District-Wide Safe Schools and Crisis Plan - Blytheville Public Schools

Should the situation become extremely critical (the student has ingested pills or
poison or has possession of a gun or knife), the police must be notified
immediately.
The following information should be gathered and made available to emergency
personnel:
1. Name of student and parents/guardians
2. Student's home address
3. Exact nature of the threat
4. Exact location of student
5. Who else is near the student who could be helpful
. 6. Name, address, and phone number of person reporting the incident
One should delay contacting any other people until the immediate safety of the
student is assured. Some situations are of such critical proportions that the
teacher should remain on the phone with the student AT ANY COST. This
contact should be maintained until the immediate crisis is resolved or emergency
personnel have arrived on the scene. In such a case, the teacher remaining on
the phone with the student might pass a note to someone else in close proximity
(his/her spouse, companion, or friend) requesting assistance to summon
emergency personnel.
A completed suicide, even when it occurs off campus and after hours is of such
magnitude that virtually all students and school personnel will hear of the event
quickly via the "rumor mill". The range of emotional reactions by everyone in the
school to such information will vary greatly. Neither the pretense that "nothing
has happened" nor the glorification of such a tragic event will help the survivors
effectively cope with their own emotions.
H.3. Suicide Attempts
When a school becomes aware that a student or staff member attempted suicide, the
school must protect that person's right to privacy. Should a parent or other family
member notify the school of a student's suicide attempt, the family should be referred to
appropriate community agencies for support services. Staff response should be focused
on quelling the spread of rumors and minimizing the fears of fellow students and staff.
As opposed to convening a CRT meeting and alerting the student body, any services
provided to the person who attempted suicide must be kept confidential and coordinated
with outside service providers, such as a suicide crisis counselor or hospital emergency
team.
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