POLICY 4-2.2 SCHOOL CRISIS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND MEDICAL EMERGENCY
RESPONSE PLANS
The Montgomery County School Board is committed to providing a safe and secure learning and working environment for all students and staff. To fulfill that commitment to safety, the principal of each school shall develop and implement a comprehensive school crisis, emergency management, and medical emergency response plan, which will comply with and enforce all applicable state and federal laws, rules and administrative procedures. The plan shall include the following elements:
A Prevention Plan set forth in the Crisis Management Handbook maintained in each school, which includes measures designed to:
1. Raise student and staff awareness about school safety and provide appropriate means for reporting concerns about safety. Written procedures to follow in emergencies (such as fire, inclement weather, injury, illness, and violent or threatening behavior) shall be outlined in the Crisis Management Handbook and discussed with students and staff during the first week of each school year. Students and staff should also be clearly informed of all disciplinary rules, with particular emphasis on those bearing on safety.
2. Train professional staff to recognize the warning signs that may precede violent conduct and provide a process for referring students in need of help.
3. Make use of community resources, including parents and the local law enforcement departments, in developing strategies for keeping the schools and community safe.
4. Identify and respond to potential safety concerns. Each school within the school division shall conduct a school safety audit as further outlined below. The division superintendent shall maintain a list of division schools that which have completed the safety audit.
5. Equip all exit doors with panic hardware as required by the Uniform State Building Code.
6. Have space available for the proper care of students who become ill.
A Response Plan, which ensures immediate and effective action in a crisis or potential crisis situation:
1. The School Board shall ensure that every school within the school division develops a written school crisis emergency management plan consisting of the essential procedures, operations, and assignments required to prevent, manage, and respond to a critical event or emergency, including the following:
a. natural disasters, including fire, flood, tornadoes or other severe weather;
b. loss or disruption of power, water, communications, or shelter;
c. bus or other accidents;
d. medical emergencies, including cardiac arrest and other life threatening medical emergencies;
e. student or staff member deaths;
f. explosions;
g. bomb threats;
h. gun, knife, or other weapon threats;
i. spills or exposures to hazardous substances;
j. the presence of unauthorized persons or trespassers;
k. the loss, disappearance, or kidnapping of a student;
l. hostage situations;
m. violence on school property or at school activities;
n. incidents involving acts of terrorism;
o. other incidents posing a serious threat of harm to students, personnel, or facilities; and
p. imminent risk of suicide by students.
In developing this plan, schools may consult the model crisis plan and emergency plan developed by the Virginia Board of Education.
The Montgomery County School Board shall annually review the written school crisis and emergency management plans. The School Board shall have the authority to withhold or limit the review of any security plans and specific vulnerability assessment components as provided in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3705.2. The division superintendent shall certify this review in writing to the Virginia Center on School Safety no later than August 31 of each year.
2. All schools must have contingency plans for emergencies that include staff certified in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, the Heimlich Maneuver, and emergency first aid. In addition, the school administration shall ensure that the school has:
a. Written procedures for responding to emergencies, including outside threats to safety and security such as bomb threats or threatening conduct by persons not part of the school community.
b. Written procedures for responding to violent, disruptive or illegal activities by students or others within the school community while on school property or during a school-sponsored activity. Specific procedures shall be established for responding to verbal or physical threats and other forms of threatening conduct.
c. Procedures for responding to medical emergencies.
The Montgomery County School Board shall annually review the written school medical emergency response plans. The School Board shall have the authority to withhold or limit the review of any security plans and specific vulnerability assessment components as provided by the Virginia Freedom of Information Act, Code of Virginia Section 2.2-3705.2. The division superintendent shall certify this review in writing to the Virginia Center on School Safety no later than August 31 of each year.
A Crisis Communication Plan, which shall ensure effective communication during a crisis. The plan shall require that the following elements be made a part of each school’s written safety and crisis management plan:
1. A process by which employees can notify the principal or other administrator of an existing emergency.
2. A process by which the principal or other administrator can notify the school community of an existing emergency and of immediate action to be taken, if any.
3. Designation of a person or persons to handle immediate emergency tasks, including calling 911 and disabling school bells.
4. Protocol for notifying persons outside the school of an existing emergency and for fielding incoming inquiries and visits during and following an emergency.
A Medical Emergency Response Plan that describes the components of a medical emergency response plan developed in coordination with local emergency medical services providers, the training of school personnel and students to respond to life-threatening emergency, and the equipment required for this emergency response.
School Safety Audits
Each Montgomery County public school within the division shall conduct school safety audits annually using the item-list developed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction. The School Board may withhold or limit the release of any security plans and specific vulnerability assessment components as provided in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act.
For the purposes of this policy, a “safety audit” means a written assessment of the safety conditions in each public school to (i) identify and, if necessary, develop solutions for physical safety concerns, including building security issues, and (ii) identify and evaluate any patterns of student safety concerns occurring on school property or at school-sponsored events. Solutions and responses shall include recommendations for structural adjustments, changes in school safety procedures, and revisions to the School Board's standards for student conduct.
The division superintendent shall maintain a list of division schools that have completed the safety audit pursuant to this Policy. Each school shall maintain a copy of the school safety audit that may exclude such security plans and vulnerability assessment components, which may be withheld as provided for in the Virginia Freedom of Information Act. This audit shall be maintained within the office of the school principal and a copy of such report shall be made available for review upon request. Each school shall maintain records of regular safety, health and fire inspections that have been conducted and certified by local health and fire departments. The School Board in consultation with the local health and fire departments shall determine the frequency of such inspections.
LEGAL REFERENCE: Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, §§ 22.1-78, 22.1-272.1, 22.1-279.8; Virginia Board of Education Regulations Governing School Facilities and Safety, 8 VAC 20-131-260.
Adopted: April 2004
Revised:
September 2006, August 2007