By Traci Newell

Joe Hu/town crier Mountain View High School Assistant Principal Donna Peltz gathers some of the emergency supplies kept in a storage unit in the campus parking lot.

When students hear three short bells over the P.A. system and the words “code red,” like clockwork they close the blinds, turn off the lights, shut and barricade the door, gather at the center of the room and duck below window levels.

The drill is part of an emergency-preparedness program offered to students in the Los Altos School District and the Mountain View-Los Altos Union High School District by Code Red Training Associates, a San Jose-based business founded by Carla Holtzclaw. The company organizes the school drills in conjunction with local authorities, such as the fire and police units.

The aim of the program is to integrate the National Incidence Management Systems (NIMS) into annual drills that put campuses under a mock “code red,” a lock-down mode resulting from the threat of violence or danger from an internal or external source, such as an armed intruder or student.

NIMS, a 2005 mandate of the U.S. Department of Education, provides for an ongoing communication and information flow so that effective decision-making can occur. The process includes a Standardized Emergency Management System, a unified command, an emergency operation center and an incident command system.

Code Red Training Associates offers classes that help educate schoolteachers on what to expect during a code red or other emergencies. The classes also address how to deal with logistical problems, such as managing hundreds of students who may have run off campus, or effectively “herding” 5-year-olds during an evacuation.

“Our responsibility is the children,” Holtzclaw said. “We provide training on how to respond in an emergency to the teachers and school officials.”

Holtzclaw began working with local schools in 2005 after receiving a federal grant from the DOE to provide the drill services.

“There were only about 100 grants allocated nationwide,” she said. “It’s very unique to have multiple school districts all working together; it’s really a credit to the community.”

“The whole idea of the drills is to help teachers be used to this so they can be calm,” said Donna Peltz, assistant principal at Mountain View High School. “A lot can happen, so it’s good for them to use good judgment - the practice makes them feel safe.”

Mountain View High School ran its first code red drill in conjunction with the Mountain View Police Force in October. Peltz said the police provided valuable feedback in running more effective drills.

In addition to learning the NIMS system and practicing drills, local schools have been storing emergency supplies.

“We take these drills very seriously,” said Ron Nelson, emergency preparedness coordinator at Los Altos High School. “We have a lot of equipment and supplies we have been stocking. We have enough supplies to provide for students, after an emergency, for two to three days.”

Los Altos School District board members recently adopted an updated Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan for local schools, which includes preparing for fires, earthquakes, environmental hazards, attacks or disturbances, bomb threats or detonations, biological or chemical activities and medical emergencies requiring quarantines.