Emergency Preparedness
2010-11
Q: What is emergency preparedness?
A: Bethel Christian School has a plan in place to guide staff in responding to an emergency.
Q: What safety precautions are in place?
A: The safety of our students is of upmost importance. In light of recent threats to our national security, schools are taking the following precautions:
- Only a parent(s) or authorized person is permitted to pick up a child from school.
- The staff has been instructed to lock all classrooms in case of an unwelcome intruder or event that might harm the children.
Q: How can I stay informed?
A: There are a number of ways a parent can stay informed. We will update the web site bcshampton.org at the time of emergency to inform you as to the status of Bethel Christian School. School Cast will also be used to inform all parents as to the status of the event. You may also listen to the public broadcast on the local tv and radio stations.
Q: What is a lockdown?
A: If the school cannot be safely evacuated, we may choose to protect students and faculty by a school lockdown. In a lockdown, all students are kept in classrooms or other designated locations in the facilities. We would secure all entrances to assure that no unauthorized person leaves or enters the building. Parents would be permitted to enter the buildings if it is deemed safe.
Q: In the event of a terrorist attack or other emergency situation, will Bethel Christian School be locked down?
A: The specifics of the situation, the safety of students and staff, the level of threat, and the advice of local and federal agencies will guide our decision.
Q: What is a shelter-in-place?
A: Shelter-in-place is a short-term measure (measured in minutes or hours, not days) that uses a facility indoor atmosphere to temporarily separate people from a hazardous outdoor environment. If an accident or attack created contaminated air in the nearby area, everyone would be brought indoors. The staff would close all windows and doors and shut down the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. This would create a neutral pressure in the building, meaning that contaminated air would not enter the building.
Q: How long will I be separated from my child?
A: A shelter-in-place situation is a short-term event. If the air outside the school is safe for parents to breathe and safe for the children to breathe, they would then be released to the parents.
Q: What if a child is exposed to a biological or chemical contaminant?
A: In the event of an exposure--and the child is showing obvious symptoms of such--staff members on duty would conduct basic decontamination.School staff members would separate the child from other children and wash him/her thoroughly with soap and water. If possible, they would have the child get a shower and have alternative clothing available. We would then take the exposed clothing and place it in a plastic bag which would be sealed.