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The I Love U Guys Foundation was born out of an unimaginable tragedy but has since become a beacon of hope and safety for schools across the country. On September 27, 2006, when Emily Keyes, a high school student, was taken hostage during a school shooting at Platte Canyon High School in Bailey, Colorado. In her final moments, Emily sent a text message to her parents that read, "I love u guys." This message, a heartbreaking reminder of a parent's worst fear, became the foundation's name, as her family turned their grief into action, committing to make schools safer and prevent other families from enduring the same pain.

Ellen and John-Michael Keyes created the I Love U Guys Foundation with the mission of developing practical safety protocols that schools could implement to respond to various emergencies, from natural disasters to acts of violence. At the heart of the foundation’s efforts is the Standard Response Protocol (SRP), which provides a clear, action-based approach to handling crisis situations. The SRP focuses on five key actions: Hold, Secure, Lockdown, Evacuate, and Shelter. Each action is paired with concise language, allowing both staff and students to respond swiftly and effectively in an emergency.

In recent years, schools across the United States have adopted the SRP as their safety framework, including St. Louis Park Public Schools. School safety has always been a top priority, and the growing number of incidents nationwide, ranging from school shootings to extreme weather events, prompted the district to seek a standardized, reliable, and effective approach to emergency preparedness. After reviewing several protocols, district leaders found that the I Love U Guys Foundation provided a solution that was not only practical but also compassionate, rooted in the real-life experiences of families and schools affected by tragedy.

Hold

There are situations that require students and staff to remain in their classrooms or stay out of access areas. For example, an altercation in the hallway may require keeping students out of the halls until it is resolved. A medical issue may require only one area to be cleared, with halls still open in case outside medical assistance is required.

During a Hold, there may be a need for students who are not in a classroom to proceed to an area where they can be supervised and remain safe.

• Students and teachers are to remain in their classroom or area, even if there is a scheduled class change until the all-clear is announced.
• Students and staff in common areas, like a cafeteria or a gym, may be asked to remain in those areas or move to adjoining areas like a locker room.
• Students and staff outside of the building should remain outside unless the administration directs otherwise.
• It is suggested that, prior to closing the classroom door, teachers should sweep the hallway for nearby students. Additionally, teachers should take attendance, note the time, and conduct classroom activities as usual.
• In a high school with an open campus policy, communicate as much detail as possible to students who are temporarily off-campus.

Secure

The Secure Action is called when there is a threat or hazard outside of the school building. Whether it’s due to violence or criminal activity in the immediate neighborhood, or a dangerous animal in the playground, Secure uses the security of the physical facility to act as protection.

• The Secure Action demands bringing people into a secure building and locking all outside access points.
• Where possible, classroom activities would continue uninterrupted. Classes being held outside would return to the building and, if possible, continue inside the building.
• There may be occasions when students expect to be able to leave the building - end of classes, job commitment, etc. Depending on the condition, this may have to be delayed until the area is safe.
• During the training period, it should be emphasized to students as well as their parents that they may be inconvenienced by these directives, but their cooperation is important to ensure their safety.

Lockdown

Lockdown is called when there is a threat or hazard inside the school building. From parental custody disputes to intruders to an active assailant, Lockdown uses classroom and school security actions to protect students and staff from the threat.

• The Lockdown Action advises making rooms look unoccupied by locking individual classroom doors, offices, and other securable areas, moving occupants out of the line of sight of corridor windows, turning off lights, and having occupants maintain silence.
• Most schools have implemented policies requiring all exterior doors be locked during the school day, consistent with current best practices. Therefore, the protocol advises leaving the exterior doors as is during a Lockdown Action. Be certain there’s a plan for allowing local first responders to gain access during a Lockdown. The best option is to have the ability to lock and unlock doors remotely.
• Training reinforces the practice of not opening the classroom door once in Lockdown. No indication of occupancy should be revealed until first responders open the door.
• If the location of the threat is apparent and people do not have the option to get behind a door, it is appropriate to self-evacuate away from the threat.

Evacuate

Evacuate is called when there is a need to move people from one location to another for safety reasons.

An on-site evacuation is conducted usually because of a mechanical failure that would disrupt the school day, such as a power outage. If it can’t be resolved quickly, the school may have to plan for early dismissal.

An offsite evacuation may be necessary when it’s no longer safe to stay in the building such as a gas leak or bomb threat. In this case, people will be allowed to bring their personal items with them.

If there has been a violent event at the school, an off-site evacuation will almost always be necessary since the school will be deemed a crime scene. People may or may not be able to bring their personal items with them.

• The Evacuate Action demands students and staff move in an orderly fashion to a safe area.

Shelter

Shelter is called when specific protective actions are needed based on a threat or hazard. Training should include response to threats such as tornadoes, earthquakes, hazardous materials situations or other local threats.

• Collaboration with local responders, the National Weather Service, and other local, regional and state resources will help in developing specific actions for your district response.

 

The decision by St. Louis Park Public Schools to implement the I Love U Guys Foundation protocols reflects the commitment to keeping students and staff safe while promoting a culture of calm preparedness. The SRP’s clear and consistent language makes it easier for everyone to understand what to do during a crisis. Whether a school needs to initiate a lockdown due to a potential threat or evacuate due to a fire, the SRP provides instructions that can be followed under stress.

As part of the ongoing commitment to implementing the protocols, SLP Schools began training some staff in the spring and conducted district wide staff training before starting school this fall. Local law enforcement and emergency responders have also been alongside this journey to  ensure that all stakeholders are aligned in their approach to handling crises. Preparedness is not just about having a plan in place, but about fostering a mindset where safety is a shared responsibility among students, staff, parents, and the community.