PlanningResource 7.5

School Disaster Preparedness Planning Resource

Created by Nancy Hovan Carpenter

Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Instructor

Woodinville, Washington

[email protected]

Version 7.5 November 14, 2014

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mailto:[email protected]


Table of Contents

For an interactive electronic document, hold down the control button and click on the page reference in the table of contents.

INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................3ROLE OF THE PTA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHAIRPERSON..................4FUNDING.......................................................................................................................4

Fundraising..........................................................................................................4 Grants...................................................................................................................4 DONATIONS OF SUPPLIES:............................................................................5o Gift Registry........................................................................................................5

THE CONTAINER.........................................................................................................5 Costs and Maintenance........................................................................................5 Security................................................................................................................6 Condensation/Moisture problems........................................................................6

SUPPLY STORAGE.......................................................................................................7INVENTORY..................................................................................................................7CONTAINER DIAGRAM..............................................................................................8EVACUATION/CLASSROOM KITS............................................................................9

Lockdown Kits.....................................................................................................9GENERIC SUPPLIES...................................................................................................10UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL EMERGENCY RESPONSE STRUCTURE.............10INCIDENT COMMAND(ICS) RESPONDER JOBS...................................................10COMMAND POST (EOC)............................................................................................12SEARCH AND RESCUE..............................................................................................12MEDICAL.....................................................................................................................14ATTENDANCE AND PARENT/STUDENT REUNION............................................15SANITATION (Toileting).............................................................................................16SHELTER......................................................................................................................17WATER.........................................................................................................................18FOOD/SNACKS............................................................................................................19STUDENT CARE/COMFORT.....................................................................................20STAFF CARE/COMFORT...........................................................................................21VOLUNTEERS DURING DISASTER RESPONSE...................................................21STAFF AND PARENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING...........................................21DRILLS.........................................................................................................................22CRISIS RESPONSE BOX............................................................................................22WEATHER RADIO......................................................................................................22VENDORS....................................................................................................................22

Local Washington Vendors.......................................................................................22Other Vendors............................................................................................................23

OTHER RESOURCES..................................................................................................23


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There is a difference between an emergency and a disaster. When an emergency occurs, we dial 9-1-1 and help arrives. A disaster is when emergency responders are overwhelmed and schools are likely to be left to their own resources.

It is estimated that in a regional disaster, only ½ of a school’s students will leave the first day. Half of the remaining students, or ¼ of the population, will leave the second day. Half of those remaining students will leave the third day. The population will continue to halve each day thereafter.

Students and staff may be evacuated outdoors for a number of hours or a number of days. Broken glass or other dangerous debris, gas leaks, hazardous materials, or structural damage may render school buildings uninhabitable or inaccessible.

Hypothermia sets in quickly and can be life threatening. Temperatures do not need to be near freezing. Being wet and cold brings on hypothermia.

Adequate supplies and equipment, properly stored for deployment, impacts life safety.

Quick and efficient attendance of students, staff, and visitors can directly impact the life safety of students and staff. It impacts the timely deployment of rescue teams for those who may be trapped or injured. It also can prevent placing staff rescuers in harm’s way.

The more organized a school appears to parents and the better educated parents are to mass student release procedures, the more likely they are to wait for their child and less likely to storm the evacuation site and take their child.

INTRODUCTIONThis document is designed to help you move forward with your emergency preparedness plan by providing information and ideas, primarily, though not exclusively, dealing with supplies. The following is a compilation of information, ideas and lessons learned from the networking of PTA emergency chair persons, school district staff and administration, medical and emergency response professionals and FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency under the Department of Homeland Security). Federal protocols from the Multi-Hazards Planning for Schools (IS-362) and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) curriculum have been used in this document.


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ROLE OF THE PTA EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS CHAIRPERSONPTA Emergency Preparedness chairpersons support schools and staff in preparing for emergencies and disasters. The position can be as simple as acting as an advocate or conduit for information between the school’s PTA and the staff. The position can be as complex as purchasing, maintaining and organizing all supplies, serving on the school safety committee and facilitating staff training. Every school’s needs are different. This position is a close partnership with the staff person in charge of preparedness and response, and the school principal.

FUNDING PTAs budget from $0 to $9,000 for emergency preparedness. Fundraising:

o Often PTA asks parents to provide $3 - $10 per child per year. o At elementary, the best response is often received when a flier in the first

day papers has an attached return envelope addressed to PTA Emergency Preparedness.

o At secondary, requests for monetary donations to be specifically used for emergency preparedness are often made via PTA newsletters and at Open House.

o Fundraiser auctions are done.o Fundraiser sales of 72 hour car emergency and first aid kits are done at

“Back to School Nights”. Building principals may be able to divert some building funds for some supplies

or equipment. Grants can be found, though seldom for supplies, via FEMA, the DOE, and

other sources. Due to liability issues, the State PTA organization requires that all supplies

and equipment are purchased from funds granted to the district. Tangible goods may also be granted. Talk to your treasurer for procedural information.

A little over $1/student and staff member will be spent to replace water and food that has expired. (See ShelfLifeRotation worksheet in the Suggested Supplies List).

An approximate minimum of an additional $2/student and staff member is needed to replace other expired items (e.g. batteries, hand sanitizer), build upon existing supplies/equipment, or replace missing items.


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DONATIONS OF SUPPLIES: o The donation is being made to the school, not the PTA. Donation receipts

can be processed through the district office, but make sure of the procedures before accepting/processing the donation.

o Supply donations or discounts can be solicited from vendors. Most have a policy and set amount or percentage discount that they will donate.

o Gift Registry: Register your PTA at local hardware and retail stores, listing emergency preparedness needs. Then ask parents to shop in store or online for these items.

o Wish lists published in the PTA newsletter can be moderately effective.o Garage sales often have tarps, tents, warm clothing, blankets, coats,

gloves, games, and camping gear. Often people will give them to you if you explain their proposed use or they will bring these items to your school after the sale as donations.

o Lost and Found at your school or church can bring in coats, jackets, gloves, and hats. These should be cleaned and sealed airtight prior to storage.

o Your school library has books and magazines that are discontinued and can be used as a comfort item.

THE CONTAINERNearly every school has an external cargo container for disaster supplies. External containers are nearly indestructible and accessible away from hazards. They are generally accessible when school buildings are not. Placing supplies/equipment in multiple locations delays response time and may cause confusion in locating items. Thus, supplies should be stored in a single external container. Discussed here is a new or used steel tractor trailer cargo container, however many of the principles apply to any storage site.

Costs and Maintenance o Containers can be purchased with shelving, ventilation and complete

insulation.o PTA can grants funds to the school district to purchase the container. o The container belongs to the district and maintenance of the structure is

the district’s responsibility.o All vents must be screened to prevent an entrance for vermin.o Maintenance of the school’s container should be done by the school

district. A work order can be placed by your building custodian for repairs.

o Zirc fittings attached at the hinges can make container doors open easier. Sometimes the handles need grease, oil, or silicon spray.

o Shelving should be anchored to walls. Shelves can be designed to double as bunk beds.


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Building shelves can be an Eagle Scout project.


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Security o Disaster supplies are often stored in the same container as athletic gear.

Doing so compromises security and compromises access to disaster supplies and equipment.

o The district is responsible for keying and security. Many staff members should have copies of the keys, so someone

present will have a key in time of need. The PTA organization advises that PTA volunteers NOT carry a

container key. Condensation/Moisture problems are often evident in steel and

aluminum containers. o Barrels of water trap moisture in the container. It maintains a perpetual

cycle of condensation which damages supplies and can cause the wooden floor to rot.

o Culprits for moisture problems can be leaks in the container body or cracks or hardening of the door’s rubber gasket.

o We consulted professionals and received conflicting remedies. One professional was sure that trapped moisture would not condense as readily if the container were insulated: decreasing the rapid temperature flux which causes condensation.

o Insulation can be used on the walls of the container to reduce condensation and create a better secondary shelter during evacuation. Spray insulation can be used on the ceiling.

o Insulating a 40 foot steel container costs about $200. These are ½ inch thick 4 ft X 8 ft sheets of Styrofoam insulation board, foam board adhesive, and a calking gun. Spray foam can also be used, especially on the ceiling.

o It was advised by one expert not to insulate the ceiling of the container so possible leaks can be detected.

o A very full container will have less rapid temperature fluctuation.o Retrofit Turbine venting was recommended as the cure by one expert.

Forty foot containers can require 2 vents. Most containers have small vents in the upper corners. This should

be adequate for intake and the turbine vents to take out the air and moisture.

Retrofit Ventilation can be installed by local vendors for about $500.

o If the container has electricity, a small dehumidifier can be used.


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SUPPLY STORAGE Supplies should be well marked and stored in the order in which they will be used.

Clearly mark every container as to contents, amounts and expiration dates. This eases distribution and the taking of inventory.

Supplies for each operation should be stored with other supplies for that operation and in the order in which they will be used.

Stacks of boxes or containers should be anchored to walls or shelves. It is a good idea to use signage inside the container to assist staff in locating

equipment and supplies. Colored Duct Tape can be purchased at hardware stores and used for labeling.

Little else sticks in temperature extremes. The colors can be used to denote different stations and keep like supplies together during deployment. It sticks to itself VERY well, so banding a box or other object with duct tape ensures that it will stay attached.

A hand truck could assist in supply distribution. Packing supplies in ziplock bags in groups of 10 or 15 makes for quick

distribution and keeps unused items from getting wet in the rain. Good quality plastic storage containers keep out moisture and are stackable.

INVENTORYA supply and equipment inventory is used in planning, purchasing, and in the actual response to the disaster or emergency.

Your school should always have an up-to-date inventory. The list should be in bulk numbers, not by individual box. It is more important to

know how many Space Blankets you have than what is in Box #32. A listing of what items are available in the storage container is a valuable tool for

the Incident Commander, Student Care staff and Logistics. (For more information on these response jobs and their needs, see Incident Command Jobs in this document or the Response Jobs worksheet in the Suggested Supplies Document.)


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CONTAINER DIAGRAM Suggestions for what goes where in an external container.

Even in simple emergencies, the Incident Commander, Attendance/Student Release response stations are activated.

Search/Rescue Teams tend to assemble and gear up where their gear resides. Mounting the gear on the inside panel of the doors brings the gear out to them. This places team members out of the traffic flow of the container.

ICS Job descriptions on clipboards could be mounted on the inside of the doors.


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EVACUATION/CLASSROOM KITSThese kits are expensive and are labor intensive to create and maintain annually. Careful consideration should be given to whether kits are appropriate and what the contents should be. Staff should practice bringing out their kit at every drill.

A classroom evacuation kit has only a 50% to 60% chance of making it out of the building to the evacuation site. This is due to the teacher being out of the room, unwitting substitute teachers, panic, or lack of access to the kit.

Functional duplicates of all evacuation kits contents should be stored in the external container.

Classroom Kits are stolen and pilfered by students. Teachers borrow items and forget to replace or return them.

Should you decide to utilize evacuation kits, they should be minimized in contents, to address basic/immediate shelter, basic first aid supplies and attendance information. (See the Classroom Kit worksheet on the Suggested Supplies document.

Items carried from the classroom should fit into a single clipboard, small bucket, backpack or bag with shoulder strap. Teacher and student safety are placed at risk when carrying large containers.

o Teachers will be watching for debris and other hazards and keeping track of students during evacuation.

o Their hands must be free and evacuation materials easily accessible and recognizable.

o Teacher backpacks allow for hands-free evacuation, but are problematic at junior or senior high because they are stolen by students.

o Buckets can double as a chair or a step to make teachers taller than surrounding students. Being less visible makes them less of a target for vandalism and less likely be brought out/used during an emergency.

Providing immediate shelter in the evacuation kit can be in the form of visqueen sheeting, rain ponchos, or duplicate space blankets. Hypothermia is one of the greatest disaster threats, to students and staff in the Pacific Northwest. Space blankets provide critical shelter and warmth and one for each staff member and student should be stored in the external container.

Lockdown Kits: Are they necessary? o There is a trash can for a toilet, a sink for drinking water and hand

washing, books to read, and probably leftovers from lunch or teacher snacks.

o Should a lockdown kit be decided upon, it could contain toilet paper, biohazard bags for the trash cans, sheeting for privacy and possibly Kitty litter to absorb odors and sound. One school had these taped to the inside of the classroom trash cans.


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GENERIC SUPPLIES VS. STUDENT COMFORT KITS More than 1/2 of teachers and staff will be assigned to responder jobs, such as Search, Rescue, Medical, Student Release, unable to distribute supplies to students.

The labor intensive nature of parent-provided comfort kit supplies creates a threat to the life safety of students, by significantly delaying the distribution of critically needed supplies.

Not all parents provide comfort kits, so some children may have no supplies. It would be emotionally devastating, even if the school comes up with backup supplies for them later.

Comfort packs provided by parents are not only labor intensive at the beginning and end of school year for staff/PTA, but they will need to be collected from all new students throughout the year and retrieved when each student withdraws.

Commercially created as well as parent created comfort kits containing a variety of supplies will probably be dumped on the ground when used in order for students to retrieve the item they are seeking.

Generic supplies divided into easily distributed bags in external storage or evacuation backpacks in the classroom can be easily maintained and distributed.

If like supplies are clustered, staff can hand out items as needed and keep others items out of the weather.

Special Needs students and staff have very different needs and requirements than other students and may need special supplies.


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UNDERSTANDING SCHOOL EMERGENCY RESPONSE STRUCTUREIt is important to understand how school staff and administration will respond to an emergency or disaster. It will provide insight into what supplies are needed, why, who needs them, and where they should be located.

INCIDENT COMMAND(ICS) RESPONDER JOBS The Incident Command System (I.C.S.) is a nationally recognized response chain

of command and communication structure.o Its modular system that grows or shrinks as the incident changes.o The strict “span of control” preventing leaders from becoming

overwhelmed. No more than 5- 7 people are to report to any leader. o Universal terminology and job descriptions which allow responders from

other agencies or the community to step into rolls and communicate effectively.

o Accountability. When activated, each person has a clearly defined job/assignment with a clear chain of command.

On line ICS classes are available at FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute. Introduction to the Incident Command System for Schools (IS-100.SCa ) and Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools (IS 362.a)

It is compliant with NIMS (National Incident Management System). ICS Job descriptions: FEMA provides detailed ICS job descriptions and check

lists for each job in the Incident Command structure for schools. To request this listing, contact Nancy Hovan Carpenter ([email protected]) or take the Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools class.


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COMMAND POST (EOC) The incident commander and others holding administrative positions, such as communications, planning and administration, work at the command post.

The Command Post should be easily identifiable to everyone, with some identifier for the Command Post and Incident Commander. The incident commander is to stay in one place.

The Command Post containing the incident commander and many of the response positions, should be physically separated from response activity and student care in a quiet and secure area to limit access to the commander and leave the commander free to think, plan and absorb incoming information.

The command post should have shelter, tables and chairs and can be cordoned off using cones and caution tape.

SEARCH AND RESCUE After the outside of all school buildings have been inspected for safety by a trained team of school employees and entry has been approved, Search teams can be deployed.

A Search team treats for life threatening injuries (airway obstruction, severe bleeding, & shock) and assesses and reports who is still in the building and hazards that impact the rescue of victims or the safe use of the structure. Unless there is an imminent life threatening hazard, the Search team does not rescue. Lives depend upon their quick, thorough and efficient assessment.

Rescue is either a separate team who follows the Search team or the Search team is recycled after the search is completed and reported. The Rescue team removes victims prioritized upon the significance of their injuries and how lightly trapped they are.

Triage is the process of sorting victims by the severity of their injuries. This is done during search, during rescue, and during treatment in the medical station.

Search team and Rescue team member should be trained according to FEMA’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) protocols outlined in Unit 3, Disaster Medical 1, and Unit 5, Light Search & Rescue.

Each Search team and Rescue team should have a triage belt with colored tapes to mark victims. The rapid accurate tagging of injured victims, dictates removal and treatment priority.

The pouch of the Triage Belt should contain a grease pen, permanent marker, small pad of paper, pen, nitrile gloves, 4 x 4 dressings and some wraps.

A roll of duct tape and a roll of colored masking tape should accompany the triage tape. The masking tape is used to mark doors that are being searched and have been searched.

Light sticks provide spark-free light which is important if there is a possible gas leak and can be left with victims when responders move to another room.


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Safety glasses as well as safety goggles should be in Search and in Rescue gear. Goggles fog quickly, rendering them useless or worse.

Hard hats should have chin straps. The dust masks should be replaced if they are not the recommended “N95” level

of particulate protection. Miner’s helmet lights can provide a hands-free light source. “Head Lamps” may

not work on hard hats. The work gloves should fit team member’s hands. First Aid Kits are not used in Search or Rescue. The only medical supplies needed during search or rescue are those to stop

excessive bleeding, dressings (4x4 or larger) and wraps. These should be packed in freezer quality ziplock sandwich bags as a useable unit of one wrap and a number of dressings.

A hammer and a crowbar/utility bar are needed to open jammed doors. Search/Triage needs laminated check lists or cheat-sheets for triage,

documentation protocols or search techniques and MASTER KEYS to be effective and efficient.

Laminated School Building Route Maps for each team of two may be critical in efficient and systematic searches.

The packs could contain water. Sidewalk chalk in the S & R pack may be useful for marking buildings or

sidewalks with warnings or other info. Batteries should be stored outside a flashlight or walkie talkie to avoid the

destructive nature of batter corrosion. Batteries that are kept at an even cool temperature keep their charge longer. Extra batteries can be stored in an ice chest.

Flashlights can spark a gas leak, so non-sparking, temperature resistant light sticks are a necessary tool.

A ladder could be stored in the container which could allow entry to second story windows/doors in case of walkway/stairway failure.

Stretchers/Backboardso Cloth stretchers

When cloth stretchers are contaminated with blood, vomit or the like, they cannot be decontaminated. A plastic cover has no guarantee of staying over the contaminated area.

These have no stiffening and thus take 4 - 8 people to move one injured person.

It is recommended for professional responders that a minimum of 4 people are needed to carry an adult-sized person and a minimum of 2 people are needed to carry a small child.

o Plastic backboards A back board or an improvised version of a backboard is needed

for victims who may have back or neck injuries. They can be new or donated by a local fire department.


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Backboard alternatives, though heavier, can be built by parents or school industrial arts teachers, with the approval of the school.


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MEDICAL Medical should be located out of sight of Parent/Student Reunion and the student care area. It should be easily accessible for emergency vehicles.

Medical needs large and abundant signage so rescuers, staff and students can easily find it.

Immediate/Life Threatening Immediate (red) and Delayed (yellow) treatment areas must be clearly marked. Yellow and Red tarps, signs, or flags can be used.

Pack like things together! Kits with multiple items will be difficult to sort through for the one needed item. Generic supplies packed together, saves time in distribution.

Medical supplies should be in mobile kits or boxes for easy deployment. Medical supplies should reside in the same place in the external container and be

well marked as “Medical” or “First Aid” and have a listing of contents. Medical supplies should be protected from moisture and where ever possible,

placed in ziplock plastic bags or wrapped in plastic wrap. If the box is opened in the rain, supplies should be protected.

Latex gloves will need to be replaced with healthcare quality nitrile gloves. Even the largest Multi-Casualty Care Kit can use every bandage in the kit in 3

days with only one or two children with heavy bleeding. Clean cotton sheets are substitute wound dressings: (Can also be used as wraps

and triangle bandages). Gauze bandages and pressure wraps should be wider than 3”, so they will have

more versatility in use. Pain killers and antibiotic ointment in commercial trauma kits cannot be given to

students, but, if not expired, can be given to adults. The adhesive on band aids should be checked periodically. Temperature flux and

age eventually neutralizes the adhesive. Multiple sets of tweezers and magnifiers for removing shards of glass. Forms should be available at the medical station to let parents know what

symptoms were found and what treatment was administered to their child. Extra Tarps or Plastic Sheeting can be used as flooring and to cover

contaminated flooring. Quick assembly (accordion style) pavilion tents used with tarps for privacy, wind

shield or to extend coverage, provides shelter for the medical station. The morgue will need to be shielded from staff and students. “Farm” or fully

waterproof tarps could be used in addition to body bags. A student’s medical information is confidential. Only school staff may view this

information. Volunteers may not assist in any response process which gives them access to this information.


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ATTENDANCE AND PARENT/STUDENT REUNION: Very large and clear signage is needed for this station. The largest should say

something similar to “PARENT CHECK IN” and a smaller one, not easily seen from the parent waiting area, should say something similar to “PARENT/STUDENT REUNION”. Signage/instructions could also be in Spanish or other languages. Signs indicating instructions on how to fill out release forms or other requirements would be valuable.

This station should be located away from student care, first aid and morgue. Instant-assembly pavilion tents are useful here as well as a number of light

weight chairs, tables, and an alphabetizer/sorter. Laminated letter signs adhered with packing tape will help channel parents. Ie:

A-D in one line, E-R in the next. There can be packets of these letter signs so 2 or 3 or 4 lines can be opened up for parents depending upon staffing and demand.

Duplicate release information cards could be stored in a water/moisture proof box in the external container.

Reading glasses available to parents could be valuable at student release. All staff and volunteers need to sign in and sign out. Many schools also have students line up in alphabetical order or order of their

student number, at drills and (at elementary) in daily line transit, to aid in quick accountability. Students can report who should be standing on either side of them.

Emergency release and medical information should be gathered for each student who regularly visits a school (orchestra, volunteering, home school, or math) before school, during the school day or after school, and kept on file at the visited site.

Nametags: Schools use labels/stickers or nametags on lanyards with contact/release info that is put on each student during attendance/accountability. The stickers or nametags leftover are students that are missing or absent.

o Shop tickets (heavy plastic envelopes) on a lanyard can hold the student tag along with release information, and if desired, a comfort letter and photo.

o Allergy, medic alert and release flags can be made visible on student name tags with coded colored dots or other markers.

o Name tags can also serve as back up release documents. Some schools print a label and stick it to the back every tag as a form to fill out to release a student to a parent who refuses to go through proper procedures.

Prior to the disaster, emergency release educational information for parents can be printed in the PTA school directory, reviewed at open house, kindergarten orientation, curriculum nights, on the school calendar, and in newsletters, E.g.: What the student release sign will say. Where the release station will be located. How to greet a child to minimize emotional trauma after a disaster.


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SANITATION (Toileting) Toilets will be needed almost immediately after evacuation.

If a container contains toilets, it should say “TOILETS” on a large sign. The word “Sanitation” may not indicate toilets to some.

Some pre-purchased sanitation cans may contain a variety of items and may have have a shelf life or contain chemicals. The contents of these cans and expiration dates should be listed clearly on the outside of the can.

After about 3 years, wipes lose their moisture. They should either be replaced or should be marked to the user to add water to reactivate.

Hand sanitizer has a shelf life of about 3 years. Some students have toileting issues and need to have diapers changed, require an

aid assist them or are in wheelchairs. An emergency wheelchair accessible toileting facility is recommended.

Latex gloves will need to be replaced with nitrile gloves. Emergency toilets may contain NO toilet paper. The principal or custodian can order toilet paper for the container. It should be

stored in a water tight container or wrapped in plastic. Calculate that about ¼ of all females staff/students age 12 and over will be

menstruating on any given day and you will need to provide sanitary napkins and tampons for them. Since girls often wear thong underwear, they have to use tampons. These boxes should be wrapped in plastic.

Used bio-hazard waste bags must be stored for proper removal and disposal after they are filled. They cannot be buried or thrown in the trash, nor can their contents.

Bio-hazard bags can be used to line inoperable indoor toilets. Toilets/bathrooms can be buckets lined with bio-hazard bags sitting in a row

shielded from the public by tarps. Seats for buckets are available through local or internet vendors.

Toilets will need to be set up soon after evacuation and should be stored accordingly. A map suggesting where each toilet should be located could be on the outside or inside of the can.

The American Red Cross uses the Sanitation ratio of 1 toilet per 40 people. Many schools use a 1 per 100 students ratio.

New products are being created to break bodily waste down until it is no longer considered hazardous waste. For any new waste disposal product, be sure to check for its storage in temperature extremes and list the expiration dates on the chemicals on the outside of the storage container.

Any chemical product needs a Manufacturer’s Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) stored with the product and needs to be approved by district risk management. The MSDS provides instructions on handling, accidental contact, self-life etc.


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SHELTER Shelter assembly should be planned, practiced and stored with clear directions and expectations. The crash zone of a building is between 1 ½ times to twice the height of the building.

It is estimated that in a regional disaster, only half of the student population will go home the first day. Half of the remaining students will go home the second day. Half of those students will go home the next, and so on.

During a disaster from an earthquake, students and staff may be outside for hours or days while a building’s structural safety is being determined, awaiting a professional opinion, or there is too much broken glass/debris to allow students to return to the building.

Custodians and grounds persons should have taken a class in recognizing structural damage called ATC-20 and have a book which will help them through the process. A copy of it can be stored in the container. Check with your city or county emergency management office for ATC-20 class offerings.

A fire inspector from your local fire department will walk around the building with staff to educate them on recognizing hazards after an earthquake.

Each school should have two alternative evacuation sites. A hand truck or two can assist with the transport of supplies to a distant site.

Tarps can be used as overhead shelter, walls for privacy or windbreaks and can augment pavilion tent shelter. Small tarps are often preferable to large ones because they are easier to manage.

Tentso Principals generally do not want students in tents because they cannot be

easily seen and since an entire class cannot fit inside at once, it doubles/triples the amount of adults needed to supervise students.

o Tents are often desired for special needs students who require minimum disturbance, require complete supervision, or may have compromised immune systems or other special needs where a sheltered quiet space is needed.

o Tents make a good private place for staff breaks or for grieving parents. Accordion-style pop-up pavilion tents provide quick shelter for responders and

can be used in conjunction with tarps to provide more coverage. 10 ft x 20 ft carport size pavilion tents are somewhat easy to assemble with

many generic pieces. Tents should be assembled for practice and to make sure all pieces are there.

Color coding the ends that fit together and laminating assembly instructions is a good idea.

Heat sources in shelters can have dangers from fumes or fire. Even chemical hand warmers can burn bare skin.

Eating and sleeping areas should be separate. A separate area should be given to staff/volunteers to get outside information.

News from the outside may distress students.


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WATERWater will be used for drinking, hand washing and wound care. Water needed for hand washing is minimized with the use of hand wipes and hand sanitizer. Food does not require water for preparation. There are advantages and drawbacks to the various options of water storage.

55 gallon drums of water require a special hose for filling, preservative, a working bung pump, and sterile containers or those able to be sanitized for transport of water to student’s cups or other uses. Sterile and empty containers can be obtained from bottled water suppliers. Where ever the drum sits is where the water will be pumped. There will be spillage and high traffic. Barrels sweat rotting floors and keeping moisture in the container.

4 oz pouches are good for 5 years, easy to distribute and do not require keeping cups clean and identified. Small pouches can be punctured during storage with other items, so it is best to keep them in their shipping box.

Large water boxes or water from barrels require thousands of cups, pens for marking cups, and places to store used cups for reuse.

Some schools have stored unscented bleach to purify water. Clorox customer service says that the date on a bleach bottle is the manufacture date. Bleach for water purification should only be stored about 4 months beyond that date. Heat beyond 68 degrees expedites the degradation of the chemical and its effectiveness to purify water. Bleach experiences a 20% degradation each year.

Water bottles that are clear are only good for about 3 – 4 months. Juice can only be stored for one school year in an external container. It will

provide calories and is also full of sugar, thus increasing thirst and sanitation needs. Juice and other sugary drinks are highly discouraged.

The bulk of stored Water should be stored at the back of the cargo container. Water and food are the last things to be brought out.


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FOOD/SNACKS Comfort Food: Food is food. Comfort is comfort. Food should not be used for

comfort. Millennium bars have a 5 year exterior storage shelf life and provide

nourishment equal to one meal. They contain no nuts or peanuts. Datrex bars also have a 5 year exterior storage shelf life and provide

nourishment equal to one day’s worth of intake. They contain no nuts or peanuts. MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat or military rations)

o MRE’s have a shelf-life of 3 – 5 years in external storage and 5 – 7 years inside. They are not meant for external storage.

o To decode the expiration date, contact the manufacturer. Food Advisory

o Emergency food should contain no peanuts or nuts. Allergies to peanuts and nuts are common and can be deadly.

o Salt and sugar increase thirst and sanitation requirements. o Sugar increases activity and agitation.

Snacks are not advised. o Distribution takes time and labor. Both will be in short supply.o Snacks used as stress medication or distraction have far reaching

ramifications. Special arrangements must be made for students with allergies or dietary needs

with a special cache of food. Donated ice chests can be used for their storage. Foods that must be cooked are discouraged because of labor intensity and the

inability to store fuel for cooking inside the container. Be sure to check with your local fire department regarding appropriate

storage of any fuel. School kitchens contain food. Building damage, gas leaks, and items spilled and

fixtures and tools knocked onto the floor in the kitchen can make the kitchen inoperable or inaccessible. There is also a risk of contamination and spoilage.


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STUDENT CARE/COMFORT Student Comfort

o Paper, Colored Pencils, Pencils, Pens: Expressing one’s self in words or pictures is a great stress reliever.

o Books from book drives or cast offs from your school libraryo Coloring books (Crayons melt in the external container.)o Magazines from book drives or cast offs from your school libraryo Joke and comic books Monitor them carefully. Some may be

inappropriate. o Decks of cards are donated by the hundreds by casinos.o Card Tricks and Card Games copied from library books and placed in

plastic sheet protectors, can accompany the decks of cards.o Big Buddy Classes: partnering older students with younger, provides the

younger student with more attention and gives older students something to do and someone to think about besides themselves.

Student Careo Blankets from blanket drives or cycled out from hotels.o Towels for those who may be soaked from sprinkler systems or rain.o Ground cover for seating:

Visqueen: A roll of 5 mil. plastic sheeting is inexpensive, available at hardware stores and holds up well. Black will absorb heat. It will keep students covered for the first few minutes of evacuation or will give them a place to sit together. They fit easily in an evacuation back pack.

Painter’s drop cloths Trash bags Tarps

o Trash bags VS rain ponchos Ponchos provide better body coverage (arms and head) Ponchos are less dangerous when kids start playing around or

sleeping. Trash bags are cheaper by a few cents each and easier to procure.

o Chemical Hand Warmers have labels state that small children should not use them. These may be better distributed by the Medical station.

o Donations of gloves, mittens, or socks can be used. o Cold weather clothes from Lost and Found or donations can be stored for

students who under dressed or evacuated without a coat. Warm weather clothes from Lost and Found or donations can be stored in case

the sprinkler system triggered, or for some other reason, students are soaked. Light sticks will be re-assuring to students if they have to spend the night outside

or inside the building with no power. The ones manufactured for survival have a 3 – 4 year shelf life and can withstand temperature extremes. Check the specs.


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STAFF CARE/COMFORT Chairs, Umbrellas and an AM/FM Radio for adults would be welcome. Instant Coffee or Tea. Parent relief teams for staff can be organized ahead of time. Staff will be

staying with students while their own families’ fate may be unknown. An Out-of-state contact can be called for staff. Sometimes schools form a buddy school relationship with another school outside

the area, but within the same time zone, to act as an out-of-state contact for each other's staff. It is a huge commitment at the time of the emergency to take all of the calls from the families of the buddy school.

VOLUNTEERS DURING DISASTER RESPONSE A State Patrol background check is required of all volunteers who come in

contact with students. This applies to a disaster setting as well. The list of pre-screened volunteer could be kept in the container. Neighbors who live next to school gates can be educated to provide general

information and comfort to waiting parents.

STAFF AND PARENT EDUCATION AND TRAINING CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) For parents and staff

o CERT is a FEMA course available through local fire departments and Citizen Corps. It covers light search and rescue, triage, disaster medical, disaster psychology, fire suppression, disaster preparedness and provides hands-on experience.

o CERT classes can be advertised to staff by building principals and to parents via PTA newsletters.

Incident Command Training is available on line through FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute, http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp.

Parent education: o General/Personal Preparednesso School Mass Student Release Procedures o Procedural and behavioral expectations for parentso How to properly fill out annual student emergency forms.o Parents should be encouraged to talk to students (of all ages) about

expectations during a crisis.o Communication via:

PTA newsletter Back to School Night or Open House Speakers at PTA meetings Principal’s newsletter Incorporated into Principal’s messages to staff, students, parents.


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http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/crslist.asp



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DRILLS A school staff member at each site is responsible for Emergency Preparedness and

organizing fire and lockdown drills and at least one earthquake drill each school year.

Local fire departments may provide either their staff or CERT volunteers to observe and give feedback.

Some schools drill portions of their emergency response, like Search and Rescue, before or after the school day in the fall.

Situation cards can be given to staff to add variables to drills. Inservice days, before, or after school times can be used to drill student release, or

other responder jobs. With no notice to staff, a teacher and a few students can be pulled to drill

attendance functionality during fire drills.

CRISIS RESPONSE BOX A Crisis Response Box is a central information container which is used in many

schools and districts. E.g.: How to shut off the power. www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/documents/ crisis resp box .pdf

PTA can assist with the annual maintenance on the box.

WEATHER RADIOWeather radios not only provide alerts for immediate weather hazards, they provide alerts for hazardous materials incidents.

These radios can be plugged in and set to “Silent” mode in the main office. When a major weather event or hazardous materials spill is iminent, the radio will sound an alert. They need to be checked periodically.

VENDORS

Local Washington Vendors Emergency Preparedness Services, Kits & general emergency prep. Supplies, in

South Seattle, www.emprep.com Prepare Smart, Kits, Supplies, Fundraiser Sales in Redmond

www.preparesmart.com Purchasing Co-ops:

o Your county may have a purchasing co-operative for public entities.o KCDA is a King County non-profit purchasing CO-OP with excellent

prices on general and medical supplies. Shipping is free. Schools are required to pay sales tax, even on internet orders which do not collect them.


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http://www.preparesmart.com/

http://www.emprep.com/

http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/documents/crisisrespbox.pdf


Other Vendors Harbor Freight Tarps & S&R equipment www.harborfreight.com SOS Survival Products. [email protected] Seattle Red Cross, www.seattleredcross.org, Emergency Preparedness Catalog.

206-726-3530 Normed, www.normed.com , Medical supplies Emergency Essentials, 1-800-999-1863, www.beprepared.com ABCSafetyMart.com, hardhat chin straps,

http://www.abcsafetymart.com/hhats/hard-hats-sun-shields07.html FirstAidDirect.com, hardhat chinstraps,

http://www.firstaiddirect.com/detail.cfm?ID=1258 Simpler Life Emergency Provisions, 800-266-7737, www.simplerlife.com McLendon’s may donate $20 in goods and/or 10% discount. Office Max Army Surplus Stores Costco

OTHER RESOURCES: Federal Grants, www.FedGrants.gov , www.Grants.gov, FEMA, www.FEMA.gov, www.ready.gov FEMA Local Regional Center, Bothell 425-487-4600 Centers for Disease Control, sheltering/preparedness www.bt.cdc.gov State of Washington Emergency Management Division www.emd.wa.gov American Red Cross, www.redcross.org Seattle Red Cross, www.seattleredcross.org

This document was prepared by Nancy Hovan Carpenter, CERT Instructor and CPR/AED/First Aid Instructor, Veteran PTA Emergency Preparedness Chairperson [email protected]

This is not a School District document, nor is it a PTA document. It is meant as a gathering of ideas and information from a number of sources to assist in the critical and daunting job of preparing a school for disaster. Nor does the author or contributors shoulder liability for the ideas put forth.


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http://www.seattleredcross.org/

http://www.redcross.org/

http://www.emd.wa.gov/

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

http://www.ready.gov/

http://www.FEMA.gov/

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/verify_redirect.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.Grants.gov&title=www.Grants.gov

http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/verify_redirect.jsp?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.FedGrants.gov&title=www.FedGrants.gov

http://www.simplerlife.com/

http://www.firstaiddirect.com/detail.cfm?ID=1258

http://www.abcsafetymart.com/hhats/hard-hats-sun-shields07.html

http://www.beprepared.com/

http://www.normed.com/

http://www.seattleredcross.org/


http://www.harborfreight.com/

Documents

PlanningResource 7.5