Disaster Preparedness Plan.PDF

Purpose

This Disaster Preparedness Plan is intended for the use of Gridley School employees to provide guidance and assistance in emergency situations and to insure that all conceivable actions, which can be taken, will be implemented to ensure the safety and welfare of students and staff.

The State of California Government code states that all public employees become emergency service workers in the event of a declared emergency. This means that all school district employees will be required to work in this capacity in case a disaster occurs and a state of emergency is declared.

This plan includes specific courses of action to be taken in case of an emergency or disaster (e.g. sudden death, accidental disaster, suicide, and real or threatened violence). Each employee of this district is expected to be completely familiar with this plan so that he/she will be prepared to carry out appropriate responsibilities in an emergency.

Activation of Emergency/Disaster Communication System

Purpose

To mobilize as soon as possible all district and community resources to respond to the emergency or disaster.

FIRST PRIORITY: HEALTH AND SAFETY OF STUDENTS/STAFF  

The staff will Call 911 – to activate the medical, fire, law enforcement, and emergency services

Parents and Community members are encouraged to get up to date information from the following local media outlets:

Please do not call the school for information

If an emergency occurs and it becomes necessary to send students home early, relocate them or ask parents/guardians to pick them up, then these procedures will be followed insofar as possible:

• Notification of parents. After receiving authorization to relocate students or send them home early, the school will contact designated radio and television stations. The announcements will include:
  • type of emergency
  • action to be taken
  • where parent may pick up child
  • any other pertinent information (be brief)
    
    
• Notification of staff. Teachers and other staff members should be notified of the plan as soon as possible.

PUPIL RELEASE/EVACUATION PROCEDURES  

Certain situations may involve releasing students from school or relocating them from one school site to another at a time when parents expect their children to be in school. The Superintendent will authorize such actions only in times of extreme emergency, and all possible attempts to notify parents as to the situation will be made as soon as possible. In any case, pupils shall be released by district staff only. (Daily attendance is a critical component in preparing for any emergency or disaster.)

PRINCIPAL’S RESPONSIBILITIES –

The principal will assess the situation in any given emergency and, based on the safety of students and the condition of the school and neighborhood, will make recommendations to the Superintendent.

Alternatives include:

• Students remain in classrooms with their teachers until they are released to their parents or are transported home via regular bus routes and times.
• Students are moved with their teachers to designated large-group areas on the school site.
• Students will be evacuated to an alternate site.

GUIDELINES FOR PUPIL RELEASE IN CLASSROOM

Whenever possible, it is preferred that students remain in their classrooms under their teacher’s supervision.

Classroom Release Procedures

• Teacher takes students to designated area.
• Parents meet in designated area.
• Teacher identifies immediate family members using the Emergency Pupil Release Form found in the Classroom Emergency Folder.
• Teacher refers all other persons to the Communication Center to obtain Clearance Cards.
• Student leaves with parent. Parent should not enter classroom unless necessary

Identification Instructions

• Use Emergency Pupil Release Form located in the Classroom Emergency Folder. Fill in all sections, including signatures. (Secondary teachers make notations on student attendance roster regarding the release of students.)
• Make sure it is an immediate family member.
  • Immediate family may include mother, father, stepmother, stepfather, grandparent(s), aunt, uncle, sister, brother or legal guardian.
  • Identification question may include:
    • Who are you?
    • What is your relationship to this child?
    • Do you have a photo ID?
• If necessary, ask the child who this person is.
• Refer all persons other than immediate family members – or any person about whom the teacher has doubts – to the Communication Center to obtain clearance cards.
• Keep all clearance cards and attach them to the Pupil Release Forms.

NOTE: These procedures are quite specific to ensure that younger students are released to authorized adults. The guidelines may be modified for the release of secondary students as long as pupils are released in a safe and authorized manner.

DISTRICT OFFICE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Superintendent/Crisis Response Team

The district office, under the direction of the Superintendent or designee, shall have the primary responsibility of providing assistance and maintaining communication and coordination with any district school affected by an emergency or disaster (See the Gridley Unified School District Crisis Response Manual for specifics). Among the specific functions of the Superintendent and Crisis Response Team are the following:

Director of Transportation  

Plan and provide transportation services as needed by school sites to transport students home or to evacuate students and staffs to congregate care centers. In the event of a disaster which disrupts normal communication channels (e.g. phones), will assign a bus and/or vehicle with a two-way radio to each site involved in the disaster.

Director of Maintenance and Operations

Procure, distribute and account for supplies, equipment and other resources as needed. Assign maintenance personnel to school sites as necessary and in order of highest to lowest priority. Assist custodial staffs at school sites as necessary, ensuring that all gas, water and electricity is shut off or provided under safe conditions. Provide crew to be called in immediately following a disaster to completely clean and repair damages as soon as possible.

District Psychologist/Counselor

Act as a direct liaison between Psychological Services, Child Welfare and Attendance, and Student Services. Using all available information, determine where these personnel can best be utilized and assign them accordingly. Coordinate the District Crisis Resource Team and then serve as a member on the School Site Crisis Team.

Food Services Coordinator

Oversee the proper storage, preparation and delivery of food and water to the various sites as necessary. If the extent of the disaster dictates that schools become congregate care centers, will work with other community and government agencies to ensure that adequate food supplies are made available at each center.

District Nurse

Act as medical/health coordinator, assisted by school health clerk. Allocate medical care and supplies as needed, maintain casualty reports, and, in the case of a major disaster, work in coordination with the Public Health Services.

SCHOOL SITE PERSONNEL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

In the event of a major disaster, there is no guarantee that emergency medical or fire personnel will be able to immediately respond to school sites. Therefore, the school staff is prepared to ensure the care and safety of students during the first several hours after a major disaster without outside assistance.

The disaster plan includes assignments for:

• First aid
• Search-and-rescue
• Communication center
• Student safety/security
• Building safety/security (utilities)
• Pupil release procedures

CLASSROOM EMERGENCY FOLDERS

The principal will ensure that each classroom has a Classroom Emergency Folder, appropriately labeled and located in a prominent place near the door.

Purpose – To provide emergency information and materials for the regular classroom teacher, substitutes and other District staff to ensure the identification and safety of students, and to facilitate appropriate pupil release procedures.

Contents to include –

• Fire evacuation route map
• School map/floor plan
• Designated large-group assembly areas
• Emergency action signals, and procedures to follow for each
• Pupil Release forms
• Name tags (self-stick) for each student in class (elementary only) (K-5) (pre-labeled with name, address, phone number, school, grade and teachers name). Name tags updated monthly.
• RED and GREEN door signs to be posted on outside of door:
  • RED – Needs help! Students and/or staff are injured.
  • GREEN – Okay! No additional help needed.
• Current student roster/form (elementary) or attendance roster/Grade Book
• District office staff maintains a current roster of all students on lap top computer for back up purposes.

COMMUNICATION PROCEDURES

School Site Communication Center

Location ---

The principal will designate a centrally located area (usually main office) easily identified by staff, parents, media and other persons.

An alternate location will be predetermined, in case the primary location is inaccessible.

Establish communication with school staff

Maintain telephone/radio communication with District Office and emergency services.

Post school maps to assist parents.

Post rumor control/information in area accessible to parents, media and members of community.

Maintain injury list and information regarding relocation to hospitals.

Provide Pupil Release clearances.

Record emergency-related incidents.

Maintain communication with staff by whatever means available (bell warning system, intercom, bullhorn, two-way radio, written notices).

Carry out other needed duties.

METHODS OF COMMUNICATION

Following a disaster, particularly an earthquake, all systems of communication that are dependent on electrical power or telephone lines may be partially or totally disrupted for several hours. An effective communication plan addresses this problem and presents alternate ways to receive/convey messages.

ON-SITE COMMUNICATION ALTERNATIVES

_____ Bell warning system _____ Signaling devices such as whistles
_____ Intercom _____ Two-way radios _____ P.A. system
_____ Battery-operated radio _____ Written notices _____ Bullhorns

OFF-SITE COMMUNICATION ALTERNATIVES

_____ Telephones _____ Two-way radios in district vehicles (buses, police cars, etc.)

_____ Principal’s emergency phone line

Each telephone/radio communication should be brief and concise in order to enable District or emergency personnel to complete their survey of the school(s) as quickly as possible. Their need is to assess conditions at all schools, determine priorities, and send help where it is urgently needed.

Given the level of damage generated by a disaster, the telephone lines may be partially or totally disrupted. Disruption of circuits may also be caused by overloading circuits.

Do not contribute to system overload. During the first two hours of a major disaster, use telephone lines only to report life-threatening emergencies. Telephone usage to be restricted.

GUIDELINES FOR RELEASE INTO DESIGNATED LARGE GROUP AREAS

Depending on the specific emergency, it may be necessary to relocate students (from one or more classrooms) to designated large-group areas. Guidelines for this are as follows:

• These areas should be designated in advance on each school map. On-site buildings (e.g. cafeteria, gym, multipurpose room), nearby buildings (e.g. church), or fire drill outdoor areas may need to be utilized.
• Map of the large-group designated area is to be located in the Classroom Emergency Folder.
• Signs must be posted outside of classrooms to indicate locations of students.
• Signs must be posted in large-group designated area to clearly identify teacher’s name, grade, and room number.
• A plan must be designed to easily route parents to and from the designated large-group area so they can pick up their children.

Upon notification, students and teachers will move to their designated large-group area together following these procedures:

• Teacher posts sign on door to indicate where students have been relocated.
• Teacher posts a RED (Needs help!) or GREEN (Okay!) sign on the door.
• Teacher takes Classroom Emergency Folder.
• If there are injured students who are unable to move, teacher remains with them. Another teacher or designated adult should move the rest of the class to the large-group area.

Teacher releases students from the large-group area following the same procedures as in classroom pupil release.

EVACUATION PROCEDURES

When students are evacuated from a school site to an alternate site, certain procedures must be observed to ensure that the whereabouts of each student is known at all times.

• Using the student roster found in the Classroom Emergency Folder, teachers will check students onto buses, noting the bus number and the destination(s).
• The student roster (3-part) will be kept in the Communication Center so that parents may be notified as to the location of their children when they call.
• Elementary students should be furnished with name tags (self-stick) pre-labeled with name, address, phone number, school, grade and teachers’ name. Name tags updated monthly.
• Secondary teachers should, in the event of an evacuation, note in their roll books the names of students who plan on using school bus transportation as well as those who plan on using private transportation.

NOTE: In any early dismissal operation, situations will probably arise which are not covered in this plan. In such cases, the principal will have to use his/her judgment as to the best course of action to follow

PARENT NOTIFICATION/RESPONSIBILITIES

If parents are not aware of your emergency plans, they are likely to risk their own lives and impede the operation of your response plan to retrieve their children. A plan for communicating with parents before and after an emergency is critical. It may not eliminate the problem, but it will help to reduce congestion, confusion and anxiety.

If parents are not repeatedly made aware of your disaster plan, you can expect

• a flood of telephone calls (if system is working);
• a major traffic jam in front of the school; and
• unauthorized persons (neighbors, friends, etc.) volunteering to take student home.

WHEN TO INFORM

At the beginning of each academic year, parents should be advised of the school’s emergency plans. It is recommended that the procedures and rules you expect parents to follow should be firmly stated by way of:

• the opening school letter to parents
• meetings of the Parent-Teachers Association, School Site Council, Parents Club, etc.
• the back-to-school night meeting
• the parent newsletter

In addition, consider sending letters or commenting in the parent newsletter immediately after the occurrence of a significant disaster in the U.S. or other countries. You might start your letter something like:

“On . . . . . . . . , a damaging earthquake occurred in . . . . . . . . We want to take this opportunity to remind you of our plan . . . . . .”

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN THE PARENT NOTIFICATION

The school’s disaster plan has been designed for the safety of students. Parents have the responsibility to share in the planning, preparing and carrying out of this plan in the event of an emergency.

We are prepared to care for your children in times of critical situations. If you are not able to reach the school, we will care for your child here. We have a number of people with first aid certificates, and we will be in communication with various local emergency services. We do ask for your help in the following areas:

• Please do not call the school. We must keep the line open for emergencies.
• Following an earthquake or other emergency, do not immediately drive to the school. Streets and access to our school may be cluttered with debris. The school access route and street entrance areas must remain clear for emergency vehicles.

• No student will be dismissed from school unless parent (or individual designated by parent) comes for him or her.
• Elementary children will only be allowed to leave with parent or designated adult.
• All parents or designated parties who come for elementary students should bring a photo ID.
• Drill procedures for emergencies and disasters will periodically be practiced at school.

HOME PREPAREDNESS SUGGESTIONS

• Keep a supply of food that doesn’t need cooking and jugs of drinking water in case of loss of power or evacuation emergencies.
• Keep blankets, first aid kit and flashlight ready.
• Keep important papers, special medications, eyeglasses, etc. handy.
• Keep a battery-operated radio handy with KHSL (103.5 FM) marked on the dial.
• Keep your car’s gas tank at least half full in case of sudden evacuation.
• Do not use your telephone during major disasters. Keep lines open for emergency messages.
• Discuss personal survival plans with your family, i.e. where all family members meet, the name of your doctor, etc.
• Discuss actions family members are to take in the event you are separated for a long period of time.
• Discuss use of emergency 911 calls.
• Be sure your children know how to contact you during the school day or who to contact if you are not at home. Parents without telephones need to designate an emergency contact person the school can reach.
• Do hazard searches within the home looking for potential safety hazards in the event of an emergency.
• Become familiar with the school’s disaster plan so that you will be prepared to deal with an emergency.

POSSIBLE DISTRICT/SCHOOL ACTIONS

Action EVACUATION – This action, which is authorized by the Superintendent, consists of vacating a site and transporting students and staff to another predetermined location. Parent notification will be made by phone, public announcements, radio and television broadcasts, or other means to acquaint them with the location of the evacuation site.

Action GO HOME – This action, which is initiated by voice or written communication, consists of dismissing students from classes and returning them to their homes by the most expeditious means. This action will be authorized by the Superintendent only if there is time to transport students to their homes and, in case of early dismissal, only if time exists to notify parents or guardians that they will be arriving home early.

Action CONVERT BUILDING – This action is the process involved in preparing the school for conversion to a congregate care center, first aid station, or feeding center. (This would be done as part of the district’s arrangement with other community agencies.) If appropriate, students will be sent home; if not, they will remain at school under the teacher's care and await further instruction. (Note: In any emergency situation where students have to move in groups from one class to another, this should be a mandatory part of any elementary school plan.) Teachers should also set up a buddy system among each other in the event of a severe disaster.

Superintendent's Message   |   Schools   |   Board   |   Calendars
  
Parent Information   |   District History   |   Contact Us