• EMERGENCY DRILLS

    J-11


    It is the policy of the Mountain Brook Board of Education that special drills will be planned by the local school principal and staff to assure the orderly movement and placement of students in the safest available areas.

     I. Fire Drills

    An orderly plan for evacuation of students and staff, in case of fire, shall be developed by the principal and staff of each school in the Mountain Brook School District.  Plans shall be developed in cooperation with local fire department officials and rules and regulations as may be set forth by Alabama law and the State Fire Marshall’s office.

    Fire drills shall be held in each school at least once a month and a report filed with the Superintendent of Schools.  Fire exit plans shall be posted in each school in all rooms occupied at any time by students.

    II.  Civil Defense Drills

    Local school principals shall cooperate with local civil defense officials to plan and implement drills that would help to insure the safety of students and staff in the event of a national or local emergency.

     II.  Tornado Drills

     Weather warning definitions – In order that action to be recommended be effectual in the correct time frame, the following storm warnings used by the Bureau of Weather Services are defined in order of severity.

     A.    Severe Thunderstorm Watch

     Means that weather conditions are such that a severe thunderstorm may develop.

     B.    Severe Thunderstorm Warning

    Means that a severe thunderstorm has developed and will probably affect those areas stated in the weather bulletin.

     C.    Tornado Watch

     Means that weather conditions are such that a tornado may develop.

     D.    Tornado Warning

     Means that a tornado has been formed and sighted and may affect those areas stated in the weather bulletin.

     

    Recommended Actions – The following actions coincide with the conditions cited above.

     

    A.    Severe Thunderstorm Watch

    Those in charge are to review the severe weather plan of operation. 

    B.    Severe Thunderstorm Warning

    Relocate all students from portable classrooms and play areas to the main school building or building designated as storm location building.

    C.    Tornado Watch

    Notify all teachers of impending weather conditions and open all transom windows and doors between classrooms and corridors.

    D.    Tornado Warning

            All students are to be relocated to the inner corridors or areas designated as safest places by the Civil Defense authorities.

     

    TORNADO WARNING PERIOD – GENERAL PROCEDURES

    DRILL PROCEDURES

     

    1.     During the warning the students should be seated on the floor with their backs to the corridor walls or inner walls of the building.  Coats and jackets should be used to cover students’ heads, arms, and legs, so as to reduce the number of injuries from flying missiles of glass or other debris. 

    2.     Exterior doors leading into the corridors should be opened.  If the designated location is different from the corridors, doors leading to said location should be opened.

    3.     Tornado drills should be carried out by all schools within the School District under the direction of the local school principal at least four (4) times during the school year during the months of September, October, January, and February.  A statement signed by the principal shall be transmitted to the Superintendent of Schools following each of the four (4) drills attesting to the fact that such drills were carried out in the manner herein prescribed.

    4.     Each school within the School District shall establish, with the assistance of Civil Defense personnel, procedures to be operant during the alert period.  First aid, communications, floor leaders, and similar concerns must be worked out in each school under the direction of the principal.

          Each school shall maintain one battery powered radio tuned in to Civil Defense and one battery powered light.

          Warning systems relative to the emergencies other than fire shall be through use of an air horn rather than through use of bells.

     

    DISMISSAL OF SCHOOL DURING SEVERE WEATHER CONDITIONS

    In the event the dangerous or potentially dangerous weather conditions are present at the time school is normally dismissed, the school principal shall require that all students remain in school until such conditions are no longer present.

     

     

     

    Adopted:  January 22, 1979