8420 - EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Grand Valley Local School District

Administrative Guidelines

8420 - EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

The primary consideration in any emergency situation must be the safety of the students and staff. At certain times, therefore, it may be necessary to ask the staff to perform "beyond the call of duty" in order to provide for the welfare of our students. In the event of an actual emergency situation, all school personnel, instructional and noninstructional, will be required to remain in the building until they are dismissed by the principal.

EVACUATION

A.	When an emergency occurs the principal shall consult, when feasible, with the Superintendent concerning whether or not to evacuate the school. An announcement will then be made to inform staff and students of the emergency procedures that will be followed.

B.	If a decision is made to send students home or to a preselected site, attempts will be made to notify parents by telephone and/or by radio or TV and the public address system will be used to inform all teachers and students.

	The professional and classified staff members will supervise the orderly evacuation of the building.

	1.	If time permits, all students will go to their lockers, unlock them, take a coat if weather requires, and return to class leaving lockers open.

	2.	The custodian will assign and instruct the members of his/her staff to positions that allow "free-flow" of traffic on and off school property.

	3.	Administrators and guidance counselors will report to the principal for assignment.


	4.	Teachers should take class rolls, including, addresses and telephone numbers of students as well as emergency information.

	5.	Teachers will remain (or return) to their regular classrooms and remain with their students.

	6.	Clerical personnel will remain at their regular stations except in cases of reassignment by their immediate supervisor.

	7.	Cafeteria personnel will remain in their areas until notified to the contrary by the main office.

C.	In case of bomb threat, the fire, police, or sheriff's department and the safety personnel will search the building.

	Above all, it is imperative that all personnel remain calm and in control throughout the emergency.

FIRE/TORNADO/SCHOOL SAFETY DRILLS

In accordance with State law, fire drills or rapid dismissals are to be conducted six (6) during the school year with the first fire drill being conducted within ten (10) days of the beginning of classes. However, no fire drills are required to be conducted in any month that a school safety drill is conducted. Times and frequencies of drills must be varied. Each Principal shall prepare and distribute fire drill or rapid dismissal procedures whereby:

	A.	all personnel leave the building during a drill;

	B.	the plan of evacuation provides at least one (1) alternative route in case exits or stairways are blocked;


	C.	teachers, when the fire alarm sounds, caution students to walk silently and briskly from the building to a specified location, check to make sure any disabled students requiring assistance are being assisted properly, close all windows and doors of room and turn out lights, if possible, before leaving, and conduct roll call as soon as students are at the designated location to make sure that each student is accounted for;

	D.	a list is compiled at the beginning of each school year of all disabled students in the building who will require assistance in exiting the building or to reach an area of refuge in the building, together with the assignment of a staff member or nonstudent volunteer in the student's classroom who will be responsible for providing necessary assistance in an appropriate manner. The list and a copy of each student’s schedule showing room numbers shall be maintained by the Principal, who shall provide the list and schedules to the necessary authorities (e.g., law enforcement, firefighters) in the event of an emergency. A person should also be designated to assist a disabled student when the evacuation signal is given and s/he is in another area of the building such as the gym, all-purpose room, or lunchroom.

The principal shall document that each fire drill was conducted in a proper manner and submit such documentation to the Superintendent at the end of each school year.

Tornado drills shall be conducted on a regular basis during the tornado season in accordance with AG 8420A - Severe Weather and Tornadoes.

School safety drills shall be conducted at least three (3) times during each school year. During the school safety drills, students must be instructed in the appropriate procedures to follow in situations where students must be secured in their or rapidly evacuated in response to:

	A.	a threat to the school involving terrorism;

	B.	a person in possession of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance on school property; and

	C.	other acts of violence.

At least one (1) safety drill shall include a scenario where students must be secured in the school building rather than rapidly evacuated.

School safety drills (including drills and theoretical drills) shall be conducted in conjunction with the District’s emergency management plan.

The Principal must conduct at least one (1) drill or rapid dismissal or one (1) school safety drill during each month of the school year. A drill or rapid dismissal may be conducted during the same month as a school safety drill. All building occupants must participate in the drill.

Additionally, the Principal shall conduct a theoretical school safety drill at least once during the school year to provide instruction to school faculty and staff regarding procedures to be followed in such situations. The theoretical drill does not need to include student participation and may be conducted at the required annual employee school safety drill training session.

Each safety drill shall be conducted in conjunction with law enforcement officials.

Prior to conducting the annual school safety drills, each principal shall:

	A.	provide advance written notice of each school safety drill (actual and theoretical) to the municipal or township police chief or other chief law enforcement officer (or in the absence of such officer, the county sheriff);

		Such notice shall be provided no later than seventy-two (72) hours prior to the date the drill will be held, be sent by mail, facsimile, or electronic submission, and include the address of the school and the date and time the drill will be conducted.

	B.	provide follow-up written certification of the date and time the drill was conducted during the previous school year as well as the date and time each drill will be conducted during the current school year to the municipal or township police chief or other chief law enforcement officer (or in the absence of such officer, the county sheriff);

		The certification must be submitted by mail facsimile or electronically by April 5, 2007, and by December 5th each calendar year.

	C.	hold annual training sessions for school employees regarding the procedures to follow during school safety drills.

Each principal shall keep a written record of the date and time of each drill conducted.

AREAS OF REFUGE

An area of refuge is a location in a building that has direct access to an exit, stairs, or enclosure where individuals who are unable to use stairs can go to call for assistance and wait for evacuation. In each building that lacks an automatic sprinkler system, the Principal shall designate an area of refuge on each floor above and below ground level, and shall designate personnel to remain with individuals using each area of refuge. Each area of refuge shall be designated with appropriate signage and a two (2) way communication device that allows for communication with first responders or others who can assist with evacuation from the building (should be stored in each area of refuge).

UNUSUAL SITUATIONS

The following situations are unlikely to occur, but in such an event, use the following procedures:

A.	Student(s) or staff member(s) held hostage

	1.	Isolate the area. DO NOT make a P.A. announcement or sound the fire alarm. The nearest administrator will direct teachers and monitors on duty to notify teachers in nearby classes to take their students to a previously determined area.

	2.	Notify the police immediately, giving as much information as possible (e.g. number of terrorists, number of hostages, types of demands being made). Police will be in charge once they arrive.

	3.	Notify the Superintendent.

	4.	Develop a list of casualties, if any.


B.		Intruders in building or on school property

		1.	Ask them to leave.

		2.	If they do not leave, remind them of trespassing law.

		3.	Notify administrator in charge and the District office.

		4.	Avoid any physical conflict or loud verbal altercations.

	The administrator or person in charge may notify police if intruders do not leave and/or summon all "free" teachers.

C.		Unauthorized demonstrators or pickets around building before school opens

		1.	Attempt to enter building peaceably.

		2.	Notify District office.

		3.	Hold students on the school buses if demonstrators seem to pose a threat.

		4.	Notify law enforcement officers.

D.		Demonstrators or pickets around building at dismissal

		1.	Notify administrator in charge.

		2.	If demonstrators seem to pose a threat, hold students in class until further notice.

		3.	Notify law enforcement officers.


E.	Student Demonstrators (See AG 5540B)

	1.	Identify the leader or leaders of the group.

	2.	Notify the group that the administration will confer with the leader(s) but not until all other students return to class.

	3.	Meet with leaders if students disperse and return to class.

	4.	If students refuse to disperse, remind them of truancy regulations and the consequences of school disruption.

	5.	With other staff, try to identify as many participants as possible and notify parents of participants asking them to come to school.

	6.	Attempt to take pictures and/or video recording of participants.

	7.	Attempt to keep nonparticipating students away from the demonstration area.

	8.	Follow through on disciplinary action on students refusing to cooperate.

F.	Buses not operating - students in school

	1.	Keep all students in class.

	2.	Summon all unassigned professional staff members for instruction.

	3.	Dismiss students with their own cars (or bicycles) but follow Board policy regarding student passengers.

	4.	Dismiss students within walking distance after the cars have left.


	5.	Keep remaining students in school until parents are notified of the problem and transportation for their child arrives.

	6.	Alert cafeteria staff if it appears that large numbers of students will have to remain at school for an extended period of time.

G.	Major disruptions at an assembly

	1.	Bring house lights to full on.

	2.	If those causing the disruption are too numerous to be handled by professional staff members on duty, dismiss the assembly and instruct all present to report to next period class.

	3.	If few in number, remove them from the assembly and take appropriate disciplinary action.

	4.	If those causing the disruption are outsiders, follow procedure for intruders.

Revised 12/06
Revised 10/19/15