§ 115C-105.49.  School safety exercises.

(a) At least once annually, each public school unit shall require each school under its control to hold a full school-wide tabletop exercise and drill based on the procedures documented in its School Risk Management Plan (SRMP) and shall report the date and time the drill is conducted to the Center for Safer Schools. The drill shall include a practice school lockdown due to an intruder on school grounds. Each school is encouraged to hold a tabletop exercise and drill for multiple hazards included in its SRMP. Schools are strongly encouraged to include local law enforcement agencies and emergency management agencies in their tabletop exercises and drills. The purpose of the tabletop exercises and drills shall be to permit participants to (i) discuss simulated emergency situations in a low-stress environment, (ii) clarify their roles and responsibilities and the overall logistics of dealing with an emergency, and (iii) identify areas in which the SRMP needs to be modified.

(b) For the purposes of this section, a tabletop exercise is an exercise involving key personnel conducting simulated scenarios related to emergency planning.

(c) For the purposes of this section, a drill is a school-wide practice exercise in which simulated scenarios related to emergency planning are conducted.

(d) The Department of Public Safety, Division of Emergency Management, and the Center for Safer Schools shall provide guidance and recommendations to public school units on the types of multiple hazards to plan and respond to, including intruders on school grounds. (2013-360, s. 8.38; 2015-241, s. 8.26(b); 2023-78, ss. 1, 4(a).)