Emergency and Disaster Recovery Plan To include EYFS This policy reflects GEMS current guidelines and practice. GEMS is not liable for any error in print or otherwise. Last modified 18 April 2013 by I. Griffiths
Contents Aims... 3 The Emergency and Disaster Recovery Team... 3 The Emergency Plan... 3 Emergency Contact Numbers and Telephone Tree.... 3 Back-up of school information and inventory.... 4 School Resident Responsibilities... 4 Activating the Emergency Plan... 4 Implementing the Emergency Plan... 5 Recovery Plan... 6 2
Aims The aim of the emergency and disaster recovery plan is to ensure that in the event of a fire or other emergency, everyone, including any contractors or visitors, is sufficiently familiar with the action they should take to ensure that: the school manages emergency situations ensuring safe evacuation if required; all relevant information is made available to the emergency services; notices detailing the action to be taken in the event of an emergency are posted on the school website; those persons with specific duties are identified; those persons with specific needs or disabilities are catered for. The Emergency and Disaster Recovery Team Dick Jaine (Head Master), Terry Peters (Deputy Head), Ian Griffiths (Facilities Manager), Sandra Faulkner (HR Manager) The Emergency Plan The emergency plan is kept at reception and Carfor house. The emergency plan contains drawings of the school showing: essential structural features including classroom, work and internal assembly spaces, escape routes, doorways, walls, corridors, stairways etc. location of any flammable materials/ stores; location and type of fire fighting equipment; location of manually operated alarm call points and the control equipment for the alarm; location of main electrical, gas, oil and water valves and control systems; location of water hydrants; location of the assembly points. The person responsible for ensuring that the plan is passed to the emergency services, upon their arrival at the premises is Ian Griffiths (Facilities Manager). Emergency Contact Numbers and Telephone Tree. Emergency contact numbers for staff and pupils are on the MIS system. A hard copy is located in a file Emergency Contacts Staff and Pupils located at the Main Reception desk. Pupil contacts are also available at the back of the registers. 3
In the event of an emergency being confirmed all staff are informed via the Telephone Tree. All staff are required to have a hard copy of the telephone tree. There is a signing in and out book for all staff located in the Main Office. This is used to verify staff to contact on and off site. Back-up of school information and inventory. Information (including the School s inventory) is backed-up and stored on an external server. School Resident Responsibilities Staff who live on site are responsible for: Immediately reporting any security issues to the Facilities Manager: strangers on site; cars; unauthorised entry to the buildings. Responding to the emergency alarm supporting staff in the evacuation of the buildings and accounting of persons on site; support the emergency services as required. Supporting the Headteacher in managing an emergency as directed. Activating the Emergency Plan The Headteacher is responsible for: deciding, in liaison with GEMS CEO/Director of Schools, whether to close the school; declaring an emergency, activating the Emergency Plan and for directing operations and communications; preparing a statement detailing the incident (in liaison with GEMS); briefing all staff and informing parents as to the status of the disaster and subsequent recovery; Informing pupils appropriately and sensitively; controling escape of inappropriate/inaccurate information; maintaining communication with GEMS as to status of emergency. If the Headteacher is not on site the Deputy is delegated responsibility for coordinating the emergency. The Deputy is responsible for managing pupils/staff in accordance with directions from the Headteacher. Staff are required to come in to school unless it is unsafe for them to do so, in which case the member of staff must telephone the Headmaster. 4
Implementing the Emergency Plan If appropriate, emergency evacuation/assembly inside building including disabled persons on school premises. A register must be taken and all persons accounted for. No-one is allowed to re-enter the building until the Facilities Manager declares the emergency is over and it is safe to do so. Contact the emergency services and any other authorities involved in the incident: call out relevant specialist personnel (internal and/or external) to provide assistance. Organise treatment of casualties. Direct emergency services to relevant areas/individuals. Ian Griffiths to collect emergency plan from Carfor house. The headteacher to establish information about the incident, what, where, who, when, how; open log of events; inform GEMS Head Office. Set up HQ, if possible in Safe place. Emergency team to meet to decide appropriate actions: ALL communication must be through the headteacher/hq; pupils must not be allowed to text/phone home without the permission of the headteacher; staff must liaise with their line managers and not phone the Facilities Manager; headteacher or Main Office during the emergency. Sandra Faulker is responsible for communication out. The Receptionist is responsible for communication in. The School Secretary to inform all staff on site and off site of the situation and action to take using the Emergency Tree; SMS and email. Ensure website is updated. Place tables to be manned by senior members of staff to manage signing in and out book. Adults entering to sign in. Front door to be manned by a member of staff who directs parents to the signing in and out point. Facilities manager to liaise with transport companies. Senior member of staff to gather children using transport together in Reception. Duty teacher(s) to ensure accurate register of those using school transport. If large numbers of pupils are to be collected by parents (e.g. snow closure) the headteacher will instruct pupils and tutors to return to their form rooms with their belongings. Registers to be sent to the form rooms. As parents arrive they sign in at the table manned by staff and then go to the form rooms to collect their children. The form tutor marks the register for that day with an H to indicate children have been taken home. Line managers can combine classes once numbers in classes have reduced. Once pupil numbers have further reduced the headteacher may instruct those left to gather together at a central point with the registers. Reuniting pupils with parents/families after a disaster Designated staff to contact all parents using prepared statement. 5
Establish and offer useful contact numbers (for information or support). Consider requesting help from police if unable to contact. Arrange an appropriate location for parental pickup. Identify any absent staff and pupils and arrange for them to be briefed. Determine when disaster can be considered as over acute phase. Liaise with emergency services to determine safe return to area/buildings. Brief staff on next steps. Issue printed statement to parents (in liaison with GEMS PR) Recovery Plan Set up arrangements to deal with enquiries Contact GEMS for advice re issue of press statements. Give known facts, initial actions being taken and expressions of sympathy. Names not to be released until police and families have given permission. Caution staff not to talk to the media. Continue log. Organise restoration of building and facilities. Immediately on the return of the building to school control, the DRT to assume responsibility. DRT to supervise the restoration of all facilities and services to a level essential for the core activities or the provision of suitable alternative accommodation. Liaise with insurance companies and assessors preparatory to organising insurance claims. Make arrangements to support pupils and adults. Identify pupils, staff and adults who are most likely to need support. Arrange for school staff/support agencies. Ensure that pupils, staff and adults are aware of support available and how to access it. Make available area for pupils unable to cope with normal lessons. Give permission individually or collectively for pupils to discuss events and reactions. Support staff so that they can cope with pupils questions. Make arrangements for personal effects register and rotas. 6
In consultation with parents/families decide how to deal with personal effects. Discuss with peers as to what to do with work belonging to pupil(s) who may have died. Adjust registers, rotas and lists accordingly. Make arrangements for expressions of sympathy and/or acknowledgements. Make arrangements to express support/sympathy to families, pupils and adults. Support plans for a memorial. Plan for attendance at funerals with support if needed. Make arrangements for someone from school to visit hospital or bereaved home. Consider sending cards/messages from pupils and staff. In consultation with the family, consider special assemblies/services to collectively acknowledge what has happened and how to come to terms. Plan for return to school for those involved in the incident Home visit to discuss arrangements for return. Planned support for emotional needs. Arrange home visit from school friends. Organise work to be sent home prior to return. Planned memorials and commemorations Consider an appropriate memorial in conjunction with bereaved and involved parties. Discuss making of incident anniversary. Brief staff joining since incident. 7