Safety



Davis Joint Unified recognizes that the issue of student safety is not something we face alone, nor something we can fully address in isolation. To strengthen our safety net, we need our community’s support to identify risks and find ways to implement improvements in a timely manner.                          


Site-Specific Comprehensive Safety Plans

Maintaining a safe environment is critical to success and is everyone's responsibility.  This means school and district staff work towards ensuring that grounds and buildings are safe. We believe that our students have a right to learn in a safe environment. This year DJUSD has undergone a thorough process to update and align all site-specific comprehensive safety plans. California law requires each school to maintain a comprehensive safety plan to ensure a coordinated approach to school safety and each year schools are asked to revise and approve the plan. Parent/guardians can review the safety plan by making an appointment with the principal at the student's school site.

Emergency Drills

One of the most crucial parts of our safety planning is emergency drills. Every fall and spring each school site hosts a Safety Week where students and staff engage in crisis-like scenarios which may include fire drills, mock evacuations and/or lockdown drills. Staff is trained, students are informed and the school community can remain calm as we set the right tone for what to do in the event of a real emergency. Information for parents can be found in the Emergency Situations at School document which provides information to parents regarding what students and staff will be doing during a drill, and the role of the parent in a crisis.

Emergency Communication Tests
Each fall, DJUSD conducts a TEST of our Emergency Communications System (SchoolMessenger) for each school site.  If you are a parent/guardian or an emergency contact for a student, a TEST message will be sent to the phone numbers, emails and mobile text numbers for each student. The purpose of the TEST message is to ensure that our parent community understands how, and in what form, they will be notified in the event of a real emergency and to identify gaps in emergency contact data that can be addressed in advance of an urgent event.
 
DJUSD Alert/Info Phone Number
All emergency and important automated school communications sent through our SchoolMessenger system will come from the number 1877-539-7855. If you call back this number, you are able to access any recent messages sent to you. We encourage you to save this number in your Contacts or Caller ID as DJUSD Alert/Message. This way, you will recognize when an emergency alert or important message is being sent to your phone from our school or school district.

The messaging is sent in Spanish to families who designate Spanish has their student's home language at registration. We apologize that the system’s translation may not be always produce flawless Spanish grammar, but the purpose of this TEST is to simulate an emergency when these translation functions may be used to disseminate time sensitive information to emergency contacts. If you feel that the translated message that you received is not understandable or appropriate to use in an emergency, we would appreciate your feedback. Please provide your feedback to your school site or directly to our Office of Public Information at [email protected].

Texting
Our school district now utilizes the SchoolMessenger system to deliver text messages, straight to your mobile phone for urgent school alerts if you choose. Emergency text alerts will be part of centralized Emergency Communications and will be sent only to parent/guardians who opt-in to the service. Learn more at Emergency Alerts and Texting Messaging.


Law Enforcement Collaboration

DJUSD has clear and coordinated safety protocols which were developed in consultation with the Davis Police Department. DJUSD collaborates regularly with law enforcement and emergency responders through the Director of Student Support Services and our District Safety Coordinator. The District Safety Coordinator is present on district campuses and is a helpful resource to students and parents.  In addition, he carries a police radio and can be in immediate contact with law enforcement should the need arise.

Facility Safety
DJUSD maintenance and operations crews prioritize school safety. It is an ongoing job to ensure that necessary installation, repair and replacement of fire alarms and bells, door locks and window coverings occur when and where the needs arise. Our crews are diligent about meeting those critical needs.
Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (Includes COVID Prevention Plan)

The Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP) is a proactive workplace safety program that meets Cal-OSHA regulations.  Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (T9CCR) section 3203 requires every California employer to develop and implement an effective safety plan to protect employees from injuries and illnesses in the workplace. The IIPP consists of plans and procedures to establish a framework to reduce the risks associated with workplace hazards.  This plan also includes the COVID Prevention Plan for 2024-25).

The full Injury Illness and Prevention Document can be found here
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan

DJUSD is committed to the health and safety of our employees, students and visitors to our school sites and facilities. We refuse to tolerate any form of violence in the workplace and will make reasonable and appropriate efforts to prevent violent incidents from occurring by implementing a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan.
Senate Bill 553 requires all employers to create a Workplace Violence Prevention Plan which includes creating a method for employees to report incidents of workplace violence or threats of violence.  The information collected in the reports will be kept on a Workplace Violence Incident Log which removes employee identifying information in order to maintain confidentiality.     

You can read the full Workplace Violence Prevention Plan here.
Workplace Violence Prevention Plan FAQ is updated regularly and is found here.
Employees can submit a Workplace Violence Incident Report here.
Gun Safety

When we learn of national news headlines of students bringing guns to school, many times the child has obtained the weapon from their home.  These incidents can be prevented by storing firearms in a safe and secure manner including keeping them locked up when not in use and storing them separately from ammunition. In addition, California law makes a person criminally liable for improper storage of a firearm.

Additional information can be found in Resolution 63-24 Responsible Gun Storage
 and by reviewing California Law AB 424  Thank you for helping to keep our children safe at home and school.

RESOLUTION NO. 64-24 - Declaring the First Friday in June to be National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Resources to Promote Gun Safety and Prevent Gun Violence


Air Quality/Smoky Conditions

Northern California continues to experience ongoing wildfires, and these fires are impacting Davis and the surrounding regions. Depending on the day and wind direction, the resulting smoke is creating air quality concerns.

DJUSD is in consultation with the Yolo-Solano Air Quality Management District and Yolo County Public Health to determine when to restrict school activities and/or close schools.

The air quality is considered safe to conduct outdoor activities when the Air Quality Index (AQI) is under 150, including outdoor lunch and recess. If the AQI is between 100-150, sensitive groups should avoid vigorous physical activity outdoors. We will continue to monitor the air quality each day during periods of concern using airnow.gov to determine air quality.

The School Air Quality Activity Recommendations Chart outlines appropriate school activities as they relate to the air quality thresholds.

Learn more about our School Heat Guidance.

Additional Resources

Excessive Heat Guidelines

It is not uncommon for Davis, and the greater Northern California area, to experience periods of excessive heat during the summer. District staff, administrators and coaches are expected to exercise good judgment in evaluating activities during these periods as excessive heat may result in nausea, unconsciousness, dehydration, etc.

We encourage everyone, especially individuals who spend part of their day outside, to take the following precautions:

  • Stay hydrated! Drink water regularly
  • Rest in the shade
  • Wear hats, sunscreen and light-colored clothing
  • Watch out for one another

Know your location’s “HeatRisk” level to determine who is at risk and what actions to take. Find your HeatRisk level here.


HeatRisk Levels

Additional Excessive Heat-Related Resources: