important drills practiced in schools?

 Fire drills.
 Tornado drills.
 Lockdown drills.
 Earthquake drill

Four Basic Safety Drills for Your School

 Evacuation. A school evacuation occurs when students, faculty, and staff need to leave the school. ...
 Reverse Evacuation. Reverse evacuation drills are critical for two reasons. ...
 Lockdown. This drill prepares students in the event of an intruder on campus. ...
 Shelter in Place.

What are emergency drills?

The purpose of conducting an emergency evacuation training drill is to assist personnel to
know their roles and responsibilities in an emergency situation in accordance with the
workplace plans and procedures, and to test the workforce response to an emergency.

What are the 3 C's when dealing with an emergency?

First Aid: Follow the Three C's. If you find yourself in an emergency situation that requires
quick action, follow the three Cs: Check, Call and Care. First, survey the scene for any
possible hazards

What are the ABC's of emergency care?

ABC and its variations are initialism mnemonics for essential steps used by both medical
professionals and lay persons (such as first aiders) when dealing with a patient. In its
original form it stands for Airway, Breathing, and Circulation.

Is Your School at Risk? A Look at Natural Disasters

Some natural disasters can be predicted, giving schools enough warning to evacuate or take other safety precautions,
but others can happen unexpectedly or go through rapid changes that suddenly put a school in danger. The first step
schools should take in preparing for these types of emergencies is to assess the natural disaster risks in their areas.
The map below can help schools determine their likelihood of being affected by natural disasters like these:

Winter storms & extreme cold

Extreme heat

Wildfires

House & building fires

Thunderstorms & lightning

Landslides & debris flow

Getting Your School Prepared

Thoughtful planning and preparation can help ensure the safety of students and staff should and earthquake occur
during school hours. These tips can aid in the preparation process.

Consider the buildings.

Schools are built to code at the time of their construction, and many older school buildings might not meet
earthquake protection standards. Seek out an architect to evaluate the building and point out areas that could be
reinforced.
Secure furniture.

Any tall shelving, audio-visual equipment and heavy computer cabinets should be secured to the wall. Try to avoid
placing heavy objects on shelves or other surfaces where they might fall during severe shaking.

Create a cache of emergency supplies.

In a serious earthquake, it could be awhile before it’s safe for students and staff to leave the building. Have a plan to
shelter in place for two or three days, including plenty of emergency food, water and first aid kits.

Drop, cover and hold on.

Make sure students are familiar with safety procedures, like taking cover under their desks until the quake subsides.
Have a class discussion on earthquake preparedness at the beginning of each school year.

Hold earthquake drills.

This is necessary to ensure an immediate and proper response. Earthquake drills also help administrators figure out
where the process needs to be reevaluated.

Practice evacuation plans.

Aftershocks are very likely. Solid evacuation plans should get students out of the building within minutes and offer a
safe meeting place for all classes.

Be prepared for search and rescue.

In addition to earthquake drills and evacuation procedures, staff may need to conduct search and rescues. However,
before entering the building, staff should make sure that they aren’t going to put themselves in danger. If one or
more outer walls or the roof is collapsed, or if the building is leaning, staff should wait for search and rescue
professionals.

Getting Your School Prepared (fire)

Whether a fire threat comes from inside or outside the building, student and staff safety is the top priority. Smart
planning and preparation for various types of fire threats can help schools prevent fires and, when prevention is not
possible, respond to them appropriately.

Plan ahead

Make sure a sound evacuation and response plan is in place before school begins. The plan should be understood by
everyone involved and straightforward in its implementation.

Ensure safety in all areas

Check to see if all safety recommendations are being followed. This includes having the proper number of sprinklers,
fire alarm pulls, smoke detectors and fire extinguishers in the building.

Prominently display school blueprints

Laminated blueprints displayed in prominent places, such as right inside main doors, can help firefighters navigate
the school in an emergency.

Choose a meeting place

A fast-moving fire can create chaos, and some students might get separated. Make sure everyone knows where to
meet outside, such as a particular parking lot.
Provide clear instruction

Before the first fire drill, make sure all students understand what they must do and why. Go over the rules of
evacuation. Go further by practicing “stop, drop and roll.”

Practice fire drills

The Federal government requires drills at least once per month. Help students stay calm by reminding them that it is
a drill and that they know what to do.

Encourage drills at home

Remind students that drills should be practiced at home as well. Teaching them the basics of getting low, touching
the door handle before opening a door and how to “stop, drop and roll” can help them educate their family members.

Follow all wildfire recommendations

Protect the school by creating a “survivable space” around buildings. Also ensure building materials are fire-
retardant, and work with local officials to bring the building up to proper codes.

Getting Your School Prepared (terrorism)

Taking steps to prepare the building as well as those inside it can help schools stay safe and respond appropriately to
active shooter events and terrorist threats.

Prepare the building

Quick-lock doors, panic buttons and even discreet metal detectors are good options to deal with armed intruders.
Security cameras outside the building can help spot problems before they breach the protective walls.

Teach alertness

“If you see something, say something.” Any student who notices something odd or frightening should immediately
tell the teachers or administrators.

Prepare for evacuation and lockdown

Create a plan that looks at various ways to get students out of the building at a moment’s notice. This should have
alternate routes, as the usual exit might be too dangerous to use. If evacuating is too risky, students will need to
shelter in place.

Have regular drills

Conducting drills for all types and severities of emergency lockdown situations, not just the most likely or the most
extreme, can increase success rates and safety if an actual threat occurs.

Use strong communication

In addition to sounding the immediate alarm when a threat occurs, be ready to communicate with concerned parents.
A good alert system can keep them updated and away from danger

Advice from the Expert: What Can Schools Be Doing Better?

Jason Russell Read More

What is the biggest hurdle to emergency preparedness in schools today?

The biggest hurdle in emergency preparedness is understanding the importance and need for training. In emergencies
people don’t rise to the occasion, they sink to the level of their training. Training is the most important piece of the
emergency preparedness puzzle, so schools should focus more of their safety budgets on training staff.

What can school administrators do to make sure that campus structures are built for emergencies?

Many schools, universities etc. are focusing much of their security and emergency budgets on physical security
features. Administrators should seek expertise in the design phase of the process. Often the architects designing
schools have little to no experience with security. When the process is done the schools are left with security features
they have not been properly trained to use. In addition, emergency plans must be examined and adjusted to ensure
they match the new school features.

What can parents do to make things easier for emergency personnel when there is a disaster affecting their
child’s school?

Parents’ natural reaction to respond directly to the school occurs because they have not been given information on
where they should respond to be reunited with their children. It is crucial for schools to not only identify suitable
relocation sites but also to identify staging areas at each relocation sites. These staging areas can be used by parents
to gather prior to reunification.