Emergency Procedures

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES 

EMERGENCY COMMUNICATION: In case of emergency or any other event where we need to communicate with every family, we will activate our automatic phone call notification system. The message will advise parents/guardians of school closures or other urgent/important matters as well as transportation situations. PLEASE ADVISE THE OFFICE of any changes to your home, work or cell phone numbers so those numbers can be entered into our system.  Please also make sure that your voice mailbox has room for messages. Every year, we make numerous phone calls to numbers that have been disconnected or have voice mailboxes that are full. We worry that, when this happens in case of an emergency, we won’t be able to reach those families.

 

EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURE PROCEDURES: Under some circumstances, school cannot open or remain open due to loss of utilities (water, heat, and electricity), severe weather, or dangerous road conditions.

 

If this occurs before the start of the school day the school will activate the automatic phone calling system.  Please know that we will try our very best to contact you in a timely manner, so make sure you check your home and cell phones for messages. In addition to the phone calls, in case of school closure, one or more of the following radio and televisions stations will broadcast spot announcements as often as possible. We will also post the school closure on our school Facebook page. When there is threatening weather, tune into these stations and listen for public service announcements:

 

 

If a closure occurs after school has started for the day, the automated phone calling system will be activated, and an email will be sent home to all families. We will also post the closure on our school Facebook page. Students will remain with their teacher in their classrooms until they can be released to a parent/guardian, a pre-designated Emergency Person or a safe adult. Parents/guardians must officially sign students out from the classroom. They will not be allowed to take other students from the classroom unless they are the students’ pre-designated Emergency Person listed on the student’s enrollment form or in possession of a note from the student’s parent/guardian.

 

Please restrict your phone calls to the office. There are limited operating telephones during a power outage. The office will be busy making calls and assisting students and teachers.

 

EARTHQUAKE & FIRE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES: During an earthquake or fire, students will be assisted in procedures to protect themselves and to move to a safe place. These procedures are practiced in monthly drills. If necessary, emergency dismissal and/or evacuation procedures will be initiated.

 

OTHER EMERGENCIES: The school’s Safe School Plan outlines procedures for other emergency situations. The Plan is reviewed and updated annually and is available for review in the office and on our school website.

 

Regarding Closures or Emergencies at Bonny Doon School: Our priority during an emergency situation is to keep your child safe. Bonny Doon School holds regular drills and discusses emergency / safety information frequently. Staff are well-trained and know what to do in an emergency situation. In the event of an emergency at school, it is important for you to know what to do. Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District will always default to keeping school open when it is safe to do so. It is often a dynamic situation with many factors to consider. In the event of an emergency involving first responders, we will communicate with you as soon as it is deemed safe and necessary to do so. We will post emergency information on the District website as soon as possible and will update the information with clear and accurate information as it is received. When the situation is deemed “under control”, everyone is safe and accounted for, and there is a clear and accurate message from law enforcement, an “all-call” will be sent out via the Emergency All-Call System.

 

1. IN THE EVENT OF POTENTIAL SCHOOL CLOSURE:

A Note Regarding Emergency Bonny Doon School Closure: Safety for all children is the Bonny Doon Union School District top priority. Under some circumstances, school cannot open due to extended loss of utilities (water, heat, electricity, communications), severe weather, or dangerous road conditions. When this happens, the District will contact the Santa Cruz County Office of Education (SCCOE) and they will contact the local radio and television stations listed below. The radio and television stations will broadcast spot announcements as often as possible. The District will also activate the All-Call System, which requires a working telephone number or email address.

 

If you have not received a phone call or email from the District All-Call System or heard a public announcement via the radio or television by 7:45am, please assume that school is open. You may attempt to contact the school or may need to come by to verify if we are open or closed. We understand that your own road, water, heat or electricity conditions at home may prevent your child from attending school, and join you in prioritizing safety at home regardless of the school determination regarding safe campus.

 

Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District will always default to keeping school open when it is safe to do so. It is often a dynamic situation with many factors to consider. Some factors out of our control but critical to consider include weather, temperature, road conditions, water availability and communications systems. In the ‘new normal’ of planned PG&E outages without clear start and end times, we will do our very best to communicate in multiple modalities (phone, email, signage, etc.) during time of potential emergency school closure. It seems we are now in either fire or storm season, and with this comes the increased possibility of school closure.

 

Please tune in to one of the following stations to listen for school closure information:

KSCO AM 1080 (radio) (831) 475-1080

KSBW Channel 8 (831) 422-8206

KION TV Channel 46 (831) 422-3500

KUSP FM 88.9 (radio) (831) 476-2800

 

Telephone numbers and Website:

Bonny Doon School Office Main Line (831) 427-2300

Bonny Doon School Website: www.bduesd.org

 

2. DURING AN EMERGENCY:

A Note Regarding Emergencies at Bonny Doon School: Crises range in scope and intensity from incidents that directly or indirectly affect a single student to ones that impact the entire community. Crises can happen before, during, or after school and on or off school campus. The definition of a crisis varies with the unique needs, resources, and assets of a school and community. Bonny Doon Union Elementary School District will always default to keeping school open when it is safe to do so. The information that follows may help you and your students be better prepared in the event of an emergency.

 

What can be expected during an emergency:

• Staff and Students are notified of the emergency type – Shelter in Place (Code Blue) or Full Code Red (Barricade) Lockdown
• Law enforcement is notified.
• Website information is updated with emergency information.
• Staff will account for all students and keep them in a safe area until the all-clear is given.
• If school buildings are unsafe, students will be assembled, by class, in open outdoor area or evacuated to a nearby evacuation site.
• School telephone lines will be kept open for emergency use only.
• Students will be released only to parents or guardians or other authorized individual. (An authorized individual is anyone on the student emergency contact information at school.)

 

What parents can do before an emergency happens:

• Discuss the above emergency information with your child.
• Check accuracy of your emergency contract information address and phone numbers in All-Call System to ensure it is current.

 

In the event of a school emergency:

• Check the District website for up-to-date information. Information will be posted on the District homepage
• Contact the District Office at 831-427-2300 if needed.
• Review your emails and have phones available to receive updated information via the All-Call System
• Listen to the radio or watch the news for updates.

 

Other Emergency Numbers:

PG&E Local Information (800) 743-5002

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Dispatch (831) 471-1121

Bonny Doon Fire Station (831) 475-9378

California Highway Patrol (road conditions) (831) 427-7623

Cal Trans http://www.dot.ca.gov/cgi-bin/roads.cgi (800) 427-7623 3.

 

WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP DURING A CLOSURE OR EMERGENCY:

A Note Regarding Closures or Emergencies at Bonny Doon School: Please use caution with social media-- Facebook, etc. Many times referring to social media can create more panic as the information may be incomplete or inaccurate. It is best to reference the District website information at www.mountainesd.org.

 

In an emergency situation, it is the parent’s instinct to come to the aid of their children. During a school emergency, it is imperative that you follow the “What Parents Can Do To Help” guidance listed below. Depending on the type of emergency, parents may be requested to pick their child(ren) up from school or an evacuation area. It is important to remember to bring your ID. Even though school staff know you well, there may be added personnel assisting with release of students that will need to see identification.

 

Helpful items to have at home:

• A home telephone that will work without electricity
• List of radio stations / emergency phone numbers
• Battery operated radio
• Extra batteries
• Extra food, water and blankets
• First aid kit and supplies
• Fire extinguisher
• Location of shut-off valves, and knowledge how to shut off, for gas and water utilities In the event of a school closure or emergency:
• Check the District website for information www.bduesd.org
• Contact the school office at 831-427-2300 only if needed to keep communication lines clear.
• Check your emails and have phones available to receive updated information.
• Listen to the radio or watch the news for updates.

 

In every emergency, the following steps occur:

• Staff and students are notified of the type of emergency.
• Administration and school board members are notified.
• Parent/Guardians are notified via Emergency All-Call System and/or District website.
• Staff is in contact with and/or will monitor phones and radios for updates from appropriate agencies involved.
• All students are accounted for and kept in a safe location until it is deemed safe.
• In the event of an evacuation, parents will be notified via Emergency All-Call System and the District website.
• Students will be released only to parents or guardians unless consent to release them to another individual is received in writing, or by phone, except when in the judgement of school officials, the best interests of the child will be served by doing otherwise.
• School District will send follow-up information via Emergency All-Call System and/or School Newsletters once the emergency is over or as applicable.

 

3. SUMMARY INFO FOR A CLOSURE OR EMERGENCY:

DURING SCHOOL IN SESSION WITH A POWER OUTAGE:

• Helpful items to send to school:
• Warm clothing
• Extra food, water
• Flashlight or lantern with fresh batteries

 

DURING AN EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURE:

• Parents would be notified via Emergency All-Call System and/or the District website.
• All staff would remain at school until all students are safe and accounted for by parent/guardian or someone directly from the student’s emergency contact information.

 

DURING A SHELTER IN PLACE: 

• Students will remain in the classrooms, under direction of their teacher, until the emergency situation no longer exists and it is safe to send students home or to another safe place.
• If school buildings are unsafe, students will be assembled, by class, in an open outdoor area or evacuated to a nearby evacuation site.
• Site Administrator will announce “All Clear” when it is safe to resume normal school function.

 

DURING A GENERAL LOCKDOWN:

• All exterior doors will be locked and no person is allowed to enter or leave the building.
• Teachers will continue with their regular lesson plans if possible.
• If deemed safe to do so, staff and students may be allowed to use site facilities.
• Site Administrator will announce “All Clear” when it is safe to resume normal school function.

 

DURING A CODE RED LOCKDOWN: (Imminent Threat)

• Teachers/staff will lock ALL doors and windows and will barricade the door(s).
• Teachers / students will build an interior barricade away from windows.
• Teachers will turn off all lights and instruct students to remain calm and quiet.
• Staff and students will hide behind their barricade, no one will be allowed to enter or leave the classroom.
• Site Administrator will announce “All Clear” once law enforcement has deemed it safe to do so. Note: For the safety of our school community and in accordance with the Education Code, we do not publish detailed Code Red procedure, law enforcement directives, or evacuation route maps.

 

DURING AN EVACUATION:

• Teachers/staff supervise students’ evacuation to outside assembly area and take student rosters with them.
• Designated school staff assess and clear school buildings.
• Designated school staff assist special needs students.
• Procedures are implemented to reunite students with parents.

 

 

Should BDUESD need to close school for emergency situations, Independent Study will be offered with the following conditions:

(1) Independent study will be offered within 10 days of the first day of a school 

closure.

(2) Students who are individuals with exceptional needs shall receive the 

services identified in their individualized education programs.

(3) Independent study is voluntary.

Please call our school office for more information.