Created:  17 May 2013
Modified:  13 April 2026
Approved: 14 October 2026

District Emergency Response Plan

Adoption of Plan—

Pursuant to Utah Code § 53G-4-402(20) and Utah State Board of Education regulations, the Board shall adopt and implement a comprehensive emergency plan to prevent and combat violence in the schools, on school grounds, on school vehicles, and in connection with school-related activities and events and to address recovery from an emergency. The plan shall include an Emergency Preparedness Plan, an Emergency Response Plan, and an Emergency Recovery Plan. Plans shall be reviewed at least once every three years and updated as needed.

Utah Code § 53G-4-402(20)(a) (2026)

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-2(8), (9), (10) (November 7, 2025)

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-3(4) (November 7, 2025)

An Emergency Preparedness Plan includes the policies and procedures developed to promote the safety and welfare of students, protect District property, or regulate the operation of schools during an emergency occurring within the District or a school. The purpose of this plan is to safeguard students, staff, and patrons before, during and after any emergency or disaster.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-2(8) (November 7, 2025)

An Emergency Response Plan is a District or school plan to prepare and protect students and staff in the event of natural disasters, technological or school security emergencies.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-2(10) (November 7, 2025)

An Emergency Recovery Plan includes the policies and procedures developed to return a school or the District back to ordinary daily routine after an emergency by restoring programming, operations, and the school environment. The purpose of this plan is to manage immediate, short term, and long-term recovery from an emergency incident. It must address academic recovery (resuming educational programming, teaching and learning); business services recovery (resuming operations that aid the provision of teaching and learning and other essential services); health, wellbeing, and behavioral recovery (awareness of community resources to assist the school community); and physical and structural recovery (restoring buildings, equipment, and supplies).

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-2(2), (3), (9), (13), (19) (November 7, 2025)

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-8 (November 7, 2025)

Emergency Plan Committee—

The Board of Education shall appoint a committee to assist with development or revision or review of emergency plans. The committee shall consist of appropriate school and community representatives, which may include  administrators, school safety directors, school safety and security specialists, school nurses, teachers, parents, officers of other governmental entities (municipalities, counties, or others), and fire and law enforcement personnel. The committee shall include representatives of governmental agencies and bodies vested with responsibility for directing and coordinating emergency services on local and state levels.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-3(3) (November 7, 2025)

Utah Code § 53G-8-701.8 (2026)

Contents of Plan—

The District Emergency Plan shall

1. include prevention, intervention, and response components, including standard response protocols as established by the state security chief;
2. be consistent with the student conduct and discipline policies required for school districts by statute;
3. require professional learning for all district and school building staff on the staff’s roles in the emergency response plan;
4. provide for coordination with local law enforcement and other public safety representatives in preventing, intervening, and responding to violence in the schools, on school grounds, on school vehicles, and in connection with school-related activities and events;
5. include a process to timely notify staff of a crisis;
6. include a student and parent notification policy that uses safe messaging;
7. identify one or more SafeUT liaisons to provide information from SafeUT to relevant stakeholders, communicate with SafeUT concerning updates and feedback, and attend the annual SafeUT training provided by the State Superintendent;
8. include procedures to notify a student who is off-campus at the time of a school violence emergency because the student is either participating in a school-related activity or excused from school for released-time religious instruction;
9. include, to the extent practicable, standards and protections for participants and attendees at school-related activities, including those off school property;
10. include measures to assure that during an emergency students receive reasonably adequate educational services and supervision during school hours during an emergency and for education services in an extended emergency situation;
11. include implementation and maintenance of the incident response method established by the state security chief (which requires marking internal rooms and hallways with standard designations);
12. include evacuation procedures to assure reasonable care and supervision of students until the student is released to a responsible party or as is permitted under State Board of Education regulation;
13. address access to school buildings by specific groups, including students, community members, lessees, invitees, and others;
14. include measures to assure that students and adults receive emergency preparedness training, including developmentally appropriate and age-appropriate training regarding rescue techniques; first aid; Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter protocols; Avoid, Deny, Defend, and Aid protocols; safety measures appropriate to specific emergencies; and other emergency skills;
15. establish a multidisciplinary team to identify interventions for students who may be highly impacted by a crisis;
16. identify and keep a record of crisis response professionals who may assist in crisis response and resources and community partnerships for follow-up or intensive care after a crisis;
17. identify resources and materials available for emergency training;
18. contain procedures for assessing and providing school facilities, equipment, and personnel to meet public emergency needs; and
19. provide procedures for recording District funds spent for emergencies (including funds spent for assessing and repairing damages) and for seeking reimbursement for such expenditures.

Utah Code § 53G-4-402(20)(b) (2026)

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-4(4), -5, -6(1), -11, -12(2)(b), -13(1) ( November 7, 2025)

Formulation and Review of Plan—

In creating the emergency plan, the Board shall consider and make use of resources provided by the Utah State Board of Education, including the plan models and other resources prepared by the State Board as provided for in Utah Code § 53G-4-402(20)(c), recommendations provided by the emergency response plan committee, and may consider such other resources it finds helpful.

Utah Code § 53G-4-402(20)(c) (2026)

The Board may direct individual schools to develop and implement school-specific emergency response plans to supplement the District’s plan according to the needs and features of the school. New school staff shall be made aware of the emergency plan as part of orientation.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-3(2) (November 7, 2025)

The District shall establish a parent and student reunification plan for each school in the District. Such plan shall provide for reasonable care and supervision of students until the student is released to a responsible party. Schools shall not release students grade 8 or below unless a parent or other responsible person has been notified and assumed responsibility for the student. A school may release a student grade 9 or above without such notification if a school administrator determines that the student is reasonably responsible and that notification is not practicable.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-5(1)(c) (November 7, 2025)

The District emergency plan shall be reviewed at least once every three years, with the assistance of the District emergency response plan committee appointed by the Board of Education. As part of the review process, each school shall review existing security measures and procedures within that school and make necessary adjustments as funding permits.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-3(4) -7(1)(b) (November 7, 2025)

Public Notice of Plan—

A copy of the District emergency plan and any school emergency plans shall be filed in the superintendent’s office. At the beginning of each school year, written notice of the pertinent portions of the District plan and any school plan shall be provided to the parents of students at each school and the staff of each school. Each school shall also designate an Emergency Preparedness, Emergency Response, and Emergency Recovery week each year before April 30 with activities as described in Utah State Board of Education regulation.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-4(1), (2), (3) (November 7, 2025)

Emergency Preparedness Training—

The Board of Education shall, by July 1 of each year, certify to the State Superintendent that the District emergency plan has been practiced at the school level and has been presented to and reviewed by the District’s teachers, administrators, students and their parents, and public safety representatives.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-3(1) (November 7, 2025)

The District shall provide annual training to District and school staff on their roles, responsibilities, and priorities in the emergency response plan.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-7(1)(a) (November 7, 2025)

Each school shall conduct emergency drills as required by Utah Code § 15A-5-202.5(2)(d).

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-6(2) (November 7, 2025)

School Building Access—

With respect to building access during an emergency by various groups (including students, employees, community members, lessees, invitees, and others), the emergency response plan shall consider identified time periods and shall address possession and use of school building keys by designated administrators and employees. The plan may include restricted access for some individuals.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-5(1)(c) (November 7, 2025)

Cooperation With Other Government Entities—

As appropriate, the Board of Education may enter into cooperative agreements with other governmental entities to establish proper coordination and support during emergencies.

The Board shall cooperate with other governmental entities to provide emergency relief services in times of public need. For statewide emergencies or emergencies involving more than one school district, the State Superintendent is the chief officer to coordinate assistance by the schools. For emergencies within the school district, the Board of Education, through the superintendent, is the chief officer to coordinate assistance by the schools.

Utah Admin. Rules R277-400-12 (November 7, 2025)