Safety and Security

As part of the district’s mission to creating a community where students are inspired to think critically, grow confidently, and contribute purposefully, we understand the great importance of creating a safe and supportive learning space.

We know that students learn best when they feel safe, feel a sense of belonging, and understand their important role in the learning process.

Security Measures at Bloomfield Hills Schools

Exterior doors remain secured during school hours, with designated entry points. Visitors must be granted access by a staff member.
Visitors must sign in at the front office of the school for a visitor pass.
Each building is equipped with camera systems allowing for targeted video surveillance.
Currently, Bloomfield Hills Schools has 2 School Resource Officers from the Bloomfield Township Police Department that assist the whole district and an Administrator of Public Safety.
Bloomfield Hills High School has assigned hall monitors that work with administration to create a safe environment by monitoring student movement and behavior.
The District has established safety protocols that are implemented across all our buildings. These guidelines cover a range of situations, including fire, severe weather, medical emergencies, and building-related incidents.

Michigan law requires districts to use a Standard Response Protocol (SRP) for emergency situations.

Students and families can report incidents of bias and hate using our reporting tool.

Report Incidents of Hate and Bias

Anyone can report tips confidentially on potential harm directed at students or schools via OK2SAY.

Submit a Tip to OK2Say

Click below for a list of resources about mental health, talking to children about traumatic events, and more.

Resources

The Lifeline provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress.

988 Lifeline Chat and Text

Our Safety Team

Patrick Sidge

Administrator of Public Safety

This position works in collaboration with district and school administration, along with local police and fire departments, to review and establish appropriate guidelines, procedures, and plans to ensure safe and secure schools.

Officer Lower

School Resource Officer

Officer Lower brings a wealth of experience to our district, having been a valued member of the Bloomfield Township Police Department since 2002 including her role as the Peer Support Coordinator and Mental Health First Aid Instructor.

Officer Riney

School Resource Officer

Officer Riney brings more than 17 years of law enforcement experience, including patrol, training, investigations, and narcotics work. He is committed to supporting Bloomfield Hills Schools and creating a safe environment where students and staff can learn.

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Safe Gun Storage

Visitor Aware

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Safety Resources

ALICE® Training

Bloomfield Hills Schools is dedicated to providing an exemplary education to our students. In order for our students to become successful learners, we hold as one of our highest priorities providing a safe learning environment. We also believe that school safety is a fluid concept with intentional layers of support for our students and staff, and we work diligently to continuously monitor and evaluate our safety protocols and procedures.

Bloomfield Hills Schools, in partnership with the Bloomfield Township Police Department, uses ALICE® (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) protocols. ALICE® prepares our staff to recognize and respond if there ever is an emergency/lockdown situation. ALICE® is recognized across the country as an additional component to the traditional “lockdown” response.

ALICE® Acronym
The acronym will help in responding to a critical incident, and consists of five strategies:
Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate.

The purpose of ALERT is to notify as many people as possible that a potentially life-threatening risk exists.
The purpose of LOCKDOWN is to secure in place, and prepare to EVACUATE or COUNTER, if needed.
The purpose of INFORM is to communicate in real time the location of an intruder.
The purpose of COUNTER is to interrupt the intruder in an attempt to make it difficult or impossible to aim, or carry out a threat. This is a strategy of last resort.
The purpose of EVACUATE is to remove yourself from the danger zone, when it is safe to do so.

ALICE® is not sequential, nor is it meant to be a checklist of things to do. It is a list of options that can be used to stay safe in the event of a critical incident.

Terminology

Michigan law requires districts to use a Standard Response Protocol (SRP) for emergency situations. This language comes from the I Love U Guys Foundation.

The SRP requires districts to use consistent terminology across Michigan. This will enable students, staff, community members, and first responders to have a shared understanding of safety terminology regardless of the Michigan school they are visiting.

Five specific actions can be performed during an incident and will be the same district-to-district. Please review the Standard Response Protocol Handout.

Hold: Hold will be used when movement needs to be restricted in a school building and will require students and staff to stay in one place. Families will not be able to pick up children during a Hold. Students and staff stay in the classroom and/or area they are in and learning will continue to the best of the schools’ ability.
Secure: Secure will be used when an external threat is close to or at another BHS location, or outdoors on school property, that requires students and staff to stay in the building. Families will not be able to pick up children during a Secure. Students and staff stay indoors and learning and passing time will continue to the best of the schools’ ability.
Lockdown: A lockdown is the complete shutdown of a building in the event of an imminent threat within the building. In the event of a lockdown, no external visitors may enter a building. The occupants of the room will secure themselves within the room and should move away from sight, maintain silence, and do not open doors.
Evacuate: This is where there is a need to move the occupants of a building from one location to another. Predominantly because the environment within that location is unsafe to remain in. This could be due to a gas leak, HAZMAT situation, water main break, etc.
Shelter: Students and staff will follow appropriate hazard and safety strategies. This is typically used for weather situations including tornados, floods, etc.

Family Assistance Site: A family assistance site is the location that is communicated to families following an evacuation of a building for any reason. Students will be transported to a predetermined site where a system will be put in place to connect families with their students. This location will only be communicated to families in the event of an emergency.

Safety Week

Safety Week is a way for the district to reinforce our safety protocols and systems and to ensure that our communication systems are in proper working order for all individuals in our school community. It takes place during America's Safe Schools Week (typically mid-October) which is sponsored by the National School Safety Center, state governors, and state school superintendents.

During Safety Week, students experience preparedness training, meet with our school resource officers and police partners, and learn more about reporting tools. The district also tests our communication systems allowing us to locate and correct any issues.

Emergency Notifications

Bloomfield Hills Schools will use MessagesXR to communicate with families, including for snow days, emergencies, school closures, and other important updates.

To stay informed, please keep your phone number and email address up to date in the Parent Portal. Parent Portal syncs with MessagesXR on a nightly basis. Updating your information in the Parent Portal will ensure the district has your most up-to-date contact information on record.

Safety Partners

Emergency Operations Plan

Bloomfield Hills Schools is equipped with an emergency operations plan that is updated each year to ensure staff can respond effectively and with confidence during emergencies. This plan is developed through joint efforts with the school district, education experts, first responders, and emergency management authorities. It adheres to guidelines from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Department of Education, Michigan State Police, and Oakland County.

Threat Assessment

A threat assessment involves identifying, evaluating, and managing individuals of concern at Bloomfield Hills Schools who may pose a risk. A trained, multidisciplinary team is responsible for early intervention. The process begins when someone exhibits concerning behavior, which may not always include a direct threat. The team gathers information to assess the risk and implements strategies to manage it.

We thank our students, staff, and families for helping us by reporting suspicious behavior. Please review our reporting tools, like OK2SAY, to stay involved. Together, our community's vigilance strengthens our safety.