Emergency Planning - Parent Guide

How will the school respond to an emergency?
There are three possible plans of action in the event the Superintendent determines that an emergency has occurred:

School Closure:
Returns students to their homes and family as expeditiously as possible. Each school maintains names and emergency contacts for each child. That is why it is important to advise the school office if the name or number of an emergency contact person changes.

Shelter-in-Place:
Keeps students in their buildings when it is safer to stay inside than to go out. Ordinarily, sheltering is considered a short-term solution but preparation is made to shelter students overnight if necessary. Specific areas of each building are identified as the safest for occupants. In certain instances, a lock-down will require that all students remain in their current classroom until otherwise notified. Students who are not in classrooms will be escorted by staff to a supervised area and remain there until otherwise notified.

Evacuation:
Requires that all building occupants leave and go to an alternate location. Evacuation may mean only going outside and away from the building until an all-clear signal is given. In some circumstances, students and staff may need to be transported and housed temporarily in another location. A hazard or threat reported outside the building will require that all students and/or staff be brought inside the building (Reverse Evacuation).

 

If there is an evacuation, where will students go?

Parent-Student Reunification:
In the event that a campus must be completely evacuated to an alternative evacuation site, information will be posted on the District website and disseminated through the School Messenger system calling home numbers, cell numbers and sending emails notifying the parents of the campus involved. The news media – television and radio – will be contacted by BISD and kept up-to-date on all developments, and will be asked to broadcast important information needed by parents, just as they do when inclement weather forces school closings. The message will include information as to the location of the students and the parent- student reunification point. The procedures below will be followed:

Only those listed on the student’s emergency information card will be allowed to pick up the student and must present proper identification.

 When arriving at the alternate evacuation site, parents should:

•    Park in the designated parent parking area being careful not to block bus access or incoming/outgoing traffic.
•    Report to the parent-student reunification table.
•    Present proper identification to the parent-student reunification table and inform them what student(s) you are there to pick up.
•    The administrator in charge will check the student emergency information and verify you are authorized to pick up the student (s) and then send for the student (s).
•    Parent will be asked to sign for the student and the student will be delivered to you.

 

Should I pick my child up at school during an emergency?

We strongly encourage parents NOT to come to the school during an emergency unless directed to do so.

While every parent’s natural instinct in an emergency is to go to the school to safeguard his/her child, please understand that doing so may significantly reduce the school’s ability to respond to the situation. In addition, going to the school may interfere with police or other emergency workers whose sole purpose is to assure the safety and well-being of students and staff. Vehicles driving to the school, for example, will restrict access of emergency vehicles or school buses that are loading children for evacuation or to take them home. The building’s staff will be actively working at all times to ensure the safety of all students. While it may seem logical that every student taken home by a parent reduces the workload of the staff, in a fast- moving situation that requires careful coordination and communication, extra vehicles and visitors to the school actually make the task of keeping track of all students more difficult.

 

What provisions are made for students with disabilities?

Each campus has a plan of action that includes evacuation of students and/or staff who have special needs.

 

Where can I get information during an emergency?

Chances are you will not be able to reach the school by telephone in a real emergency. Experience shows that staff must react to the emergency first. District telephone lines will be busy with personnel who need to communicate to emergency services. We will, however, be making every effort to contact parents. Principals have copies of every child’s emergency contact information. Do not use cell phones to contact the school or your student during an emergency.   In certain situations, use of cell phones may create a severe safety risk.

The District’s website, www.bmtisd.com will post updates throughout the course of an emergency. The news media – television and radio – will be contacted by BISD and kept up-to-date on all developments, and will be asked to broadcast important information needed by parents, just as they do when inclement weather forces school closings. Information will be disseminated through the School Messenger system calling home numbers, cell numbers and sending emails notifying the parents of the campus involved.

 

What can I do to plan ahead?

The two most important things you as a parent can do are to make certain your child’s school has up-to-date emergency contact information, and to periodically review with your child alternative arrangements you have made in case an emergency prevents you from being at home.

 

Beaumont ISD has established emergency and safety plans for each school in the District. The plans are coordinated with police, fire, and county/state officials and address both human-made and natural hazards. The plans are reviewed and revised annually and after drills are conducted throughout the school year. When disaster strikes, the first consideration is the safety of the children in our care.