Emergency Safety Interventions-Safe Schools
Adopted: 8/13/25
Purpose:
This policy governs the use of emergency safety interventions, which are used to address situations where a student presents an immediate danger (to self or others).
Definitions—
“Emergency safety intervention,” or “ESI,” means the use of seclusion or physical restraint when a student presents an immediate danger to self or others.
“Seclusion” means seclusionary time out, meaning the involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room or area from which the student is physically prevented from leaving, including:
- Placing the student in a locked room; or
- Placing a student in a room where the door is blocked by furniture or held closed by staff.
The room or area must meet applicable health department and fire marshal regulations.
“Physical restraint” means personal restriction that immobilizes or reduces the ability of an individual to move the individual’s arms, legs, body, or head freely.
“Physical escort” means a temporary touching or holding of the hand, wrist, arm, shoulder, or back for the purpose of guiding a student to another location.
“Mechanical restraint” means the use of any device or equipment to restrict a student’s freedom of movement.
“Immediate danger” means the imminent risk of physical violence or aggression towards self or others or other behaviors which are likely to cause substantial bodily injury or serious bodily injury.
“Substantial bodily injury” means bodily injury which does not amount to serious bodily injury but which causes or creates protracted physical pain, temporary disfigurement, or temporary loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ.
“Serious bodily injury” means bodily injury that creates or causes serious permanent disfigurement, protracted loss or impairment of the function of any bodily member or organ, or creates a substantial risk of death.
“ESI key employee” means an employee who has received comprehensive ESI training and is authorized to use an ESI with a student.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(1)(b), (c), (d) (2025)
Utah Code § 76-1-101.5(17), (18) (2023)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-2(4), (8), (10)(a), (14), (15), (16) (March 10, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-4(3) (March 10, 2025)
Emergency Safety Intervention—
An emergency safety intervention is using seclusion or physical restraint when a student presents an immediate danger to self or others (not for disciplinary purposes). The District shall implement policies and procedures for the use of emergency safety interventions for all students which are consistent with evidence-based practices.
Physical restraint as part of an emergency safety intervention may not be used with a student except within the guidelines stated below under Physical Restraint. Mechanical restraint may not be used as part of an emergency safety intervention, except those which are protective, stabilizing or required by law, or any device used by a law enforcement officer in carrying out law enforcement duties, including seatbelts or any other safety equipment when used to secure students during transportation. Chemical restraint may not be used on a student.
Seclusion as part of an emergency safety intervention may not be used with a student except by a key employee and only when a student presents an immediate danger of serious physical harm to self or others, when less restrictive interventions have failed, and within the guidelines stated below under Seclusion.
For a student with a disability, emergency safety interventions may not be written into a student’s individualized education program as a planned intervention unless school personnel, the family, and the IEP team agree less restrictive means have been attempted to address the qualifying circumstances (that is, circumstances where the student presents an imminent danger of physical violence or aggression towards self or others which is likely to cause serious physical harm) have been attempted, a functional behavior analysis has been conducted, and a positive behavior intervention plan based on data analysis has been written into the plan and implemented.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(4), (10)(b)(ii), (iii) (2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-2(1)(b), (4), (10)(b) (March 10, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-3(3)(h) (March 10, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-609-4(3)(c) (April 8, 2025)
Physical Restraint—
Reasonable and necessary physical restraint may only be used in self defense, to obtain possession of a weapon or other dangerous object in the possession or under the control of a student, to protect the student or another individual from physical injury, to remove a student who is violent from a situation, or to protect property from being damaged when physical safety is at risk. Prior to its use, a school employee must first use the least restrictive available intervention available, including a physical escort. It may not be used as a means of discipline or punishment. The student may not be placed in a prone (face-down) or supine (face-up) position in physical restraint. No restraint may be used which obstructs the airway of a student or which adversely affects a student's primary mode of communication.
All physical restraint must be immediately terminated when either (a) the circumstances warranting the restraint are no longer present, or (b) the student is in severe distress. The restraint must be for the minimum time necessary to ensure safety and the District’s release criteria must be implemented. However, before stopping, releasing, and reassessing, a student may not be physically restrained for more than the shortest of: 30 minutes; the time described in the District’s emergency intervention training program; or when law enforcement arrives.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(2), (4) (2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-3(3)(a) – (c) (March 10, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-5(1)-(4) (March 10, 2025)
Seclusion—
Seclusion may only be used for purposes of maintaining safety and may not be used: as a means of discipline or punishment; for coercion, retaliation, or humiliation; because of inadequate staffing; or for a staff member’s convenience. There shall be immediate and continuous review of the decision to use seclusion. Seclusion shall be used for the minimum time necessary to ensure safety as reasonably understood by the employee and shall end according to the District’s release criteria. In any event, a student may not be placed in seclusion for more than 30 minutes. Seclusion may not be used unless the employee has used other, less restrictive interventions before the seclusion. In using seclusion, the employee must confirm that the area meets applicable fire and public safety regulations. During the seclusion, the student must be maintained within line of sight of and actively supervised by an employee who is familiar to the student and who has received comprehensive ESI training.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(10)(a)(iii), (b) (2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-5(9) – (12) (March 10, 2025)
Whenever seclusion is used, the school shall debrief all witnesses, involved staff members, the student who was secluded, and the parent of the student. The use of seclusion shall be documented, and the documentation shall include the reason for its use, its duration, and any alternative strategies attempted.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(10)(b)(i), (c) (2025)
Designated Area for Seclusion—
A school within the District may designate an enclosed area for the sole purpose of seclusion if the following conditions have been met.
- The school has submitted a written application requesting approval from the Board of Education which:
- Describes the enclosed area;
- Outlines the data and reasoning for designating an enclosed area;
- Documents that the school has given written notification to the parents of the school’s students of the proposed enclosed area; and
- Demonstrates that the proposed area satisfies the standards and requirements of Utah Admin. Rules R392-200 and Utah Admin. Rules R710-4;
- The Board of Education has consulted with the District’s ESI committee regarding the application;
- The Board of Education affords parents from the school in question the opportunity to comment on the proposed enclosed area; and
- The Board of Education determines that designation of the enclosed area is appropriate and approves the application.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-3(2) (March 10, 2025)
Parental Notice—
When an ESI (physical restraint or seclusion) is used, a school shall notify the student’s parent immediately and in any event within 15 minutes of use. The school shall also notify the administration and provide documentation of the ESI to the ESI Committee. If an ESI is used for more than 15 minutes, a second notice shall be given immediately to the student’s parent and to administration.
The notice provided shall be documented in the student information system records.
The school shall, upon his or her request, provide to the student’s parent or guardian a copy of any notes or additional documentation taken during an ESI. Within 24 hours of an ESI, the school shall notify the student’s parent or guardian that such a request may be made. A student’s parent or guardian may request a time to meet with school staff and administration to discuss the use of an ESI.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(10)(d) (2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-5(5) – (8), (13) – (19) (March 10, 2025)
ESI Training—
All employees who supervise students or who may be asked to assist in managing a student’s behavior shall receive foundational behavior support training including behavioral or emotional crisis management including de-escalation strategies consistent with the LRBI manual and the District’s policies relating to ESI.
ESI key employees shall also receive comprehensive ESI training before the key employee may be authorized to use an ESI with a student and shall receive the comprehensive ESI training annually thereafter. This comprehensive training shall include the appropriate, safe, and effective use of ESI and the proper and required documentation of ESI.
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-4 (March 10, 2025)
ESI Committee—
The District shall establish an Emergency Safety Intervention (ESI) Committee with members appointed by the Superintendent and consisting of two or more administrators, at least one parent or guardian of a student enrolled in the District, and at least two certified educational professionals with behavior training and knowledge of state rules and District discipline policies.
The ESI Committee shall meet often enough to monitor the use of emergency safety intervention in the District, shall determine and recommend professional development needs relating to emergency safety intervention, shall develop policies for local dispute resolution processes to address concerns regarding disciplinary actions, and shall ensure that each emergency incident where a school employee uses an ESI is documented in the District’s student information system and is reported to the State Superintendent through UTREx.
The District shall collect, maintain, and periodically review documentation and other records of the use of emergency safety interventions at schools within the District, according to procedures defined by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. For each incident where an ESI is used, the data shall report the incident and shall include the duration of the intervention used to respond to the incident, the stated purpose of the intervention used, the alternative interventions attempted, demographic information regarding the student (sex, gender, age, grade in school, and applicable disability status), and (without revealing the identity of staff involved), relevant training offered to staff and whether the staff received the training. Such documentation and records shall be provided annually by June 30 to the State Superintendent. In addition, the District shall submit all required UTREx discipline data and incident or infraction data elements as part of the District’s daily UTREx submission.
Utah Code § 53G-8-301(11) (2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-6 (March 10, 2025)
Utah Admin. Rules R277-608-8 (March 10, 2025)
