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 non-instructional, will be required to remain in the building until they are dismissed by the building administrator.
EVACUATION
When an emergency occurs the principal shall, when feasible, consult with the Superintendent and police as to 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.
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, TV, or website and the public address system will be used to inform all teachers and students.
The professional and support staff members will supervise the orderly evacuation of the building.
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, if a search of the building is part of the emergency.
The building administrator will assign and instruct the members of his/her staff to positions that allow "free-flow" of traffic on and off school property.
Administrators and guidance counselors will report to the main office for assignment.
Teachers should take procedures for the accounting of students, including, addresses and telephone numbers of students as well as emergency information.
Teachers will remain in (or return) to their regular classrooms and remain with their students.
In case of bomb threat, the fire and police departments and the Superintendent will be called and will search the building.
Above all, it is imperative that all personnel remain calm and in control throughout the emergency.
FIRE/TORNADO DRILLS
In accordance with State law, fire drills are to be conducted periodically, per I.C. 20-34-3-20 (a) when students are present. Each principal shall prepare and distribute fire drill procedures whereby:
all personnel leave the building during a drill;
the plan of evacuation provides at least one (1) alternative route in case exits or stairways are blocked;
teachers, when the fire alarm sounds, should 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;
a list is compiled of all disabled students in the building who will require assistance in exiting 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. 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 Director of Facilities upon completion of the drill.
Tornado drills shall be conducted on a regular basis during the tornado season. (See AG 8420A)