Lockdown, evacuation procedures explained

With many petrochemical complexes nearby, accidents will sometimes happen. In the event of such incidents during the school day, the Pasadena Independent School District has specific plans in place to keep students, teachers and other school personnel safe.

"The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our utmost priority," Superintendent Rick Schneider said. "While we always hope that these incidents never occur, we still must be prepared."

If an explosion or chemical release occurs, school officials will be in constant communication with emergency personnel at the scene. From that point, officials determine which schools might be in the line of possible danger from the release. The campuses would then be ordered to "lock down," which is also known as "shelter in place."

During the lock down procedure, all children and other school personnel would be moved into the building. The doors to the building would be locked and no one would be allowed to enter or leave. The air-conditioning system would be turned off to keep fumes from entering the building.

"Although some parents may feel compelled to pick up their children from school at that time, we want to assure them that their children are completely safe during the lockdown," Schneider said. "Allowing anyone to enter or exit the building during this time could expose the children and everyone else inside to a potentially dangerous situation.

"I am a parent. Our school personnel are parents, too," he added. "We share other parents' concerns during this type of situation. But rest assured, the children are in the safest place they can be."

When officials first respond to the scene of an explosion or chemical release, another option they might consider is evacuation of campuses. If that determination is made, school administrators would contact the district's transportation department and students would be bused to a designated location well out of harm's way.

Once the district receives additional clarification from local emergency officials, it will assign "levels of threat" to the various areas of the district associated with the district's high school attendance zones. If any portion of the area is threatened by a situation, all schools within that area will operate under the same procedures unless notified differently by district officials. Campuses will be notified concerning their threat level and status as quickly as possible.

The different threat assessment levels are as follows:

* Level 1 - Requires continued operation of the shelter in place order until further notice. 

* Level 2 - Allows schools to release children to parents who come to the school while maintaining all other precautions required by shelter in place. Students in portable buildings should be brought inside the main building at this time to allow access to restrooms and other facilities. 

* Level 3 - Allows schools to return to normal operation while staying on alert for the possibility of reissuing the shelter in place if conditions change.

In the event of a lock down, once school officials receive word from emergency personnel that the danger has passed, the lock down would be lifted. If students were evacuated from campus, they would be bused back to the school after receiving approval from officials.

During a time of a crisis of this type, school officials suggest parents keep informed by listening to the radio or monitoring the situation on television.

"Your children are our most valuable asset," Schneider said. "You've entrusted us to the safety of your children. These safety procedures are part of that commitment."


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