Page 16 - School Planning & Management, April/May 2019

SAFETY & SECURITY { PREPARE AND BE AWARE }
Planning Disaster Responses
Many different kinds of disasters can strike your school. Are you prepared to respond?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN through an earthquake? Many quakes are no more than small tremors. You feel
the floor moving in a weird way for a few seconds and that’s it, it’s over.
Then there are big quakes that crack walls and knock down buildings and ceilings.
When the floor starts moving, though, you don’t know what you are in for. Is it a small tremor or a big quake?
Just in case it’s a big one, we all need a disaster response plan of some kind.
Of some kind? Yes. First thing to do
By Michael Fickes
in the event of an earthquake is to move outside and away from the building. Many quakes end in seconds, but you don’t want your students to remain inside if the shak- ing gets so bad that the ceiling caves in. So, walk outside and wait out the event in an open area away from buildings, trees, and other things that can be knocked over.
Usually the shaking will stop quickly, and everyone can go back inside.
That is one kind of disaster response plan.
More destructive earthquakes require more comprehensive disaster responses.
16 SCHOOL PLANNING & MANAGEMENT / APRIL/MAY 2019
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PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVE FROEBE JOPLIN, Mo.