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Family Guide to School Emergencies

Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS) is committed to providing a safe environment for students and staff. We have established policies and procedures designed to effectively deal with an emergency incident in our district. Each school has their own safety plan and we closely work with our local safety officials - fire, police, sheriff, RESIG, and county emergency leaders work to ensure our schools are well prepared for an emergency. The safety plan is reviewed annually by the school community and it includes drill procedures for emergencies and disasters that are regularly practiced to provide a prepared response to an emergency. Descriptions of our emergency drills are explained below. 

COMMUNICATION TO OUR FAMILIES

In an emergency situation, our school families would receive a notification by telephone, text and email using ParentSquare. An emergency message would include basic information about the nature of the emergency, where and how you can be reunited with your student. We will also notify families when we plan to schedule a drill for the week.


UPDATING EMERGENCY CONTACTS

During an emergency, it is vital that the school district and school have accurate and up-to-date emergency contact information for all students. In an emergency, the District will contact parents via the ParentSquare communication system. If your telephone number(s) or email address changes, please contact the main office at your student(s) school(s) to get your contact information immediately updated in the system.

It is also vital that your student's Emergency Information Card is up-to-date with the person(s) allowed to pick-up students from school. During an emergency where students will need to be released, parents/guardians who are unable to be present at pick-up will need to verbally confirm the identification of the adult responsible for pick-up at the reunification point.

HOW PARENTS CAN HELP IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS

For the safety of everyone, parents/guardians are asked to wait for instructions from the school/district regarding how you can be reunited with your student in an emergency situation.

  • Please do not call school during an emergency. If you call the school during an emergency, you will probably not be able to speak with anyone, and you may tie up telephone lines that could be used for communicating with 911 and other first responders.
  • If requested to pick up your student, please pick up your student at the designated reunification point . While we understand that emotions are high in an emergency situation and parents/guardians want to be reunited with their student as quickly as possible, parents/guardians who arrive at the school in an emergency will interfere with the ability of staff and first responders to do their jobs. Our goal is to get you reunited with your student as quickly as possible, and parents/guardians who arrive at the school in an emergency situation only delay the reunification process.

PLEASE NOTE: Santa Rosa City Schools will only release students to the adult(s) designated on the Student’s Emergency Contact Card. A photo ID will be required. Please be patient during the reunification process, as it is important to verify that students are being released to the proper adult.

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The Student Release Procedure If There is an Emergency:

WHAT PARENTS WILL DO:

  • Remain calm.

  • Follow Parent Square instructions on what to do. 

    • Do not tie up the school telephone lines.

  • Bring a photo ID with you to school.

  • Park only in areas designated for parents; leave room for emergency vehicles.  Walk to school, if possible.

  • Follow the directions of school personnel and cooperate fully with public safety officials.

  • Fill out the Student Request Form

  • Show photo ID at Request Gate

  • Go to Student Release Gate to wait for children

  • Pick up all the children for whom you are authorized.

  • Leave campus as soon as you are reunited with the student(s) released into your custody.

WHAT STAFF WILL DO

  • At the REQUEST GATE, verify photo ID and student release authorization information 

  • Direct parents and authorized persons to the RELEASE GATE, radio ahead or send a runner for the requested student

  • At the RELEASE GATE, verify that the Student Request Form is signed

  • Release student into custody of the authorized adult

WHAT STUDENTS WILL DO

  • Stay calm.

  • Remain in the designated evacuation area until an authorized adult picks you up.

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EMERGENCY DRILLS AND DESCRIPTIONS

SHELTER-IN-PLACE

Shelter-in-place is used when students and staff need to be inside the building for safety. During shelter-in-place, students and staff are moved into or remain in their classrooms/rooms and normal classroom activities continue until the incident concludes. Shelter-in-place is used to provide protection against the outdoor environment, such as with:

  • Gas leaks
  • Severe weather
  • Community safety incidents involving law enforcement

LOCKDOWN

Lockdown is used when there is an immediate threat or hazard on the school campus. Students and staff are moved into or remain in classrooms/rooms, doors and windows are locked, and lights are shut off. Classroom activities cease until the incident concludes. School administrators and district officials work with local first responders to maximize student safety. Lockdowns are implemented with:

  • Intruder/suspicious person
  • Active shooter

EVACUATION

Evacuation is used when there are conditions inside the school building/facility that are unsafe. Students and staff evacuate the building to an outside location. Students and staff will assemble at predetermined locations away from the school buildings.

A “fire drill” is an evacuation. Other reasons for evacuation may include:

  • utility outage 
  • gas leak 
  • chemical spill 
  • flooding 
  • earthquake


DROP, COVER, AND HOLD ON

Drop, cover and hold on is used at the first sign of shaking or imminent threat, all students and staff should immediately drop to the floor, cover the back of their necks, and hold on to the closest piece of furniture (desk or chair) or other stable object with their free hand. If in a location without furniture (such as a hallway or bathroom), immediately kneel next to a bare inside wall, and place your arms and hands over the back of your neck and head. If outdoors, move away from trees, billboards, signs, buildings, electrical wiring and power poles.  Drop to the ground and cover the back of your neck and head with your arms and hands. Stay in this position until the threat passes and an “All Clear” announcement has been made-either through the PA system or via runners. An announcement to either resume regular activities or direct a response action such as evacuation would follow. Drop, cover and hold on are implemented with:

  • major earthquake
  • civil unrest/law enforcement activity
  • explosion
  • landslide
  • winter storm

Agency Contact Numbers

AGENCY

NUMBER

American Red Cross (Sonoma County Chapter)

(707) 577-7600

Animal Care and Control (Sonoma County)

(707) 565-7100

CalTrans (highway conditions)

(800) 427-7623

Highway Patrol Information Line (Sonoma County)

(707) 588-1400

Pacific Gas & Electric Company (outage reporting)

(800) 743-5002

Redwood Empire Schools’ Insurance Group

(707) 836-0779

School and College Legal Services

(707) 524-2690

Sonoma County Fire and Emergency Services Department

(707) 565-1152

Sonoma County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) Public Information Hotline (available during declared emergencies)

(707) 565-3856

Sonoma County Office of Education

(707) 524-2600

Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department (business office)

(707) 565-2511

Sonoma County Department of Health Services (public health information)

(707) 565-4400

Sonoma County Health Services Communicable Disease Reporting

(707) 565-4567

Sonoma County 2-1-1

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