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Emergency Pick Up Plan PDF Print E-mail
October, 2009

Dear Parents/Guardians:

The safety and welfare of our students and their families are of major concern to the Las Virgenes Unified District Board of Education and to all District personnel. Effective management of District resources during and following a disaster is an important component of the restoration of educational services. Our history in Southern California has made us keenly aware of the potential dangers from disasters such as earthquakes, as well as man-caused emergencies. It is essential that a safe and orderly environment be restored following an emergency or critical incident. For these reasons we actively plan, rehearse, and evaluate our state of readiness and ability to successfully cope with any emergency. Our efforts will include the following four areas so that parents/guardians are aware of and support the procedures that the District will adhere to in a time of disaster.

We will:
  1. Instruct our students in earthquake preparedness and in school emergency procedures designed to maximize student safety in a disaster.
  2. Prepare our personnel to respond to an emergency according to predetermined procedures designed to prevent injuries and give care and support to students.
  3. Communicate with our students' families throughout the school year about earthquake and emergency preparedness measures that will assist them to protect themselves and their property.
  4. Communicate with parents about the school disaster preparedness procedures so that in an emergency, school and home can work cooperatively in the best interest of students.
SAFETY FIRST....
To provide a safe learning environment for students:
  • All visitors on school campuses must report to the office and sign in and sign out
  • Students are released only to authorized persons. It is against the law for unauthorized persons or unwanted visitors to be on campus. Law enforcement will be contacted when needed.
  • Parents and students receive safety information through school newsletters, flyers, and on the school's Web Site.
  • LVUSD follows California State Educational Laws and enforces zero tolerance in regard to weapons, drugs and alcohol, explosive devices, destruction of property, threats, extortion, and robbery.
  • The school district and school maintains close contact with the Lost Hills Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department (Agoura Hills), the Emergency Medical Services, and with all city agencies working together to maintain safety.
  • Yerba Buena Elementary School strives to provide a school climate that is free from bullying, harassment, or discrimination in any form. Policies and procedures concerning harassment of students are distributed to parents, and student guides are reviewed with students.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT SCHOOLS TO DO....
  • The first priority of every staff member will be to immediately account for and attend to the needs of every student.
  • Because we know that the safest place for your children in an emergency during the school day is on the school campus, children will be kept in the safest location on the school grounds until they can be reunited with their families, hopefully no more than 8 hours.
  • Students generally will not be sent home before dismissal time and, if conditions are severe enough, may be kept on campus until such time as it can be determined that it is safe for students to return to their homes in the usual manner.
  • The evacuation of students from the school campus will be considered only when authorities have determined that occupation of the school campus is unreasonable due to unsafe conditions. Alternative sites have been designated in the event of an evacuation (ie. Agoura High School).
  • Staff members work cooperatively with Law Enforcement, Fire Department, Civil Defense, and the American Red Cross to assure collaboration in providing effective emergency services for the school and the community.
  • Your children will be instructed regularly in emergency procedures for earthquake and other disasters, and will have regularly scheduled opportunities to practice such maneuvers as "Duck, Cover & Hold", building evacuation and campus lock-down drills.
  • School buildings are designed and constructed to meet the highest earthquake structural standards and should withstand all but the most severe earthquake.
  • All schools have School Site Councils, comprised of staff, parents and administration. The group meets four to five times a year and will review and exercise oversight of the School Safety Plan.
WHAT PARENTS CAN DO TO HELP....

In the event of a disaster, monitor the Emergency Broadcast System for information related to your specific school.

Call the District's Communication Information Update recording for a status report - (818) 880-4000. You may also access the District's website at http://www.lvusd.org.

EMERGENCY CHECK-OUT OF STUDENTS IN AN EMERGENCY AT YERBA BUENA

In case of a major emergency where students will need to be checked-out by parents or to contact individuals listed on the student emergency cards, the following will be implemented:

The road leading into Yerba Buena will most likely be shut-off and only used for emergency vehicles. Parents are encouraged to park before the street entrance and to walk orderly into the school area to the emergency assembly area. Personnel will be available to give assistance and help with instructions.

Students will be in the emergency assembly area location (on the upper grass play area above the regular playground). Students will be lined-up with their regular classroom teacher by grade level. All supervisory personnel will assist with the monitoring of students and the re-uniting/signing out of students to their parents. Parents will also need to produce identification at the checkout area before students may be released. Paperwork requires the name of the student, the parent who is picking up the student, verification of identification, next location and date/time of release.

Students will ONLY be released to parents/guardians or to those individuals listed on the emergency school card and/or emergency tag. It is VERY important for parents when filling out the school's emergency card/emergency tag to write in those names of individuals, family members, friends/neighbors who you will want your child to be released to. All phone numbers must be updated periodically throughout the school year so that in case of an emergency, we will be successful in contacting you.

If students need to be moved from the YB campus for any reason, an emergency all call will be initiated to contact you. In most instances, students will be transported to Agoura High School but most likely; if the emergency is big, the students will remain on the YB campus until parents can pick them up.

Please be reminded that schools are a high priority and are directly linked to outside resources such as the Lost Hills Sheriff's Department, the Los Angeles County Fire Department, the Cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village and to our District Office. All efforts will be made to keep your children safe and cared for throughout the emergency.

A copy of our detailed SEMS Disaster Plan is available for review in our YB school's front office. Each teacher also has the SEMS Disaster Plan, too.

*Thanks to the POWAY Unified School District for disaster planning information and format of this newsletter.

Call Yerba Buena Elementary School for recorded message: (818-889-0040). You may also access the YB Web Site at http://www.yerbabuenaelementary.org.

The District's Superintendent will activate the Emergency calling system, which will contact ALL numbers listed on your emergency card. (It is very important for you to update this information yearly and whenever any changes are made to the original emergency card that you turned in at the beginning of the school year). Students can ONLY be released to those names of friends/relatives that you listed on the emergency card).

IN THE EVENT OF A SCHOOL EMERGENCY, RADIO STATIONS KNX 1070 and KFWB 980 will broadcast updates on the radio.

Las Virgenes Unified School District provides a 24-hour Hotline (818-889-1760) for parents and students to anonymously report serious threats of violence that could impact the safety of our schools. Immediate emergencies should be referred to the police (9-1-1).

For break-in at any school or facility, there is a 24-hour answering service (818-889-1760) and the Lost Hills Sheriff's Office (818-878-1808).

For weekend facility use problems, please contact Secural Security (818-710-8463).

Avoid excessive phone calls including cell (wireless) phone calls as they interfere with essential emergency communication and easily overtax the equipment capacity resulting in a nonfunctional system.

Realize that school sites have a high priority in local law enforcement, fire safety, and Civil Defense plans and your children are likely to have better access to any emergency services on a school campus than they would in most other locations.

Understand that if an emergency is declared, the school campus will be closed and parents calling for children will be expected to wait until all students are accounted for and can be signed out in an orderly procedure. PLEASE DO NOT ever remove your children from a school campus without signing them out because this will greatly hamper efforts to ac count for everyone and precious time will be wasted looking for what is presumed to be a lost child.

Make certain that your children's school emergency card is accurately and completely filled out and returned to the school. Call the school office promptly to correct any obsolete information (for example, a change in your work telephone number).

If your child needs regular medication at school (health office only), if is recommended to have a 3-4 day supply maintained at all times at home and at school.

Discuss with your children the emergency training they have received at school, give your support by stressing its importance, and encourage them to cooperate with school staff members, both in practice drills and in the event of a real emergency.

Formulate your own home emergency plans and teach your children what they should do as a part of it. Instruct them as to whom they should go for adult supervision if you are not available and what they should do if an emergency occurs when they are en route walking to or from school.

Make sure your children are taking the safest routes to school and friends' homes, ones that avoid danger spots like alleys, new construction, and unknown areas. Test walk it together.

Tell your children to stay away from strangers who hang around playgrounds, parks, public restrooms, and empty buildings.

Tell your children never to open the door to a stranger when they are alone in the house or apartment. Caution them about answering the phone and accidentally letting strangers know they are alone. Children can always say their parents are busy and take a message.

Make sure they know how to work the door and window locks and that they use them when they are inside alone.

SAFETY PROCEDURES AT SCHOOL SITES

Signs directing all visitors to report to the office are prominently displayed.

All visitors must report to the school office and sign in and sign out. Badges are required for visitors, volunteers, and District personnel to facilitate identification of all authorized persons on campus.

Staff contacts the office immediately when encountering an unidentified person or possible unsafe situation.

It is against the law for unauthorized persons or unwanted visitors to be on campus. Law enforcement will be contacted when needed.

Evacuation routes to emergency holding areas both on and off campus have been established.

In the event of a disaster, emergency information will be provided to the media and phone recordings will provide parents with status reports.

Attached please find a map of the school and note that during a major emergency the emergency assembly area will be located on the upper playing field. As you enter the hardtop playground area by the YMCA building, you will be instructed to come up the walkway and your child will be brought to you as soon as possible.

Thank you for taking the time to review our emergency procedures. We will continue to update you on any changes or additions to our plan throughout the year. It is always important to remember to keep all your contact information up-to-date with any changes of addresses, phone numbers and who you have designated for the school to release your child to.

Sincerely,

Christina Desiderio
Principal

Please click here to see the map of the emergency assembly area for pick-up on our field.
Last Updated ( Thursday, 25 March 2010 )
 

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