Shelter-In-Place Procedures
Shelter-in-Place procedures are used when the building is seen as a place of safety and building occupants must remain in a school building for extended periods of time during an event such as a weather emergency, a chemical contamination or terrorist attack. To shelter-in-place means to take shelter where you are and isolate the inside environment from outside environment.
Response Tone Verbal: “SHELTER-IN-PLACE THIS IS NOT A DRILL.”
- MOVE to assigned shelter location/room with your students (i.e. your classroom)
- SWEEP any students from the hallway into your shelter location/room
- LOCK all exterior doors near your location/room
- CLOSE windows
- If appropriate, custodian will shut down HVAC system
- Instruct students to stay calm and share developmentally appropriate information
- Do not use telephone system to request information. Instead, email “Gatewood Office Staff”
- Watch your email for messages from Command Station—DO NOT HIT REPLY to these messages for accountability. DO ask questions or communicate problems via email—Example “I have a student who needs to go to bathroom.” Or “Students are complaining of a strong odor in my classroom.”
- Send an email to the OH Office distribution group. In the subject line write Green/Red/Medic:
- GREEN if all students are accounted for. If Para’s are present in your room, include their name in the title of the email (ex: Green – Jane Doe present)
- RED if you are missing student(s) or have extra students; write the missing/extra student name(s) in the body of the email
- MEDIC if there is an injury, write the student name(s) and injury in the body of the email
- CARE FOR THE STUDENTS IN YOUR SUPERVISION
- Calm and re-assure upset students
- Provide First Aid if needed
- Use supplies in your emergency backpack as needed or necessary
- WAIT FOR AND FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS
- WAIT FOR “ALL CLEAR” SIGNAL
After the “all clear” is given all staff should:
- RESUME NORMAL OPERATIONS as soon as possible
- Assess the need for aftercare or counseling for students in your care
- Contact the front office with names/numbers of students who may need counseling
- Communicate only confirmed information to students (expect an email from administrators)
- Participate in debriefing sessions and provide feedback to administration to improve planning/response cycle
- Re-stock emergency backpacks as needed