Evacuation Statement

The following are the procedures for two different levels of evacuation at Loma Verde Elementary School.
Level I-This is a short term evacuation and students are kept on site. The procedure is for staff to evacuate students from Loma Verde Elementary School structures by walking quietly to the main blacktop area (Level I staging area), and assembling in designated classroom sectors. This means that once away from the building there is no imminent danger. For example, monthly fire drills fall in the Level I evacuation category.
Once a danger is resolved staff members will return students to their assigned classrooms at Loma Verde Elementary School.
If the danger is not resolved students will be released from the Loma Verde Elementary School Level I staging area. Signs are posted indicating the Student Emergency Release Point. The Student Emergency Release Point is located on the North-East corner of the Multi-Purpose Building:

Parents are encouraged to become familiar with the Student Emergency Release Point prior to a Level I evacuation and release.  Parents must follow all student release procedures including presenting valid identification to the Student Emergency Release Officer.

Level II- This is an evacuation that involves students leaving campus. Our Level II site is at San Jose Middle School, located at1000 Sunset Parkway, Novato, California. If we go to this level it means that there is a danger where we need to move 500+ yards from the facility.  This type of evacuation is typically associated with sewage, chemical, or gas leaks.

Once a danger is resolved students will return to Loma Verde Elementary School;

If the danger is not resolved students will be released from the San Jose Middle School evacuation site. Parents should not come to Loma Verde Elementary School to pick up children; they should proceed directly to the San Jose Middle School evacuation site.

We hope that this information will be beneficial to parents, but we also hope that we will never need it. Through our continued preparedness for all types of situations, Loma Verde provides a safe and comfortable environment for our children.

For Parents

What you can do during an emergency

There are several things that you can do as a parent to assist the school in assuring the safety of your children.  These things should be determined ahead of time and discussed with all members of the family.

 

Preparedness begins at home

•Develop and practice a family disaster plan.

•Teach your child how to recognize danger signals such as smoke detectors, fire alarms and local community warning systems.

•Explain how and when to call for help and how to use 911.

•Help your child memorize important family information:  name, address, phone numbers and where to meet in case of an emergency.

 

After a natural or man-made emergency:

• DO NOT call the school.   Turn your radio to KCBS AM 740 and listen for damage reports.  The school phone lines must be kept open for emergency communications.  Check the ALERT notice on this website: http://jade.marinschools.org/SafeSchools/Pages/default.aspx

• DO NOT drive to the school.  Parents’ cars could impede the ability of emergency vehicles to get to school.  Your children need to understand the reasons for your not calling or immediately going to the school.

• STAY at home or at work.   Once you leave your house or place of work, no one will be able to contact you if you become stranded and/or injured on the way.

• WHEN IT IS SAFE to travel to the school:  ALWAYS sign students out before removing them from the school.  See Student Release Advice for Parents.  A Spanish version: Entrega de Estudiantes Consejo a los Padres.

 

If an earthquake or other disaster occurs while your child is:

• Walking to school: your child should continue to school

• Walking home: your child should return home or go to a designated alternate home:

• In the neighborhood: your child should  return home or go to a designated alternate home.

 

Activities to Calm Children

A first step for parents is to understand the kind of fear and anxiety a child experiences.  Recognize that a child who is afraid is afraid!  A child may have distorted information and may make false assumptions about the causes of major events.  These distortions can magnify the sense of fear and make the child more likely to have persisting emotional or behavioral problems.  Parental understanding  and helpful intervention can reduce the severity of fears and prevent more serious problems from developing.  Listen to what your child tells you about his/her fears.  Explain as well as you can about the disaster and about the known facts, and encourage your child to ask questions or describe what he/she is feeling.

 

Immediately following a quake, fire, flood, terrorist attack or other disaster:

• Keep children as quiet as possible.

• Encourage deep breathing exercises.

• Sing familiar songs, such as nursery rhymes, carols, etc.

• Play word guessing games.

• Talk about happy memories they can recall.

• Make a plan for what they will do over the next 24 hours.

• Whenever possible, give children tasks to perform as part of the response.

• Remind them that steps are being taken by state and federal government, the police, firemen, hospitals and others to make things safer.

• Mostly, keep children in their area–quiet, seated and breathing deeply and regularly.

• Monitor and limit exposure to the media coverage of the events to decrease the traumatic power of explicit images.

 

Additional follow-up:

• Create a comfort zone; do what brings you together as a family.

• Make a deliberate effort to avoid inactivity and get back to routine.

• Indicate to the child that you are maintaining control.

• Be understanding but firm, be supportive, and make decisions for the child.

• Maintain discipline which sets boundaries that provide stability.

• As much as possible, STAY TOGETHER.

Student Release – Advice for Parents

1. PREPARE YOUR CHILD. Children who are prepared experience less fear and hysteria. Let your child know who can make the pickup at school if you are unable to do so. Reassure your child that he/she will be cared for until you arrive.

2. KEEP YOUR CHILD’S EMERGENCY CONTACT CARD UP-TO-DATE. The only people other than yourself who will be allowed to pick up your child are those whom you authorize on the Student Release Emergency Card. No student will be allowed to leave with another person, even a relative, unless the school has prior written permission from the parent/guardian.

3. REMAIN CALM. Your child is probably safer at school in the event of a disaster. School personnel are certified in CPR, First Aid and Emergency Preparedness. In the event of a disaster, school staff are designated as Disaster Service Workers and must remain with your children at all times for up to 72 hours after the emergency.

4. DO NOT CALL THE SCHOOL AND TIE UP THE SCHOOL PHONE. Use the designated hotline for a recorded message. Phone lines will be needed for emergency communications.

5. WALK FROM YOUR HOME, IF POSSIBLE. Leave the streets free for emergency vehicles. You may get to school faster by foot or bicycle.

6. PARK ONLY IN AREAS DESIGNATED FOR PARENTS. Leave adequate room for emergency vehicles to park and turn around.

7. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD DIRECTLY FROM THE STUDENT ASSEMBLY AREA. Parents and authorized adults must first report to the Student Emergency Release Point.

8. BRING A PHOTO ID WITH YOU TO THE Student Emergency Release Point. Students will only be released to their parents or to an adult designated on the Student’s Emergency Contact Card.

9. PICK UP ALL STUDENTS FOR WHOM YOU ARE AUTHORIZED.

10. SIGN OUT AT THE STUDENT EMERGENCY RELEASE POINT. The staff will locate and bring your child to you. No student will be released without a parent signature, noting time of release, destination and phone number.  See Student Request Form, below.

11. LEAVE THE CAMPUS IMMEDIATELY AFTER BEING REUINITED WITH THE STUDENT.

12. TALK TO THE PARENT INFORMATION OFFICER if you have any questions. This will help the Student Release Team avoid bottlenecks at the Student Request and Student Emergency Release Point.

13. KEEP EMERGENCY SUPPLIES IN YOUR CAR, including comfortable walking shoes, water and warm jackets.

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