Argyle House completed a successful practice lockdown drill on Monday the 13th of May.

All boarders were taken through the procedures prior to the drill at a full House meeting in the presence of Wade Harrison, our provider from Harrison-Tew who oversees our Argyle House Emergency Management Plan. 

Wade spent the afternoon at the Hostel, auditing all our lockdown procedures, providing refresher training for Hostel staff, speaking to the boys at a full House meeting prior to the drill from both Grove and Argyle House, and then overseeing the duty staff responsible for administering the lockdown drill that same evening.

This is our sixth drill in five years, so our senior boys are well aware of what is expected of them should we need to go into lockdown.

Should there be a need for Argyle House to go into Lockdown, the duty staff have a clear set of procedures to follow.

The Duty Master will activate an automated voice message and hooter that sounds over the intercom system informing the boys we are to go into lockdown.

A text message is automatically generated and sent out to all boys, staff, and staff families, informing them they are to go to the nearest room, lock the external door and lie face down on the floor away from the door and windows, put their mobile phone on silent and await further instructions. If they are off-site, the text message will advise them to stay away from the Hostel until notified by text message the lockdown is over and it is safe to return.

An email will then be sent out to all Argyle House and Grove parents and caregivers informing them that Argyle House is in lockdown and not to come to, or phone the Hostel, as you will not be attended to. All further updates will be provided by email. The Duty Master and/or the Director of Boarding, and Senior Master will keep you updated and inform you by email when the lockdown is over.

Once the lockdown is over, an automated text message will be sent out to all boys, staff and staff families informing them the lockdown is over and for those boarders off-site it is now safe for them to return. All boys will be physically released from the building by the Police and a Hostel staff member. The boys will be asked to report to the evacuation assembly area out in front of Dorm 1 for a roll call to ensure everyone is accounted for.

The Duty Master, Director of Boarding or Senior Master will then send an email out to all parents and caregivers informing them the lockdown is over and that all boys are safe and have been accounted for.