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What is a "shelter-in" regarding school safety and emergency protocol?

Instructions to "shelter-in" for a drill or actual emergency means to seek safety within the building one already occupies, rather than to evacuate.

Students are trained to: 

  • Remain inside of the building
  • Conduct business as usual
  • Respond to specific staff instructions

Teachers are trained to: 

  • Increase situational awareness
  • Conduct business as usual

The shelter-in directive will remain in effect until hearing an "all clear" message followed by specific instructions. 


All schools are trained every September on these General Response Protocols (GRP). You can review the protocols in the UFT's School Safety Manual: https://www.uft.org/sites/default/files/attachments/school-safety-info-manual.pdf.