Lockdown and Lockout Information – Please Read

Posted 02/16/2018

Greetings Westerly Creek Families,

This morning DPS Department of Safety and Denver Police Department looked into an anonymous tip involving threats made to several DPS schools.  Westerly Creek was one of the schools included in the anonymous tip.  The anonymous tip was thoroughly investigated, and it was determined that the messages in the anonymous tip were not credible and were sent in an effort to create more panic.  We were alerted about the incident and are communicating this information out to you to ensure that our families are made aware as well.

Given this most recent and horrific school tragedy that took place this week in Parkland, Florida, please know that our district and school take these matters very serious and will follow district policies and procedures when potential threats are made, as well as if any credible threat requires us to go into a lockdown or lockout.  Just to recap, please see the information below regarding lockdowns and lockouts.  This information may also be found on the DPS Safety and Security website at https://safety.dpsk12.org/emergency-management-resources/.

What is a lockdown and What is a lockout?

A lockdown takes place where a hazardous threat or a possible hazardous threat has been identified inside of the building or in close proximity of the school.  All exterior doors are locked and students and staff are confined to their school.  No entry or exit to the school is allowed during lockdown procedures. A lockout takes place when a threat has been identified in the area of your child’s school.  All exterior doors are locked to prevent any hazards or threats to enter the school.  No entry or exit to the school is allowed during this response.

What should I do if a lockdown is occurring at my child’s school?

If you are notified of a school lockdown at your child’s school, do not come to the school. Stay in a location where you are able to be notified with additional information of your child’s school situation.  Students will not be released until the incident has ended, the scene is safe for release, or the lockdown has been lifted by the DPS Safety and Security Department. If the hazardous threat has impacted the school site in any possible way, students will be taken to a reunification site.  Parents will be notified and will be able to retrieve their students from the designated reunification site.  If the hazardous threat has not impacted the school site, students will be released from school as normal.  In the event of an actual lockdown, communication will be sent via robo call, email, or the primary means of communication you indicated to receive correspondence during registration.  As a reminder, please ensure that if any of your contact information has changed to update it with the front office staff.

Should you have any additional questions or concerns on how the district is ensuring the safety of our students, please reach out to the DPS Safety and Security at 720-423-3475.  Should you have any questions for us, please feel free to contact myself or a member of the admin team at 720-424-3160.  Thank you for working with us as we work to ensure a safe learning environment for our students, staff and families.

Best Regards,

Brian L. Tarver, Dean of Students

Main Office 720-424-3160

Download this letter here: Parent Letter 2-16-18

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