Safety is the first thing.

In the event of a local, state or national crisis, the Head of School may declare a state of emergency. An emergency may result from a power outage or a 911-type event. In those cases, parents are contacted to pick up their child from campus.

A lockdown may follow an event in the community that threatens student safety, or any incident that calls for an administrative search. When a possible threat is identified, law enforcement is contacted immediately. There are two threat levels: Level II yellow is a soft lockdown; Level III red is a hard lockdown. During any lockdown, hallway and outdoor traffic is suspended and perimeter doors are locked. When the threat has passed, we return to Level I green. Parents are notified by text message and phone call, and again when a drill is complete.

For weather and other emergencies, DMA follows the lead of Miami-Dade County public schools on closing. Depending on local conditions, we make our own decision to reopen when it is safe to do so. The school community is contacted by text message, and information is posted on social media when weather threatens.

Every classroom and office has a fire evacuation route posted near the door. When the alarm sounds, students, faculty and staff follow the posted procedure and the fire department is contacted automatically. Fire drills are held periodically, and the central station is notified before each drill.

An exposure plan is in place to protect against blood-borne pathogens. Every classroom and office carries a first aid kit that meets OSHA standards, and every member of the faculty is trained in first aid, CPR and AED use. An accident or incident report is filed for any injury at school.