WHAT IS EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS?
Emergency preparedness is essentially preparing and reviewing the steps
one would take in the event of an emergency and includes such things as
maintaining current contact information, establishing clear lines of
communication and establishing evacuation plans. The Pennsbury School
District has taken steps to provide for your child’s safety while in
school by making certain that each school has a crisis response plan in
place which includes emergency preparedness procedures.
HOW CAN I STAY INFORMED?
The Pennsbury School District broadcasts emergency messages, when
necessary, using a number of media. General emergency messages, late
openings or early dismissals and school closings can be found on the
School District’s Web site at www.pennsbury.k12.pa.us
, on Cable Channel 28, on radio at WBCB 1490 AM or KYW 1060 AM, and on
local television stations. There is also an emergency information call
box available at 215-428-4100, ext. 8.
HOW WILL MY CHILD’S SCHOOL HANDLE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION?
All Pennsbury Schools have a crisis response plan in place. The
response to each situation will differ based on the nature and the
specifics of the event. Dedicated communication links have been
established with local and county authorities in order to provide the
most current and accurate information during an emergency. In general,
the crisis response plan at the school and district level involves the
designation of a crisis management team; the development of evacuation,
shelter-in-place, and lockdown procedures; the designation of central
gathering sites within a school; the preparation of a crisis response
kit for each building, and the provision of added emergency personnel
for each school before, during, and after an event. All crisis response
plans are regularly reviewed and updated.
WHAT IS A LOCKDOWN?
An emergency may prevent the safe evacuation of a school building or an
evacuation may not be the most prudent thing to do during certain
situations. Such events may require steps to isolate students and staff
from danger by instituting a school lockdown. In a lockdown situation,
all students are kept in classrooms or other designated locations away
from the danger. Faculty members are responsible for accounting for all
students and ensuring that no one leaves the safe area. School personnel
will also secure building entrances in order to prevent unauthorized
individuals from leaving or entering the building. Parents will be
permitted access to the building and their children if it is safe for
them to do so.
UNDER WHAT CIRCUMSTANCES IS A LOCKDOWN USED?
A lockdown is used in those instances wherein the safety of the
students is perceived to be at risk due to the possibility of
unauthorized intrusion or because of some external event that requires
maximum vigilance and building security. A lockdown can occur at a
single school, several schools or on a district-wide level. Such an
action would be taken based on the level of threat and the advice of
local, county, state and/or federal agencies.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF AN ACT OF WAR OCCURS WHILE STUDENTS ARE IN SCHOOL?
The actions taken by the Pennsbury School District will depend on the
specifics of the situation. Any action will take into account the advice
of local, county, state and federal agencies and the determined level
of threat.
WHAT IS SHELTER-IN-PLACE?
Shelter-in-place is a short-term measure (minutes or hours, not days)
designed to use a facility and its indoor atmosphere to temporarily
separate people from a hazardous outdoor environment. The alternative
would be to evacuate into a hazardous situation, thereby causing harm to
all involved. Shelter-in-place is a short-term solution to a short-term
problem. For example, if an event created contaminated air within close
proximity to the Pennsbury School District, everyone would be brought
indoors, including those students in modular classrooms assuming the
problem was not imminent. Building personnel would close all windows and
doors and shut down the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
systems (HVAC). This would create a neutral pressure in the building
meaning that the contaminated air would not be drawn into the building.
No stockpiling of water and food is needed for a shelter-in-place
procedure as described. Any event of a magnitude that required such
stockpiling would also require that we take our direction from Bucks
County emergency officials. Parents may be concerned that during a
shelter-in-place situation they couldn’t pick up their children or that
they might be separated from them for long periods of time. That should
not happen. If the air outside is safe for parents to breathe, it is
safe for their children to breathe. It is not the intention of the
Pennsbury School District to keep children from their parents. It is the
District’s intent to keep children safe until their parents can safely
pick them up or until dismissal procedures can be initiated.
WHAT MEASURES ARE BEING TAKEN FOR STUDENTS IN MODULAR CLASSROOMS?
If an accident or an attack that created contaminated air occurred in a
nearby area, students in modular classrooms would be brought into the
main school building assuming that such a procedure would not place
students in harm's way. In the event that a lockdown procedure was
initiated, the same steps would be followed.
ARE SCHOOLS STOCKPILING FOOD AND WATER?
The school district is taking action to make certain that all schools
and offices have enough bottled water and other appropriate resources
available for a short-term event. These resources would be sufficient
for emergencies and certain medical needs. In the event of a large scale
catastrophic event, the Pennsbury School District would rely on county
and state emergency agencies for assistance. In the event that our
schools were to become emergency shelters for the community at large
over an extended period of time, the District would again rely on those
same agencies for assistance in terms of food and other necessary
resources
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHILD IS RIDING A SCHOOL BUS AT THE TIME OF A CRISIS?
All of our school buses are equipped with two-way radios allowing our
drivers to be in direct contact with our Transportation Office at any
time. School bus drivers would receive instructions as to the action to
be taken in the event that a crisis occurs while students are in
transit. Depending on the circumstance, bus drivers may be directed to
proceed to their normal stops or to an alternative destination in order
to avoid the crisis location. Parents would be notified either through
the emergency call chains which are in place in our elementary schools
or through the previously mentioned media regarding the location of
their children.
WILL I HAVE ACCESS TO MY CHILD(REN) DURING A CRISIS?
Parents are allowed to pick up their children unless public safety
officials declare an emergency that restricts travel or for some other
reason that restricts access to the school. It is not the intent of the
Pennsbury School District to keep children from their parents. If it is
safe for parents to come to the school, it is safe to release students
to their parents. All parents are reminded that school may be the safest
place for children to be.
WHO CAN PICK UP MY CHILD?
Children will not be released to individuals who are not authorized on
the student’s emergency card or who do not have written parent
authorization. Friends or neighbors may sign out a child or children
with written permission from a parent or guardian. Under extreme
conditions, or a catastrophic event that requires extraordinary
measures, or emergency evacuation procedures, any step deemed necessary
by school personnel to keep children out of harm's way will be
exercised.
WHAT ABOUT MY CHILD’S MEDICATION?
If your child takes medication regularly, it is vital that our school
nurses are so informed and that an appropriate amount of medication is
on hand in the nurse’s office. Medication is dispensed in accordance
with established District policy and procedures. Speak with your child’s
school nurse for more information or if you have any questions.
CAN I CONTACT MY CHILD?
It is important to recognize that in an emergency situation cell phone
and land phone circuits may become overloaded. The District realizes
that students who have cell phones will use them to contact parents
during an emergency situation. To the extent possible, parents should
limit their attempts to call the school.
HOW WILL MY CHILD KNOW WHAT TO DO IN THE EVENT OF A CRISIS SITUATION?
Parents are asked to inform their children that if a crisis occurs
while they are in school, their teachers will provide them with
instructions about what to do. Parents are also encouraged to prepare a
family disaster plan and to practice it so that everyone in the
household knows what part to play in the family’s response and recovery
efforts. Children should be taught to recognize danger signals. Make
certain they know what smoke detectors, fire alarms and local community
warning systems (horns, sirens) sound like. Be certain that an
alternative means of entry into a house is available in the event that
the automatic garage door opener doesn’t work because the electricity is
out.
WILL MY CHILD BE ALLOWED TO VIEW EVENTS VIA LIVE TELEVISION OR RADIO REPORTS?
In the event of a terrorist attack or other crisis, live coverage will
be limited. The age of the child will be considered. Building level
principals will direct teachers as to the appropriate measures to take.
HOW WILL CLASSROOM EXTENTION TRIPS BE HANDLED?
The impact of any critical situation on classroom extention trips,
district wide or with individual classes, will depend on the specifics
of the situation. If the event warrants, all trips will be canceled.
Cancellations may also include athletic events, community programs or
other events. There may be circumstances that require the cancellation
of trips to certain areas. If a trip is under way and must be recalled,
bus drivers will be directed to the appropriate location. Such decisions
will be made at the District level with the safety of the students in
mind. Parents are reminded the Pennsbury School District retains the
right to cancel any trip or event for safety reasons and is not
responsible for any financial obligations parents may have.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THOSE
CHILDREN WHO ARE INVOLVED IN AFTER SCHOOL CARE PROGRAMS IN THE EVENT OF A
CRISIS REQUIRING AN EMERGENCY EVACUATION OF A SCHOOL?
The District will contact all known agencies that provide after school
care in order to determine whether or not the agency will maintain
normal operations during such a crisis. The Pennsbury School District
does have a standard early dismissal procedure in place. In a typical
early dismissal sequence, the mentioned agencies send their vans to the
schools to pick up those students involved in their respective after
school care programs. If it is determined that such an agency will not
dispatch their vans or buses to the school during an emergency
evacuation, parents will be notified that an alternative arrangement
must be made for the child to get home. It will be the parent’s
responsibility to make such an arrangement and to inform the principal
accordingly.
DURING A CRISIS SITUATION
WILL STUDENTS BE DISMISSED IN THE TYPICAL MANNER STARTING WITH THE HIGH
SCHOOL LEVEL AND ENDING WITH THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL?
The order in which students are to be dismissed will depend on the
circumstances and the specific issues at hand. The District will reverse
the order of dismissal starting with elementary students first if an
emergency dismissal is warranted.