Emergency Crisis Procedures
St. Anthony School realizes that there are circumstances that may disrupt the daily schedule of our school and/or potentially cause harm to our students/school. Every effort to minimize risk and to assure the safety and security of our students and our employees will be made. However, life presents personal and professional uncertainties and it is impossible to avoid every threat. A crisis plan and a crisis management team has been developed to ensure that necessary procedures, communication and manpower are prepared to provide for the safety of all the students, faculty and staff in critical situations. Some critical situations include:
- Natural disasters-Earthquake, Hurricane, Tsunami
- Chemical Hazard
- Dangerous Animal on Campus
- Intruder or Disorderly Person on Campus
- Infrastructure-Roads, Sewers, Water
- Fire
- Bomb Threat
- Technological-Power Outages
- Weapon on Campus
- Pandemic Flu
CRISIS PLANS
Written copies of the Crisis Management Plan are located in the School Office, Faculty Room, the Parish Hall, Church, Parish Offices and in every classroom. Certain actions need to occur to manage a crisis situation and the school has prudently prepared such plans in the event of a crisis. During the school year, these plans will be reviewed with the students and various scenarios will be practiced. Any situation, which endangers the safety of the school community, will be reported immediately to the Principal. The Principal in consultation with Pastor will determine the seriousness of the situation and implementation of the procedures outlined in the Crisis Management Plan will be followed.
Precautionary Action
Students are to remain in their classrooms with the doors locked until the “all clear” signal is given. This is just a precautionary action and does not involve evacuation.
Evacuation of Building/Forced Dismissal
Due to the possible unsafe situation in the building, the school community may be evacuated to the designated fire drill areas, to the courtyard, to the church or to the Outreach parking lot. Depending on the situation, there is the possibility that the students will be evacuated to another site, such as Kailua District Park. In the event that we evacuate, students will walk to the Kailua District Park. Each student will be provided with a lightweight emergency backpack filled with a bottle of water and a light snack. Parents should not rush to the school or try to pick their children up while evacuating. Students will remain at the park in the field or in the gym until the “All Clear” has been announced. At this time, parents can safely pick their children up. Please listen to the radio or check for a message from the school for our location.
Lock Down
In the event a Lock Down is called, the students will be trained to run to the nearest classroom. Students will be locked into the nearest classroom location, windows on doors covered and students moved to an area of the room out of visibility, remaining quiet until the “all clear signal is given.” Students may be picked up at the site by their parent or emergency designated person. Please listen to the radio or Parent Alert for further information. Do not call the school, as all open lines will be needed to maintain contact with authorities.
Parent Alert
In the event of a natural disaster or campus emergency, please assure your children that St. Anthony School will care for them until you can safely pick them up. After assessing the situation and consulting with the Crisis Management Team and emergency responders (HFD, HPD, etc), the school will inform parents and their designated emergency contacts through the automated emergency contact system called Parent Alert about the status of the situation. Parent Alert sends out messages via telephone, email and text messages. Parents should also listen for emergency announcements through the television, and radio stations KSSK AM 590 or FM 92.3 or KRTR FM 96.3 or KINE 105.1 FM.
Fire
The signal for a drill or actual fire is the sounding of the fire bell and/or flashing lights. Drills will be held once a month. Children will leave the building in an orderly fashion, under the teacher’s supervision, and rapidly (not running) walk, single file, to the designated field. Teachers will take roll. In the event our facility is damaged by fire and not habitable, we will care for the children at the Church and contact parents to pick their child up as soon as possible.
Inclement Weather:
Classes will be suspended if in session or canceled if the health and safety of the school community are at risk. Parents will be informed through the local radio/TV stations or through Parent Alert if the need arises.
Tsunami Warning
St. Anthony School is located in a Tsunami Inundation Zone and will have to evacuate.
- If a WARNING is issued while we are in session, we will evacuate the school to the Kailua District Park’s Gym on Kainalu Street. Parents need not leave work or rush to the school. Parents who are in, or can get to a safe area close to where they work, it is recommended they remain in the safe area until the “All Clear” is announced and avoid contributing to unnecessary traffic on roads and streets. The children will remain in school until the “All Clear” has been announced. At this time, parents can safely pick them up.
- If a WARNING is sounded before the start of school, then classes will be canceled. Please keep your children home. If a TSUNAMI ADVISORY is issued, the school may decide to close. Parents will be notified via Parent Alert and through the media should the school close.
Flooding
If water begins to rise around our facilities, we will immediately move the children to the second floor while we assess the situation. If necessary, we will evacuate to Kailua District Park and parents will be notified.
Hurricane/Tropical Storm Warning
The National Weather Service issues Hurricane or Tropical Storm WATCHES 36 hours prior to the arrival of storm effects and WARNINGS are issued when a storm could affect Oahu in 24 hours or less. When a WATCH is issued, we will monitor the storm and make a decision to close before the issuance of a WARNING. The timing of the closure will generally coincide with the end of a normal working day and should not inconvenience parents if they are at work.
Due to the length of time anticipated prior to the arrival of the storm students will remain in school until parents’ pick them up.
Earthquakes
In the event of an earthquake of significant magnitude occurring on Oahu, our school could be damaged. We can also anticipate considerable disruption to our road networks. If your children are at school, you may not be able to get to them even though you live close by. In preparation for an earthquake event, we will periodically conduct drills in conjunction with the sounding of the Civil Defense sirens. If indoors, we will stay indoors and take cover under desks, tables, supported doorways, etc. If outdoors, we will stay outdoors and move toward the open courtyard and playground areas, away from electrical lines, tall trees, and buildings. Following an actual earthquake, when the shaking has stopped, we will first treat and care for anyone who is injured and then evaluate the structural integrity of the school.
Option 1: If our buildings are sound, we will remain in place and listen on our battery-operated portable radio for Civil Defense instructions. The administration has made necessary preparation for us to survive for up to 72 hours without outside assistance.
Option 2: If the school is damaged or could sustain damage as the result of an aftershock or a tsunami warning is sounded, we will gather ourselves and our survival kits and attempt to move to Kailua District Park or an open area and sustain ourselves the best way we can, for as long as necessary, until assistance can be provided by civil authorities. We will remain until the “All Clear” has sounded and parents are able to pick up their children.
Campus Emergency
When a physical threat is imminent due to a bomb scare, national or local warnings of terrorist activity or similar situations, the intercom system and the loudspeaker system will be used to convey this status to all faculty and staff. To assure that students are not agitated unnecessarily, communication to students will state only the expected action of LOCK DOWN or EVACUATE. The main office will immediately contact local authorities to identify the lockdown status and/or request further instructions. The main office will not immediately contact parents/guardians until such time as the facilities are deemed to be secure. This will assure that telephone lines are kept open for the first fifteen minutes of this status. After the first fifteen-minute period, Parent Alert will notify parent/guardians. While in this status, parents/guardians will not be permitted to pick up their child/ren unless deemed safe by the Principal.
The announcement to LOCK DOWN signals a lock down of all rooms, requiring students and staff members to remain inside and silent.
Bomb Threat
In the event of a bomb threat, students will be evacuated from the campus. An EVACUATE announcement signals the need to leave campus. Students will walk to the Kailua District Park gym, where they will remain until parents can safely pick them up.
The school students and faculty practice lockdowns and evacuations for emergencies. In the event of a serious campus emergency, the school will be closed, and the students will be cared for until parents can safely pick them up.
Pandemic Outbreak:
In the event of a pandemic outbreak alert, the school will follow the directives from the Hawaii State Department of Health.
Hawai’i State Civil Defense
On the first business day of each month, at 11:45am, the Civil Defense tests the emergency warning system by sounding sirens. The students will learn about this warning system and practice an evacuation drill when sounded.
Parents are encouraged to prepare a family emergency plan and practice it with their children should a crisis occur while your children are not at home or in school. Children should know the location of the nearest shelter and what to do should the State Civil Defense sirens sound or a crisis situation presents itself. For more info contact the Hawaii State Civil Defense Website: http://www.scd.state.hi.us
Emergency Information Cards
When a request is made for the release of a student during the school day, or when a student is seriously injured during school hours, the student’s Emergency Card will provide the necessary information such as the name and address of parent/guardian, the name of the physician, and insurance coverage and policy. (HCS: Policy 5015.7) Please inform the school office, in writing, of any change of address, telephone numbers, or other pertinent information. Students Emergency Cards will be taken to the evacuation site.