playground, we may not notify you while it is in place. For anything longer or more serious, you will hear from us through our emergency notification system. Learn how our emergency notifications work.
Where do I pick up my child if a building is evacuated?
In some situations students are moved off-site and families are reunited through a formal reunification process. Your building will direct you. Do not go to the school unless you are told to.
Where You Will See This
The protocol is not something we keep in a binder. Your child will hear these five words during every safety drill this year, and the same words are used by our staff, by substitutes, and by the Meridian Township officers who respond to our buildings.
- In drills. Every drill we run uses the protocol language, and the announcement always says when it is a drill. See our drill schedule and posted documentation.
- In classrooms. Posters in every room and common area carry the five actions and their directives, so nobody has to remember them from memory.
- In our messages to you. If we contact you during an incident, we will use these same words rather than describing the situation in different terms each time.
Questions About the Protocol?
Start with your school office. Your building principal and office staff can answer questions about drills and procedures at your child's school, and they are the fastest route to an answer. You can also reach the Haslett Public Schools Central Office at 517-339-8242.
Districtwide, this work is led by Katie Diehl, our Director of Safety and Security, a position we share with Okemos Public Schools. Katie retired as a Captain from the Lansing Police Department after more than twenty-five years and works alongside our liaison officer from Meridian Township Police.
Related Safety Pages
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