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| August 29, 2007 |
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AUG. 23 STORM LEADS TO PREPAREDNESS REVIEW
Thursday’s severe weather arrived with little warning on the second day of school. At approximately 3:10 p.m., high winds followed by a thunderstorm suddenly knocked out electrical power and telephone service throughout the community. The District was unable to communicate externally or internally—its Voice-Over IP phone system, its Nextel cell phones, or its email system.
Abraham Lincoln, Ben Franklin, Forest Glen and Hadley implemented severe weather procedures, holding students in the buildings until the storm abated and it was considered safe to dismiss them. Churchill School dismisses at 3:05 p.m., 15-20 minutes earlier than the other schools. Churchill had been monitoring Internet weather sites and watching the sky, and felt that children would reach their homes before the estimated storm arrival time. Dismissal was underway when the storm hit. School staff immediately pulled students and parents into the buildings and held those who had not yet been dismissed. Some students who had already crossed Geneva Road took shelter with neighbors, and others were already on their way home, including three buses which had departed. Principal Scott Klespitz, crossing guard and teacher Tom Biggs and others stayed outside during the storm to make sure that students and parents in the vicinity were brought inside. Two meetings have been held with Churchill parents to hear their experiences and concerns.
“We are continuing to debrief about the experience among the buildings, staff and parents to document what occurred and identify the next steps, including improving weather monitoring system and acquiring more robust communication equipment that stays operational under severe conditions,” said Superintendent Dr. Ann Riebock. She notes that one of the biggest issues appears to be lack of warning, exacerbated by the storm breaking at dismissal time. Among the questions that emerged about the emergency response during the storm are:
Why didn’t the weather warning systems work at the elementary schools and Central Office?
Why did some people in the community know that the storm was imminent and the District did not?
How can the District provide effective remote backup for communication and power systems in such a situation?
How can the District keep in communication internally and with parents during and immediately after emergencies?
What procedures does the bus company have in place for emergencies, and were these procedures followed in all cases?
What can we expect from local emergency agencies in the event of a community-wide emergency?
The District plans a complete review of its emergency systems, procedures and training. It also plans to expedite several initiatives that were already in progress for improving emergency response:
A Request for Proposal for a Security and Safety Audit to evaluate building security, emergency procedures and training, and emergency technology.
Researching acquisition of backup generators, remote servers and improved communications equipment
Participation in the new, county-wide EMnet system, a satellite-based warning and messaging system for use in emergency situations including terrorism or weather. Installation of the equipment began at D41 Central Services on Aug. 28.
“We are extremely thankful that no child, staff member or parent was hurt during this frightening event,” said Dr. Ann Riebock. “I want to thank our principals, our staff members and our parents who displayed calm, courage and commitment to children during trying conditions. We are learning a lot from this storm and are committed to improving our emergency preparedness systems and training.” |
Please direct your questions or comments to our Communications Director, Julie Worthen at jworthen@d41.org. We ask that you do not reply directly to this email. Thank you! |
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