Hays County commissioners got a sneak peek at an animated video meant to teach the Standard Response Protocol to students in pre-kindergarten through second grade.
At their meeting Tuesday morning, the commissioners heard a presentation from County Emergency Management Coordinator Kharley Smith and San Marcos Police Assistant Chief Bob Klett on the video before a press conference at the Hays Independent School District Performing Arts Center where the video made its statewide debut.
The video features an animated rabbit and students discussing what to do if there is danger on the school campus. In the clip played at the commissioners court meeting, the rabbit and students are discussing what to do if they are inside a classroom building and there is danger inside the building with them. The phrase, “Lockdown, locks, lights, out of sight” tells students that they should lock the classroom doors, turn off the lights and hide in the classroom away from windows and doors.
Smith said the county received guidance from the ALERRT (Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training) Center and the Texas School Safety Center at Texas State University. Those organizations directed the county to the I Love U Guys Foundation, which Smith said was formed in Colorado after a school shooting. The foundation works with organizations to help them localize and customize school safety training materials, including the Standard Response Protocol.
“We knew that we could tailor it to the needs of Hays County,” Smith said of the I Love U Guys material.
The county produced the video with help from Texas State University.
“We’re really thrilled with how it turned out,” Smith said.
She added that although she wishes students did not have to learn what to do if there is a threat on campus, she would rather students be prepared for the situation than not know what to do.
The training video is available at Hays County's SRP website.
