Lake Elsinore Unified School DistrictTemescal Canyon High School Emergency/Disaster Response Plan
28755 El Toro Rd.
Lake Elsinore, CA 92532
(951)253-7250
DESCRIPTIONS OF TYPES OF DISASTER/EMERGENCY SITUATIONS
LEVEL I EMERGENCIES
Governmental Definition: A minor moderate incident wherein local resources are adequate and available. A local emergency may or may not be proclaimed. Normal daytoday emergency management procedures and local resources are adequate.
School Definition: A minor to moderate emergency which school site personnel can handle by following planned daytoday emergency procedures. Local emergency responders; e.g., police, fire/rescue, and emergency medical agencies are available as needed. It can require school personnel to be put on alert, rerouted to other than their normal working area, or to work additional shifts.
Examples might include a major power failure, bomb threat, air pollution alert, small fire, or minor earthquake.
LEVEL II DISASTER
Government Definition: A moderate to severe disaster wherein local resources are not adequate and mutual aid may be required on a regional or even statewide basis. A Local Emergency will be proclaimed and a State of Emergency might be proclaimed.
School Definition: A moderate to severe disaster somewhat beyond the response capability of the school site personnel. It can require mutual aid assistance from other schools and/or the (Site Name) School. Response from police, fire/rescue, and emergency medical agencies may be delayed and/or at reduced staffing levels.
Examples might include a major fire, moderate earthquake with injuries and/or structural damage, or a major hazardous material incident.
LEVEL III DISASTER
Government Definition: A major disaster wherein resources in or near the impacted area are overwhelmed and extensive state and/or federal resources are required. A Local Emergency and State of Emergency will be proclaimed and a Presidential Declaration of an Emergency of Major Disaster will be required.
School Definition: A major disaster clearly and immediately beyond the response capability of school site personnel. Large amounts of mutual aid assistance will be required, recovery time will be extensive, and the cost will be great. Response from police, fire/rescue, and emergency medical agencies will be seriously delayed and/or at reduced staffing levels.
Examples might include a major earthquake causing many injuries and substantial damage or dam(s) failure.
The Superintendent or designee will determine the level of the disaster/emergency and appropriate response actions.
COMMANDS TO TAKE EMERGENCY ACTION
The following standardized commands are to be used during a disaster/emergency. The commands may be given by voice, over a public address system or bull horn, or intercom system.
Teachers must instruct students to react appropriately to the commands on their own in case the commands occur when there are no teachers present.
LEAVE BUILDINGconsists of orderly movement of students and staff from inside school buildings to a predesignated outside area of safety.
TAKE COVER consists of taking protective cover (indoors, if possible) and utilizing shielded areas within school buildings.
DUCK consists of taking, if inside, the Duck, Cover, Hold position under a sturdy desk or piece of furniture. If outside, move away from buildings, trees, power poles, (at least one and onehalf times their height) exposed wires, and metal fences. The safest place is in the open during an earthquake. Assume the Duck, Cover, Hold position, or outside Take Cover position as appropriate.
COMMANDS ISSUED ONLY BY SUPERINTENDENT OR DESIGNEE
GO HOME consists of dismissal of all classes and return of students to their homes by the most expeditious means. This command should be considered only if there is time to return students safely to their homes. Notification of parents, by regular radio broadcast or other means, about early dismissal is an important aspect.
DIRECTED TRANSPORTATIONconsists of loading students and staff into school buses, cars and other means of transportation (walking) and taking them from an area of danger to an area of safety. This is a most difficult procedure and is considered appropriate only when directed by competent local government authority.
CONVERT SCHOOL consists of preparing a school site for conversion into an Emergency Hospital, First Aid Station, or Mass Care Shelter. This command should be issued and implemented only upon request or direction of proper local government or American Red Cross officials.
GENERAL DISASTER/EMERGENCY PROCEDURES
Each site should have an Emergency Preparedness Committee which is composed of the Principal/Designee, Command Staff (Safety Officer, Liaison Officer, PIO) and General Staff (Operations Chief, Planning/Intelligence Chief, Logistics Chief, and Finance/Administration Chief). This committee should meet at the beginning of each school year to review the action check lists for each response team. New staff members should be incorporated into the plan and the team leaders should meet with each new team member for in-servicing as needed. The committee shall meet on an asneeded basis during the year to keep the Emergency Plan uptodate.
PUBLIC INFORMATION
The public has the right and need to know important information related to an emergency or disaster at the school site as soon as it is available. The Principal/Designee will act as the official spokesperson for the school site in an emergency situation. As such, all inquiries must be directed to the Principal/Designee. Under no circumstances should staff release any information regarding the situation without first clearing it with the Principal/Designee.
The Superintendent/Designee will act as the official spokesperson for the District in an emergency situation. As such, all inquiries must be directed to the Superintendent or Designee. Under no circumstances should staff release any information regarding the situation without first clearing it with the Superintendent/Designee.
The news media can play a key role in assisting the school site in disseminating emergency or disaster related information to the public. Representatives of news media are, therefore, treated with the respect warranted by the role. Each site needs to identify on it's Site Disaster/Emergency Preparedness Map a preestablished Media Reporting Checkin location.
Questions from news representatives are answered completely and truthfully to the extent possible from information available; however, issues of confidentiality need to be considered as well as legal issues, chain reactions, and emotional impact.
Again, under no circumstances should staff release any information regarding the situation without first clearing it with the Superintendent/Designee.
ORDER OF SUCCESSION
In case of the Incident Commanders absence or injury at the time of an emergency/disaster there must be an order of succession at each school site. The order of succession for the Temescal Canyon HS School Incident Command Center will be:
- Whitney D’Amico
- Mark Williams
- Bert Merlo
- Ron Golden
- Andrew Wonacott
Should any of these people move to the Incident Command position, other staff will have to be assigned to fill the role previously designated to them.