Current through Register Vol. 40, No. 16, March 25, 2024
A. A school
shall have contingency plans for medical emergencies that include staff
certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), emergency first aid , and
medication administration .
B. The
school administration shall ensure that the school has:
1. Written procedures to follow in
emergencies such as fire, injury, illness, and violent or threatening behavior.
Contingency plans should be developed with the assistance of state or local
public safety authorities. Such plans shall be outlined in the student handbook
and reviewed with staff and students during the first week of each school
year;
2. Space for the proper care
of students who become ill; and
3.
A written procedure for responding to violent, disruptive, or illegal
activities by students on school property or during a school-sponsored
activity.
C. Each school
shall annually have at least one tornado drill, at least one earthquake drill,
and at least two lockdown drills, one in September and one in January
.
D. The school shall have a
written emergency preparedness and response plan for all locations that
addresses:
1. Documentation of contact with
the local emergency coordinator to determine (i) local disaster risks, (ii)
communitywide plans to address different disasters and emergency situations,
and (iii) assistance, if any, that the local emergency management office will
provide to the school in an emergency.
2. Analysis of the school's capabilities and
potential hazards, including natural disasters, severe weather, fire, flooding,
workplace violence , intruder, hostage situation, or terrorism, missing
persons, riot, severe injuries, or other emergencies that would disrupt the
normal course of service delivery.
3. Written emergency management policies
outlining specific responsibilities for provision of administrative direction
and management of response activities; coordination of logistics during the
emergency; communications; life safety of students, employees, contractors,
student interns, volunteers, and visitors; property protection; community
outreach; and recovery and restoration.
4. Written emergency response procedures for
assessing the situation; protecting students, employees, contractors, student
interns, volunteers, and visitors; protecting equipment and education records;
and restoring services.
5.
Emergency procedures, which shall address:
a.
Communicating with employees, contractors, volunteers, student interns, and
community responders;
b. Warning
and notification of students;
c.
Providing emergency access to secure areas and opening locked doors;
d. Conducting evacuations to emergency
shelters or alternative sites and accounting for all students;
e. Relocating students and staff, if
necessary;
f. Notifying family
members and legal guardians;
g.
Alerting emergency personnel and sounding alarms; and
h. Locating and shutting off utilities when
necessary.
6. Supporting
documents that would be needed in an emergency, including emergency call lists,
building and site maps necessary to shut off utilities, designated escape
routes, and list of major resources such as local emergency shelters.
7. Schedule for testing the implementation of
the plan and conducting emergency preparedness drills.
8. Children who use wheelchairs, crutches,
canes, or other mechanical devices for assistance in walking shall be provided
with a planned, personalized means of effective egress for use in
emergencies.
E. The
school shall have emergency preparedness and response training for all
employees, contractors, student interns, and volunteers that shall include
responsibilities for:
1. Alerting emergency
personnel and sounding alarms;
2.
Implementing evacuation procedures , including evacuation of students with
special needs (i.e., deaf, blind, nonambulatory);
3. Using, maintaining, and operating
emergency equipment;
4. Accessing
emergency information for students including medical information; and
5. Utilizing community support
services.
F. There shall
be documented review of the emergency preparedness plan annually and revisions
made if necessary.
G. Employees,
contractors, student interns, and volunteers shall be prepared to implement the
emergency preparedness plan in the event of an emergency.
H. Floor plans showing primary and secondary
means of egress shall be posted on each floor in locations where they can
easily be seen by staff and students.
I. The procedures and responsibilities
reflected in the emergency procedures shall be communicated to all students
within seven days following admission or a substantive change in the
procedures.
J. At least one
emergency evacuation drill shall be conducted in each building occupied by
students at least once per week for the first 20 school days and then once a
month for the rest of the school year and more often if necessary .
K. Evacuation drills shall include, at a
minimum:
1. Sounding of emergency
alarms;
2. Practice in evacuating
buildings and buses or vans;
3.
Practice in alerting emergency authorities;
4. Simulated use of emergency equipment;
and
5. Practice in securing student
emergency information.
L. A record shall be maintained for each
evacuation drill and shall include the following:
1. Buildings and buses or vans in which the
drill was conducted;
2. Date and
time of drill;
3. Amount of time to
evacuate the buildings;
4. Specific
problems encountered;
5. Staff
tasks completed including head count and practice in notifying emergency
authorities; and
6. The name of the
staff members responsible for conducting and documenting the drill and
preparing the record.
M.
The record for each evacuation drill shall be retained for three years after
the drill.
N. At least one staff
member shall be assigned the responsibility for ensuring that all requirements
regarding the emergency preparedness and response plan and the evacuation drill
program are met.
O. In the event of
a disaster, fire, emergency, or any other condition that may jeopardize the
health, safety, and welfare of students, the school shall notify the parent(s),
the student's public school, placing agency, and department as soon as
possible, but no later than 24 hours after the incident occurs.
Statutory Authority: §§ 22.1-16 and 22.1-321 of
the Code of Virginia.
