The twelve emergency codes at Puerto Rico public schools

It is a system of twelve keywords and colors, with their own pictograms, that all Puerto Rico public schools must use the same way to announce an emergency. The idea is that a student who transfers schools, or a parent who hears an announcement, immediately understands what is happening without depending on each campus's own particular system.

It applies to every school under the Puerto Rico Department of Education. It reaches students, teaching and non-teaching staff, and administrative personnel, who must receive periodic training and take part in drills at least once per semester.

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   Step 1: Learn the twelve codes and what triggers each

   ROJO: fire, smoke, unusual heat or a fire alarm. GRIS: an active threat or shooter, weapons, violence, riots. VERDE: a medical emergency, physical or mental, needing urgent care. AZUL: a disaster, internal (originates on campus) or external (earthquake, tsunami, meteorite, drought, landslide, among others originating off-campus but able to affect it). H2O: flooding. AMARILLO: a hazardous substance spill or gas/chemical emission. NEGRO: a bomb, explosive material or suspicious package. DESALOJO: evacuation of a specific area or areas. AMBER: a minor goes missing. ROSA: a woman 18 or older goes missing. ASHANTI: a person 18 or older goes missing under circumstances suggesting their physical safety is at risk. BLANCO: the emergency situation has ended (Art. 2).

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   Step 2: The codes are announced through a siren system

   The Department of Education, coordinating with the Bureau of Emergency Management and Disaster Administration, must install and use a siren system for the official communication of these codes at every campus (Art. 3).

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   Step 3: Look for the posters in hallways, classrooms and cafeterias

   The School Director must post visible signs with each code's name, a brief description of its trigger, and its pictogram, in hallways, classrooms, cafeterias, restrooms and other high-traffic areas. The Department of Education supplies the posters to ensure uniformity (Art. 4).

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   Step 4: Drills are mandatory at least once per semester

   The Secretary of Education and the School Director must ensure periodic training and hold drills and exercises, at least once per semester, aimed at students, teachers and non-teaching staff, coordinated with the Department of Public Safety (Art. 5).

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   Step 5: This strengthens the existing manual, it does not replace it

   The law integrates with the existing Manual de Protocolos para el Manejo de Crisis Escolares, and takes as reference the codes from Act 170-2011 used in hospitals, so students and staff recognize the same language across different settings.

It is not a procedure: it is a system every Department of Education public school must implement. If your school does not have the posters visibly displayed, or has not offered training or drills, ask directly at the school office or through the School Council.

• Confusing GRIS (threat or active shooter) with NEGRO (bomb or suspicious package): they are different codes with different protocols.
• Thinking AZUL is only for hurricanes: it also covers internal disasters that originate on campus itself.
• Not distinguishing ROSA (missing woman 18+) from ASHANTI (missing person 18+ under risky circumstances): both are for adults, but ASHANTI implies a higher perceived danger.
• Not requiring the school to hold drills at least once per semester.
• Ignoring the informational posters: the law requires them visible in hallways, classrooms, cafeterias and restrooms.

These are the government pages this guide is based on.

• Departamento de Educación de Puerto Rico

  Educación

  bvirtualogp.pr.gov