The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) takes a proactive approach to ensuring the safety and security of students and their families, staff members, volunteers, contractors and visitors. Our emergency management efforts are designed to prevent or reduce adverse impacts of a potential or real critical incident.

FSDB has a comprehensive emergency management plan and accompanying protocols for a variety of crisis and non-crisis situations. Our intention is to provide a swift and decisive response to occurrences that are not part of normal school operations and which may result in one of the following:

Florida schools are required to practice emergency response procedures by conducting practice drills throughout the academic year. If you arrive at FSDB campus during a drill, you may be asked to wait outside the campus until the drill concludes. If you are on the FSDB campus either inside a building or outside during a drill, you will not be able to leave the campus until the drill concludes.

The FSDB Safety and Facilities Operations and Campus Police departments are responsible for oversight of campus-based emergency alert and messaging systems. The school campus is outfitted with a variety of interconnected devices, both outside and inside buildings, as described below. If an emergency alert/messaging system is activated, please consult with your campus representative for appropriate action.

Parents and legal guardians of FSDB students are encouraged to regularly log on to the Skyward Family/Student Access portal to keep their contact information up to date. FSDB needs to be able to reach families for routine purposes as well as in case of emergency.

Skylert is the system that FSDB uses to send out automated phone calls, text messages and email notifications, including emergency messages.

Parents and legal guardians who are unable to log into the Skyward portal are encouraged to contact their child’s school administrative assistant.

The FSDB Campus Police Department provides 24/7 security and access control for school. The Department strives to provide a safe and secure, crime-free and drug-free environment for the education of students and to equip them with the tools and responsibilities needed to live productive, law-abiding and rewarding lives.

Campus Police provides both emergency and non-emergency assistance. They also work closely with city and county emergency services and law enforcement personnel.your campus representative for appropriate action.

• If you see suspicious activity, a person with a weapon or are involved in a campus situation that requires immediate FSDB assistance, call 904-827-2911.
   

• If you observe an imminent threat of great bodily harm or death to self and/or others, press the Lockdown button. Lockdown buttons are located in every building on campus.
   

• If the campus situation requires city of St. Augustine emergency responder assistance, call or text 911.

• If you require Campus Police assistance for any campus situation that does not require emergency assistance, call 904-827-2315.

Campus Police provides both emergency and non-emergency assistance. They also work closely with city and county emergency services and law enforcement personnel.