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The Chief Safety and Security Officer is a sworn Law Enforcement Officer who leads all District safety and security efforts through the Division of Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness. 

The Division of Safety, Security and Emergency Preparedness is comprised of the Broward County Schools Police (BCPS Police), the Department of Safety and Security, School Security Support Services, the Behavior Threat Assessment unit, and the Office of the Chief Fire Official. 

In addition to the Chief Safety and Security Officer, there are more than 1,200 dedicated employees who are focused on ensuring the safety of our students, teachers, and staff.

All public schools conduct security assessments annually to identify threats and vulnerabilities, as well as appropriate safety enhancements. These assessments are conducted with school staff along with district security staff and law enforcement. 

All Broward County Public Schools conduct regular age-appropriate exercises and drills at various times as outlined in the Florida Fire Code and Florida Administrative Code.

To aid in this process, every school has a designated SAFE team comprised of faculty and staff who have been specially trained on appropriate procedures to ensure each school follows safety protocol.

Discussion-based tabletop exercises are also conducted regularly with staff, faculty, and community partners, and the results of these exercises are documented and incorporated into school safety plans as necessary.  

All public schools are required to conduct one (1) fire drill per month, with one (1) additional occurring within the first 30 days. Additionally, public schools are required to conduct, at a minimum, six (6) emergency drills every school year that are nonconcurrent with fire drills. One emergency drill must take place within the first ten (10) days of the beginning of the school year, and the remaining drills may not occur more than forty-five (45) days apart. Four (4) of the six (6) emergency drills must address active threats. The remaining two (2) drills must address other emergency events, such as severe weather, natural disasters, hazardous materials incidents, or reunification.

Students are expected to fully participate in drills and follow the directions of faculty and staff.

Broward County Public Schools faculty and staff are required to complete training on emergency policies and procedures annually.

New faculty and staff are trained on their role-specific duties expected to be performed in an emergency. Training is reinforced through both actual and tabletop drills, which are conducted throughout the school year.

Schools conduct comprehensive training and drills throughout the year on all emergency protocols and procedures (such as evacuations and lock-downs) in accordance with Florida Fire Code and Florida Administrative Code. Students are expected to fully participate and follow the directions of faculty, staff, and law enforcement. 

Recovery is one of the five critical phases of Emergency Management outlined in the BCPS Emergency Preparedness Manual.  

Accordingly, the District has a Crisis Response and Recovery Handbook which addresses the four components of recovery (academic, physical, fiscal, and emotional). This handbook provides general guidelines for crisis response and recovery for different timeframes and can be used in conjunction with individual school safety and security plans.

The handbook is divided into several sections based on the type of crisis. Within each section there is information designed for the administrator, classroom teacher, and counselor/responder.