The safety of our students and staff is always in the forefront. In light of the horrific tragedy yesterday in Parkland, Florida, we felt it important to share our emergency planning procedures with parents.
The Freeport Schools have always been serious about being prepared for emergencies. Each year, the District's entire Emergency Plan is reviewed and updated to meet New York State regulations. The plan addresses an enormous range of issues, from dealing with the onset of a crisis situation, to addressing the psychological and emotional needs of students and adults in its aftermath.
When an emergency occurs, the first concern of every staff member is the safety of the children in our care. This guide provides a brief description of how the school district will manage an emergency and how Freeport parents can support those vital efforts.
GENERAL INFORMATION:
The Freeport School District has established a District-Wide School Safety Plan (which is posted on our website) and a Building-Level Emergency Response Plan for each School Building in the District. The Building-Level Emergency Response Plan is a confidential document which cannot be shared with the public. Each of these plans is coordinated with police, fire and other officials in the county and state-wide agencies.
WHAT ARE THE SCHOOL SECURITY PROCEDURES?
All doors that lead to the outside are locked when school is in session. In order to enter the building, the parent/visitor may only enter through the main entrance and must obtain a visitor's pass. Any unauthorized person on school property will be reported to the school Principal or designee. Unauthorized persons will be asked to leave. School personnel are required to wear photo ID badges for identification purposes. Children are instructed to look for these ID badges. Visitors are required to wear a temporary badge which indicates an individual is an authorized visitor.
DO SCHOOLS HAVE EMERGENCY PLANNING DRILLS?
Yes, New York State regulations require school districts to test their emergency plans in each school building through exercises and drills.
SHOULD I PICK UP MY CHILD AT SCHOOL DURING AN EMERGENCY?
Not unless directed to do so. While every parent's natural instinct in an emergency is to go to the school to protect his/her own child, it is important to realize that doing so may significantly affect the District's ability to respond to the situation. For example, cars driving up to the building will restrict access by emergency vehicles that are responding to the emergency, or school buses that are loading children to evacuate them or take them home. The building's staff will be actively working to ensure the safety of all students. It may seem logical that every student taken home by a parent reduces the responsibility of the staff, but in a fast moving situation that requires a great deal of careful coordination and communication, it actually makes the critical task of keeping track of students more difficult.
HOW WILL PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND STUDENTS BE REUNITED?
An area will be designated for parents to pick up students. Photo identification must be shown in order for a student to be brought to the reunification area.
WHAT PROVISIONS ARE MADE FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES?
Every school building has a plan of action to evacuate any student with special needs.
WHERE CAN I GET INFORMATION DURING AN EMERGENCY?
Chances are that you will have difficulty reaching the school by phone when you try. The school will be making every effort to contact you through automated calling systems and our website. The schools have every child's emergency contact information that they have readily available for emergencies. School officials may utilize the parent organizations to activate their phone chains. TV News 12 and local media will also be utilized.
WHAT CAN I DO TO PLAN AHEAD?
The two most important things you can do are:
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Make sure your child's school has the most up-to-date emergency contact information.
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Review with your child any alternative arrangements you have made in case an emergency prevents you from being home.
The Principal or Assistant Principal is responsible for coordinating emergencies at the building level. All school building information can be found in the School Safety Plan on our website at www.freeportschools.org.