3432%20Emergencies%20-%20Proposed%20Adoption.pdf

Parent document: REGULAR MEETING OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS 5_30 PM-02-12-2025.pdf

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Policy No. 3432
Students

EMERGENCIES

The district is committed to having current safe school plans and procedures in place to
maximize safety for all students and staff. A commitment to safety enables teaching and
learning. The district and its schools shall develop comprehensive all-hazard emergency
operations plans that address prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, response, and
recovery strategies.

District and school plans shall:

Include required school safety policies and procedures;

Address emergency prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, response, and
recovery:

Include provisions for assisting and communicating with students and staff, including
those with special needs or disabilities;

Include a family-student reunification plan, including procedures for communicating the
reunification plan to staff, students, families, and emergency responders:

Use the training guidance provided by the Washington Emergency Management Division
of the State Military Department in collaboration with the State School Safety Center in
the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, established under RCW
28A.300.630, and the school safety and student well-being advisory committee,
established under RCW 28A.300.635;

Require the building principal to be certified on the incident command system:

Consider how school facilities may be used as a community asset in the event of a
community-wide emergency:

Set guidelines for requesting city or county law enforcement agencies, local fire
departments, emergency service providers, and county emergency management agencies
to meet with the district and participate in safety-related drills; and

Include how substitute teachers and other temporary employees receive necessary
information about safe school plans, including school safety policies and procedures and
the basic functional drill responses described below.

To the extent that funds are available, the district will do the following annually:

Drills

Review and update the safe school plans in collaboration with emergency response
agencies;

Conduct an inventory of all hazardous materials;

Identify all staff members who are trained on the national incident management system,
trained on the incident command system, or are certified on the incident command
system;

Identify school transportation procedures for evacuation, to include bus staging areas,
evacuation routes, communication systems, parent-student reunification sites, and
secondary transportation agreements; and

Provide information to all staff on the use of emergency supplies and alert procedures.

Drills are an essential component of safety planning. Drills teach students and staff basic
functional responses to potential threats and hazards. The four functional responses are adaptable
and can be applied to a variety of situations. Additionally, some threats or hazards may require

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Policy No. 3432
Students

the use of more than one basic functional response. Therefore, each school in the district will
conduct at least one safety-related drill per month, including summer months when school is in

session with students. Drill planning and implementation shall consider and accommodate the
needs of all students.

Basic Functional Drills

The basic functional responses include shelter-in-place, lockdowns, evacuations, and earthquakes
(drop-cover-hold on):

Shelter-in-Place

Shelter in place is designed to limit the exposure of students and staff to hazardous materials,
such as chemical, biological, or radiological contaminants that are released into the environment
by isolating the inside environment from the outside. Staff and students will receive instruction
so that they will be able to remain inside and take the steps necessary to eliminate or minimize
the health and safety hazard.

Lockdowns

Lockdowns are meant to isolate students and staff from threats of violence, such as suspicious
trespassers, armed intruders, and other threats that may occur in a school or in the vicinity of a
school. Staff and students will receive instruction so that in the event of the breach of security of
a school building or campus, staff, students, and visitors will be able to take positions in secure
enclosures. Lockdown drills will not include live simulations of or reenactments of active

shooter scenarios that are not trauma-informed and age and developmentally appropriate.

Evacuations

When an emergency within a school or its surrounding area necessitates evacuation and/or total
or partial closure of the schools within the district, staff will be responsible for aiding in the safe
evacuation of the students within the endangered school or its surrounding area.

Staff and students will receive instruction so that in the event the school or district needs to be

evacuated due to threats, such as fires, oil train spills, earthquakes, etc. They will be able to leave

the building in the shortest time possible and take the safest route possible to a designated
reunification site.

Earthquakes: Drop-Cover-Hold on

The board recognizes the importance of protecting staff, students, and facilities in the event of an
earthquake. Facilities will be designed and maintained in a manner that recognizes the potential
danger from such an occurrence. Likewise, staff must be prepared to take necessary action to
protect students and staff from harm.

“Drop—cover—hold on” is the basic functional earthquake response. The superintendent or
designee will establish guidelines and the action for building principals to take should an
earthquake occur while school is in session.

Additional Drills

In addition to the above four functional response drills, the district shall, at a minimum, also
develop response plans for the following:

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Policy No. 3432
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Pandemic/Epidemic

The board recognizes that a pandemic outbreak is a serious threat that could affect students, staff,
and the community. The superintendent or a designee will serve as a liaison between the school
district and local health officials. The district liaison, in consultation with local health officials
will ensure that a pandemic/epidemic plan exists in the district and establish procedures to
provide for staff and student safety during such an emergency.

Bomb Threats

The superintendent or designee will establish procedures for action in the event that any threat is
received toward the school by telephone, letter, orally, or by other means.

Emergency School Closure or Evacuation (Modified Shelter-in-Place)

When weather conditions or other circumstances make it unsafe to operate schools the
superintendent or designee is directed to determine whether schools should be started late, closed
for the day, or transportation will be provided only on emergency routes. Those decisions will be
communicated through community media resources pursuant to a plan developed by the
superintendent or designee.

The superintendent or designee will establish procedures for the emergency closure of a building
or department.

All safety plans and drills shall include protocols for both internal and external communications,
as well as procedures for drill documentation. Evacuation plans shall also include reunification
plans. Schools shall document the dates and time of such drills and then notify the district office

Safety, Security, Emergency Management department, which will maintain the time and type of
drill.

Cross References: District Policy 4310 - District Relationships with Law Enforcement and
other Government Agencies
Legal References: RCW 19.27.110 International fire code — Administration and

enforcement by counties, other political
subdivisions and municipal corporations — Fees

RCW 28A.320.125 Safe school plans — Requirements — Duties of
school districts, schools, and educational service

districts — Reports — Drills — Rules

Management Resources:

Adopted:

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