Issue 42
Disaster
Preparedness: Business as Usual at HUSD
Healdsburg School District has developed a very
sophisticated and complete Emergency Preparedness Plan which is both
district wide and school site specific. The plan has been devised over the
years with the assistance of a professional consultant as well as the
local police and fire departments and the Healdsburg General Hospital
staff. The result is not only the plan, but the formulation of Emergency
Response Teams at each site and at the district office. At the site
levels, the assignments are made each fall and are based upon skills and
ability. At the district level the assignments are made based upon the
chain of command as it exists in the district with the Superintendent in
the top command position.
Each site as well as the district office has a series of binders with
procedural flow charts as well as chain of command charts. Each classroom
in the district has an emergency procedure plan posted there as well as
"OK/Need Help" signs for the teachers to use. Drills are done often – as
many as 5 - 6 times per year covering the eventualities of earthquake,
lock-down and fire. HUSD employs a radio system hookup among all staff for
quick response to emergency. "Dedicated" telephone lines as well as cell
phones are also in place if needed.
Another area of concern is contacting families should there be a disaster.
HUSD has a system in place to send email messages immediately to all
families who have provided an address. Parents are encouraged to sign up
on these lists which can be found on each school website. Also, school
administrators can post "emergency updates" on all school websites as
needed. Old-fashioned but still useful, the traditional "Telephone Tree"
and Auto caller messages can also be employed.
The duration of the school day is short enough that
at some point, parents and students will naturally be reunited; however,
it should also be noted that some sites are Red Cross prepared to safely
keep students for a number of days. The junior high, for example, can
shelter all its students and some of their family members, if need be, for
a few days.
The Emergency Plan has been used and proven to work well. On Sept. 11,
2001, when the junior high principal heard the news of the terrorist
attacks, he consulted the charts and mobilized his staff. He called in
some substitute teachers to stand by to free his staff should
psychological or physical situations warrant staff being needed outside of
the classrooms. He made the decision to not show newscasts at school that
day, trying to calm nerves and carry on with learning. He also set up Safe
Rooms with counselors to tend to staff and students who needed help.
HUSD is also interested in ongoing training and site improvements to deal
with emergency situations. New door locks are being investigated which
allow for lock-downs without first opening the classroom door while still
meeting safety guidelines set down by the fire codes. Additional CPR
training for staff and coaches is being planned. And cell phone use by
students on campus is being examined as possibly a safety help or
hindrance.
HUSD is prepared for the worst, but strives to hope for the best,
educating the students and preparing for their futures. The Preparedness
Plan has been in place for years and is upgraded each fall. In these
extremely troubling times, it is reassuring to note that the threats that
seem so new and fresh have been dealt with, theoretically, for years by
our Emergency Response Teams.
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