How to Develop a School Evacuation Route
In any size district, it is necessary to develop a school evacuation route in case of an emergency such as a natural disaster, school shooting, fire or a hazardous spill. Sometimes you will need to direct students and staff to a local area. Other times your route requires a separate location for shelter and safety. An evacuation plan is typically part of the crisis team's responsibility.
- Difficulty:
- Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Local maps
- Evacuation timetable
- Transportation
- Aerial photos of school
- Community locations
- Crisis team
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1
Develop an evacuation route timetable. Define proper exits of the building. Create aerial photos of the school's campus and maps of the surrounding neighborhood.
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2
Indicate on the timetable levels of evacuation. Create labels for off-site locations that are outside the campus but still in the school's vicinity (such as across the street or down the block).
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3
Define remote locations. This will be a location that is farther from the school than the off-site location. Arrange primary and secondary evacuation routes in your overall evacuation plan.
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4
Map how people will exit the school building. Decide how personnel will flow from the school to the off-site or remote locations. This will include cars/transportation shuttling students as well as those walking from the school. Model the evacuation route appropriately for your local roads and community.
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5
Work with your local community. Sometimes students will need to be evacuated to a location for care or safety until parents can pick them up. Connect with local churches and community centers for potential housing of students.
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6
Visit evacuation sites with staff and local officials. Establish where student reunification areas will be and a location for possible media and emergency service providers.
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7
Educate school administrators and teachers on how to prepare for a crisis at the National Education Association website (see Resources below). Troubleshoot any holes in your evacuation procedures.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Establish a crisis team that will identify the types of emergencies that may occur and when to initiate each plan. Planning an evacuation route can also be done by a school appointed administrator or a consultant who conducts an emergency response assessment. This person can help evaluate what you already have in place and identify any potential evacuation or routing problems.
Parents must know about your evacuation procedures, routing methods and where a possible shelter will be in case of emergency. You can notify them by website, e-mail or letter sent home.
