Shelter-in-Place Message Templates
Weather shelter, security lockdown, and environmental shelter each ask for different behavior - the templates below make those distinctions unmistakable.
When Shelter-in-Place Templates Matter
"Shelter-in-place" is a category of protective action that covers three very different scenarios: severe weather (move to interior areas), an active security threat (lockdown - lock, hide, stay silent), and an environmental or air-quality event (stay indoors and isolate HVAC). Recipients need to know immediately which one they are being told to do, because the behaviors do not overlap and one wrong action - opening a door during a lockdown, walking to a shelter area during an air-quality event - can turn a safe outcome into an unsafe one.
These templates pair with the response frameworks in Tornado Response, Active Shooter Response, and Chemical Spill Response.
Template Variants
a. Standard Shelter-in-Place
Weather or general shelter. Move to interior areas away from windows.
b. Security Lockdown
Active security threat. Lock or barricade in place; do not open doors.
c. Environmental / Air Quality
Outdoor air hazard. Stay indoors, close openings, isolate HVAC.
d. All-Clear
Authorized end of shelter, with any follow-up instruction.
Customization Checklist
- Document what conditions trigger each variant - weather, security, environmental - and who has authority for each; do not let one activator conflate them
- Define the HVAC shutoff procedure for the environmental variant and name the role that executes it, including off-hours coverage
- Train the entire population on the silent/lockdown-specific behavior (silence phones, do not open doors, do not respond to voice commands from outside) - the template alone will not teach this in the moment
- Coordinate lockdown message wording with local law enforcement guidance and, where possible, use language that aligns with what responders expect on scene
- Reserve lockdown activation authority to a narrower, trained group than weather shelter activation
- Establish a distinct all-clear authority for lockdown, ideally with a callback or confirmation step to reduce risk of a spoofed or premature all-clear
Related Guides
- Message Templates Library
- Tornado Response
- Active Shooter Response Planning
- Chemical Spill Response Planning
- Message Clarity and Plain Language
Frequently Asked Questions
Why separate lockdown and shelter-in-place instead of using one template?
The protective actions are meaningfully different. Weather shelter-in-place asks people to move to interior areas; a security lockdown asks them to lock or barricade in place, stay silent, and not open doors. Using one template for both risks people opening a door during a security event or hiding under a desk during a weather event.
Should the lockdown template be sent silently - no audible alert?
That depends on the channel. Silent delivery is impossible to guarantee across recipient devices, so the message content itself should assume it may make noise and give the standing instruction to silence phones. Some organizations use a distinct low-volume channel for lockdown; consult local law enforcement guidance for your jurisdiction.
Who has authority to issue a lockdown template?
A narrower group than a weather shelter - typically security leadership, an incident commander, or a designated on-call role trained specifically on the criteria and coordination with law enforcement. Because a lockdown message can panic the organization if sent in error, activation authority and criteria should be documented and drilled.
When should HVAC be shut off during a shelter-in-place?
During an environmental or air-quality shelter-in-place - smoke, chemical release, air quality - HVAC that draws outside air should be isolated. This is typically a facilities action triggered by the shelter message, not something recipients do themselves. Name the responsible role in the plan and confirm the procedure is executable off-hours.
How should the all-clear for lockdown be handled differently?
Only the authorizing role - often coordinated with law enforcement - should issue a lockdown all-clear, and the message should be explicit about that authority so a spoofed or premature all-clear is easier to recognize. Some organizations use a code word or callback confirmation for lockdown all-clear specifically.