SAFE SCHOOLS PROCEDURES
Information for Parents
January 03, 2012
CRISIS RESPONSE PLAN
Vermilion Local Schools developed a Crisis Response Plan in 2000. The district wide plan is reviewed each year. Key committee members for the district’s Crisis Response Plan include the assistant superintendent, building principals, teachers, classified personnel, and representatives from the Vermilion Police & Fire Departments.
Every staff member is issued a copy of the district’s Crisis Response Plan. Building Crisis Teams hold regularly scheduled meetings to discuss aspects of the crisis plan and other topics of interest. Recommendations are taken from the Building Crisis Teams to the District Crisis Team each spring. The Crisis Response Plan is then updated for the following year. Members of the building and district crisis teams attend workshops and seminars on a regular basis to keep up on the latest information and techniques in dealing with school crisis. The Crisis Response Plan addresses the following emergencies/situations: injuries, severe weather, utility emergencies, toxic spills, building evacuations, fire, bomb threats, lock down procedures, intruder, hostage, child abduction, suicide threats, death of a student or staff member, and bus accidents.
FOR PARENTS: A copy of the district’s Crisis Response Plan is available at each building office.
SAFETY INSPECTIONS: Inspections are completed yearly by professional agencies: bus, fire marshal, health board, and food preparation and on request by the county emergency management department.
FIRE & TORNADO DRILLS: Drills are conducted according to State mandate.
BUILDING EVACUATION: Each building has an evacuation plan for fire and other situations as described in the Crisis Response Plan. Students are evacuated from their building and are not permitted to re-enter until the building administrator and/or safety forces have approved re-admittance. Evacuation sites: If the evacuation is expected to last for a prolonged period of time, students will be moved into the next nearest school building. If both buildings need to be evacuated, students will be moved to a secondary evacuation site.
BUILDING LOCK DOWN PROCEDURES: Each month every building conducts a lock down drill. This type of drill provides training for students and staff in case of an intruder or other threat. During a lock down drill ALL doors in the building are locked. In the middle school, gates are pulled down and locked. Staff and students remain in a “stay-put” mode in their classroom. Blinds are pulled and staff & students move to an area in the classroom away from the door and windows. Entry into any area is under the authority of the building principal. The School Safety Officer, School Resource Officer, and city safety forces are sometimes involved in the lock down drills.
BUILDING SECURITY: All exterior doors of all school buildings are kept locked throughout the school day. All visitors must enter through the main entrance and be granted access during the school day. All visitors must sign in at the office and wear a visitor name tag while in the building. All staff members are instructed to report any unauthorized persons to the office immediately. All staff members wear picture identification badges in the buildings at all times.
All buildings are equipped with security systems which include video monitoring both inside and outside the building. Building floor plans are on file with the police and fire departments. Room numbers are displayed in windows and all exits are numbered for ease of communication with safety forces.
BUS SAFETY: All buses are inspected annually and randomly throughout the year. Bus drivers are required to take annual physicals and are subject to random drug testing. Buses practice emergency evacuations on a regular basis. All buses are in constant radio contact with the Transportation Supervisor and the Board of Education offices. Buses going out of town on field trips take cellular telephones with them in case of emergency.
NURSING STAFF: Three nurses are hired through the Erie County General Health District.They are on duty throughout the student day. If they are not scheduled in a particular building,they are always on call and only minutes away.
SAFE SCHOOLS HOTLINE: The district subscribes to a SAFE SCHOOLS HELPLINE where a person can anonymously report any safety concern. The district is notified of the report and investigates accordingly.
VERMILION SCHOOLS SAFE SCHOOLS HELPLINE
1-866-Listen2Me (toll free)
(1-866-447-8362)
COOPERATION WITH SAFETY FORCES: The Vermilion Police Department, Vermilion Fire Department, and Lorain County SWAT Team use school facilities for training on a regular basis. This benefits the schools because safety forces become familiar with school facilities. Starting in 2003, the school district, in cooperation with the above groups and North Coast EMS and the Lorain & Erie County Emergency Management Departments, conduct a full scale Crisis Drill in one of the school buildings.
HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY: In an effort to better serve and safely serve students, parents, and the general public, numerous handicapped accessibility issues have been addressed over the last two or three years. All buildings are now nearly 100%handicapped accessible. Elevators have been added at Vermilion Intermediate and South Street Schools and ramps have been added in all four buildings. In addition,improvements in rest rooms and entrances have increased accessibility.
OFFICE PHONE NUMBERS
Board of Education 440-204-1700 *1 Superintendent’s Office ext. 102
Treasurer’s Office ext. 103 Curriculum Director’s Office ext. 102
Operations Coordinator ext. 102 Technology Coordinator ext. 112
Special Education Office ext. 306 Vermilion High School 440-204-1701
Sailorway Middle School 440-204-1702 Vermilion Elementary School 440-204-1703
Transportation Department 440-204-1731 Food Services Department 440-204-1790
Vermilion Local Schools Web Page: www.vermilionschools.org
Safe Schools Hotline -866-447-8362
