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Emergency Planning Parent Guide


HOW WILL THE SCHOOL RESPOND TO AN EMERGENCY?

When CISD determines that an emergency has occurred, there are three possible plans of action:

Go-Home Plan:
Returns students to their homes and family as expeditiously as possible. Each  school maintains names of emergency contacts for each child. That is why it is important to  advise the building office if the name or number of an emergency contact person changes.

Shelter in Place Plan:
Keeps students in their buildings when it is safer to stay inside than to go out.  Ordinarily, sheltering is considered a short-term solution. Specific areas of each building are  identified as the safest for occupants. A part of the shelter plan will be a Stay-Put plan. In this  instance, all students will remain in their current classroom until otherwise notified. Students in school buildings who are not in classrooms will be escorted by staff to a supervised area and  remain there until otherwise notified.

Evacuation Plan: Requires that all building occupants leave and go to an alternate location.  Evacuation may mean only going outside and away from the building until an all-clear signal is  given. In some circumstances, students and staff may need to be transported and housed  temporarily in another location.

IF THERE IS AN EVACUATION, WHERE WILL STUDENTS GO?


In the event that students must be moved to an alternate location, the school will attempt to  reach all parents to advise them of the alternate location. Each school has several alternatives,  depending upon the severity of the emergency and the number of school buildings involved.
Police, Fire, and County and State authorities know of the alternate locations, but for security  reasons it would be counter productive to advise of the alternate locations until an actual  emergency occurs.

ARE THERE EMERGENCY PLANNING DRILLS?

YES –
At least twice each year, the District conducts training drills. Each school conducts  sheltering drills and stay-put drills. The sheltering and stay-put drills will be conducted at various  times during the school day in order to give students and staff practice in what to do if they are  not in their regular classroom. Additional drills and simulations will be conducted by each school’s crisis team – at the discretion of the building principal – several times throughout the  year. 

SHOULD I PICK UP MY CHILD AT SCHOOL DURING AN EMERGENCY?

We strongly encourage parents NOT to come to the school during an emergency unless  directed to do so. While every person’s natural instinct in an emergency is to go to the school  to safeguard his/her child, please understand that doing so may significantly degrade the  school’s ability to respond to the situation. In addition, going to the school may interfere with  police or other emergency workers whose sole purpose is to assure the safety and well being of  students and staff. Vehicles driving to the school, for example, will restrict access of emergency  vehicles or school buses that are loading children for evacuation or to take them home. The  building’s staff will be actively working at all times to ensure the safety of all students. While it  may seem logical that every student taken home by a parent reduces the work load of the staff,  in a fast-moving situation that requires careful coordination and communication, extra vehicles  and visitors to the school actually make the task of keeping track of all students more difficult.

WHAT PROVISIONS ARE MADE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES?

Each school has a detailed plan of action that includes evacuation of students or staff who have  special needs.

WHERE CAN I GET INFORMATION DURING AN EMERGENCY?

Chances are that you may not be able to reach the school by telephone in a real emergency.  Experience shows that staff must react to the emergency first. District telephone lines will be  busy with personnel who need to communicate to emergency services. We will, however, be  making every effort to contact parents. It is recommended that parents call 2-1-1 Texas or (877) 541-7905 to obtain information.  School personnel have a separate copy of every child’s  emergency contact information. Do not use cell phones to contact the school or your student  during an emergency. In certain situations use of cell phones may create a severe safety risk.  The District’s website, www.canutillo-isd.org , social media (Twitter, Face Book) will post updates throughout the course of an  emergency. The news media channels will be contacted and kept up-to-date on all developments, and will be asked to  broadcast important information needed by parents, just as they do when inclement weather  forces school closings.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PLAN AHEAD?

The two most important things you as a parent can do are to make certain your child’s school  has up-to-date emergency contact information, and to periodically review with your child  alternative arrangements you have made in case an emergency prevents you from being at home. Being prepared for emergencies is not only a requirement of the State, but is also taken  very seriously by the staff and administration of the Canutillo Independent School District. The  District has maintained an emergency management plan for each of its schools, a plan that is  reviewed and revised annually and after each emergency. This plan addresses an enormous  range of issues, ranging from the mundane to dealing with the onset of a crisis, to addressing  the social, emotional, and psychological needs of staff and students in its aftermath. The  purpose of this guide is to assist in answering some of the basic questions that parents  frequently ask about during and after a crisis. Questions like: Where do I get information? What  should I do during a crisis? and, Who can I contact for help? When disaster strikes, the first  consideration for every Canutillo staff member is the safety of the children in our care. This guide  provides a brief description of how the District will manage an emergency and how Canutillo parents can support our efforts during an emergency. Questions about the information contained  in this guide should be directed to your building principal.

SCHOOL TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Canutillo ISD Administration   915.877.7400
Canutillo Elementary School
915.877.7601
Bill Childress Elementary School   915.877.7701
Jose Damian Elementary School   915.877.6801
Davenport Elementary School   915.886.6401
Garcia Elementary   915.877.1200
Reyes Elementary   915.877.1301
Alderete Middle School   915.877.6600
Canutillo Middle School   915.877.7900
Canutillo High School   915.877.7801
Northwest Early College HS   915.877.1700
Student Support Services   915.877.7650
Faciilties & Transportation   915.877.7742

GENERAL INFORMATION

The Canutillo Independent School District has established emergency and safety plans for each  school in the District. Each of these plans is coordinated with Police, Fire, and other officials in county or state-wide agencies. There are five general categories that the plans address. They include:
  1. Criminal offenses such as bomb threats, kidnapping, or violent behavior.
  2. Natural hazards such as severe weather or earthquakes.
  3. Environmental hazards such as exposure to hazardous materials, explosions, fires,  or plane crash.
  4. Medical emergencies such as contagious disease, exposure to biohazards, and  accident or terminal illness of a student, parent, or staff member.
  5. Death or suicide of a student, staff member or family member.