This Emergency Operation Plan (EOP) and supporting materials, is a guide to how the Olympia School District conducts all-hazards response. To clarify, all-hazards events are typically associated with the following categories:

Natural Hazard - These events are emergencies caused by forces extraneous to man in elements of the natural environment. (e.g., earthquake, flood, hazardous weather, public health emergency).
Technological Hazard - These incidents involve materials or systems created by man and that pose a unique hazard to the general public and environment. The jurisdiction needs to consider incidents that are caused by accident (e.g., mechanical failure, human mistake), result from an emergency caused by another hazard, or are caused intentionally. (e.g., infrastructure/utility disruption, radiological, or hazardous material release).
Human-caused - These are disasters created by man, either intentionally or by accident. (e.g., criminal or violent behavior, intruder, civil unrest, active shooter, terrorism).

The EOP is written in support of emergency management and is built upon the National Response Framework as scalable, flexible and adaptable coordinating structures to align key roles and responsibility. This plan and contents within will apply to all Olympia School District administration, staff, and students, and others participating in protection, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Furthermore, tasked organizations such as the Olympia Fire Department or Police Departments which are supporting EOP procedures will maintain their own procedures and actively participate in the training, exercise, and maintenance needed to support this plan.

This plan is intended to capture specific authorities and best practices for managing incidents from the serious but local, to large-scale community or regional events, or events catastrophic in nature.

Most emergencies follow some recognizable build-up period during which actions can be taken to achieve an appropriate state of maximum readiness. General actions are detailed in the appropriate sections of this document; however, it is acknowledged that disasters are unique occurrences, which require specific resources dependent upon the type, nature, and extent of the emergency. In this regard, this document is not all-inclusive, nor does it limit or restrict reasonable or prudent actions by district employees.

This EOP was prepared by the Olympia School District Safety and Risk Manager and approved by the Assistant Superintendent of Business Services, whereas enabling activities contained within this document to be performed within the school capability. Furthermore, this EOP has been distributed internally within the Olympia School District and with external agencies that may be affected by its implementation.

APPROVAL and IMPLEMENTATION

This plan will apply to all Washington Middle School students, faculty, and staff and others participating in protection, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts. Furthermore, the EOP may be applied to any school-sponsored events whether on or off property and all public or private, school-sanctioned activities.

The Washington Middle School Principal, Paul Anders, or designee will be responsible for plan oversight and coordination with applicable stakeholders, such as, law enforcement, county health department, fire services, emergency management, etc. This emergency response plan is based on the “all-hazards” concept and plans for natural and manmade disasters and incidents. The plan is flexible in that part of the plan or the entire plan may be activated based on the specific emergency and decision by school leadership.

This EOP and its supporting contents are hereby approved, supersedes all previous editions formerly referred to as the “Level 2 Emergency Operations Plan” and is effective immediately upon the signing of signature authority noted below and remains effective until superseded by a new plan.

Approval Signature: ________________________________________________________, Principal

School Name: _____Washington Middle School______________________________

Date: __________________________________________________________

DISTRICT LEVEL SIGNATURE PAGE

Approval Signature: __________________________________________________________, Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent

District Name: _Olympia School District________________________________________

Date: ______________________________________________________________

PURPOSE, SCOPE, SITUATION, and ASSUMPTIONS

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Washington Middle School Emergency Operation Plan is to outline the school’s approach to emergency operations and to enable local, state and federal coordination in addition to public/private support. It provides general guidance for emergency management activities. The EOP and its contents describe the school emergency response organization and assigns responsibilities for various emergency tasks. Specific support materials found in the EOP Sections beyond the Basic Plan, or in attachments, may describe details of who does what, when and how, or provides additional information in support of potential emergency response actions. Additionally, the EOP describes capabilities and resources, as well as establishes responsibilities and operational processes, to help protect the school from natural, technological, and manmade hazards; with the primary objectives to save lives and protect public health, property and the environment, and reduce adverse psychological consequences and disruptions.

Although emergencies/disasters and catastrophic incidents typically result in impacts far beyond the immediate or initial incident area, the EOP provides a framework to enable the management of cascading impacts and multiple incidents as well as the prevention of and preparation for subsequent events.

The Washington Middle School Emergency Operations Plan supports the school and the district general operating procedures. It is the responsibility of those referenced in this plan to integrate their departmental policy, procedures, and emergency management activities such as task performance and organization, while also participating in training, exercises and plan integration and maintenance needed to support a collective process.

Additionally, the Plan:

Empowers employees in an incident to act quickly and knowledgeably;
Informs students, faculty, and staff, and trains key stakeholders on their roles and responsibilities before, during, and after an incident;

Provides other members of the community with assurances that the Washington Middle School and the Olympia School District has established a policy and procedures to respond to incidents/hazards in an effective way;
Establishes intra-agency and multi-jurisdictional mechanisms for involvement in, and coordination of, incident response and recovery operations;

Provides guidance for emergency operations and the utilization of all available Washington Middle School, Olympia School District and government resources for the protection of lives, property, and the continuance of school operations in an emergency.

SCOPE

It is the school’s Principal, Paul Anders, or designee that is the responsible authority to direct the response involving an incident occurring on property, or at any school event.

This plan and all contents contained herein will apply to all Washington Middle School students, faculty, staff and visitors, and others participating in protection, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery efforts. An incident or event influencing Washington Middle School may also affect the surrounding community; therefore, this plan will support community emergency operations.

The scope of the EOP applies to incidents and/or events of all sizes, including those that exceed the school response services and capabilities that may result in activation of the local emergency operations center (i.e. Homeland Security, Red Cross, Military).

The School EOP outlines the expectations of faculty and staff; roles and responsibilities; direction and control systems; internal and external communications; training and sustainability of the EOP; authority and references as defined by local, state, and federal government mandates; common and specialized procedures; and specific hazard vulnerabilities and response/recovery for Washington Middle School.

SITUATION OVERVIEW

Washington Middle School is a stakeholder in the local and state disaster risks. The school is exposed to hazards, which have the potential for disrupting the school community and causing widespread damage and casualties. Such hazard exposure may include geographic location, population concentration to include demographics, buildings, rail, air and highway traffic. Other risk factors may include: floods, tornadoes, terrorist activities, fires, explosions, transportation accidents, pandemic and other infectious diseases, shooting, school collapse, tornadoes, bomb threats, hostage situation, utility outage, neighborhood disturbance, armed intruder, etc.

The Olympia School District participated in the hazard assessment process, utilizing local resources, such as Thurston Regional Planning Council, The ESD 113 and Thurston County Emergency Management, law enforcement including, Olympia Police Department, Thurston County Sheriff and Washington State Patrol, Olympia Fire Services, Thurston County Health Department and private entities where applicable, to determine the threat and risk for the school and surrounding community.

For information on Washington Middle School demographics and building information please see Olympia School District building information webpage.

To enhance capability and mitigation efforts:

The Principal may work with law enforcement, county health department, fire services and emergency management staff of the City of Olympia and Thurston County on a regular basis. A cooperative working relationship and team approach between the school and municipal governments for emergency response is seen as a major responsibility for which the school supports prevention, protection, response, and recovery capability consideration, along with the adequate training, equipment, and personnel needs are coordinated.

The school is dependent upon the local municipalities for fire suppression and rescue services, major hazardous material response capabilities, EMS, bomb squad response, public health guidance, law enforcement tactical responses, support from emergency management, and assistance in emergency operations staffing.

The school maintains staffing resources, or has agreements in place, that may provide the following services: CPR, first aid, counseling

Washington Middle School has assigned the following staff, Principal, Paul Anders, and district Safety and Risk Manager, Wendy Couture, to address emergency preparedness. In addition to supporting the City of Olympia, Thurston County and WA State agencies the school has adopted and supports OSPI, FEMA and ALICE emergency management practices, protection, prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery in their planning process, and is committed to developing and exercising plans in addition to training and exercising with local populations.

PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS

The Washington Middle School EOP is based on the following planning assumptions and considerations as presented in this section.

Any employee of Washington Middle School may be tasked by this EOP.
School officials and representatives recognize their responsibilities for the safety and well-being of students, staff, and visitors; and assume their responsibilities in the implementation of this EOP.

External resources may be requested to assist the school.

In most cases, law enforcement or fire service personnel will assume Incident Command, at the time of arrival on scene or establish a unified command, depending on the type of emergency.
Incident Command or management activities will be initiated and conducted using the Incident Command System, contained in the National Incident Management System (NIMS.)

Outside assistance will likely be available in most emergencies affecting the school. Although these procedures define procedures for coordinating such assistance, it is essential for the school to be prepared to carry out disaster response and short-term actions on an independent basis, or in the event, the incident is community or region wide and community resources are focused elsewhere.
It is possible for a major disaster to occur anytime and anyplace in or near the school. In some cases, timely dissemination of warnings and increased readiness measures may be possible. However, many disasters can, and may occur with little or no warning.
Emergencies on the school grounds may involve multiple responding departments and agencies including, but not limited to, local law enforcement, county health department, fire services, emergency management, environmental health and safety, emergency medical services, and appropriate school, city, county, state and federal agencies.
Proper implementation and understanding of these procedures through training and exercising will reduce or prevent disaster-related losses and human suffering.

CONCEPT OF OPERATIONS

GENERAL

It is the responsibility of the school to protect life and property from the effects of emergency situations within its own jurisdiction. Washington Middle School has the primary responsibility for initial emergency management activities. Concept of Operations information located in this section is designed to give an overall picture of incident management. It will primarily clarify the purpose, and explain the school’s overall approach to an emergency (i.e., what should happen, when, and at whose direction.)

Top priorities for incident management are to:

Protect and save lives, and protect the health and safety of students, faculty, staff, visitors, responders, and recovery workers.
Protect property and mitigate damages and impacts to individuals, the community, and the environment.

To assist in delineating levels of response, the following terms have been provided, but it is of the utmost importance that terminology is used that is acceptable and applicable to your individual school, district and response community.

An emergency, as used in this plan, is intended to describe a range of situations, from an incident to a major disaster. It includes the following:

INCIDENT - An incident is a situation that is limited in scope and potential effects.

EMERGENCY - An emergency is a situation that is larger in scope and more severe in terms of actual or potential effects than an incident.

DISASTER - A disaster involves the occurrence or threat of significant injury/casualties and/or widespread property damage that is beyond the capability of the local government to handle with available local resources.

This EOP is based on the “all-hazards” concept and is flexible in that part of the plan or the entire plan may be activated based on the specific emergency and decision by school leadership.

The school concept of operations is that the emergency functions of various departments and agencies involved in emergency management will generally parallel normal day-to-day functions or operations.

Day-to-day functions that do not contribute directly to the emergency may be suspended for the duration of any emergency. The efforts that would normally be required for those functions will be redirected to the accomplishment of emergency tasks by the school.

The Washington Middle School EOP addresses preparedness activities embedded within the key areas of emergency planning.

SIX KEY AREAS OF EMERGENCY PLANNING AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

In the event of an incident, Washington Middle School will utilize these definitions. There is an acknowledgement that most responsibilities and functions performed during an emergency are not hazard specific. Likewise, these procedures account for activities pre-incident, incident, and post-incident; consequently, key areas are noted as the following:

Prevention – Consists of actions that reduce risk from incidents. Prevention planning can also help mitigate secondary or opportunistic incidents that may occur after the primary incident.
Protection – Reduces or eliminates a threat to people, property and the environment. Primarily focused on adversarial incidents, the protection of critical infrastructure and key resources (CIKR) is vital to local jurisdictions, national security, public health and safety and economic vitality.
Mitigation – Mitigation activities are those which eliminate or reduce the probability of a disaster occurring. Also included are those long-term activities which lessen the undesirable effects of unavoidable hazards.
Preparedness – Preparedness activities serve to develop the response capabilities needed in the event an emergency should arise. Planning and training are among the activities conducted under this phase.
Response – Response is the actual provision of emergency services during a crisis. These activities help to reduce casualties and damage, and speed recovery. Response activities include evacuation, rescue, and other similar operations.
Recovery – Recovery is both a short-term and long-term process. Short-term operations seek to restore vital services to the School and provide for the basic needs of students, faculty, and staff. Long-term recovery focuses on restoring the School to its normal pre-disaster, or an improved state of affairs. The recovery period is also an opportune time to institute future mitigation measures, particularly those related to the recent emergency.

NATIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (NIMS)

NIMS provides a consistent framework for incident management at all jurisdictional levels regardless of the cause, size, or complexity of the incident. NIMS is not an operational incident management or resource allocation plan. NIMS represents a core set of doctrine, concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes that enables effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management. Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) supports the use of the NIMS process for school districts in Washington State.

NIMS ensures that those involved in incident response and recovery understand what their roles are, and have the tools they need to be effective. Additionally, NIMS:

Defines incident response organizational concepts and structures.
Consists of procedures for managing personnel, facilities, equipment, and communications.
Is used throughout the lifecycle of an incident (e.g., from threat to parent/student reunification).

NIMS components include:

Preparedness - Effective emergency management and incident response activities begin with a host of preparedness activities conducted on an ongoing basis, in advance of any potential incident. Preparedness involves an integrated combination of planning, procedures and protocols, training and exercises, personnel qualifications and certification, and equipment certification.

Communications and Information Management - Emergency management and incident response activities rely upon communications and information systems that provide a common operating picture to all command and coordination sites. NIMS describes the requirements necessary for a standardized framework for communications and emphasizes the need for a common operating picture. NIMS is based upon the concepts of interoperability, reliability, scalability, portability, and the resiliency and redundancy of communications and information systems.

Resource Management - Resources (such as personnel, equipment, and/or supplies) are needed to support critical incident objectives. The flow of resources must be fluid and adaptable to the requirements of the incident. NIMS define standardized mechanisms and establishes the resource management process to: identify requirements, order and acquire, mobilize, track and report, recover and demobilize, reimburse, and inventory resources.

Command and Management - The Command and Management component within NIMS is designed to enable effective and efficient incident management and coordination by providing flexible, standardized incident management structures. The structures are based on three key organizational constructs: the Incident Command System, Multiagency Coordination Systems, and Public Information.

Ongoing Management and Maintenance - Within the auspices of Ongoing Management and Maintenance, there are two components: the National Integration Center (NIC) and Supporting Technologies.

Washington Middle School has adopted the OSPI recommendation for use of NIMS and the use of the Incident Command System (ICS) in accordance with the Homeland Security - Presidential Policy Directive (PPD) 8. Additionally, U.S. Department of Education has provided guidance as to “key personnel,” such as executive leaders, general personnel, command staff and incident managers, to complete specific courses in order to meet organizational NIMS compliance.

Appropriate school staff will participate in NIMS preparedness programs, community collaboration and planning efforts, and participate in training and exercising of the EOP’s procedures.

In a major emergency or disaster, the school may be damaged or need to be evacuated, people may be injured, and/or other incident management activities may need to be initiated. These activities will be organized and coordinated to ensure efficient incident management. The Incident Command System (ICS), a component of NIMS, will be used to manage all incidents and major school/district planned events. The school ICS approach will be used in all phases of incident management, including pre-incident activities, incident and post incident.

EMERGENCY OPERATIONS PLAN ACTIVATION AUTHORITY and COMMUNICATION

The Assistant Superintendent, Jennifer Priddy and/or Principal, Paul Anders, and/or designee are typically the responsible authority for directing emergency measures for the school or district, and is provided the authority to activate this EOP. By default, the Principal or other designee becomes the initial Incident Commander until relieved by the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, or law enforcement.

The Superintendent, Principal, and/or designee will obtain information on the nature of the incident and assessment of the situation and will make the determination of next steps and assume the role of, or delegate the role of incident commander if the situation warrants.

An incident warranting multi-jurisdictional resources, emergency response activities will employ the Incident/Unified Command System (ICS) structure.

Timely warnings of emergency conditions are essential to preserve the safety and security of the school or district community and critical to an effective response and recovery. Direction on communications may be found at Olympia School District Communications Department webpage. Additional information may be obtained at the District level by contacting Susan Gifford, Director of Communications and Community Relations at (360) 596-6013.

ORGANIZATION and ASSIGNMENT of RESPONSIBILITIES

ORGANIZATION

Emergency Management for Washington Middle School is comprised of the following:

POLICY GROUP (DISTRICT)

The Policy Group is comprised of the following:

Superintendent, Patrick Murphy
Assistant Superintendent of Finance, Jennifer Priddy
Chief Academic Officer, Hanna Gbenro
Executive Director of Communication, Susan Gifford
Director of Transportation, Rhonda Morton
Executive Director of Operations, Frank Wilson
Executive Director of Human Resources, Scott Niemann
Safety and Risk Manager, Wendy Couture

In complex incidents, the Policy Group will be convened at The Knox Administration Building located at: 111 Bethel Street NE

Olympia WA 98506

The role of the Policy Group is to:

Support the on-scene Incident Commander with strategic guidance, information analysis, and needed resources
Provide policy and strategic guidance
Help to ensure that adequate resources are available
Identify and resolve issues common to all organizations
Keep elected officials and other executives informed of the situation and decisions.
Provide factual information, both internally and externally through the District Communications Department.

SCHOOL SITE SAFETY AND SECURITY STAFF

The Principal, Paul Anders or designee is responsible for, on a daily basis, duties such as emergency management planning and daily operations for the school. Upon the activation of the EOP for a school incident, the Principal, Paul Anders and/or designee assumes the role as Incident Commander (IC), until the arrival of local, county or state police or fire service or is relieved of such duties by the Superintendent or Assistant Superintendent.

DISTRICT OR SCHOOL DEPARTMENTS

District and school departments will support emergency response operations through performance of their normal roles and responsibilities. If called upon, school departments will activate personnel and implement appropriate response actions identified in the plan, or as directed by the Incident Commander or school administration.

Activation of the ICS for a school event may be modified as needed to best serve the nature of the incident. When the ICS is activated, staff will direct the efforts of their departments according to their respective procedures for emergency operations.

	Department	Departmental Duties and Responsibilities
1.	Transportation	Upon learning of an incident, the Transportation Director, Rhonda Morton, will communicate with the Incident Commander for resource support unless otherwise notified.
2.	Communications	Upon learning of an incident the Executive Director of Communications Susan Gifford, will take over all external communications and help facilitate all internal communications.
3.	Support Services	Upon learning of an event the Executive Director of Operations, Frank Wilson will provide necessary support equipment or staff, etc. (i.e. generator, lighting…)
4.	Assistant Superintendent of Finance	Upon learning of an incident the Assistant Superintendent of Finance, Jennifer Priddy, may take over the role of IC in the absence of the Superintendent Patrick Murphy and will provide resources and guidance in support of the acting IC as is needed.
5.	Business Services/Accounting	Upon learning of an incident the Business Manager, Kate Davis, will provide support as needed in the follow up process of an event by providing financial support for the school and will work in conjunction with the District risk insurance, Brown and Brown, and Clear Risk Solutions.
6.	First Aid	Upon learning of an event the Executive Director for Student Support Services, Ken Turcotte, will assign staff to the school as needed by utilizing district staff nurses as available in the event there are physical injuries.

SCHOOL POSITION ROLES and EXPECTED ACTIONS

PRINCIPAL/BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR

The principal, Paul Anders, may serve as the Incident Commander or delegate that authority to a qualified individual. At all times, the principal still retains the responsibility for the overall safety of students and staff. However, delegating the authority to manage the incident allows the principal to focus on policy-level activities and interfacing with other agencies and parents. The principal will coordinate between the policy group and the Incident Commander once law enforcement has taken over incident command.

In the event law enforcement arrives on the scene they will immediately take over incident command and the principal will take over the role of site commander and will become the liaison to law enforcement.

	Criminal Event - Intruder, shooter, bomb threat etc.	Weather - Flood, earthquake, volcano, wind, snow etc.
Immediate Response	Principal = Incident Commander (IC)	Principal = Incident Commander (IC)
Law Enforcement (LE) arrives	LE = IC Principal = Site Command (SC)	NA
District Responds	District = Support	District takes over Incident Command depending on severity of natural event District =IC & Principal = SC
Law Enforcement (LE) turns over to District	District = IC Principal =SC	NA

For the following staff general responsibilities are listed but these responsibilities may be superseded by team or annex assignments and or by the incident commander.

TEACHERS/PARAEDUCATORS

Teachers will be responsible for the supervision of students and will remain with students until directed otherwise.

Responsibilities include:

Supervise students under their charge.
Take steps to ensure the safety of students, staff, and other individuals in the implementation of incident management protocols.
Direct students in their charge to inside or outside assembly areas, in accordance with signals, warning, written notification, or intercom orders according to established incident management procedures or according to the best possible decision to preserve life and well being.
Give appropriate action command during an incident.
Take attendance when class relocates to an outside or inside assembly area or evacuates to another location.
Report missing students to the Incident Commander or designee.
Execute assignments as directed by the Incident Commander or Site Commander.
Obtain first aid services for injured students from the first aid team, school nurse or person trained in first aid. Arrange for first aid for those unable to be moved.
Render first aid if necessary. School staff should be trained and certified in first aid and CPR.

Teachers who are assigned a team leadership position hand off student management to their designated back up.

COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS, and PSYCHOLOGISTS

Counselors, social workers, and psychologists provide assistance with the overall direction of the incident management procedures at the site.

Responsibilities may include:

Take steps to ensure the safety of students, staff, and other individuals in the implementation of incident management protocols.
Direct students in their charge according to established incident management protocols.
Render first aid if necessary.
Assist in the transfer of students, staff, and other individuals when their safety is threatened by a disaster.
Execute assignments as directed by the Incident Commander or Site Commander.

SCHOOL NURSES/HEALTH ROOM ASSISTANTS - FIRST AID TEAM

Responsibilities include:

Administer first aid or emergency treatment as needed.
Supervise administration of first aid by those trained to provide it.
Organize first aid and medical supplies.

CUSTODIANS/MAINTENANCE (SSC) PERSONNEL

Responsibilities include:

Survey and report building damage to the Incident Commander or Operations Section Chief.
Control main shutoff valves for gas, water, and electricity and ensure that no hazard results from broken or downed lines.
Provide damage control as needed.
Assist in the conservation, use, and disbursement of supplies and equipment.
Keep Incident Commander or designee informed of the condition of school.

SCHOOL SECRETARY/OFFICE STAFF

Responsibilities include:

Answer phones and assist in receiving and providing consistent information to callers.
Provide for the safety of essential school records and documents.
Execute assignments as directed by the Incident Commander or Site Commander.
Provide assistance to the principal and Policy/Coordination Group.
Monitor radio emergency broadcasts.
Assist with health incidents as needed, acting as messengers, etc.

NUTRITION SERVICES PERSONNEL

Responsibilities include:

Use, prepare, and serve food and water on a rationed basis whenever the feeding of students and staff becomes necessary during an incident.
Execute assignments as directed by the Incident Commander or Site Commander.

TRANSPORTATION/BUS DRIVERS

Responsibilities include:

Supervise the care of students if disaster occurs while students are in the bus.
Transfer students to new location when directed.
Execute assignments as directed by the Incident Commander or Site Commander.
Transport individuals in need of medical attention.

OTHER STAFF (ITINERANT STAFF, SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS)

Responsibilities include reporting to the Incident Commander or Site Commander if requested or activated.

STUDENTS

Responsibilities include:

Cooperate during emergency drills and exercises, and during an emergency situation.
Learn to be responsible for themselves and others if the emergency situation warrants.
Understand the importance of not being a bystander by reporting situations of concern to appropriate staff.
Develop a general awareness of natural, technological, and human-caused hazards and associated prevention, preparedness, and mitigation measures.

PARENTS/GUARDIANS

Responsibilities include:

Understanding their roles during a school emergency.
Encourage and support school safety, violence prevention, and incident preparedness programs within the school.
Participate in volunteer service projects for promoting school incident preparedness.
Provide the school with requested information concerning the incident, early and late dismissals, and other related release information.
Practice incident management preparedness in the home to reinforce school training and ensure family safety.

DIRECTION, CONTROL, and COORDINATION

INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEMS

The Incident Command System (ICS) organizational structure develops in a top-down, modular fashion that is based on the size and complexity of the incident, as well as the specifics of the hazard environment created by the incident. As incident complexity increases, the organization expands from the top down as functional responsibilities are delegated.

To provide for the effective direction, control, and coordination of an incident, either single site or multi-incidents, the school EOP will be activated including the implementation of the Incident Command System (ICS). When needed, separate functional elements will be established and subdivided to enhance internal organizational management and external coordination.

The Policy Group is responsible for providing the Incident Commander with strategic guidance, information analysis, and needed resources. The Executive/Senior Leadership (Principal, Superintendent, etc.) is responsible for the incident. Along with this responsibility, by virtue of their position, these individuals have the authority to make decisions, commit resources, obligate funds, and command the resources necessary to protect the students and facilities.

Having the responsibility does not mean that the Executive/Senior Leadership assumes a command role over the on-scene incident operation. Rather, the Executive/Senior Official:

Provides policy guidance on priorities and objectives based on situational needs and the Emergency Operations Plan.
Oversees resource coordination and support to the on-scene command from an Operations Center.

INCIDENT MANAGEMENT

The district and school ICS is organized into the following functional areas:

Chart of Multi-Jurisdictional Incident Command System Structure

Incident Command Organization Chart: Earthquake

The Washington Middle School Incident Commander will be integrated into the Incident Command structure, or assume a role within a Unified Command structure.

If a school emergency is within the authorities of the first-responder community, i.e. emergency requiring law enforcement or fire services, etc., Command will transition, or form a Unified Command structure, upon the arrival of qualified first responders. A transfer of command briefing will occur.

INCIDENT/SITE COMMANDER

The Incident Commander (IC) is the primary person in charge at the incident and will establish incident objectives based on the following five primary objectives:

Life Safety
Protect Public Health
Incident Stabilization
Property and Environment Preservation
Reduce adverse psychological consequences and disruptions

Additionally, the IC will manage the incident scene, and he or she must keep the Executive/Senior Administration and the Policy Group informed and up to date on important matters pertaining to the incident. The IC will be the principal at the initial start of a localized event. When law enforcement arrive, they will assume the role of the IC and the principal will take on responsibility of site commander. When law enforcement activity is complete the role of IC will be assumed by the district unified command.

School-related responsibilities and duties include:

The first staff person on scene, Principal or designee, will assume the role of Incident Commander until a more qualified individual can assume command.
The Incident Commander is delegated the appropriate authority to direct tactical on-scene operations until a coordinated incident management framework can be established with local resources.
Establish an Incident Command Post (ICP) and provide an assessment of the situation to the Executive/Senior Administration, which may also include the Policy Group or other officials, recommend incident response activities, identify incident management resources required, and direct the on-scene incident management activities from the ICP.
Establish and manage the Command Post, establish the incident organization, and determine strategies to implement protocols and adapt as needed.
Monitor incident safety conditions and develop measures for ensuring the safety of building occupants (including students, staff, volunteers, and responders).
Coordinate media relations and information dissemination with the principal.
Serve as the primary on-scene contact for outside agencies assigned to the incident, establish unified command as necessary, develop working knowledge of local/regional agencies, and assist in accessing services when the need arises.
Document activities.
Assume overall direction of all incident management procedures based on actions and procedures outlined in this EOP.
Determine whether to implement incident management protocols (e.g., Evacuation, Shelter in Place, Lockdown, Lockout etc.), as described more fully in the incident specific annexes in this document.
Arrange for transfer of students, staff, and other individuals when safety is threatened by a disaster.
Work with emergency services personnel. (Depending on the incident, community agencies such as law enforcement or fire department may have jurisdiction for investigations, rescue procedures, etc.)
Keep the Executive/Senior Leadership and Policy Group informed of the situation.

UNIFIED INCIDENT COMMAND

Unified Incident Command applies ICS to incidents involving multiple jurisdictions or agencies. It enables schools and agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional responsibilities to coordinate, plan, and interact effectively.

Additionally, the Incident Commander within the Unified Incident Command will make joint decisions and speak as one voice. Any differences are worked out within the Unified Incident Command. Within Unified Incident Command, law enforcement would not tell school personnel how to manage, i.e. parent-student reunification, etc., or tell the firefighters how to do their job.

The Incident Commander, through the Incident Command System, coordinates the actions of responding community units to the scene.

Advise School Leadership and the District of needs that may include personnel recall from other departments/schools as required.
Isolate the incident site and maintain control of the inner and outer perimeters.
Establish tactical communications and designate a primary radio channel.
Facilitate tactical planning and contingency planning.
Brief first responder personnel.
Designate a staging area for supporting agencies.
Ensure documentation of decisions and activities.
Provide situational updates to the policy group.
Approve requests for additional resources or for the release of resources (demobilization).
Approve additional alerts as needed.
Ensure staff prepares a post incident summary.
Establish immediate priorities.
Coordinate any specific transportation issues (such as helicopter landing zones, EMS locations, morgue location, etc.as appropriate).
Determines security boundaries.

Perform other duties as required by the situation.

PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS

The Public Information Officer (PIO) is responsible for interfacing with the media or other appropriate agencies requiring information directly from the incident.

Check in with Incident Commander and receive a situation brief
Assume the duties of the School Public Information Officer (PIO)
If necessary, establish and supervise a Joint Information Center (JIC) with PIO’s from the other responder agencies
Coordinate press releases among response organizations
Designate a media center and facilitate scheduled press briefings
Ensure all press releases and public information are reviewed and approved by the Incident Commander, or designee

Monitor news media outlets reports of the incident
Prepare periodic briefings to Executive Policy Group on public information activities and submit draft press releases for review and approval

The Technology and Incident Communications Section works closely with the Public Information Officer to ensure that the technology needed for communications is working seamlessly, regardless of the emergency. Wireless and network connections, radios, computer access, messenger software are all critical to ensuring that communication is possible.

OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS SECTION

The Operations and Logistics Section directs all tactical operations of an incident according to established incident management procedures and protocols, care of students, first aid, crisis intervention, search and rescue, site security, damage assessment, evacuations, and the release of students to parents.

Specific responsibilities include:

Assist the site with analyzing school staffing to develop a Parent-Student Reunification Plan, and implement an incident action plan.
Monitor site utilities (i.e., electric, gas, water, heat/ventilation/air conditioning) and shut off only if danger exists or directed by the Incident Commander, and assist in securing the facility.
Assist with establishing medical triage with staff trained in first aid and CPR, provide and oversee care given to injured persons, distribute supplies, and request additional supplies from the Logistics Section.
Provide and access psychological and first aid services for those in need, and access local/regional providers for ongoing crisis counseling for students, staff, and parents.
Coordinate the rationed distribution of food and water, establish secondary toilet facilities in the event of water or plumbing failure, and request needed supplies from the Logistics Section.
Document all activities.

PLANNING AND INTELLIGENCE SECTION

Collects, evaluates, and disseminates information needed to measure the size, scope, and seriousness of an incident, and to plan appropriate incident management activities.

Duties may include:

Assist the Incident Commander in the collection and evaluation of information about an incident as it develops (including site map and area map of related events), assist with ongoing planning efforts, and maintain incident time log.
Document all activities

SITE ASSISTANCE

Supports incident management operations by securing and providing needed personnel, equipment, facilities, resources, and services required for incident resolution; coordinating personnel; assembling and deploying volunteer teams; and facilitating communication among incident responders. This function may involve a major role in an extended incident.

Additional responsibilities include:

Establish and oversee communications center and activities during an incident (two-way radio, battery-powered radio, written updates, etc.), and develop telephone tree for after-hours communication.
Establish and maintain school and classroom preparedness kits, coordinate access to and distribution of supplies during an incident, and monitor inventory of supplies and equipment.
Document all activities.

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION SECTION

Oversees all financial activities including purchasing necessary materials, tracking incident costs, arranging contracts for services, timekeeping for emergency responders, submitting documentation for reimbursement, and recovering school records following an incident.

Additional duties may include:

Assume responsibility for overall documentation and recordkeeping activities; when possible, photograph or videotape damage to property.
Ensure that departments can make purchases unusual to typical practice in order to respond and recover. Credit card limits may need to be expanded, or purchase orders opened.
Develop a system to monitor and track expenses and financial losses, and secure all records.
District payroll may be compromised by the emergency, and keeping payroll functions may take special attention.

The Finance and Administration Section may not be established onsite at the incident. Rather, the school and school district management offices may assume responsibility for these functions.

An important component of this EOP is a set of interagency agreements with various city/county agencies to aid timely communication. These agreements help coordinate services between the agencies and the Olympia School District. Various agencies and services include county governmental agencies such as mental health, law enforcement, county health department, and fire departments. The agreements specify the type of communication and services provided by one agency to another. The agreements also make school personnel available beyond the school setting in an incident or traumatic event occurring in the community.

REUNIFICATION SECTION

The Reunification Section will respond to the site when it is safe to do so, to assist the site with parent/guardian and child reunification. The district-level reunification effort will be to gather employees and supplies to take to the site, that will be helpful to the reunification effort, in case the school was not able to bring out/obtain the necessary records and supplies. These include computers and chargers, tables, chairs, data on student emergency contacts, medical needs, and legal notifications.

FIRST AID SECTION

The First Aid Section will respond to the site when it is safe to do so, to assist the site with first aid and medical response. The response may include placing school district nurses on the perimeter of the site or at the reunification site, or to backfill nurses at schools or sites where the assigned nurse left to respond to the incident site. This section will also be a conduit for information to the Incident Communications team.

ASSEMBLY AND SHELTER (OCCUPANCY) SECTION

The Occupancy Section is designed to ensure that disrupted students can be housed either in their own school or another shelter as quickly as possible. This function is most necessary in an earthquake, and involves specially-trained district employees assessing damage of a structure and determining if the structure can be re-occupied. In addition a qualified third party engineering firm may be held on retainer to assist the district with structural review.

RECOVERY: COUNSELING AND MENTAL HEALTH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND START-UP PLANNING SECTION

This section will respond to the site and to the district as a whole to provide counseling and mental health services, coordinate community partner offers of assistance, and begin school start-up planning.

SOURCE AND USE OF RESOURCES

Washington Middle School will use its own resources and equipment to respond to incidents until incident response personnel arrive. Parent volunteers and community members can be trained to assist if called upon and available after an incident occurs. The following organizations or agencies have agreed to be responsible for providing additional resources or assistance: Clear Risk Solutions and ESD 113.

Examples:

Insurance and Risk Support

Counseling services

COMMUNICATION

Communication is a critical part of incident management. This section outlines Washington Middle School communications plan and supports its mission to provide clear, effective internal and external communication between the school, staff, students, parents, responders, and media.

NOTIFICATION and WARNING

Timely warnings of emergency conditions are essential to preserve the safety and security of the school community and critical to an effective response and recovery.

Upon learning of an emergency and assessing the need for local agency support such as law enforcement or fire services, Principal or designee will call 911.
Notification to key Washington Middle School administrators, departments and personnel for emergency response will follow the procedures outlined in the specific annexes.

Notification of critical personnel will be in accordance with the following:

District and/or school personnel will relay threat information, warnings, to ensure the school community is notified.
Staff will respond according to their procedures for emergency operations, unless otherwise dictated by the event.

Emergency notifications, warnings and alerts will typically be disseminated within the school or district using items such as, intercom system, email, the handheld radios or television system, or other modes via the Communications Department directions.

Law enforcement agencies and other emergency services may be required to disseminate emergency warnings to the public who cannot be reached by school primary warning systems.

In any case, it is important for the communication hubs to be notified of the emergency to ensure all appropriate notifications are made. Any one or more communication strategies may become disabled.

Telephones, cellular or landline, are the primary means of communications for contacting key emergency responders or departments.

Two way radios with common channels are a means of communication for emergency responder communications.

All school radios have a set of common channels for communication with internal departments within the district including the Superintendent’s office, SSC, Transportations and Nutrition Services.

EMERGENCY PUBLIC INFORMATION

In the event that a crisis occurs on school property, the Public Information Officer, Susan Gifford, will be notified as soon as possible to communicate with the Incident Command location or supporting location as identified by the Superintendent or designee. The role of chief spokesperson for the district, will ultimately be responsible for the communications efforts relative to the crisis.

NON-EMERGENCY EXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS

During an incident the school expects to receive a high volume of calls seeking information as to the welfare of students, staff and faculty from concerned parents, relatives, spouses, friends and loved ones. The surge in volume of calls to the school main numbers may quickly exceed the system capabilities.

The robo-call system will be activated by the communications department to notify parents of an event and to disperse updates and directions of events as quickly as possible to keep parents informed. It is essential that call centers if needed are activated and staffed as soon as possible to handle the anticipated volume of non-emergency calls related to the incident

Timely, accurate communication of events can help to reduce the potential for rumors.

INFORMATION COLLECTION, ANALYSIS, and DISSEMINATION

Essential information necessary for emergency operations identified in this EOP are shared with all appropriate school and district departments, and with external partners including law enforcement, fire, emergency management, and if needed surrounding school districts.

ADMINISTRATION OF FINANCE, AND LOGISTICS (DURING EVENT AND RECOVERY)

For the purposes of potential insurance, local, state, or federal assistance, or reimbursement, Brown and Brown, and Clear Risk Solutions will assign a representative to supervise and assist the Olympia School District with the process for which school or district event documentation is tracked. For example, Business Services may issue a project number for the incident response effort, and may disseminate the project number for use by all school or district departments participating. This project number would be utilized in conjunction with the applicable accounting code to document response and recovery costs associated with any emergency or disaster requiring a substantial response effort.

FUNCTIONAL CONTENT - ANNEXES

The following functional content provides common protocol and procedures that are implemented and referenced within the hazard and threat specific annexes in this plan. Each functional content area has been customized to fit Washington Middle School needs, capabilities, and unique circumstances.

To become familiar with these functional annexes staff and students will participate in drills and, if necessary, additional training.

EVACUATION ANNEX

PURPOSE

Evacuation will take place if it is determined that it is safer outside than inside the building (fire, explosion, intruder, hazardous material spills, etc.) and staff, students and visitors can safely reach the evacuation location without danger (playground, football stadium, or off-site location in the community).

RESPONSIBILITIES

Incident Commander/Principal

Call or designate another to immediately call public safety (9-1-1) (police, fire and emergency responders) to give notice that the school has been evacuated.
Notify Superintendent's Office that an evacuation of the school has occurred.
Communicate the need to evacuate the building or a specific area of the building to the building staff and other occupants by activating the fire alarm or by intercom. Make the following announcement:

YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE. WE NEED TO EVACUATE THE BUILDING. TEACHERS ARE TO TAKE THEIR STUDENTS TO THEIR DESIGNATED ASSEMBLY AREA. TEACHERS TAKE YOUR CLASS ROSTER.

Determine evacuation routes based on the location of the incident and type of emergency.
Communicate changes in evacuation routes based on location and type of emergency.
Designate staff with assigned radios and/or cell phones to assist in evacuation procedures.
Monitor the situation and provide updates and additional instructions as needed.
During inclement weather, consider requesting buses for sheltering students.
Communicate when it is safe to re-enter the building or re-occupy a section of the school by the bell system, radio transmission, public address system, designated staff, or bull horn.
Re-entry into a building or a portion of a building will be managed by the Support Services Center designated trained staff who are certified in building inspection or re-entry may be authorized by a certified and trained third party engineering firm held on retainer or by a state certified inspector.

Teachers/Staff

Instruct students to exit the building using the designated emergency exit routes or as directed by the School Incident Commander/Principal. Emergency exit routes should be diagrammed on the school floor plan drawing posted near the light switch inside each room.
Use a secondary route if the primary route is blocked or hazardous. Exit routes and the location of the inside the building evacuation location will be selected and communicated by the School Incident Commander/Principal at the time of the emergency and the evacuation.
Help those needing special assistance. Students and Staff with functional needs that prohibit normal evacuation will be assisted out of the building, if possible, or will be taken to an area of refuge. Emergency Responders will be notified immediately of any individuals in an area of refuge.
Do not lock classroom doors when leaving, close the door and turn off the lights.
Do not stop for student or staff belongings.
Take class roster, phone lists, first-aid kit and other emergency supplies with you.
Check the bathrooms, hallways and common areas for visitors, staff or students while exiting.
Go to designated evacuation assembly area (minimum of 50 feet from building is required in fire evacuation and 300 feet from building for bomb threat, chemical spill inside building, or other directed evacuations).
When outside the building or inside the building evacuation location, check for injuries.
Account for all students. Immediately report any missing or injured students to the School Incident Commander/Principal.
Wait for additional instructions.

Office Staff

Take visitor log and student sign out sheet to evacuation assembly area.
Gather headcount information from teachers and inform the School Incident Commander/Principal of any missing students or staff.

Evacuation Locations

In the event of an evacuation of the building, initially all persons will evacuate to the soccer field. If the evacuation will be for a prolonged time, require family reunification, or due to weather or other considerations the school will evacuate students and faculty to Transformation Life Center on 1717 Eskridge Blvd or the Olympia Church of Christ on 3132 Boulevard Rd.

LOCKDOWN ANNEX

PURPOSE

Lockdown is a physical response to provide a time barrier during an active shooter/intruder event. Lockdown is not a stand-alone defensive strategy. Additionally, students and staff will follow the ALICE protocol of the “Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate” as determined by the situation as the event unfolds. When securing in place, this procedure should involve barricading the door and readying a plan of evacuation or counter tactics should the need arise.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Incident Commander/Principal

Make the following announcement using the intercom system, 2-way radio, telephone, or megaphone:

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. WE ARE EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND WE ARE NOW UNDER LOCKDOWN.

Designate staff to call 9-1-1, identify the name and address of the school, describe the emergency, state the school is locking down, provide intruder description and weapon(s) if known, and identify the location of the school command post. Direct staff to stay on the phone to provide updates and additional information.
Notify staff and classes outside to immediately move to the offsite assembly area(s), account for the students and be prepared to move to a relocation site.
Notify the Superintendent’s Office
The Superintendent’s office will immediately notify the transportation director to stop all inbound buses and redirect them to designated relocation site(s).
The Superintendent’s office will immediately notify the communications department to activate the robo-call system to notify parents of events.

Teachers

Clear the hallways and bathrooms by your room, moving everyone into the classroom.
Lock your doors.
Move any large objects in front of the door to barricade doors. All moveable items such as chairs should be used as well.
Take attendance and be prepared to notify the Incident Commander of missing students or additional students, staff or guests sheltered in your classroom.
Do not place students in one location within the room. In the event that entry is gained by a shooter or intruder, students should consider exiting by running past the shooter/intruder.
Staff and students may utilize methods to distract the shooter/intruder’s ability to accurately shoot or cause harm, such as loud noises or aiming and throwing objects at the shooter/intruder’s face or person.
Allow no one outside of the classroom until the Incident Commander gives the “All Clear” signal unless a life-threatening situation exists and a means to safe exit is available (through a window or other safe passage).

Office Staff

Stay by the phones to wait for additional procedures from the district office and Incident Commander.Assist the principal or Incident Commander to establish the school command post.
Remotely check status of classrooms via telephone, computer, or other method.

Custodians

Close and lock all delivery doors.
Direct any contractors, delivery drivers, vendors or repairmen located inside the building into a safe area and lock the door.

If students and school personnel are outside of the school building at the time of a LOCKDOWN, teachers or other school personnel will move students to the designated off-site assembly location at Transformation Life Center on 1717 Eskridge Blvd or the Olympia Church of Christ on 3132 Boulevard Rd.

SHELTER-IN-PLACE ANNEX

PURPOSE

The shelter-in-place procedure provides a refuge for students, staff and the public inside the school building during an emergency. Shelters are located in areas of the building that maximize the safety of occupants. Shelter-in-place is used when evacuation would place people at risk. Shelters may change depending on the emergency.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Incident Commander/Principal

Make the following announcement using the building intercom system, 2-way radio, or telephone:

YOUR ATTENTION, PLEASE. WE ARE EXPERIENCING AN EMERGENCY SITUATION AND NEED TO IMPLEMENT SHELTER-IN-PLACE PROCEDURES. STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE DIRECTED TO MOVE TO THE DESIGNATED SHELTER LOCATIONS AND SAFE AREAS. ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS OUTSIDE ARE TO IMMEDIATELY MOVE TO AN INSIDE ROOM.

Order an announcement for students and staff outside to move inside the building. Use the building intercom system, 2-way radio, telephones or runners to gather staff and students inside.
Direct staff to close all windows and doors.
If warranted, order the shut-off of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to stop the inflow of outside air into the building.
Notify Superintendent’s office the school is SHELTERING-IN-PLACE.
Designate staff to monitor radio, Internet, and other media for information on incident conditions that caused the SHELTER-IN-PLACE.
Contact and consult with public safety officials as appropriate.
Be prepared to announce additional procedures due to changing conditions of the incident, such as DROP COVER AND HOLD or to announce an “All Clear.”

Teachers

Move students into designated safe areas such as inside rooms with no windows, bathrooms, utility closets or hallways without large windows or doors.
Close classroom doors and windows when leaving.
Have everyone kneel down and be ready to cover their heads to protect from debris, if appropriate.
If outside, teachers will direct students into the nearest school building interior safe area or other appropriate shelter.
For severe weather, if there is no time to get into a building or shelter, attempt to squat or lie low in the nearest ravine, open ditch, or low spot away from trees and power poles.
If movement into the building would expose persons to a hazardous chemical plume, teachers should move to designated outdoor assembly areas upwind or crosswind from the spill.
Move students from mobile classrooms to an interior safe area in a permanent structure.
All persons must remain in the shelter until notified by the School Incident Commander/Principal or public safety official that it is safe to exit.
Take attendance and be prepared to notify the Incident Commander of missing students or additional students, staff or guests sheltered in your classroom.

Custodians

Shut off utilities as directed by School Incident Commander/Principal or public safety official.
Turn off ventilation systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) as directed and if appropriate.

LOCKOUT ANNEX

PURPOSE

Reverse evacuation should occur when conditions are safer inside the building than outside, generally when conditions involve severe weather, community emergencies, gang activity, or a hazardous material release outside of the school building.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Incident Commander/Principal

Order an announcement for students and staff outside to move inside the building. Use the intercom system, megaphone, 2-way radio, telephones or runners to gather students and staff inside.
Notify the district office of the situation.
Notify public safety by calling 9-1-1: police, fire and emergency services responders, as appropriate. It may be that the school is notified by the police that there is an external hazard and the school should lockout.
Designate staff to monitor radios, Internet, and other media for information on incident conditions.
Close and lock all exterior doors and windows.
Maintain contact with public safety officials and consult on whether additional procedures should be activated due to changing conditions of the incident, such as DROP, COVER, AND HOLD or SHELTER-IN-PLACE.

Teachers/Staff

Immediately move students back to classrooms or safe areas using the closest entry.
No students or staff should be outside the building.
Close and lock all exterior doors and windows.
If movement into the building would present a danger, teachers and staff outside will direct students to designated assembly areas or off-site assembly areas.
Teachers will take attendance and account for all students and report any missing students to the School Incident Commander/Principal.
Wait for further instructions from the School Incident Commander/Principal or from a public safety official.
Monitor the main entries until the “All Clear” is given.

COMMUNICATIONS AND NOTIFICATION ANNEX

PURPOSE

Templates for statements/ press releases, the communication plan and media contacts at the major television, Internet, and radio stations are maintained by the Director of Communications and located at the Knox Administration Building at 111 Bethel Street NE Olympia WA 98506.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Communication between School Officials and Staff Members

School personnel will be notified when an incident occurs and kept informed as additional information becomes available and as plans for management of the incident evolve. All external communications will be managed by the Director of Communications, Susan Gifford and/or the Superintendent, Patrick Murphy. The following practices will be utilized to disseminate information internally when appropriate:

Telephone: Phone calls from school administration to staff and faculty may be used when direct communication is necessary.
Text-Messaging System/E-mail System: A text-messaging or e-mail system is available to provide those who are registered to receive messages with updates during an incident.
School Email: When mass communication of a standard message is necessary a mass e-mail may be sent from an authorized account or user to all staff/faculty or parents as necessary from the Communication Department.
Mass Notification System: is utilized by e-mail or by activating the robo-call system.
Staff Meetings
Bullhorns and megaphones: A battery-powered bullhorn to address students and staff who are assembling outside the school. Procedures governing storage and use will help ensure readiness for use.
Two-way radio: Two-way radios provide a reliable method of communication between rooms and buildings at a single site. All staff are trained to understand how to operate the two-way radio.
Alarm systems: Bells or buzzers are in place and sound in different ways to signal different types of incidents – for example, fire, lockdown, or special alert (with instructions to follow). All school staff, students, and volunteers will be trained on what the sounds mean and how to respond to them.
Intercom System: An intercom system may be used to distribute information of a threat or hazard situation to a large crowd at a school.

External Communications

School officials must communicate with the larger school community on how incidents will be addressed on a regular basis. However, once an incident does occur, parents, media and the community at large will receive clear and concise messages from the Olympia School District, Communications Department about the incident, Information regarding what is being done and the safety of the children and staff will be included in those communications.

Communication with Parents

Before an incident occurs, Washington Middle School will:

Develop a relationship with parents so that they trust and know how to access alerts and incident information.
Inform parents about the school’s emergency procedures and protocols. Information should not be shared if it would impede the safe response to an incident.
Information will be included on the school website.
Identify parents who are willing to volunteer in case of an incident and include them in preparation efforts and training.
Be prepared with translation services for non-English-speaking families and students with limited English proficiency.

In the event of an incident, the Olympia School District, Communications Department will:

Disseminate information via text messages, robo-calls, e-mail, radio announcements, or hot-lines to inform parents about what is known to have happened.
Implement a plan to manage phone calls and parents who arrive at school.
Describe how the school and school district are handling the situation.
Provide information regarding possible reactions of their children and ways to talk with them.
Provide a phone number, Website address, or recorded hotline where parents can receive updated incident information.
Keep parents informed about when and where school will resume.

After an incident, The Olympia School District and Washington Middle School administrators will schedule and attend an open question-and-answer meeting for parents as soon as possible.

The following practices will be utilized to disseminate information externally by the Communications Department when appropriate:

Mass Communication System
Social Media: Social Media may be used to disseminate information of a hazard or threat situation to students, parents, and the surrounding community.
Standard telephone: The Olympia School District may designate a school telephone number as a recorded “hotline” for parents to call for information during incidents. The goal is to keep other telephone lines free for communication with emergency responders and others.
Computers: A wireless laptop computer may be used for communication both within the school and to other sites. Email may be a useful tool for updating information for staff, other schools in an affected area and the district superintendent. An assigned staff member(s) will post information such as school evacuation, closure or relocation on the homepage of the school and district website.
Fax machines: Possible uses include: off-site access to receive and send critical information concerning students and staff members, their locations, and needed telephone numbers, including but not limited to, medical information, Release Forms and authorizations.
Robocalls/School Email: When mass communication of a standard message is necessary a mass email and/or robocall will be sent from the Communications Department to all staff/faculty or parents as necessary.

FIRST AID, STUDENT AND STAFF CARE, AND MENTAL HEALTH ANNEX

PURPOSE

The purpose of this annex is to ensure that there are procedures in place to assist staff and students in the event of a medical emergency.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Staff

Quickly assess the situation. Make sure the situation is safe for you to approach (i.e., live electric wires, gas leak, building damage, etc.).
Immediately notify the School Incident Commander/Principal.
Assess the seriousness of the injury or illness.
Call or have someone call 9-1-1 immediately. Be prepared to provide the school name and address, exact location (floor, room number); describe illness or type of injury; and age of the victim(s).
Protect yourself against contact with body fluids (blood borne pathogens).
Administer appropriate first-aid according to your level of training until help arrives.
Comfort and reassure the injured person. Do Not Move an injured person unless the scene is unsafe.
If the injured person is not breathing or there is no pulse, ask someone to retrieve the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) and begin Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) or Rescue Breathing until the AED is ready to use, or call staff trained in the use of the AED to respond to the scene and apply the device.

School Incident (Site) Commander/ Principal

Direct staff to call 9-1-1, if necessary, and provide appropriate information to emergency responders.
Send school staff with first responder/first-aid/AED training to the scene if this has not already occurred.
Assign a staff member to meet emergency medical service responders and lead them to the injured person.
Assign a staff member to remain with the injured person if they are transported to the hospital.
If an injured person is a member of school personnel or a student, notify parent, guardian, or other appropriate family members of the situation, including type of injury or illness, medical care given and location where the injured person has been transported.
Ensure student or staff medical information from administrative records is sent to the hospital.
Notify the school counselor or crisis response team and provide a brief description of the incident.
Advise faculty and staff of the situation, as appropriate.
Develop and maintain written documentation of the incident.
Follow-up with appropriate persons and determine if other procedures should be activated such as MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING.

MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING

PURPOSE

Mental health and healing procedures are developed to provide an emotional catharsis to students and staff impacted by trauma at school or in the community. Following a traumatic event or incident, students, staff, and their families need a healing process. As soon as the safety of all involved has been addressed, attention should be turned to the healing process.

Mental health professionals available in the school community such as nurses, professional counselors and social workers should participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of the School EOP as it relates to this annex. Additional advice may be sought from outside psychologists and mental health experts.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Principal or District Authority Should Implement the Following Actions.

Staff is trained to learn how to recognize signs of physical and/or mental stress due to trauma.
Members of a crisis response team will undergo in-depth training to learn how to assist in managing stress due to trauma.
Parents and guardians will be offered tips on how to recognize signs of physical or mental stress due to trauma.
Mental health experts will review and provide input into the plan.
Ensure that a media or public information officer is available and trained to prepare announcements and media releases on the incident and actions taken.

Principal or designated staff should do the following immediately after a serious injury or death and/or major incident:

Make an initial announcement to the entire school and include minimum details and indicate that additional information will be provided.
Issue prepared statements for media, parents and other community inquiries.
Convene a staff meeting to discuss how the situation is being handled and what resources are available to staff, students, and families.
Set up crisis centers and designate private rooms for private counseling and include outside mental health professionals and clergy to assist with grief.
Provide guidelines to and encourage teachers to facilitate class discussions about the incident and allow students to openly discuss feelings, fears and concerns shortly after the incident. Any students who are excessively distraught should be referred for counseling.
Restore regular school functions as efficiently and as quickly as possible.
Accept donations. In the first hours and days after a major incident, offers of help will probably be plentiful; however, offers will diminish considerably as time passes. Donations given and not used can always be returned.
Designate a place for staff, students, and community members to leave well-wishes, messages, and items.

Teacher and Staff

Seek counseling services if experiencing difficulty coping with the incident.
Provide stress management during class by allowing students to talk about what they experienced and felt during the incident and how they feel now.
Be prepared for outbursts and disruptive behaviors.
Refer students experiencing stress to counseling.
Allow for changes in normal routine activities and test schedules.

OTHER SPECIAL PROCEDURES

Hospital/Funeral Arrangements

Provide staff with information regarding visitation and/or funeral arrangements (time, location, customs) when available. If the funeral is scheduled during a school day, all students and staff should be excused from school.
Encourage staff and students to attend the funeral to provide support for the family and bring closure to the incident.
Designated staff person(s) to visit the hospital and/or attend the funeral to represent the school.

Post-Incident Procedures

Allow for changes in normal routines or schedules to address injury or death; however, recommend students and staff return to their normal routine as soon as possible after the incident.
Follow up with students and staff who receive counseling and refer them to outside mental health professionals as needed.
Discuss and approve memorials with the school board’s consent.
Donate all remaining memorial items to charity.

SECURITY ANNEX

PURPOSE

Daily security procedures and protocols are in place to ensure a safe and secure environment, prevent crime, and to deter persons from gaining unauthorized access to the building.

PROCEDURES

Washington Middle School encourages all staff, faculty and students to be an active participant in building security and crime prevention measures in place. The following list of security measures are in place on a daily basis or at specified times to ensure the safety of the school community and prevent criminal activity or unauthorized access (e.g. badging system, cameras, tip-lines, etc.)

RESPONSIBILITIES

Principal

Ensure that there is a security policy to prevent unauthorized building access at all times and that staff and faculty are familiar with the policy.
Make requisitions and recommendations for necessary improvement or replacement of inadequate security features of the building.
Ensure that there is adequate signage directing visitors to the building to the office where they will sign in and out.

Teachers/Staff and Substitutes

Make sure that the classroom door is able to be locked from the inside and is functioning normally daily.
Ensure that the students are aware of the building security policy and do not permit unauthorized persons into the building.
Report any unusual conditions or persons to the main office.
Report to the main office any conditions, concerns or problems that were reported to them.

Office Staff

Ensure that all visitors report to the office to sign in, and receive a badge or are wearing a district ID badge when entering the building, and sign out when leaving the building.

Facilities/Maintenance

Maintain all doors, windows, and other means of entrance into the building to ensure proper operation and that all locks or other means of securing them are functional.
Report any deficiencies or failures of the building security to the school principal in a timely manner.
Landscaping is addressed to ensure a clear line of site into and from the building.

Students

Notify a staff or faculty member when an unauthorized or suspicious person is observed inside or around the building.
Notify a staff or faculty member when doors are found unlocked or propped open.
Report any security or safety concerns or unusual safety conditions to a staff or faculty member.
Students will not permit or allow unauthorized persons to enter the building by opening any locked doors.

General Responsibilities

All entrances, except the main entrance are locked during the hours of operation.
Students and Staff are trained not to provide unauthorized access to the building.

RAPID ASSESSMENT ANNEX

PURPOSE

Procedures and protocols are in place to ensure that there is a method for evaluating and addressing developing threats and the courses of action the school will implement when it is notified or becomes aware of an occurring or impending emergency situation.

PROCEDURES

Assessment of Information/ Rapid Assessment

When information is received that indicates a threat, potential threat, or other hazard the senior school administrator along with other necessary persons or resources will make an assessment of the information and determine the proper actions to be taken. Actions could include, but are not limited to:

Determination that the information is not a valid threat or hazard and continuation of normal operations.
Continued observation of the threat or hazard.
Determination that the information requires activation of the School EOP or a portion of the School EOP.

School officials will make use of all available resources when gathering information and making an assessment of all threats or potential threats. These information sources can include:

Public media or news sources.
National Weather Service or other reliable weather information source.
Social media sources.
Direct communication with local EMA or public safety agencies.
Information received by school teachers, staff, students or parents.

All information, assessment activities and decisions taken by school officials will be documented.

REUNIFICATION ANNEX

PURPOSE

The Reunification Protocol is used to ensure a safe and secure means of accounting for students and reuniting parents/guardians with their children whenever the school facility or grounds is rendered unsafe and a remote site is needed.

Due to the inability to predict the type of hazardous event that could justify a reunification it is important to note that the reunification site will most likely be identified by the incident commander at the time of the event. Therefore, it is important to note that the reunification sites listed in this plan are not all inclusive and may not be the ideal location for the event at hand.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Incident Commander/Principal

The pre-designated relocation site(s) for Washington Middle School are as follows:

Primary: Transformation Life Center at 1717 Eskridge Blvd
Secondary: Olympia Church of Christ at 3132 Boulevard Rd.

Follow predetermined procedures for releasing students.
Notify a contact person at the relocation site(s) to prepare for arrival of students.
Reunification Site Commander.
Request the District Office to send personnel to staff the reunification site(s).
Follow predetermined parental notification procedures such as phone trees, local media channels, automated alert system, cell or text messaging, etc.

Reunification Site Lead

Establish a command post. The incident commander/principal will relinquish IC responsibilities to the local police, fire or other emergency service and will take over the Reunification site lead or assign a designee.
Organize public safety and mental health/crisis response staff who will be reporting to the site. Use them to calm waiting parents/guardians and explain that an orderly process is required for the safety of the students.
Check identification of all non-uniformed personnel who arrive to assist. (Vests)
Secure a holding area for arriving students and staff away from waiting family members.
Set up an adult report area for parents/guardians to sign-in and to check identification using the district established reunification procedure and forms.
Set up a student release area where students will be escorted to meet their parent/guardian and sign out.
Set up a mental health area and direct staff to escort parent/guardian of any injured, missing or deceased student to the area for staff to provide notification in private away from other parents.
Students will remain on buses or in the holding area at the locations listed above, separate from parents, until they can be signed out to waiting parents/guardians.
Only release students to authorized persons after checking proof of identity and signing a student Release Form.
Instruct parents/guardians to leave the site to make room for others once they have signed out their student.

Teachers

Provide a list of evacuated students to the reunification site staff upon arrival.
Ensure special needs students and staff are assisted. Request help if needed.
Follow the instructions of the Reunification Site Commander or designated staff and/or assist in staffing the site.

First Responders

Maintain crowd/traffic control.
Accept custody of unclaimed students.

OTHER PROCEDURES

Outline procedures for releasing students.
Maintain current student and staff emergency information that details special needs, such as medical or custody issues.
Store information in a secure and readily accessible location.
Outline parental notification methods.

REUNIFICATION LOCATIONS

Reunification locations are established prior to an event.
The reunification location(s) will be provided to both parent and child to ensure proper meeting and pickup location. This communication will be made by the Communications Department.

DROP, COVER AND HOLD ANNEX

PURPOSE

Drop, Cover and Hold procedures are used when an incident occurs with little or no warning. This action is taken to protect students and staff from flying or falling debris resulting from explosions, structural failures, severe weather or an earthquake.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Designated staff members, including teachers and bus drivers, should participate in the development, implementation, and evaluation of this procedure.

PROCEDURES

Indoor Procedure

When indoors, students/staff should:

Drop to the floor.
Cover by getting under a sturdy table, desk, or other piece of furniture. If there is no suitable furniture nearby, cover their face and head with their arms.
Hold on to the table or desk until directed to stop.
When directed by the Principal/designee and/or when it is safe to do so, staff members will evacuate students to pre-assigned locations.

Outdoor Procedure

When outdoors, students/staff should:

Move away from buildings, streetlights and utility wires.
Drop to the ground.
Cover their face and head with their arms.
When directed by the Principal/designee and/or when it is safe to do so, staff members will evacuate students to pre-assigned locations.

Moving Vehicle Procedure

When in a moving vehicle, drivers/staff should:

Stop as quickly as safety permits.
Instruct all students/staff to stay in the vehicle.

When it is safe to do so, proceed cautiously or evacuate the vehicle.

HAZARD AND THREAT SPECIFIC ANNEXES

The following hazard and threat specific annexes are included to provide unique procedures, expected actions that apply to specific hazards. These hazards have been identified as high-priority by school administration, local emergency management officials or a hazard analysis of Washington Middle School.

Procedures and information outlined in functional annexes will not be duplicated in the hazard and threat specific annexes. If a hazard specific annex references a functional annex, the functional annex should be referenced for that information and then applied to the hazard specific annex.

Hazard Analysis Summary

Washington Middle School is exposed to many hazards which have the potential for disrupting the school community, potentially causing casualties, and damaging or destroying public or private property. Understanding that the Thurston County Emergency Management maintains a County Emergency Operations Plan (County EOP) to address hazards and incidents, the Washington Middle School EOP has been developed to fit into the larger Thurston County EOP in the event of a large-scale incident. Natural Hazards have also been assessed by the Thurston Region Planning Committee and those results were added to this risk assessment.

Table 1 lists the hazards that Washington Middle School has identified through a hazards assessment of each school building and its surrounding area, conducted either by school officials or in conjunction with officials of the Thurston County Emergency Management Agency or OSPI.

INSTRUCTIONS:

	FREQUENCY OF OCCURRENCE
Highly likely	Near 100 percent probability of an incident within the school year.
Likely	A 50 to 75 percent chance of an incident within a school year.
Possible	A 25 to 50 percent chance of an incident within the school year.
Unlikely	A 10 to 25 percent chance of an incident within the school year.
Highly Unlikely	Less than 10 percent chance of an incident within the school year.

IMPACT

Catastrophic	An incident that results in complete shutdown of the facility, possibly for an extended time. Multiple deaths and severe injuries may have occurred. Damage to facilities/ infrastructure that results in a shutdown of the school in excess of two weeks.
Critical	An incident that results in multiple severe injuries and possible fatalities. Damage to facilities and/or infrastructure that results in shutdown of the school between two days and two weeks.
Limited	An incident that may result in injuries. There is a moderate disruption to the normal school day causing dismissal or closure for one day or less.
Negligible	An incident that causes a minor interruption in normal activities. No or minor injuries have occurred. There is no or limited damage to facilities that do not result in closure or dismissal.

HAZARD INDEX RANKING
Frequency of Occurrence	Catastrophic Impact	Critical Impact	Limited Impact	Negligible Impact
Highly Likely	5 (Highest)	4 (High)	4 (High)	3 (Medium)
Likely	5 (Highest)	4 (High)	3 (Medium)	2 (Low)
Possible	4 (High)	3 (Medium)	2 (Low)	2 (Low)
Unlikely	3 (Medium)	2 (Low)	1 (Lowest)	1 (Lowest)
Highly Unlikely	2 (Low)	1 (Lowest)	1 (Lowest)	1 (Lowest)

TABLE 1. HAZARD ASSESSMENT

HAZARD RANKING ASSESSMENT
Hazard	Frequency	Impact	Warning Time	Hazard Ranking
Natural Hazards (All hazards are assessed by the City of Olympia and the Thurston Regional Planning Council (TRPC) for Thurston County and includes the Olympia School District within its region. All emergency planning for natural disasters is based on the Thurston County and City of Olympia Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Analysis HIVA.)
Earthquake	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	High
Flooding	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	Low
Tornado	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	Low
Severe Storms	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	High
Winter/Ice Storm	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	High
Volcanic Activity	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	Low
Technological Hazards
Dam Failure	-	-	-	NA
Hazardous Materials Release	-	-	-	NA
Nuclear Facility Incident	-	-	-	NA
Power Outage	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	Moderate
Water System Failure	HIVA	HIVA	HIVA	Low
Fire (structural)	1	2	2	Low
Transportation Accident	1	2	0	Low
Explosion	1	4	0	Low
Biological Hazards (Periodic review of Thurston County Public Health & Social Services list of communicable disease updates and Center for Disease Control (CDC) IRAT Pandemic assessment)
Pandemic Illness	IRAT	IRAT	IRAT	Low
Contagious Disease	IRAT	IRAT	IRAT	Low

Adversarial/Human-Caused Hazards (Individual ranking was reviewed and established by a review group which included some or all of the following individuals:School Principal, Safety Rep. from ESD 113, district safety and risk manager and other site staff as assigned by the Principal )
Sexual Assault	2	4	1	Low
Civil Disorder	1 (HIVA)	1 (HIVA)	1 (HIVA)	Moderate
Death on Campus	2	5	1	Low
Hostage Situation	1	5	1	Low
Intruder	2	5	1	Low
Kidnapping/Abduction	1	5	1	Low
Weapon on Campus	3	3	1	Moderate
Active Shooter/Threat	1	5	1	Low
Terrorism	1	5	1	Low
Bomb Threat	2	5	1	Moderate

All hazard identification and vulnerability analysis are available upon request.

ACTIVE SHOOTER ANNEX

PURPOSE

An active shooter or armed assailant on school property involves one or more individuals intent on causing physical harm and/or death to students and staff. Such intruders may also possess a gun, a knife, a bomb or other harmful device. An active shooter will result in law enforcement and other safety and emergency services responding to the scene.

Once law enforcement arrives, it is critical to follow the instructions of, and cooperate with, the law enforcement officer who will be the Incident Commander with jurisdiction over the scene. The school is a crime scene and will require a thorough search and processing.

All persons should follow ALICE Protocol in response to an armed intruder.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Incident Commander/Principal

An emergency can be reported by any school staff or student. If there is an immediate threat or hazard, address the problem first by initiating a lockdown or evacuation as is determined appropriate for the event. Then inform the School Incident Commander/Principal.
Direct staff to immediately call 9-1-1, give the name and exact location of the school, the nature of the emergency, number and description of intruders (if known), type of weapon(s), area of the school where last seen, actions taken by the school. Caller will remain on the line to provide updates if possible.
If able, secure the administration office as a command post and retrieve the critical information and data about the school’s emergency systems, including communications, staff and students’ locations, detailed floor plans, and important documents, items, and supplies that are prepared and readily available for use during the incident. If the incident is occurring at the administration office, designate an alternate command post.
Direct office staff to maintain contact with teachers reporting pertinent emergency information via phone, email, and/or texting as is available.
Notify the Superintendent’s office and request activation of the communications plan for media and parent notification protocols.

Determine appropriate procedure(s): LOCKDOWN; INTRUDER/HOSTAGE SITUATION; SHELTER-IN-PLACE.
Direct staff and students outside the building to move immediately to predetermine assembly area(s) and be prepared to EVACUATE to an off-site relocation center.
Direct support staff outside to stop pedestrians and vehicles from entering the school grounds until law enforcement arrives.
Ensure that any buses in route to the school are redirected to a designated relocation site.

Teachers and Staff

If you are the first to note indication of an armed intruder, immediately CALL 9-1-1, then notify the School Incident Commander/Principal and go to LOCKDOWN.
Gather information about your classroom’s immediate situation. Account for all students or other individuals sheltered in your room.
Assess your ability to EVACUATE the building.
If there is no safe manner to EVACUATE the building, have students remain in LOCKDOWN until personally given the “All Clear” by the Incident Commander or a law enforcement officer in uniform.
If an active shooter or intruder enters the classroom use WHATEVER means necessary to keep your students safe. This may include any and all forms of resistance to the threat.
If an intruder enters and begins shooting, any and all actions to stop the shooter are justified. This includes moving about the room to lessen accuracy, throwing items (books, computers, phones, book bags), yelling to create confusion, exiting out windows, and confronting (assault, subdue, choke) to stop the intruder. Tell students to get out anyway possible and move to another location.

OTHER PROCEDURES

After the active shooter/intruder(s) has been subdued, the School Incident Commander/ Principal in consultation with the law enforcement Incident Commander will announce an EVACUATION and relocation to an alternate site for FAMILY REUNIFICATION.
If staff or students are injured, emergency medical personnel will take control of the scene and direct services as appropriate.
The School Incident Commander will notify officials at the relocation site of the EVACUATION and to activate FAMILY REUNIFICATION protocols.
The School Incident Commander will request bus transportation or alternate transportation to the relocation site.
The District Communication Department will activate the communications plan to deal with media and parent notification protocols, and direct parents to go to the relocation site.
Teachers will EVACUATE the building using the designated exit routes and alternate routes to the assigned assembly areas, take attendance and move to the buses for transport.
The School Incident Commander will activate the MENTAL HEALTH AND HEALING procedures and/or notify area mental health agencies to provide counseling and mental health services at the relocation site.
The School Incident Commander will debrief appropriate school personnel.
The Superintendent or designee, in consultation with law enforcement officials, will determine when the school can resume normal activities and communicate the information to parents and the public.

HOSTAGE ANNEX

PURPOSE

The purpose of this annex is to ensure that there are procedures in place to protect staff/students and school property in the event of a hostage situation. It is critical that all staff know what to do in a hostage situation.

If the incident involving a hostage situation results in law enforcement being contacted and activated, it is critical to follow the instructions of, and cooperate with, law enforcement official who will be the Incident Commander with jurisdiction at the scene

RESPONSIBILITIES

A hostage situation involves one or more persons being held against their will by one or

more individuals. The goal is to ensure the safety of students, staff and others at the school and

prevent the hostage(s) from being moved away from the school. All staff should be aware of

what to do in the event of a hostage situation.

If hostage taker is unaware of your presence, do not intervene.
Notify the Principal/School Incident Commander, School Resource Officer, or call 9-1-1 if unable to reach school authorities.

If school personnel or students are taken hostage:

Follow instructions of hostage taker.
Try not to panic. Calm students if they are present.
Treat the hostage taker as normally as possible.
Be respectful to hostage taker.
Ask permission to speak and do not argue or make suggestions.

Principal/School Incident Commander

Call 9-1-1 immediately. Give dispatcher details of situation; description and number of intruders, exact location in the building and that the school is in LOCKDOWN or taking other action if appropriate (such as EVACUATION if hostage taker has a bomb). Ask for assistance from hostage negotiation team.
Announce LOCKDOWN or other procedure if conditions warrant.
Ensure staff outside are notified of the situation and to move students away from the building to the outside assembly areas.
Isolate the area and try to determine if weapons are involved, if possible.
Redirect any buses en route to the school to an alternate location.
Notify Superintendent and activate communications plan.
Give control of scene to police and hostage negotiation team.
Ensure detailed notes of events are taken.

Teachers and Staff

Teachers and staff will implement LOCKDOWN or other directed procedures upon hearing the alert. If outside, move to designated assembly areas and wait for further instructions.
Everyone should remain in their location until given the “All Clear” unless otherwise instructed to take other action by a law enforcement officer.

OTHER PROCEDURES (that may be activated depending on conditions)

Active Shooter
Evacuation
Family Reunification
Medical and Mental Health
Shelter-in-Place

VOLCANIC ACTIVITY ANNEX

PURPOSE

The purpose of this annex is to ensure that there are procedures in place to protect staff/students and school property in the event of volcanic activity. It is critical that all staff know what to do in the event of volcanic activity from Mt. Rainier or surrounding active volcanoes. According to the Thurston County Planning Committee review the two most likely volcanic hazards are dust and rock fragments. The scope of the hazard will be relative to the weather at the time and the wind direction. The Shelter-in-Place annex will be implemented.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Incident Commander/Principal

Make the following announcement using the building intercom system, 2-way radio, or telephone:

Order a REVERSE EVACUATION for students and staff outside to move inside the building. Use the building intercom system, 2-way radio, telephones or runners to gather staff and students inside.
Direct staff to close all windows and doors.
If warranted, order the shut-off of heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems to stop the inflow of outside air into the building.
Notify Superintendent’s office the school is SHELTERING-IN-PLACE.
Designate staff to monitor radio, Internet, and other media for information on incident conditions that caused the SHELTER-IN-PLACE.
Contact and consult with public safety officials as appropriate.
Be prepared to announce additional procedures due to changing conditions of the incident, such as DROP COVER AND HOLD or to announce an “All Clear.”

Teachers

Move students into designated safe areas such as inside rooms with no windows if possible, bathrooms, utility closets or hallways without large windows or doors.
Close classroom doors and windows when leaving.
Have everyone kneel down and be ready to cover their heads to protect from debris, if appropriate.
If outside, teachers will direct students into the nearest school building interior safe area or other appropriate shelter.
For severe weather, if there is no time to get into a building or shelter, attempt to squat or lie low in the nearest ravine, open ditch or low spot away from trees and power poles.
If movement into the building would expose persons to a hazardous chemical plume, teachers should move to designated outdoor assembly areas upwind or crosswind from the spill.
Move students from mobile classrooms to an interior safe area in a permanent structure.
All persons must remain in the shelter until notified by the School Incident Commander/Principal or public safety official that it is safe to exit.
Take attendance and be prepared to notify Incident Commander of missing students or additional students, staff or guests sheltered in your classroom.

Custodians

Shut off utilities as directed by School Incident Commander/Principal or public safety official.
Turn off ventilation systems (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) as directed and if appropriate.

OTHER PROCEDURES (that may be activated depending on conditions)

Evacuation Annex.
Family Reunification Annex.
Medical and Mental Health Annex.
Communication Annex

BOMB THREAT ANNEX

PURPOSE

The purpose of this annex is to ensure that there are procedures in place to protect staff, students and school property in the event of a communicated threat regarding the presence of destructive devices on school property. This may include any explosive device of an incendiary, chemical, biological, or radioactive nature. A bomb threat will result in law enforcement and other safety and emergency services responding to the scene.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Staff Who Received a Message That a Bomb Has Been Placed in School

Make a record of the exact wording of the threat.
Ask in a clear and calm voice: where the bomb is located; what does it look like; what materials are in the bomb (type of bomb); how is it activated; when will the bomb explode; who is calling, name and address; did you place the bomb; why are you doing this.
If the threat is made by phone, listen closely to caller’s voice and speech patterns and to noises in the background. Make a record of that information.
If the threat is made by phone and the caller hangs up, immediately dial *57 to trace the call if applicable.
Notify the Incident Commander/Principal or designee and/or call 9-1-1.

School Incident Commander/Principal

Notify law enforcement, fire and emergency services by calling 9-1-1 if not already notified.
Assign staff to meet and brief emergency responder agencies.
Notify staff through the public address system:

YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE. A BUILDING EMERGENCY IS IN EFFECT. ALL STAFF AND STUDENTS SHOULD REMAIN IN THEIR ROOMS UNTIL ADVISED OTHERWISE. TWO-WAY RADIOS AND CELL PHONES SHOULD BE TURNED OFF.

If a suspicious item is located, determine if EVACUATION procedures should be activated, selecting routes and assembly areas away from the suspicious item. DO NOT ACTIVATE THE FIRE ALARM. Or, determine if further response should await arrival of law enforcement and other emergency services. See subsection D below.
If EVACUATION occurs, students and staff must be evacuated to a safe distance outside of school building(s) MINIMUM 1000 Feet is the general rule.
Arrange for the person who found a suspicious item to talk with law enforcement official.
Notify the Superintendent.
Active communications plan to inform parents, media, and community of incident as determined in consultation with law enforcement.

Teachers and staff

Check classrooms, offices and work area for suspicious items and report any findings to the School Incident Commander/Principal.
If a suspicious item is found-DO NOT TOUCH IT. Secure the area where the item is located.
Account for students and be prepared to EVACUATE if ordered.
EVACUATE using standard procedures and exit routes to assembly area.
Open classroom windows and leave classroom doors open when exiting.
Take roll call after being EVACUATED. Be prepared to report the names of any missing persons to school administration.
Keep students together at the assembly area until given further instructions. Be prepared to go to off-site relocation if ordered.
If given the “All Clear” signal, return to the building and resume normal operations.

Incident Commander/Law Enforcement, Fire & Emergency Agencies

Once emergency responders are on scene, decisions must be made to:

EVACUATE immediately, if this has not already occurred and if warranted, selecting routes and assembly areas away from the suspicious item. DO NOT ACTIVATE THE FIRE ALARM.
Speak to staff that received the threat and obtain information.
Search the building.
If a search is to be conducted, assemble and brief a search team at the interior command post. Assign search areas within the building, the emergency exit routes and the outside assembly areas.
If a suspicious item is located, order an EVACUATION, if that has not already occurred.
No one may re-enter the building(s) until fire or police personnel declare it is safe to do so.
After consulting with the Superintendent and School Incident Commander/Principal determine if staff and students should be relocated to an alternative safe site.
If danger is over notify staff and students of the termination of the emergency and to resume normal operations.

TERRORISM THREAT LEVEL INCREASE ANNEX

PURPOSE

The purpose of this annex is to ensure that there are procedures in place to respond to an elevation in the National Terrorism Advisory System. School administrators will be notified of terrorist threats through either of the following means:

A National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) alert from US Department of Homeland Security.
Directly by a law enforcement or Homeland Security official.

There are two terrorism threat levels in the United States: elevated and imminent. An “imminent threat” warns of a credible, specific, and impending terrorist threat against the United States. An “elevated threat” warns of a credible terrorist threat against the United States.

Terrorism threat examples include: chemical, biological, nuclear, radiological, and conventional weapon (explosives, small arms, etc.) attacks and hostage situations.

Schools should expect a heavy law enforcement involvement at the local, state and federal levels following a terrorist attack due to the incident’s criminal nature. Schools should also expect that extensive media coverage, strong public fear and international implications and consequences to continue for a prolonged period.

Schools will pre-determine designated officials who will coordinate with appropriate public safety/homeland security officials in the event of a terrorist threat.

In the event of an Imminent Threat, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), Local Police Department, Local Fire Department, and the Local County Sheriff’s Office will confer on the situation. Designated school officials will work with the Local Police Department and/or Sheriff’s Office and agrees to open or close schools.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Officials

When there is an imminent threat against a school or its immediate area, the following actions should be taken:

The Superintendent will start the phone tree to contact district staff. If school is in session, immediately notify building administrators and designated school officials.
If an alert is issued before or after school hours, normal school operations will cease, and will remain closed until advised by the designated school officials to reopen. All school activities and events scheduled will be cancelled until further notice.
If Alert is issued during school hours, school buildings will be secured and remain open until regular dismissal time, unless otherwise advised by the designated school officials. Students will be sent home by normal means of transportation or released to parents pursuant to district policy. All after-school activities will be cancelled, unless otherwise advised by the designated school officials.
The designated school officials will coordinate with appropriate public safety officials to determine what level of LOCKDOWN or other procedures are appropriate for the situation. FAMILY REUNIFICATION procedures will be followed in order to coordinate the release of students.

In the event of an actual terrorist attack schools should follow appropriate procedures for HOSTAGE SITUATIONS, conventional weapons incidents (e.g. EXPLOSIONS, ACTIVE SHOOTING, BOMB THREAT, etc.), and CHEMICAL/ HAZARDOUS SPILLS (biological incidents, chemical incidents, and radiological/nuclear incidents).

SEVERE WEATHER/TORNADO ANNEX

PURPOSE

The purpose of this annex is to have procedures in place when a Severe Weather/Tornado Watch or Warning has been issued for the school’s location.

RESPONSIBILITIES

School Incident Commander/ Principal

When a Severe Weather/Tornado Watch has been issued:

Monitor NOAA Weather Stations (National Weather Service, the Weather Channel, or television).
Bring all persons inside building(s).
Be prepared to move students from mobile classrooms into the building.
Close windows and blinds.
Review severe weather drill procedures and location of safe areas. Severe weather safe areas are under desks, in hallways and interior rooms away from windows.
Avoid gymnasiums and cafeterias with wide free-span roofs and large areas of glass windows.
Review “DROP COVER and HOLD” procedures with students.
Assign support staff to monitor all entrances and weather conditions.

When Severe Weather/Tornado has been issued for the school’s location or Severe Weather or a Tornado has been spotted near school.

Announce SHELTER-IN-PLACE alert signal.
Direct students and staff inside the building to immediately move to interior safe areas, closing classroom doors after exiting.
Ensure that students are in “DROP, COVER and HOLD” positions until the danger passes.
Direct students and staff outside to REVERSE EVACUATE into the building.
If outside, students and staff should move to the nearest interior safe area. If time does not permit, have students get down in the nearest ravine or open ditch or low spot away from trees or power poles.
Relocate students and staff from any mobile classrooms in the building.
Remain in a safe area until the warning expires or until emergency personnel have issued an “All-Clear”

EXPLOSION ANNEX

PURPOSE

An explosion can be the result of a boiler explosion, gas leak, chemical or hazardous spill or some other man-made (bomb) or natural hazard. An explosion may require the activation of several procedures, including:

Evacuation.
Reunification.
Medical First Aid Emergency.
Mental Health and Healing.

Any staff, student or visitor discovering an explosion will activate the fire alarm, report the explosion to the Principal, and call 9-1-1 for emergency services if injuries are apparent. Once an emergency Incident Commander arrives (police and/or fire), it is critical to follow the instructions of, and cooperate with, the Incident Commander who has jurisdiction at the scene.

No one may re-enter building(s) until it is declared safe by the fire department.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Incident Commander/Principal

Call 9-1-1 to confirm the alarm, identify the school name and location, and provide exact location of the explosion. If any staff or students are injured and inform emergency services (police and fire) the building is being evacuated and identify the location of the school command post.
Activate an EVACUATION.
Ensure that staff, students and visitors immediately evacuate the building using prescribed routes or alternate routes due to building debris to the assembly areas. Assembly areas may need to be relocated because of the building collapse or unsafe areas from the explosion or continued explosions.
Notify the district office and institute communications plan.
Designate staff to take the visitor log, student sign-out sheet and the critical incident response documents, information, items, supplies to the designated school command post.
Designate staff to obtain student roster from teachers and identify any missing students.
If safe and appropriate to do so, direct designated staff to shut off utilities.
Notify and provide regular updates to staff and students of the status of the emergency.
Upon consultation with Superintendent, fire department and law enforcement officials, and if necessary due to unsafe conditions direct an off-site evacuation to a designated primary relocation center.
If relocation occurs, activate REUNIFICATION.
If relocation is not necessary, provide information on plan to return to the building and resumption of normal operations.
Do not allow staff and students to return to the building until proper authorities have determined that it is safe to do so and given the “All Clear” signal after the threat has passed.

Teachers

Take the class roster and first-aid kit and any other supplies or resources relevant to the incident and lead students as quickly and quietly as possible out of the building to the designated assembly area(s).
Use alternate escape routes if the regular route is blocked or there is a safety hazard.
Assist or designate others to assist students with functional needs.
Close the classroom door and turn out the lights upon exiting and confirm all students and personnel are out of the classroom.
Take attendance at the assembly area. Report any missing students or staff members and/or any injuries to the Principal and/or emergency Incident Commander at the scene.
Keep class together and wait for further instructions.
Remain in a safe area until the “All Clear” signal has been issued.
Be prepared to move students if an off-site relocation is ordered.
Be prepared to move the students if the situation warrants it.

No one may re-enter building(s) until it is declared safe by the certified reentry staff who will inspect for structural integrity. The reentry staff will be assigned to the inspection by the Director of Support Services. This reentry procedure is the same as the Earthquake Annex reentry procedure.

FIRE ANNEX

PURPOSE

Washington Middle School follows OSPI policy and procedures governing fire drills and conducts fire drills as required by regulation. All staff is trained on how to respond in the event of a fire.

Any staff discovering fire or smoke will activate the fire alarm, and report the fire to the Principal, or call 9-1-1 if conditions require and/or injured are in need of medical assistance.
Staff, students and visitors will immediately evacuate the building using prescribed routes or alternate routes to the assembly areas.
No one may re-enter building(s) until it is declared safe by the fire department.

Once an emergency Incident Commander arrives (fire department), it is critical to follow the instructions of, and cooperate with, the Incident Commander who has jurisdiction at the scene.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Incident Commander/Principal

Call or direct staff to call 9-1-1 to confirm the alarm is active, identify the school name and location, provide exact location of the fire or smoke, if any staff or students are injured, state the building is being evacuated and identify the location of the school command post.

Activate an EVACUATION.
Ensure that staff, students and visitors immediately evacuate the building using prescribed routes or alternate routes due to building debris to the assembly areas. Assembly areas may need to be relocated because of the building collapse or unsafe areas from the fire.
Notify the district office and institute communications plan.
Direct office staff to take the visitor log, student sign-out sheet and the critical incident response documents, floor plans, information, items, supplies to the designated school command post.

Designate staff to obtain student roster from teachers and identify any missing students, staff and visitors.
Upon consultation with Superintendent, fire department and law enforcement officials, and if necessary due to unsafe conditions, direct an off-site evacuation to a designated primary relocation center.
If relocation occurs, activate REUNIFICATION.
If relocation is not necessary, provide information on plan to return to the building and resumption of normal operations.
Do not allow staff and students to return to the building until the fire department or emergency Incident Commander with jurisdiction over the scene has determined that it is safe to do so and given the “All Clear.”
Notify staff of the status of the emergency, if they can return to the building and when normal operations can resume.

Teachers

Take the class roster and first-aid kit and any other supplies or resources relevant to the incident and lead students as quickly and quietly as possible out of the building to the designated assembly area(s).
Use alternate escape routes if the regular route is blocked or there is a safety hazard.
Assist or designate others to assist students with functional needs.
Close the classroom door and turn out the lights upon exiting and confirm all students and personnel are out of the classroom.
Take attendance at the assembly area. Report any missing students or staff members and/or any injuries to the Principal and/or emergency Incident Commander at the scene.
Keep class together and wait for further instructions.
Remain in a safe area until the “All Clear” signal has been issued.
No one may re-enter building(s) until it is declared safe by the fire department.

PLAN DEVELOPMENT and MAINTENANCE

The EOP integrates with school and district policy and procedures and a number of stakeholder EOPs or guidelines. The school EOP utilizes existing program expertise and personnel to provide prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of post event consequences. The EOP is structured according to the Comprehensive Preparedness Guide (CPG) 101, Nov 2010, while also following the principles of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS). Furthermore, the EOP utilizes the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) to address response, training, exercises, equipment, evaluation, and corrective action practices.

The District Safety and Risk Manager and the Principal will oversee or coordinate with applicable partners the following EOP actions:

The EOP will be reviewed annually and modified as necessary by the Safety and Risk Manager and Principal.

The Washington Middle School EOP will be coordinated with external agencies that may be affected by EOP implementation, in an effort to ensure consistency and compatibility of their jurisdictional plans.
Substantive changes between review periods, such as changes in roles or responsibilities, will prompt notification to stakeholders. Minor edits such as grammar or spelling changes will require no notification.

If the organization and upkeep of the EOP includes process changes such as an EOP review, or a promulgation document designed to capture signature acknowledgement from each partner agency named within the document, the Safety and Risk Manager will generate a draft document that will be sent to the relevant partners for review and recommendations.
After a review period and consideration of stakeholder comments, the document will be finalized and signatures obtained.
Final results of the reviews and any changes to the EOP will be presented to the Principal for final approval before being adopted.

Each school unit or department identified as having a role in this EOP is responsible for communicating the content of the EOP to their staff and ensuring key staff has the opportunity to attend EOP training and exercise activities.

Ensure EOP compliance with the applicable local, State, and federal procedures.

TESTING, TRAINING, and EXERCISE

The development of the EOP Training and Exercise Plan is a key component of the school’s ability to respond to an emergency situation. It is imperative that all school staff have a general understanding of what their role will be during an event and the expected response protocol, which is structured by NIMS while also following the HSEEP (Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program) procedures. Therefore, training and exercise opportunities will provide the required background and understanding of staff and response volunteers.

EOP training opportunities, as well as review of preparedness or response support materials, will be incorporated into the annual Training and Exercise schedule and Workforce Development Plan.
Each school unit or department identified as having a role in this EOP is responsible for communicating the content of the EOP to their staff and ensuring key staff has the opportunity to attend and participate in EOP training and exercise activities.
Working with response agency partners, HSEEP compliant exercises should be held to train school and response personnel and evaluate the adequacy of the EOP. Following HSEEP procedures, an After Action Report (AAR) and the Improvement Plan (IP) for each exercise will be developed and documented appropriately.

PLAN CONTACT INFORMATION

Name and Position	Phone Number	Alternate Phone Number
Wendy Couture	360-5960567	360-480-2789
E-mail: wcouture@osd.wednet.edu
Department: Safety and Risk

RECORD of CHANGE

Change Number	Date of Change	Description of Change	Change Made By
1	9/2/2016	Origin	WC
2	9/23/2019	Update ALICE Protocol and add new building information	WC
3	5/25/2022	Staff changes/Role updates	WC
4	6/6/2022	Restore Broken Links	WC
5
6
7
8

RECORD of DISTRIBUTION

Date	Version	Name and Title	Department/Agency
9/23/2019	2	Sargeant Friely	Olympia PD

AUTHORITIES and REFERENCES

Procedures within this document apply to Washington Middle School. The organizational and operational concepts set forth in these procedures are promulgated under the following:

LOCAL

Olympia School District Board Policy 3432 – Emergencies
Olympia School District Board Policy 3432P – Emergency Procedures
Thurston County Emergency Management: http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/em/Orgs/EMC/EMC.htm

STATE

WAC 51.54.0400 Emergency Planning and Preparedness
Engrossed Senate Bill 5620 - K-12 Schools - Safety Drills
RCW 28A.320.125 Safe District and School Plans Required
RCW 28A.320.126 Emergency Response System
RCW 36.28A.060 School Mapping

FEDERAL

Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, PL 100-707
Emergency Management and Assistance, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 44.
Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986, PL 99-499 (Title III, “Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986”).
Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act of 1980, PL 96510 (CERCLA or “Superfund”).
County Health Department Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act (42 CFR Part 73)
Homeland Security Act of 2002 (CIKR, Intro-2, CPG 101)
Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 3, 5 and 8:

National Response Framework
National Incident Management Systems (NIMS)

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Rule 1910.120

DEFINITIONS

Annex: To attach, append, or add, especially to something larger. For example adding an evacuation plan to the larger Emergency Operations Plan. Creating an annex to the larger, more encompassing plan.

Common Terminology: Using common terminology helps to define organizational functions, incident facilities, resource descriptions, and position titles.

Demographic profile: Marketers typically combine several variables to define a demographic profile. A demographic profile (often shortened to "a demographic") provides enough information about the typical member of this group to create a mental picture of this hypothetical aggregate.

Disaster Recovery Center (DRC). The Disaster Recovery Center is established by FEMA in partnership with state and local emergency management offices. Representatives from federal, state, local, and volunteer agencies are there to explain the assistance available and to assist victims in procuring it.

Emergency Alert System (EAS). A network of broadcast stations and interconnecting facilities which have been authorized by the Federal Communications Commission to operate in a controlled manner during a war, state of public peril or disaster, or other national emergency – as provided by the emergency broadcast system plan. Supersedes EBS (Emergency Broadcast System).

Emergency Management (EM). A framework for organizing and managing emergency protection efforts. Prevention, protection, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery – in the all-hazards approach.

Emergency Operations Center (EOC). Specially equipped facilities from which government officials exercise direction and control and coordinate necessary resources in an emergency.

Emergency Public Information (EPI). Information that is disseminated to the public via the news media before, during, and/or after an emergency or disaster.

Emergency Operation Plan (EOP). Contains policies and procedures to follow before, during and after an emergency. The ERP integrates emergency preparedness activities into one document. It is the focal point for School planning and preparedness procedures.

Emergency Situation. As used in this plan, this term is intended to describe a range of situations, from an incident to a major disaster. It includes the following:

Incident. An incident is a situation that is limited in scope and potential effects.
Emergency. An emergency is a situation that is larger in scope and more severe in terms of actual or potential effects than an incident.
Disaster. A disaster involves the occurrence or threat of significant casualties and/or widespread property damage that is beyond the capability of the local government to handle with available local resources.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). The federal agency charged with development of an integrated emergency management system and with supporting emergency management and disaster assistance efforts at all levels of government. See: http://www.fema.gov.

Hazard: Something that is potentially dangerous or harmful, often the root cause of an unwanted outcome.

Human-Caused Hazard: A hazard that arises from deliberate, intentional human actions to threaten or harm the wellbeing of others. Examples include school violence, terrorist acts, or sabotage.
Natural Hazard: A hazard related to weather patterns and/or physical characteristics of an area. Often natural hazards occur repeatedly in the same geographical locations.
Technological Hazard: A hazard originating from technological or industrial accidents, infrastructure failures, or certain human activities. These hazards may cause loss of life or injury, property damage, social and economic disruption, or environmental degradation, and often come with little to no warning.

Hazardous Material (HAZMAT). A substance in a quantity or form posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety and/or property when manufactured, stored or transported. The substance, by its nature, containment and reactivity, has the capability for inflicting harm during an accidental occurrence. It may be toxic, corrosive, flammable, reactive, an irritant, a strong sensitizer and poses a threat to health and the environment when improperly managed. Included are toxic substances, certain infectious agents, radiological materials and other related materials such as oil or other petroleum products, and industrial solid waste substances.

Incident Commander (IC). The person responsible for the management of all incident operations. The IC is in charge of the incident site.

Incident Command Post. The location from which the Incident Commander oversees all incident operations. The ICP may be located outside, in a vehicle, trailer, or tent, or within a building. The ICP will be positioned at a safe distance from an accident site where the incident commander, responders and technical representatives can make response decisions, deploy manpower and equipment, maintain liaison with the media and handle communications.

Incident Command System (ICS). The combination of facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and communications operating with a common organizational structure, with responsibility for the management of assigned resources to effectively accomplish stated objectives pertaining to an incident and/or event.

Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) establishes guidance and procedures to ensure the resumption of essential functions in the event that an emergency or disruption incapacitates operations and/or requires the relocation of selected personnel and functions. (See Annex A COOP)

Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC). A group of representatives of government and private industry who coordinate response plans for emergency conditions.

Lockdown. A procedure of locking down into a space such as the classroom. Locking classroom doors, covering windows, moving all persons away from windows and doors during a situation involving dangerous intruders, or other incidents that may result in harm to persons when the hazard is inside the school building.

Lockout. A procedure of locking the hazard outside of the building. Locking classroom doors, covering windows, moving all persons away from windows and doors during a situation involving dangerous intruders located outside of the building.

Liaison Officer. A member of the command staff responsible for interacting with representatives from cooperating and assisting agencies.

Logistics Section. The section responsible for providing facilities, services, and materials for the incident.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). Document containing specific information on the safe handling of chemicals in the workplace.

National Weather Service (NWS). To provide weather and flood warnings, public forecasts and advisories for all of the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, primarily for the protection of life and property. NWS data and products are provided to private meteorologists for the provision of all specialized services. See: National Weather Service Website.

NIMS provides a consistent framework for incident management at all jurisdictional levels regardless of the cause, size, or complexity of the incident. NIMS is not an operational incident management or resource allocation plan. NIMS represents a core set of doctrine, concepts, principles, terminology, and organizational processes that enables effective, efficient, and collaborative incident management.

Public Information Officer (PIO). A member of the command staff responsible for interfacing with the media or other appropriate agencies requiring information directly from the incident.

Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES). A radio communication service conducted by volunteer licensed amateur radio operators, for providing emergency radio communications to local, regional, or state emergency management organizations. FCC 97.163(a).

Resources List. A current list of all resources (equipment, personnel, supplies), which can be used by emergency services in response to local disaster/emergencies.

Safe Zone. A geographical region beyond the warm zone where there is no suspected product contamination; often referred to as the cold zone or the outermost zone.

Shelter-In-Place. A procedure addressing the need to provide refuge for students, staff and visitors within the school building during an emergency.

Staging Area (SA). A preselected location having large parking areas and cover for equipment, vehicle operators, and other personnel such as a major shopping area, schools, etc. The SA provides a base for coordinated emergency operations, assembly of persons to be moved by public transportation to reception jurisdictions, a rally point for mutual aid, or a debarking area for returning evacuees.

Transfer of Command: The process of moving the responsibility for incident command from one Incident Commander to another is called “transfer of command.” It should be recognized that transition of command on an expanding incident is to be expected. It does not reflect on the competency of the current Incident Commander.

Unified Command. In ICS, Unified Command is a unified team effort that allows all agencies with responsibility for the incident, either geographical or functional, to manage an incident by establishing a common set of incident objectives and strategies. This is accomplished without losing or abdicating agency authority, responsibility, or accountability. The operations section chief is responsible for implementing the incident action plan.

Unity of Command and Chain of Command: Chain of command refers to the orderly line of authority within the ranks of the incident management organization. Unity of command means that every individual has a designated supervisor to whom he or she reports at the scene of the incident. These principles clarify reporting relationships and eliminate the confusion caused by multiple, conflicting directives. Incident managers at all levels must be able to control the actions of all personnel under their supervision.

Unified Command: In incidents involving multiple jurisdictions, a single jurisdiction with multiagency involvement, or multiple jurisdictions with multiagency involvement, Unified Command allows agencies with different legal, geographic, and functional authorities and responsibilities to work together effectively without affecting individual agency authority, responsibility, or accountability.