Operation of Schools in Emergency Circumstances

Objective

To provide direction to Division staff related to required procedures during emergency circumstances.

Definitions

Emergency, as defined in the Emergency Management Act, refers to an event that requires prompt co-ordination of action and special regulation of persons or property to protect the safety, health or welfare of people or to limit damage to property or the environment.

Emergency Management refers to the organized analysis, planning, decision-making and assignment of available resources to mitigate, prepare for, respond to and recover from the effects of all hazards.

Responsibility

1. Each school principal will use Division templates to develop school specific emergency preparedness plans for dealing with emergency circumstances, annually review and revise copies of these plans that have been stored on the Security Services website, and communicate school plans to students, parents, staff and applicable community agencies.

Regulation

1. In emergency circumstances that affect the safety and well-being of students or staff:
   1. If necessary, first call 911.
   2. Contact Security Services at 780-429-EPSB (3772).
   3. Once Security Services staff have received notification about emergency circumstances, they will issue an alert e-mail and contact those departments or service providers that are required to assist in addressing the situation.
2. When emergency circumstances exist, every effort will be made to provide students, parents and staff with prompt and accurate information about the situation:
   1. If emergency circumstances affect the operation of one or more schools or classes, Communications will send out a public service announcement (PSA); in addition, the principal will notify parents through a phone fan-out by school staff or by using the school's automated calling system.
   2. When emergency circumstances affect the operation of one or more schools or Division facilities, or student transportation services provided by the Division, Communications will assist the Superintendent and affected principals in notifying parents of the situation.
   3. Depending on the circumstances, staff must be available to continue to support school operations. Communications will inform staff about the expectations for reporting (whether in-person or online).
3. The Division plan, by which decisions are made and communicated under emergency circumstances, will:
   1. Be reviewed each year by November 30, by representatives of the Issues and Security Action Advisory Committee (ISAAC), a subgroup of the Division Emergency Response Team (DERT) comprised of staff from Facilities Services, Division Support Services and Communications.
   2. Include the following:
      1. The Division Plan for Decision-Making in Emergency Circumstances.
      2. The Security Monitoring Decision-Making Tree.
      3. The Division Emergency Response Framework.
      4. A list of members of the Division Emergency Response Team with ISAAC staff identified.

References