EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

Emergencies and accidents do occur in spite of careful supervision of activities.  School personnel handle routine cuts and scrapes.  The nurse is only at the school on Thursday mornings and schools are generally not equipped to look after ill or injured pupils beyond band-aids or cold compresses.

If any injury is more severe and will require parent supervision or treatment beyond the school's capabilities the parent or guardian will be contacted.

It is important that you advise the school office of a person(s) to contact in the event of an emergency.  Regularly update the information on school file records with current telephone numbers so that in the event of such an emergency the appropriate person can be contacted quickly.

Emergency Preparation

Kathleen McNeely elementary provides practice opportunities for students and staff as outlined in our district and ministry guidelines. There are six fire drills and two earthquake drills each school year.

During true emergencies, the school has a plan, filed with the school district and kept in our office emergency bag, which outlines the specific responsibilities for managing an emergency situation. These include assignments such as first aid, communication, reception area, search and rescue, and gas and electrical shut offs.

The following information details the procedures we follow when practicing these drills. In the case of a real emergency, the same procedures would be followed. Included in this explanation are the procedures parents should follow in the case of an earthquake drill.

Fire Drills

ONE BELL WILL RING –

STEP ONE

Evacuate the Building

• The teacher will calmly direct students outside in single file.

• Use the nearest exit door
• Be sure all windows and doors are shut

• The teacher brings the red emergency bag outside
  

STEP TWO

Wait Quietly Away from the Building at the Designated Outside Assembly Areas

• Each teacher sends one member of the class to the Principal or office staff waiting outside with the group, to report that their Division is outside
• The school is timed from the start of the bell to the last class to check in
  

STEP THREE

Adminstration will Give the ‘All Clear’ Signal

Following the teacher's directions all students return to class

Earthquake Drills

STEP ONE

A P.A.  announcement will indicate the drill

• Everyone in the school TAKE COVER under desks or tables.
• FACE AWAY from windows
• ASSUME "CRASH" POSITION on knees, heads down, clasped on back of neck or head covered with book or jacket
• COUNT ALOUD to 60 (Earthquakes rarely last longer than 60 seconds and counting is calming)
  

STEP TWO

Evacuate the Building

• The teacher will calmly direct students outside in single file.

• Use the nearest exit door
• Be sure all windows and doors are shut

• The teacher brings the large black and red emergency bags outside
  

STEP THREE

Wait Quietly Away from the Building at the Designated Outside Assembly Areas

• Each teacher sends one member of the class to the Principal or office staff waiting, to report that their Division is outside
• The school is timed from the start of the bell to the last class to check in
  

STEP FOUR

• Adminstration will Give the ‘All Clear’ Signal
• Following the teacher's directions all students return to class
  
  

In Case of an Earthquake

During an earthquake, if students are on their way home, they should continue home.  If they are on their way to school, they should continue to school and assemble in the designated area.

We have a comprehensive earthquake plan in place at Kathleen McNeely Elementary.  This plan is reviewed by the staff and explained to the students at the beginning of each year.

Once the school has been evacuated, students are expected to remain in the designated assembly area in the north basketball courts under staff supervision until the designated adult (name on the Emergency Verification Form) comes to the school.

After school hours, we will walk the remaining students to the nearest reception centre. We anticipate the reception centre to be Cambie Community Centre.

The process to pick up your child at the school is as follows:

• Walk to school to pick up your child.
• Go to the reception area which will be set up by the adventure playground and assemble in the marked area behind the letter of your child’s last name.
• Once your name is verified by the reception staff, the student will be called by walkie  talkie or retrieved by a staff runner and will join you at the reception area.
• Should we have to leave the school area (after 3:30 p.m.), we will post signs in the front of the school and at the reception area indicating our destination and then walk the students to the Cambie Community Centre or the nearest other Community Emergency Centre.

It is essential that the designated adults’ names be on file at the school.  We will not release the student to any other person.  In the case of an earthquake, we anticipate that local phones will not be in service and so last minute changes cannot be made. Your cooperation in following our emergency process and procedures will help maintain the safety and comfort of all students.

School Closures

Occasionally children have to be sent home prior to the normal end of our school day due to power or heating failures etc.  All children should know where to go if no one is home to receive them.

It is important that the school have on file alternate names and telephone numbers for emergency use in the event evacuation of the school becomes necessary.  Students will not be released from school until either a parent or an emergency contact has been notified.