Barnwell 45 Emergency Preparedness Parent Brochure Online

Emergency Management Preparedness 770 Hagood Avenue Barnwell, SC 29812 (803)541-1300 www.barnwell45.org

Parent Emergency Procedures In the event of a school emergency, parents and families can support the District and their student(s) by remaining calm and waiting for accurate information to be sent through the School or District's messaging system. The message will provide as much detail as is available at the time. Additional messages will be sent alerting families to what is taking place and next steps. In some cases, local media, as well as the District's website and social media sites, will be used to communicate information. Though it is natural for you as a parent or caretaker to want to come to the school or call the school during an emergency, we encourage you to support the District by doing the following: Please do not come to the school. We understand your desire to go to the school and the need to see your child especially in a situation that feels scary. However, arriving at the scene before it is secure can interfere with the emergency response and puts you and the students in danger. Past school emergencies have shown that one of the greatest challenges is how to manage the number of parents and concerned citizens rushing to the scene. By rushing to the school, parents can unintentionally create traffic jams that may block emergency responders from getting to the school or leaving if necessary to transport injured students or staff to emergency medical facilities. Families should not pick up their student unless given the direction to do so from the District. Please do not call the school. We ask that families do not call the school. This allows phone lines to stay open for communication with emergency personnel and school officials. It also helps school staff to remain focused on the safety of their students. The school and District will ensure

information is shared via our phone messaging system. If a student is injured, the families of those children will be notified directly. If your child texts or calls you, please keep them calm. We know that during a school emergency many of our students will try to call or text their parent or guardian. If this occurs, we ask that you stay calm and reassuring. Encourage your student to follow the directions of school staff. To prevent confusion or added safety risks, ask them to turn off their cell phone and refrain from using social media. ____________________________________________ Closures/Early Dismissals/School Delays Announcements will be made over the radio, television stations, district website, social media, and REMIND alert systems. If the announcement is a delay, please continue to listen as it may become a cancellation. Emergency communication and notification information may be obtained from radio, television or Internet. Radio Stations: WIZ, Barnwell (FM 97.9) and WDOG, Allendale (FM 93.5) Television Stations: WJBF Channel 6 (Augusta), WIS Channel 10 (Columbia), WRDW Channel 12 (Augusta), and WAGT Channel 26 (Augusta) ____________________________________________ Communication During an Emergency Misinformation can easily spread if a crisis situation occurs. The School and/or District will communicate with parents as quickly as possible during an emergency. Please understand that the administration’s number one priority is to contain a situation and ensure all students are safe, as well as work closely with emergency personnel to ensure all procedures are put into place immediately.

Barnwell School District 45 has a Comprehensive Safety Plan in place across the district. The following emergency drills are practiced throughout the school year.  Fire Drills—monthly  Extreme Weather Drills, including tornado and earthquake—a minimum of once per semester  Evacuation/Bomb Threat—a minimum of once per semester  Active Shooter/Intruder Drill—a minimum of once per semester Did you know?  Each of our athletic facilities and fields has an emergency plan specific to that area.  We work closely with law enforcement and emergency response organizations to continually revise and update our comprehensive safety plan.  We provide training to our faculty and staff at each school in emergency management, active shooter procedures, suicide prevention, fire extinguisher use, and more.  Each school has a Comprehensive Safety Team and a First Responder Team trained and prepared to respond in emergency situations. _________________________________________ Again, there is no greater responsibility to our school district than ensuring the safety of our students and staff. Safety is a top priority for our district, and we will continue to work with law enforcement and emergency personnel to ensure our schools remain safe places to learn.

Frequently Asked Questions What support services will the school system provide if an incident occurs? If an incident occurs, a Crisis Response Team will be sent to the school to help students and staff members cope with the emotional impact of the crisis. The Crisis Response Team consists of principals, athletic director, counselor, school nurse and those who have received specialized training. How can school system resources support the community during a crisis? In cooperation with the American Red Cross, school facilities are available to be used as emergency shelters. With whom may I speak to obtain more information about school safety? Contact your school administrator for additional information about the safety plan for your child’s school. What can our parents expect schools to do in an emergency?  Staff will immediately account for and attend to the needs of every child.  Any children who are injured will be given immediate medical treatment.  Children will be kept in the safest location on the school grounds until they can be reunited with their families.

How can I talk with my child or respond to their questions or anxiety about school safety? Parents should stress the role that students have in maintaining safe schools by following the school's safety guidelines (e.g., not providing building access to strangers, reporting strangers on campus, reporting threats to school safety made by students or community members, etc.). What plans are in place to keep my children safe at school? All schools should have an organized, systematic emergency operations plan in place to reduce risks or prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from a crisis situation. The types of crises can vary from an accident affecting some members of the school community to a natural disaster or community crisis affecting a lot of individuals in the school. Each school has a Comprehensive Safety Team and a First Responder Team trained and prepared to respond in emergency situations. What is the difference between a lockdown and a shelter-in-place? Lockdown: Used when there is a perceived danger inside the building. A lockdown includes securing each occupied room by locking the door(s) and directing people to move away from windows and doors. Hallways are cleared of students and school staff. Typically, local law enforcement arrives to secure the site and arrange for evacuation or return to usual building activities. Students are kept in their classrooms or other secured areas in the school until the lockdown has ended. During this time, access to the building is restricted. Shelter-in-Place: Used to secure the building from a potential threat outside the building, such as when an unauthorized person is loitering on school grounds or when there is criminal activity in the neighborhood. During this time, access to the building is restricted, but there may be some limited movement within the building.

Barnwell Primary School 9286 Marlboro Avenue Barnwell, SC 29812 (803)541-1320 Barnwell Elementary School 10524 Marlboro Avenue Barnwell, SC 29812 (803)541-1285 Guinyard-Butler Middle School 779 Allen Street Barnwell, SC 29812 (803)541-1370 Barnwell High School 474 Jackson Street Barnwell, SC 29812 (803)541-1390