Action Alert (code red)

Owned by EMS Accounts (Unlicensed)
Last updated: Aug 28, 2020
5 min read

For the training videos, see: Staff Code Red and SST Code Red

Action Alerts (code red) are emergencies that interrupt your end the day of learning to take action (evacuate, lockdown, etc.) and account for your students.

When your school initiates an Action Alert, all staff receive a text message and email from CatapultEMS with a summary and a link to login to CatapultEMS. Your school may also announce the Action Alert over the PA system or via classroom call.

Contents

Staff procedure

Complete the following tasks during an Action Alert

  1. Read the alert details.

  2. Take action (for example, lockdown, shelter-in-place, evacuate).

  3. After completing the action, sign in to CatapultEMS.com to report

    1. Your location

    2. Your status

    3. Students with you (only those you can actually see)

Action Alert dashboard

After accounting for students, CatapultEMS displays a dashboard. From here, you can view the following:

  1. Messages

  2. Action Alert Details

  3. Status

  4. Location

  5. Student list

  6. Resources (maps, procedures)

You can update your status, location, and student list at any time.

Messages

View and send messages to your Site Safety Team using the Messages button on the dashboard. A pulsing red light notifies you of new messages. To respond, type your message in the text box and choose Send.

Resolved Action Alerts

When the Action Alert resolves, you receive an email and text message with resolution details.

 Site Safety Team procedure

Checklist

  1. Did you use your intercom to direct staff to go to CatapultEMS?

  2. Did you send a message to staff to create calm?

  3. Have you looked at the Google Map to see if someone needs help?

  4. Have all staff reported their Status?

  5. Are all students accounted for (including absences)?

  6. Is someone messaging staff to keep them aware of vital information?

  7. If the Action Alert is over, did you resolve it?

Initiate Action Alert

  1. Sign in to CatapultEMS.com

  2. From the dashboard, choose the red Action Alert button.

  3. Choose an action. For descriptions of each action choose Directive (on the right, labeled “2” below).

  4. If you need to notify staff immediately, choose Send Alert Now (green button on bottom, labeled “3” below). When you send the alert, you get a 5 second countdown to cancel before the alert goes out. If you have a minute, choose Provide Detail instead, to better inform staff about the emergency.

  5. If you choose to provide detail, complete the following, then choose Incident Action Alert:

    1. Action

    2. Period (if period scheduling exists)

    3. Type of incident

    4. Location of incident

    5. Photo (if available)

    6. Details

Status and student accounting

After you initiate an Action Alert, CatapultEMS asks you to report status and account for any students, just like any other staff. For instructions, see Staff procedure (above), for details.

Action Alert dashboard

After initiating an Action Alert and accounting for students, CatapultEMS displays a dashboard. From here, you can view the following:

  1. Safety Team Chat

  2. Staff Messages

  3. Action Alert Detail

  4. Staff Status and Students

  5. Checklist

  6. Staff Locations

  7. Resources (maps, procedures, scripts)

Staff status

To see staff who have reported their status, location, and students, go to Staff Status.

  1. From the dashboard, choose Staff Status.

  2. If you need to communicate with a staff member, choose Chat (right side of staff name). This opens two-way communication with a staff member.

Student accountability

  1. From the dashboard, choose Students. Students may appear in one of three tabs (Unaccounted, Accounted, and Absent).

  2. Mark students as absent. Use search to narrow down to a particular student name or review the list of unaccounted students.

  3. Choose View next to a student name to see their location and status, as well as emergency contacts.

Note: Only Safety Team Members can mark a student as absent.

Messages

  1. From the dashboard, choose Staff Messages.

  2. To view submitted messages, choose the Inbox tab at the top of the page.

  3. Select the arrow next to the staff member's name to view the message.

  4. You can either broadcast the message to all staff members or reply to the person who sent the message.

To compose a new message, choose the Send Message tab.

Staff location

  1. From the dashboard, choose Staff Location to see a visual of all reported staff statuses.

  2. Below the map choose the colored status pins to toggle whether they display on the map. For example you can toggle off Safe and Secure to see the remaining important pins.

  3. Choose a pin on the map to see details, including staff name location, role, status, and allow two-way communication.

 Resolve Action Alert

  1. From the dashboard, choose Resolve Action Alert (green button at bottom).

  2. Provide resolution details in the text box.

  3. Choose Close Action Alert.