Virginia's current policy requires public school sites to hold four annual lockdown specific drills with two of those drills occurring within the first twenty days of the school year. During the 2016 General Assembly session, the Virginia Code was amended to require every elementary, middle, and secondary public school to hold a lockdown drill at least twice during the first 20 school days of each new academic year and at least two additional lockdown drills at some point during the remainder of the academic year. The Code of Virginia mandates separate and distinct codes for a fire evacuation drill from a lockdown drill [Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC) Section 404.2.3]. While lockdown drills hold the potential to guide on-site procedures and save lives, without proper caution and considerations for faculty and students they can risk causing harm to participants. The remainder of this brief addresses such concerns, considerations, and potential additional procedures that could allow for a more deliberative preparation approach. (author abstract)