EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

INCLEMENT WEATHER/SNOW CLOSURE.  When school is canceled due to the weather, notification will be made by broadcasts of the local radio stations or through the district website.  If in doubt, please tune to a local station.  There should be no need to call the school, as on these days no one will be in the building.

At registration, all parents will be asked for your instructions for each student in case school is closed during the day due to a snowstorm or inclement weather.  The local radio stations usually announce closures.  We ask that parents call the school only in the case of an emergency as it is particularly important that we keep the phone lines open during such times.  Parents should develop a procedure for their children to follow in the case of an early dismissal.  Please discuss this procedure with your child.

In the event of an emergency closing of school, your child will be released, or held at school, according to instructions you provided at registration.

EMERGENCY DRILLS.  Emergency drills are held at least once each month according to district policy.  Students will be expected to move quickly, quietly, and in an orderly manner to the assigned area. 

TORNADO ALERT.  In case of a tornado alert, students will be sent immediately to designated areas within the school to maximize safety.  Drills will be held to help acquaint students and staff with these procedures.

No student will be allowed to leave the school with anyone other than a parent or legal guardian unless another person has been officially designated by the parent or guardian.  We would prefer that students not be picked up during a tornado warning because of the danger outside.  However, if parents wish to take their children home, students will need to be checked out at the office.

EVACUATION.  In the event the school must be evacuated, all students and staff will be transported by school buses to an emergency relocation center.  In most instances this will be Storey Gym, located at 2811 House Avenue, (at the corner of Pershing and Evans Ave.)  Once everyone is accounted for, students will be released to a parent or guardian.

LOCKDOWN.  In the event total security within a building is necessary, all classrooms and exterior doors will be locked with no entry or exit from the building until any danger to the life or health of students or staff is past.  Students will not be released until the crisis is over.

CRISIS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION.  LCSD1 will be in communication with local media as soon as possible.  Local radio and television stations will provide information to parents and the community.  It is imperative that all district telephone lines be kept open for emergency communications.  Please tune into the media and don’t call the school building.  Pioneer Park has an established crisis team with a crisis plan regarding both acute emergencies resulting in imminent danger and emergencies resulting in non-imminent danger.  A procedure for training staff is provided for a variety of emergency situations.