Disaster Procedures

Initial Response to Earthquake

Inside or Outside of school building – playground, fields
In classrooms, Assumption Hall, Hurley Hall, Church
Response by all persons (students, teachers, parents, staff):

1. Drop, Duck, Cover and Hold if indoors. When safe, exit the building.
2. Go to designated class area in the middle of the yard, away from buildings (due to possible broken glass and falling articles), vehicles and overhanging wires.
3. Students should be seated in Student Control Area facing away from the school, so the children will not watch any emergency procedures that may take place. The teachers will take roll. Any missing, injured or trapped persons should be noted on the roll sheet.
4. While teachers are taking roll, identify any students in immediate need; those students should be directed to the EOC.
5. All teachers should report to the EOC (principal) to hand in emergency cards, if any, and give class status.
6. If teachers are not with their class during the time of emergency, teachers should immediately go to where their class has been pre-instructed to meet after emergency.
7. Once all information has been gathered from the emergency cards by the EOC, the commander will deploy each team where they are needed. Special note: the Child Control Captain and their team should be the first to be deployed, immediately.
8. Each team will be contacted by the commander on a periodic basis for status reports. School communication codes should be used.

Communications

The following emergency code should be used and is privy to all Our Lady of the Assumption emergency personnel. This is not a civic law enforcement code and will not be understood by city or county emergency agencies upon their arrival at OLA.

The purpose of this code is to keep highly sensitive and traumatic information from children and parents, as not to inflame a highly volatile situation.

OUR LADY OF THE ASSUMPTION EMERGENCY CODE
(The EOC commander should control the airwaves and keep all personnel off the air, saying: STAND BY” unless otherwise directed.

21 Texas Trapped
21 Florida Fire
21 Iowa Injured
21 Vermont Possible Violent
21 Montana Missing
21 OLA Rescuer in grave danger

Sample code use:
Scenario: There is a parent that becomes violent and unmanageable at the Student Control area. At that time, the Student Control captain via radio will say:
“EOC we have one 21-Vermont at Student Control.”

EOC’s reply should be to repeat the message:
“Student control, you have a 21-Vermont in your area, over.”

Student Control replies: “EOC affirmative, over.”

EOC
Team Members & Duties

Incident Commander:
Pat Groff
Alternate Commander:
Donelle Claypool

1. Should access overall condition of the school plant and make the decision concerning activation of the incident command system.
2. If activation is deemed necessary, commander should organize emergency response teams.
3. Commander should assume overall management of the disaster throughout the incident until proclaimed “over”.
4. Commander should interface with emergency agencies as they arrive on campus. Show map of school, indicate any injuries, and point out any hazards.
5. Commander should make all public statements to the press and disseminate information to the school community.

EOC Emergency Operation Center

1. Houses the command team.
2. Serves as the nerve center for operations and a collection point for critical information.

Light Sweep and Rescue

Captain:
Jorja Rose

Alternate:
Karen Fussell

Team Members:
Allison Cardoza
Mary Douglas
Paige Byrne

1. Report to the EOC command center.
2. Determine the number of missing students.
3. At the direction of the EOC commander, order a search of missing and trapped personnel. Avoid going back into the building unless deemed possible and necessary by the commander.
4. When Sweep & Rescue approach rescue area, team members should separate by 5 – 10 feet and give a radio to the last member in line.
5. When searching for a missing person, captain should try to identify where missing person was last seen.
6. Captain should keep in constant contact with EOC.

First Aid Team

Captain:
Nori Van Buren

Alternate:
Tina Osborne

Team Members:
Carleen Sgobassi
Trish Krakowski
Chrissey Fujii

1. When directed by the commander, first aid will join Sweep & Rescue at the site of injury.
2. The team will triage and administer first aid to the injured at the site.
3. Condition of the injured will be communicated to the EOC by the Light Sweep & Rescue Team.
4. Captain of the Light Sweep & Rescue should request permission from the EOC to transport injured person, from injury site to hospital center.

School Hospital Center
(unstaffed)

1. The School Hospital Center shall be set up at the pre-designated location. The center should be out of view of students.
2. Triage and treatment of injured staff/students takes place here.
3. Maintain a treatment log and communications with the EOC. Compare names of treated victims with names of missing students and staff.

• The decision to move injured victims from structures to the First Aid Center may be a difficult one. A severely injured person normally is not moved. However, in the event of a major earthquake, aftershocks may occur, thereby causing further damage to the structure at the injured student/staff location. The decision is made by the EOC commander.

Utility

Captain:
Gina Ravenscroft

Alternate:
Tony Segovia

1. The Utility Team captain, after reporting in with the EOC, should immediately gather the utility team and proceed to the storage bins. All emergency supplies should be taken to the EOC to be expedited. Utility team should disperse the night warning system on orders by the EOC commander.
2. The EOC commander will direct the team leader regarding the necessity of utility shut-offs.
3. Sweep/shovel glass and other debris from walk/pathways utilized by disaster team.
4. Transport injured victims to the First Aid Center by stretcher or other means.

Student Control

Captain:
Nancy Bedard

Alternate:
Lori Bennett

Team Members:
Patricia Bustos
Susan Berdahl
Richard Cathcart
Susan Delaney

1. To assist in controlling the student body, team members should position themselves at every corner around the student body.
2. Members should identify students in student control who are injured. When injured students are identified, the captain shall immediately report them to the EOC.
3. Provide continuous emotional support to the students.
4. Dispense water as needed.
5. Escort students to the sanitation area as needed.
6. Upon commander’s order, student control shall organize children into family groups by alphabet for expedient release.
7. Team members should make sure all students have their emergency cards on their person for quick release when they are picked up by a parent or guardian.

Parent Control

Captain:
Maureen Marsalek

Alternate:
Mary Voigt

Team Members:
Summer Tarantino
Cathy Baloyo
Stephanie Scarlett

1. Report to the EOC at the predesignated site.
2. Establish Student/Parent Release Center at predesignated location, as indicated on the map.
3. Commence releasing students to their parent or a preauthorized adult.
4. Maintain all records of releases.
5. Provide status report to EOC commander as needed or requested.

Parent Control Areas

The Parent Control Areas should be guarded by all parent control team members. When parents/guardians come into the area to find their students, a team member should verbally identify the parent/guardian and tell them where to retrieve their student.

When parent/guardian and student are leaving campus, the parent control team member should take the student’s emergency card, have the parent/guardian sign the card and indicate their destination (for any family members who may show up later for that student) and the student should be released.

Note: If the parent control team member does not recognize the parent/guardian he/she may ask for photo ID. The team captain and commander should be notified to resolve any conflict or question,

Communications

In the event of an emergency, the principal or school secretary will launch a SchoolReach broadcast by phone and email to all school families.

The following radio stations are the best sources for up-to-date information in your area after a major disaster has occurred:

KVTA 1520 AM
KNX 1070 AM
KFWB 980 AM

Information Objectives:

1. Identify local road closures
2. Possible local hazardous situations
3. State, county and local directives

Team

The command post should be the area where information is gathered by the emergency broadcast system.

Sanitation Areas

The sanitation area should be as far away as possible from the student population.

Supplies consist of the following items:

1. Portable toilets
2. Privacy Shelters or tarps
3. Waste/trash bags
4. Toilet paper
5. Waterless hand wash

Disposal of waste should complies with your city’s waste disposal code. It may be as follows:

1. Several waste bags put into a larger bag with proper notice of “waste” put on the bags.
2. The bags may have to be put in a separate area and after the disaster picked up by city toxic waste truck as soon as possible.
3. If your school has chemically treated toilets, your waste should be disposed of according to your city code.

Night Management System

The following are suggested measures and precautions that the Incident Commander may take in the case of students or staff remaining on campus after nightfall:

NWS = Night Warning System

Light sticks should be placed in a path that has been established by the Sweep & Rescue Team as safe, free of fallen wires, shards of glass and structural damage. The light sticks should be placed where parents and others will visibly be able to see entries and exits without injury. The Sweep Team should continually check for open paths and maintain clear walkways.

Light posts

Light posts (lanterns) should be placed in strategic areas within your incident command area. For example, a lantern at the command post, the student control area, the school hospital area, the entry and exit areas and the sanitation area.

Batteries for flashlights, lanterns or any other battery dependent supplies should be checked regularly.