Sacred Heart School’s Crisis Response Plan All teachers at Sacred Heart feel that the school is well prepared in the event of a crisis. A crisis is any situation that is unplanned, poses danger or harm to students or staff and is very overwhelming to those involved. Sacred Heart School has several crisis response plans set in place in order to ensure the safety of each staff and student. The first crisis response plan is in the event of a fire. If students hear a bell ringing over and over again, they know it is the fire alarm. Thank God we have never had a real fire, but in the case we ever do, our students are well trained to line up in a single file line, and go out to the field. They know that they must take a specific route, and that there is no talking. Once in the field, students face away from the school in order to protect their emotional well being. It would be too traumatic for them to watch their school be up in flames. Additionally, once we get out to the field, all teachers must take roll call to ensure that all students are present. If a child was in the Health Room, then the they would be under the supervision of the Health Room attendant. All teachers on staff carry a two way radio. Using that radio, the principal then calls each teacher and determines if all students and teachers are accounted for. In a fire drill, the principal let’s the students know how they did. She praises them if they went out to the field quickly and quietly, or she may make them aware of the areas we need to improve on. We have fire drills often, some are announced, and some are not. However, I find that our students are well trained because whenever they feel a bell is going to ring more than once, they are ready to walk out to the field. The next scenario that we talk about in class quite a bit is an earthquake. Students know that if they feel an earthquake, they are to DROP. This means, they are to go underneath their desks, cover their heads, and necks, and stay face down until it is safe to come up. I carry out DROP drills at least once a month. I am mandated to do so, and keep a log of my drop drills in my Emergency Binder. In the case of a real earthquake, students would go out to the field after the earthquake. Additionally, every class has a buddy class that they would check on after the earthquake. I am partnered with the 6th grade and the Math resource room. In our Emergency Binder we have a list of jobs each teacher is assigned to. The Custodial Team has the responsibility of turning off the gas main, the electricity, the water, locking the gates, bringing the supplies from the storage unit, setting up the port-a-potties, distributing the trash cans on the field, cleaning up debris, and assisting emergency vehicles and personnel. There is also a Security Team, Gate Control/Check Out Team, Sweep and Rescue Team, First Aid Team, and the Field Supervisor Team. I am in the Field Supervisor Team, and my job is to supervise all students on the field, help children remain calm, try to divert attention, and reunite siblings whenever possible. The next scenario we have trained for is the “Abbey Drill.” An Abbey drill is any emergency that requires the school to go into a lock down. This would include a gun on campus or an adult trying to abduct a child. If students hear that an adult has announced over the intercom, radios, or telephone that Abbey must come to the office, or any phrase that includes that word Abbey in it, they immediately know that we are in a lock down. At that point, they know they must go on the floor, face away from the windows, and continue working or reading. Teachers must immediately lock the doors, and take a count of who is in the class and who is not. If a student was on their way to the bathroom, they must immediately go into the nearest classroom. If the classroom is already locked, they must knock the “secret” knock in order to be let in. At that point, the principal takes roll call of every classroom to ensure all teachers and students are safe. We must stay locked down until it is determined that it is safe for students and teachers to be dismissed. We are prepared to be in the classrooms for a long period of time by having water, a first aid kit, and an emergency binder. Also, we have a small port-a-potty in every classroom that is basically a bucket designed for emergencies. Our principal has equipped us well to handle a crisis. As a result, the students and the teachers feel safe. A big part of safety at Sacred Heart School is our radios and our Emergency backpacks. Our two-way radios allow us to communicate with each other at any time. We also know that if we have an emergency, and do not have a chance to say a phrase with Abbey in it, we may hit a bell on the radio. That will signal an emergency to the whole school, and immediately all classes go into lockdown procedure. We have hit this button on accident. When we do, we immediately say cancel, and the lockdown procedure is cancelled. The second important part of our emergency crisis plan is our emergency backpacks. Every classroom has one, and it contains a first aid kit, flashlights, batteries, pencils, paper, among other items. Additionally, we have an Emergency Binder that contains a Medical List. That way every teacher knows if they have a child with diabetes, asthma, or who is allergic to penicillin, etc. In this binder, we also have specified procedures for over twenty-nine different scenarios. We have maps and instructions on how to access supplies, and we a class list for every grade. This binder is a great tool. We are allowed to take it on field trips and are required to keep it in an accessible location at all times. I feel very safe working at Sacred Heart School, and I know our kids do too. We constantly talk about safety, and practice what we would do in case of an emergency. In fact, we are going to have an “Abbey” drill sometime this week. It is going to be unannounced to help us better prepare for a real life emergency. I appreciate these opportunities to test our crisis plans, it makes our school a safer place to work and learn. |