Hot Springs School District

Diverse. Dedicated. Unified. A place for everyone.

Emergency 911:

Call 911 to report a crime in progress, a fire, a heart attack, a serious injury, or any situation where there is IMMEDIATE danger to life and property.

Non-Emergency Numbers:

Poison Information Center	1-800-482-8948
Police Department	501-321-6789
Sheriff’s Office	501-321-6760
School Administration	Office	Cell	Fax
Superintendent	501-624-3372	501-609-5295	501-620-7829
Asst Superintendent	501-623-2995	501-627-5211	501-620-7806
Director of Transportation	501-623-2995	501-627-5211	501-620-7806
Bus Transportation	501-623-2995	501-609-6400	501-620-7806

NEVER USE RADIOS OR CELLULAR TELEPHONES

Staff:

1. Notify the principal or designee. They will provide any direction you need or follow school procedures.
2. If you are asked to evacuate:
   • Leave lights on.
   • Do not lock doors.
   • Take your grade book.

Administrator or Designee:

1. Contact the Superintendent or designee. They will provide any direction you need and will call the appropriate law enforcement agencies.
2. The Administrative Team/School Resource Officer will conduct a visual inspection of all areas.
3. Ask staff to make a visual check of their area and send information to the front office.
4. Law enforcement officials will decide if fire or medical personnel need to be called.
5. If evacuation is necessary, ask staff to:
   • Leave lights on.
   • Do not lock doors.
   • Take your grade book.
6. Ensure all personnel answering telephones are aware of the policies and procedures implemented by the school district and the local law enforcement regarding obtaining information from a caller.

Do not physically intervene if personal harm can come to you.

1. Notify principal or designee. Use the intercom in your classroom or send a responsible student messenger to the office or a nearby teacher’s room.
2. Appraise the situation:
   • verbal
   • pushing and shoving
   • blow and body contact
   • weapons
3. Take charge:
   • Address students by name, if possible; talk calmly, telling students to separate.
   • Disperse crowd – tell students by name, if possible, to leave the scene.
4. Intervene, using physical intervention as a last resort:
   • Separate combatants, respecting personal space
   • Settle down the aggressor, remaining calm, rational and professional
   • Calmly talk to students, telling them to settle down
5. If another teacher is available to cover your class, escort students to the office. Do not send students unescorted to the office.

Destruction of Part of or Whole Building (e.g., tornado, plane crash, bomb, hurricane)

1. Assess and notify designee of damage and injury. They will provide any direction you need.
2. Stay with your class, even if evacuated.
3. Keep students calm.
4. Duty and planning teachers report to the office for duty assignment.
5. If you are asked to evacuate:
   • Leave lights on.
   • Do not lock doors.
   • Take your grade book.

Administrator or Designee:

1. Determine the need to evacuate or shelter in place.
2. If there is no danger outside the building, use fire alarm to evacuate building.
   • Safe areas: Identify locations away from the problem area and routes to reach safe areas.
   • Designate areas to which classes, groups, or students should relocate.
3. Call 911.
4. Contact the superintendent or designee: 624-3372
5. Attend to injured:
   • Assign free adults to attend to injured, with one adult designated as “in charge.”
6. Meet rescue personnel:
   • Have staff direct rescue personnel to problem area and assist in providing access as needed by rescue personnel.
7. In the case of dismissal, arrange for transportation with the Director of Transportation: 623-2995

Gas leaks are identified by an odor similar to rotten eggs. If a gas leak is suspected.

Staff:

1. Notify principal or designee. They will provide any direction you need.
2. If you are asked to evacuate:
   • Leave lights on.
   • Do not lock doors.
   • Take your grade book, and ask students to take with them anything that is easily accessible (e.g. book bags).

Administrator or Designee:

1. Determine the need to evacuate or shelter in place.
2. If evacuation is necessary:
   • Assign staff member(s) to check halls, restrooms, locker rooms, etc. for students.
   • If inside and if possible, allow fresh air ventilation.
   • If outside, move upwind from any odor.
3. Contact the Administrator or designee
4. Determine whether first aid is needed.
5. Determine whether a normal routine may be followed at school.
6. Establish safe places for classes to reconvene.

Take cover under your desk quickly. (An earthquake can last as long as 60 seconds.) Be sure to stay in the covered position under your desk and hold on to the legs so that the desk cannot slide away from you. Prepare to take cover again at any second if an aftershock strikes and the shaking starts again.

After the earthquake ends:

1. Assess and notify designee of damage and injury. They will provide any direction you need.
2. Stay with your class, even if evacuated.
3. Keep students calm.
4. Duty and planning teachers report to the office for duty assignment.
5. If you are asked to evacuate:
   • Leave lights on.
   • Do not lock doors.
   • Take your grade book.

Administrator or Designee:

1. If there is no danger outside the building, use fire alarm to evacuate building.
   • Safe areas: Identify locations away from the problem area and routes to reach safe areas.
   • Designate areas to which classes, groups, or students should relocate.
2. Call 911.
3. Contact the superintendent or designee: 624-3372
4. Attend to injured:
   • Assign free adults to attend to injured, with one adult designated as “in charge.”
5. Meet rescue personnel:
   • Have staff direct rescue personnel to problem area and assist in providing access as needed by rescue personnel.
6. In the case of dismissal, arrange for transportation with the Director of Transportation: 623-2995

Staff:

1. Notify principal or designee. If the fire alarm has not sounded, activate the alarm manually.
2. If the fire alarm has sounded:
   • Take your grade book and ask students to take with them any easy accessible personnel items.
   • Check the evacuation route posted in the room by the primary exit where students are located.
   • Close all doors and windows. Turn lights off.
   • Exit from the building quickly and quietly.
   • Move at least fifty feet from the building. Avoid parking lots or areas that would impede emergency vehicles and personnel.
   • Verify attendance of all students under your supervision.
   • If you cannot account for a student who should be in attendance, report the absence to an immediate supervisor. Do not re-enter the building.
   • Wait for all-clear signal to return to the building.
3. If you do not have supervision of students and have been assigned a numbered evacuation “zone,” do the following:
   • Move to your area and check for:
     • Any students remaining in the building.
     • Make sure all doors and windows are closed, lights are off, and fire doors are closed.
   • As soon as your zone area has been checked, radio back to the administrator or designee with a report of findings or an “all-clear” for your zone.

Administrator or Designee:

1. Once the fire alarm is sounded:
   • Have all personnel assigned to a zone move to their area to check for:
     • Any students remaining in the building.
     • All doors and windows are closed, lights are off, and fire doors are closed.
   • As soon as a zone area has been checked, personnel assigned to that zone will need to radio back to the administrator or designee with a report of findings or an “all clear” for their zone.
2. If all zones report “all-clears,” use an “all-clear” signal to re-enter the building.
3. If fire or injury is reported in a zone, follow appropriate emergency procedures.

Staff:

1. Notify principal or designee. They will provide any direction you need.
2. Take roll, stay with students in room, and await further instructions.

Administrator or Designee:

1. Assess the situation to determine threat.
2. Call 911 if there is an indication of danger.
3. Contact the Superintendent or designee: 624-3372
4. Telephone Number
5. Notify teachers if there is a need for Lockdown.
6. Keep telephone lines open for emergency use.
7. Provide maps of building and grounds to police.

1. Notify principal or designee.
2. Respond with empathetic listening and initial information gathering. Do not promise confidentiality.
3. Refer student to a counselor. (walk them to guidance or contact an administrator or counselor)

Guidance:

1. Explore the situation gathering key information to check for lethality indicators.
2. Contact the student’s parent(s).
3. If you believe the student is currently at suicidal risk, keep the student with you until a parent/guardian can pick up the student.
4. Contact the School Resource Officer.
5. Supply the parents with a list of agencies for referral.
6. If the parents refuse to accept/seek help for their child, this can constitute child neglect. Contact the Children & Families Services to intervene: 623-4479
7. Document actions taken by school personnel.
8. Follow up:
   • Try to get a commitment from the student to contact you or another adult if feeling suicidal in the future.
   • Make ongoing guidance appointments for the student to monitor how the student is coping.
   • Make contacts with parents to check on their progress with referral agencies and to make parents aware of what is happening at school.
   • Keep the principal, other administrators, and the student’s teachers apprised of the student’s situation.

Social Worker

1. May assist the guidance department by contacting parents who cannot be reached by school personnel.

Administrator or Designee:

1. Contact the superintendent or designee if suicide is completed at school: 624-3372
2. Provide support when needed during crisis situation.
3. Follow up with the guidance department.

Staff:

1. Notify principal or designee.
2. Remain calm.
3. Avoid heroics.
4. Don’t threaten.
5. Keep a safe, non-intimidating distance.
6. Avoid abrupt sporadic movements.
7. Look for a place to dive or jump.
8. Negotiate minimally until the principal, designee, or law enforcement arrives.

Administrator or Designee:

1. Assess the situation. Decide whether to call a Lockdown or to handle the situation on a need to know basis.
2. Call the proper Police Department or 911. 321-6789
3. Contact the Superintendent: 624-3372
4. Inform another administrator or designee of the threat, insuring classes do not change until an “all clear” has been issued.
5. Provide as much information as possible.
   • Be prepared to act as a resource and liaison between school and police.
   • If needed, have a map of the school available for the police.
6. Gather as much detailed information as possible and try to determine:
   • Location, identity and detailed description of individual.
   • Location and description of weapon.
   • Any pertinent background information on individual, including possible reason for carrying a weapon.
7. Isolate individual or suspect. If the weapon is in a locker or elsewhere, prevent access to it.
8. Remain calm. Try not to raise your voice – but, if this becomes necessary, do so decisively and with clarity. Your tone and demeanor will strongly influence the outcome of the crisis.
9. Avoid heroics – look for a place to dive or jump. Keep a safe, non-intimidating distance.
10. Do not use force or touch the person or weapon if interaction with the individual is imminent. Avoid sudden moves or gestures.
11. Negotiate minimally until law enforcement arrives.
12. Meet with police when they arrive. They will advise you how they intend to proceed.

Tornadoes, Hurricanes, & Thunderstorms
All school offices are equipped with battery-powered weather radios that must be turned on during school hours.

A tornado watch or severe thunderstorm warning received during school hours:

1. The principal or designee will notify all staff in the school.
2. Teachers will continue regular classroom activities.
3. School will dismiss at normal time; but drivers will follow regular routes using due caution.
4. Review school procedures for establishing safe areas.

A tornado warning stating that a tornado has actually been sighted.

1. The principal or designee will receive this warning by way of the radio tuned to the weather channel, or a call from the Superintendent or designee, local law enforcement, or Civil Defense Office.
2. The principal will inform the staff.
3. Staff and students will immediately proceed to the area predetermined by the school and assume a protective position to best protect the face and head.
4. Teachers will take roll and notify the principal or designee if anyone is missing.
5. The secretary will close all vaults and secure necessary records.
6. All qualified personnel will render first aid, when necessary.
7. Staff and students will not return to their classrooms until the principal or designee gives an “all-clear.”

If there is not a warning, but a tornado is sighted approaching the school, the principal or designee will direct all persons to proceed as follows:

Plan 1 – If time permits, take classes to designated area(s).

Plan 2 – If time does not permit:

• Go to the nearest enclosed hallway, not to open corridors.
• Avoid open spaces and outside hallways.
• Avoid areas with large roof expanse such as the gymnasium, cafeteria or auditorium.

TAKE COVER PROCEDURES
(Severe Weather, Civil Defense Alerts, Other Emergencies)
For the protection of all occupants of the building, it is important that everyone is informed and understands what to do in the event of severe weather or other emergencies that necessitate the school population taking cover. The following take cover procedures should be taught in each class:

1. Discuss the take cover warning.
2. Practice the take cover position as listed below. Everyone should bend forward lowering their heads.
3. Encourage students to remain calm and not to panic if a crisis should take place.
4. Discuss the “all-clear” code.

Staff:

1. Take students to hallway or other approved location. Seat them on the floor in the hall with their backs against the lockers/walls. If necessary, double up against the locker/walls. If there is no time to move the students, have them get on the floor away from glass.
2. Instruct students to put their heads down against their knees, cover their necks with their hands, and their faces with their arms.

A TORNADO WATCH OR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
Administrators or Designee:

1. The superintendent or his designee will decide to close the schools based upon current weather information.
2. If the schools close early, all procedures for the emergency closing of schools will be in effect.

HURRICANE WATCH OR WARNING
Administrators of Designee:

1. The superintendent or his designee will decide to close the schools based upon current weather information.
2. If the schools close early, all procedures for the emergency closing of schools will be in effect.

If the weather becomes severe enough during the night or on the weekends to close the schools, all procedures for the emergency closing of schools will be put in effect.