An emergency shall be defined as a situation or an impending situation that constitutes a danger of major proportions that could result in serious harm to persons or substantial damage to property and that is caused by the forces of nature, a disease or other health risk, an accident or an act whether intentional or otherwise.
The immediate physical safety of students and staff shall be the paramount principle in the development and implementation of emergency measures. Actions could encompass sheltering for protection, evacuation of all or part of the premises, first aid and the continued care of students until they can safely return to their homes. Staff and students must know the procedures to follow in case of an emergency and be trained to participate in the specific plan for their school. A secondary consideration is the security of the building(s) and property.
Each school is expected to have a Safe Schools Plan. As part of that Plan, if it is deemed necessary by the Administration or the Police/Fire Departments, evacuation of the building will occur. Students will proceed out of the building in an orderly fashion using the same exits as they would for a fire drill. If faced with special circumstances regarding the evacuation of the building and/or relocation of students within a building, modifications to the plan will be under the direction of the School Administrator(s).
There shall be an individual Emergency Response Plan for each school, prepared under the authority of the School Administrator(s). It will provide guidelines for the evacuation of students to an off-site location and other possible actions appropriate for the specific emergency, to be initiated by the School Administrator(s).
In the event of an emergency that includes jurisdictions other than the District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) and/or the need for evacuation outside of the school community, the DSBN/school actions shall be co-ordinated with the authority having jurisdiction.