TKA Emergency Procedures

The King’s Academy has developed a comprehensive set of General Emergency Response Options that covers a wide variety of emergencies, and serves as a guide to help staff respond swiftly, should a crisis occur at our school. TKA also references the Santa Clara County Office of Education response measures.

TKA's Emergency Response Options

If you witness an emergency situation, DIAL 911  from a landline or (408) 736-6244  from any cell phone
to get Sunnyvale Emergency Services immediately.

Whether it is a drill or an actual event, The King’s Academy has established protocols to respond to some of the more dangerous emergencies possible on campus.  In most cases, the intent of our response will be to protect staff and students by keeping them securely on campus and out of harm’s way.  Our first reaction is NOT to evacuate the school or to allow students to leave campus.

Fire on Campus

The school will periodically have fire drills, which are initiated by the ringing of the fire alarm.  When the alarm sounds, everyone on campus is expected to evacuate all buildings and walk to their designated waiting area.  When overseeing students, teachers need to be the last ones out of the room, take their class roster, and check the student roll in the waiting area.  If the event was a drill, an announcement to conclude the drill will be made in the waiting area.  If the event was an actual fire, Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety will advise the school on what following procedures to take.

Earthquake

The signal to initiate an earthquake drill is a narrated announcement describing each step to take throughout the drill.  Those on campus should not leave the room they are in—everyone should take cover under a stable desk or table and hold onto it.  If someone is outside when the drill occurs, they must get away from power lines and buildings to an area away from objects or buildings that might fall over.  If the event was a drill, teachers and students will discuss their observations and experiences to increase awareness of hazards and improve future responses.  If the event was an actual earthquake, the school will evacuate to a safe area on campus, and plans for extended disaster relief will be implemented as needed.

Shelter-In-Place

The school may conduct a Shelter-In-Place drill, which will be initiated by an announcement over the intercom system communicating the commencement of the drill and steps to take.  An actual shelter-in-place event may occur when local authorities advise the school that there may be a potential threat to the school within the nearby vicinity.  The school’s response will generally be to move everyone on campus to indoor locations, lock all doors, and continue with school operations.  Entrances to the school property will be secured with staff overseeing those points of entry/exit.  The school will remain in shelter-in-place status until issued the “all clear” from the local authority overseeing the situation.

Lockdown

The school will periodically activate a lockdown drill, which is initiated by ringing the school bell multiple times, likely in long/irregular patterns, or by announcing “Lockdown” over the intercom system.  Everyone on campus is expected to get inside, lock and barricade all doors, turn off lights, close window blinds, seek further cover inside so as to be not seen from outside the room, remain quiet and wait for official release from the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.

Active Shooter

The school provides instruction for students and staff on actions to take for an active shooter situation, but does not conduct drills to simulate this type of event.  If an actual event occurs, to the extent it is possible, an alert will be given to activate a school response utilizing school bells, an announcement over the intercom, or any other means available.  The response should be for everyone to assess their immediate situation and either:

  • RUN – to a safe location if this is thought to be the best, low-risk option;
  • HIDE – if running seems too risky given the known or unknown situation; and/or
  • DEFEND – be prepared to disable, hinder, or physically stop the shooter.

The school will go into a Lockdown status in this scenario, and remain in Lockdown until the local authorities issue an “all clear” status.  As local public safety officials arrive and prepare to evacuate the campus, it is critical to remember the safe ways to respond to police presence, including:

  • DO NOT RUN TOWARD POLICE.  Your behavior could be mistaken as aggressive.
  • SHOW HANDS IN THE AIR, not in pockets or behind head or back.  This shows you are unarmed.
  • NO QUICK MOVEMENTS.  Again, quick behavior could be mistaken as aggressive.
  • DO NOT PICK UP ANYTING OFF THE GROUND.  This could show you are ignoring police commands.

Ambiguous Signals

If multiple alerts are simultaneously activated, for example a fire alarm AND a Lockdown bell signal, priority should be given to the Lockdown signal after ensuring any danger from fire is not imminent.

Parent/Guardian Response to Campus Emergencies

Members On Campus:

In the event of an emergency response, whether a pre-arranged drill or an actual event, our expectation is that any parents, families, or visitors on campus will participate in the prescribed response as dictated by the correlating signals or announcements, particularly since an unannounced alarm may indicate that an actual emergency is in progress.   Quick and accurate compliance could make a big difference in personal safety.  Parents, families, and visitors who are following an evacuation process should assemble with the group of Administrative Staff members for accountability.

Members Off Campus. 

The primary goal in any drill or emergency response is to attend to the immediate safety of all persons in harm’s way.  Parents, guardians, family members, and visitors who are NOT on campus during an emergency drill/event can help the most by responding in the following ways:

1.      DO NOT COME TO CAMPUS.  

If there is a threat on/near campus, i.e. if the school is placed in a Lockdown or Shelter-in-Place status, extra persons in the vicinity will not deter or diminish the threat, but may only exacerbate the situation and divert critical safety/emergency resources away from where it is needed most.  PLEASE DO NOT COME TO THE TKA CAMPUS.

2.      KEEP SCHOOL PHONE LINES CLEAR & PLEASE DO NOT TEXT/CALL YOUR STUDENT(S)

If the situation on campus demands unhindered, immediate communication with safety/emergency personnel, this cannot be accomplished when off-campus callers are attempting to get more information about the situation by calling the school.  Rest assured that TKA would make every effort to communicate the details of a threatening situation at each appropriate opportunity.  PLEASE DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL. Parents, please help us by not calling or texting your student(s) during an emergency. TKA will provide you with the most accurate information as soon as possible.

3.      CHECK TEXTS AND EMAIL ACCOUNTS FOR MESSAGES FROM TKA. 

When the situation permits, TKA will communicate the details and updates at each appropriate opportunity through our emergency alert system via texts and emails. TKA will make every effort to communicate the details of any threatening situation and what steps families might need to take in order to expedite achieving the ultimate goal of safely reuniting students with families. 

Also, please remember that A STUDENT CAN ONLY BE RELEASED TO AN ADULT WHO IS DOCUMENTED AS AN EMERGENCY CONTACT.  For the safety of your student, please ensure your family’s emergency contact information is kept up to date through the Parent Portal homepage "Family Update Link."  If any family emergency/contact or student medical information changes, update the "Family Contact/Medical Information" through the link in the Parent Portal as soon as possible—the safety of your child may depend on it!

Emergency Telephone Numbers

Agency
Telephone Number

Police/Fire/Medical EMERGENCY

9-1-1  from any land line, or

9-9-1-1 from any TKA phone, or

(408) 736-6244  from any cell phone

Police NON-Emergency

(408) 730-7180

Animal Control Services

(408) 730-7178

Poison Control Center

(800) 222-1222

 

Evacuation/Relocation Sites

Primary: ON SITE - Main Athletic Field
Secondary: OFF SITE - Lowe's Parking lot (at Wolf and Stewart) or  San Miguel School (San Miguel Ave off Duane)