Multiple districts — A new model for responding to and communicating about school emergencies is now in place at Kent ISD and the districts in its service area, and there’s a chance it will become the norm for schools statewide.
The Standard Response Protocol was developed by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, a nonprofit focusing on school safety and crisis response. The foundation also developed the standard reunification method adopted by Kent ISD and area districts in 2024.
‘First responders, schools, everybody’s gotta be on the same sheet of music. So if I’m in a school and I say our building’s in lockdown, the cops, the fire, the EMTs that are responding, all know what a lockdown consists of.’
— Sean Burns, Kent ISD director of safety and security
The SRP model breaks responses to weather events, fires, accidents, active shooters and other threats into five actions — hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate and shelter — in order to simplify and standardize the terminology used by districts, and by law enforcement agencies and first responders, when incidents occur.
“Hold” means stay where you are and clear the halls; “secure” means get inside and lock the doors; “lockdown” means lock the doors, turn out the lights and get out of sight; “evacuate” means move to a new location; and “shelter” means take protective action based on the situation.
Each action is accompanied by directives for students and adults. Kent ISD released a video at the start of the school year that details how the model works.
Sean Burns, director of safety and security at Kent ISD, is a supporter of the model, touting its action-based, data-driven approach.
“The protocols are backed up by empirical data. It’s not just stuff they pulled out of thin air,” said Burns, noting that the model has also been adopted by Ottawa and Muskegon ISDs.
Burns said the SRP favors clear, concise language over vague terminology that could mean different things depending on the district or the situation.
“First responders, schools — everybody’s gotta be on the same sheet of music. So if I’m in a school and I say our building’s in lockdown, the cops, the fire, the EMTs that are responding, all know what a lockdown consists of, versus me saying ‘soft lockdown,’ ‘hard lockdown,’ ‘code red,’ ‘code yellow,’” Burns said. “This way, everybody that’s responding to an emergency knows exactly what your response protocol is, and what to expect once they get to the building. It’s a standardized terminology.”
Burns said the use of universal terms ensures that “everyone’s speaking the same language,” which reduces confusion during emergencies.
Clarity, Adaptability & Flexibility
Burns worked with several other school security leaders during the rollout of the SRP in Kent County, including Scott Beckman at Rockford Public Schools.
Rockford implemented the protocol in August, conducting staff trainings and putting to use the free informational materials made available by the “I Love U Guys” Foundation, Beckman said.
He said the model has had a demystifying effect on emergency communications.
“Everybody knows everything when it comes to this,” Beckman said. “Our parents know, our kids know, our staff knows — it’s an open book. There’s no secrets here.”
Beckman said the SRP model is applicable to just about every situation, from active shooters to health emergencies to natural disasters.
“All of us use the same words that can be adapted to the situations that you’re addressing in your building. It doesn’t matter what building or district I’m in, I know what’s going on,” Beckman said. “If I’m in Byron Center and they call for a lockdown, I know that there’s a threat inside that building, more likely than not, or on its way to the building.
“If I hear ‘secure mode,’ I know that something’s going on outside, and I just need to make sure that I’m staying in the building and I don’t exit the building. So you have a basic understanding of what potentially is going on in the building. … If I hear any of these words, I know what to do.”
Statewide Implementation?
Burns and Beckman both expect that the SRP will be mandated throughout the state in the near future. In order for that to happen, Michigan’s School Safety and Mental Health Commission would have to make an official recommendation that the SRP be implemented statewide.
Chelsea Kittridge, a mental health and behavior intervention consultant at Kent ISD, was recently appointed to serve on the commission. Kittridge said a decision on the matter will be made before the start of the 2026-27 school year.
Kittridge said the SRP has a lot of support within the commission, and its value has been demonstrated throughout Kent ISD.
“We have already seen the power of the Standard Response Protocol that is so universally applicable in Kent County,” she said. “The common language has helped everyone involved — district staff, Kent ISD staff, community emergency personnel — understand the actual level of risk and respond accordingly.”
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