EMERGENCY POLICY
POLICY STATEMENT
Blaxland Public School will effectively and efficiently respond to emergencies, formulating procedures which maximise safety for all school community members.
The Department of Education and Training School Education Director is informed of emergency situations arising ensuring external support of the Blaxland School Community.
The schools emergency evacuation and invacuation plans are in written form and simple to follow. Emergency plans are displayed throughout the school.
Students, staff and others are confident with procedures as a result of teacher inservice and emergency drills during the year that ensuring smooth implementation of emergency procedures.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The overriding priority in enacting an emergency evacuation plan is to ensure the safety and well being of students, staff and visitors.
Orderly communication and the calm and quiet movement of staff and students are high priorities.
Warning signals, where appropriate are sounded to alert staff for the need to implement evacuation or invacuation procedures.
Members of staff have known specific roles and responsibilities. Casual staff have emergency plans on the classroom wall and in there casual teaching information folder.
Designated assembly areas are organised – dependent on the type of emergency, where all staff, students and visitors are accounted for.
The Principal or Principal delegate directs further movement for the school, following consultation with the Police or Emergency Service Authorities.
DEFINITIONS
Emergency
An emergency situation refers to such incidents as fire, bomb threat, terrorist activity, kidnapping, chemical spill, gas leak, bush fire etc. Incidents can occur in a localised area such as a classroom, playground, whole school or community basis.
Evacuation occurs when people leave the immediate area, school grounds or town area. This may be the result of fire, bomb threat, gas leak etc.
Invacuation or lockdown occurs when circumstances dictate that the safety of personnel is better ensured inside current buildings, with doors and windows locked, blinds drawn. Students would be moved away from windows and doors for prime safety. This could occur as a result of a chemical spill, weapons crisis, or criminal activity.
Emergency Drill
School staff, students and visitors to the school participate in evacuation and invacuation procedures designed to develop knowledge and understanding of their roles and responsibilities in an emergency situation. Different emergency procedures are practised throughout the year.
EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN
One long bell - Evacuate to oval |
PROCEDURES
1. One long bell indicates evacuation for fire, gas leak / bomb threat.
- Teacher collects roll.
- Close windows and doors if possible.
- Students, staff, and visitors move to the school oval in an orderly fashion.
- Students are assembled in classes.
- Teachers check rolls and supervise classes.
SPECIFIC ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Principal
- Inform school of emergency evacuation by ringing one sustained bell.
- Advise School Administration Manager that procedures are to be implemented for evacuation to the oval.
- Check buildings including toilets, all purpose room, library, hall and canteen.
- Turn off gas and electricity if necessary.
- Account for students, staff and visitors with Assistant Principal.
- Wait for emergency services.
- Inform staff and students of emergency services safety clearance in order to leave the oval.
Assistant Principal
- Check all students are safe and accounted for with class teachers and aides on the oval.
- Notify Principal.
Mrs Jenny Lees
- Liaise with parents collecting students.
- Mark students off the emergency register leaving with parents / caregivers.
School Administration Manager
- Ring Emergency Services
- Collect Emergency Folder
- Collect Oasis back up disks.
- Check Sick Bay and Office Area
- Close doors and windows, if possible.
No student is to leave the school other than with parents or authorised caregivers.
Staff and students to remain in the hall until clearance is given by emergency services.
EMERGENCY LOCK DOWN PLAN
Continous ringing of short bells |
PROCEDURES for CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, SEVERE WIND STORM or OTHER
CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
- remain calm
- move slowly
- obey orders and demands
- DO NOT PROVOKE AN INCIDENT
PROCEDURE
Management of the situation will depend on circumstances presenting
Principal / Office
- Immediate contact of 000 Police
- Quietly inform staff of situation.
- Depending on the circumstances staff will ensure students remain in classrooms with locked doors and windows and blinds pulled down or students will be evacuated in a quiet and orderly manner away from the situation to a safe area defined by staff or police.
- The officer in charge will evaluate and notify the principal if whole school evacuation is required, or students and staff can return to class.
- Department of Education and Training, Penrith District and safety directorate notified of situation and action taken.
EVACUATION PROCEDURES for CRIMINAL ACTIVITY
- Police / Principal to identify a safe assembly point – dependent on location of situation occurring.
- Principal to notify staff quietly.
- Teachers collect rolls.
- Students and staff move quietly, in an orderly manner to the designated area.
- Teachers account for all students
- Assistant Principal checks eastern classrooms and buildings – if safe.
- School Administration Manager checks Sick Bay and Office area, collects back up computer disks and Emergency Plan Folder.
- Principal to check western buildings, toilets, all purpose room, library and hall – if safe.
- Principal to account for all staff, students and visitors.
- Assistant Principal and School Administration Manager to liaise with parents collecting students.
- Students leaving must be marked off the emergency register.
No student is to leave with other than their parent or authorised caregiver.
SEVERE WIND STORM OR LOCKDOWN
- Close and lock all windows and doors.
- Ensure blinds completely cover windows.
- Students sit on floor well away from windows.
- Remain in classrooms until notified otherwise by Principal.
BUSHFIRE EMERGENCY
PARENT INFORMATION
In the event of a threatening bushfire in the area during school time:
- the school will confer with emergency services;
- parents have the right to remove their child / children from school;
- written permission from a parent / guardian is required by other adults in order to remove a child other than their own from school;
- students who would normally travel by bus will remain at school under teacher supervision until a parent or care giver arrives to pick them up;
- students will remain in the care of teachers until a parent arrives – irrespective of time;
- the school has a mobile phone and an emergency register with family contact details if an evacuation is required by police and fire services;
- if police and fire services advise evacuation, parents will be advised of the designated evacuation assembly point by phone or radio.
- parents may be assured that under emergency conditions every possible care will be exercised and the rules for correct fire procedures will be followed by school staff even if it extends beyond normal school hours.
SERIOUS INCIDENTS PROCEDURE
CALL 000 or SPRINGWOOD POLICE 47510299 |
THEN FOR INCIDENTS INVOLVING:
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Call the School Safety and Response Hotline 1300 363 778
|
Email or fax incident to SED for further action and notification.
Malicious damage, break and enter, fire and security breaches are reported to the School Security Hotline on 1300 880 021
WARNING BELLS
EMERGENCY EVACUATION
One long bell – evacuate to oval |
- Take roll
- Close doors / windows – if able
EMERGENCY LOCK DOWN
Continuous ringing of short bells |
- Lock doors and windows
- Pull down blinds
- Move students to centre of room