School Lockdowns: Different Levels, Different Notification Protocols

A domestic dispute Tuesday afternoon prompted two West Fargo schools to go into lockdown.

Parents weren’t notified until a few hours later.

Yesterday’s domestic dispute in Horace led to both Sheyenne High School and Liberty Middle school going into lockdown.

There was no immediate danger to students, exactly why the school went into its lowest lockdown level.

And as it turns out, that’s not too uncommon.

It was right around 12:30 yesterday afternoon when both Sheyenne and Liberty went into administrative lockdown.
 
“Administrative lockdown is the lowest level of lockdown we have in our school safety and security plans it basically just keeps all the children in their classrooms,” said West Fargo School Safety and Security Coordinator Heather Konschak.
 
“I will call and notify the schools just the basic details, but none the less the details where lets air on the side of caution, but it’s going to be up to the schools,” said Sgt. Tim Briggeman of the Cass County Sheriff’s Office.
 
An administrative lockdown can be anything from a community threat to a medical issue.
 
If there’s an immediate threat to the schools, parents will know right away through an automated phone call.
 
“Because none of the students were ever in direct danger we chose to alert the parents at the end of the school day at 3:15 rather than the middle of their work day,” said Konschak.
 
Sgt. Briggeman says in Cass and Clay Counties there are 14 school districts and 28,000 students…a big number, but all follow the same procedures when it comes to lockdowns.
 
“They’re all going into lockdown and operating under the same procedures,” he explains. “So from the law enforcement when a cop gets there we know what they’re doing.”
 
A more immediate threat like an active shooter could prompt schools to go into the next level of lockdown, locking the building, shutting off the lights and huddling in a corner.
 
“Unfortunately we have to prepare for it so based off today’s era,” said Sgt. Briggeman.
 
An era where airing on the side of caution is a must to keep students safe.

West Fargo police advised the schools to go into lockdown because they were concerned for two students at Sheyenne and Liberty related to the suspects in the domestic dispute.

The lockdown only lasted for 15 minutes.