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Partly Cloudy Lynbrook school plans evacuation drill
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West End Elementary School officials, together with fire and police emergency personnel, gathered last Monday morning at the school's library to discuss plans for an emergency evacuation exercise unlike any the Lynbrook School District has ever experienced.
This won't be just another fire drill, but the district's first comprehensive test of emergency escape procedures, the school's current safety system and mutual-aid-response methods of local fire and police departments.
Its outcome will reveal what the district needs to do to be better prepared in case of an emergency.
"We want to test the system. We want this to be as realistic as possible, complete with blocked exits," said Michael Chiaramonte of the Lynbrook Fire Department. Chiaramonte is also a newly retired teacher from the Jericho School District, where he organized a similar exercise.
Testing the system was a timely decision, considering the number of violent, often deadly events in our nation's schools. The Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) legislation, effective this past November, required the adoption of stricter safety and violence-prevention policies by last July 1. The law also requires that safety teams be established for every district and each school building, to address a wide range of issues and to develop more comprehensive security and emergency plans that must be filed with the state education commissioner.
West End Elementary was chosen for the exercise because it falls within the municipal jurisdiction of both the Lynbrook police and fire departments, making it the easiest emergency-response target.
Panel members expressed their concern that East Rockaway and Hewlett department officials weren't at the meeting, despite an invitation. Those departments are responsible for responding to other Lynbrook elementary schools such as Waverly Park and Marion in emergencies.
"The most difficulty comes in coordinating such aid," said Raymond Fais, a 32-year veteran of the Nassau County Police Department, an emergency management officer of 18 years. He helped organize an evacuation drill in Massapequa Park in May.
The five-member discussion panel also included Phyllis Caruso, Lynbrook school board trustee; Alan Phillips, assistant superintendent for business and Nola Bacci, West End principal.
Audience members included Donna Murray of the school's Shared Decision Team, school nurse Terry Rein, several West End teachers, and county fire marshal representatives Brian Flaks and Joseph LaRocca. Parent-teacher association members present included Genny Lynch and Bernadette Maurin.
Members of the panel said that this drill will be unlike any of the 12 drills held yearly. Although schoolchildren will be evacuated according to current standards, obstacles and reality-based situations will occur that will require that staff members make critical decisions.
Realistic simulations will include smoke created by machines using a non-toxic mixture and mock mutual aid between fire and police departments. Certain individuals will be designated to pretend to be injured and missing to give school personnel the opportunity to test the current system used to account for missing children. The use of police cars, ambulances and sirens will also be staged.
The plan will address the need for children to constructively respond to stress in case of fire or other emergencies, such as bomb threats, where evacuation is necessary.
"We need to bring a little confusion into it," said Fais, who stressed the need to create scenarios that are different from what kids normally encounter during drills.
A tentative date of April 27 has been set, and a rain date will be declared in case of inclement weather. A target time of between 10 and 11:30 a.m. was requested as best for school staff, but emergency personnel recommended an afternoon drill.
Normal drills last up to 30 minutes, school officials said. Parents voiced concern about having their children standing outside.
"We want to know exactly where our kids are," parents said. They asked that once out of the building, their children be taken to North Middle School a few blocks away. Although the distance to North was described as a five- to ten-minute walk, accommodating the children there would extend the drill time to about two hours.
"We wanted to start small. Another site wasn't part of the plan," said Caruso. Moving the children, particularly to North Middle, raises insurance liability issues that the school district's attorney must address.
Once outside, all children will be guided to a declared "safe area." Bacci explained that each teacher would be accountable for his or her own class. Fais called the walk to North feasible, but most parents requested that coats be worn.
"This (evacuation) needs to be done in under two minutes," said Fais. "No coats. The next time may be real, and there's always those kids who will go searching for their belongings." One parent suggested using buses, which was rejected for cost reasons.
"In the case of a real event, buses won't be standing by," the panel answered.
Curious parents were asked not to drive past the school on the day of the event.
"Surrounding streets will be blocked off and sealed in advance," said Fais. In a real situation, parents may be able to access their children on foot.
By the end of this week, the group will formally choose additional members who will outline the project's goals and objectives for emergency personnel.
"In Jericho, faculty described it as a terrific experience," said Chiaramonte. "A follow-up is extra important."
Similar drills held in Malverne have had limited police involvement, and the East Rockaway School District is currently in the process of revising its safety policies.
This won't be just another fire drill, but the district's first comprehensive test of emergency escape procedures, the school's current safety system and mutual-aid-response methods of local fire and police departments.
Its outcome will reveal what the district needs to do to be better prepared in case of an emergency.
"We want to test the system. We want this to be as realistic as possible, complete with blocked exits," said Michael Chiaramonte of the Lynbrook Fire Department. Chiaramonte is also a newly retired teacher from the Jericho School District, where he organized a similar exercise.
Testing the system was a timely decision, considering the number of violent, often deadly events in our nation's schools. The Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE) legislation, effective this past November, required the adoption of stricter safety and violence-prevention policies by last July 1. The law also requires that safety teams be established for every district and each school building, to address a wide range of issues and to develop more comprehensive security and emergency plans that must be filed with the state education commissioner.
West End Elementary was chosen for the exercise because it falls within the municipal jurisdiction of both the Lynbrook police and fire departments, making it the easiest emergency-response target.
Panel members expressed their concern that East Rockaway and Hewlett department officials weren't at the meeting, despite an invitation. Those departments are responsible for responding to other Lynbrook elementary schools such as Waverly Park and Marion in emergencies.
"The most difficulty comes in coordinating such aid," said Raymond Fais, a 32-year veteran of the Nassau County Police Department, an emergency management officer of 18 years. He helped organize an evacuation drill in Massapequa Park in May.
The five-member discussion panel also included Phyllis Caruso, Lynbrook school board trustee; Alan Phillips, assistant superintendent for business and Nola Bacci, West End principal.
Audience members included Donna Murray of the school's Shared Decision Team, school nurse Terry Rein, several West End teachers, and county fire marshal representatives Brian Flaks and Joseph LaRocca. Parent-teacher association members present included Genny Lynch and Bernadette Maurin.
Members of the panel said that this drill will be unlike any of the 12 drills held yearly. Although schoolchildren will be evacuated according to current standards, obstacles and reality-based situations will occur that will require that staff members make critical decisions.
Realistic simulations will include smoke created by machines using a non-toxic mixture and mock mutual aid between fire and police departments. Certain individuals will be designated to pretend to be injured and missing to give school personnel the opportunity to test the current system used to account for missing children. The use of police cars, ambulances and sirens will also be staged.
The plan will address the need for children to constructively respond to stress in case of fire or other emergencies, such as bomb threats, where evacuation is necessary.
"We need to bring a little confusion into it," said Fais, who stressed the need to create scenarios that are different from what kids normally encounter during drills.
A tentative date of April 27 has been set, and a rain date will be declared in case of inclement weather. A target time of between 10 and 11:30 a.m. was requested as best for school staff, but emergency personnel recommended an afternoon drill.
Normal drills last up to 30 minutes, school officials said. Parents voiced concern about having their children standing outside.
"We want to know exactly where our kids are," parents said. They asked that once out of the building, their children be taken to North Middle School a few blocks away. Although the distance to North was described as a five- to ten-minute walk, accommodating the children there would extend the drill time to about two hours.
"We wanted to start small. Another site wasn't part of the plan," said Caruso. Moving the children, particularly to North Middle, raises insurance liability issues that the school district's attorney must address.
Once outside, all children will be guided to a declared "safe area." Bacci explained that each teacher would be accountable for his or her own class. Fais called the walk to North feasible, but most parents requested that coats be worn.
"This (evacuation) needs to be done in under two minutes," said Fais. "No coats. The next time may be real, and there's always those kids who will go searching for their belongings." One parent suggested using buses, which was rejected for cost reasons.
"In the case of a real event, buses won't be standing by," the panel answered.
Curious parents were asked not to drive past the school on the day of the event.
"Surrounding streets will be blocked off and sealed in advance," said Fais. In a real situation, parents may be able to access their children on foot.
By the end of this week, the group will formally choose additional members who will outline the project's goals and objectives for emergency personnel.
"In Jericho, faculty described it as a terrific experience," said Chiaramonte. "A follow-up is extra important."
Similar drills held in Malverne have had limited police involvement, and the East Rockaway School District is currently in the process of revising its safety policies.
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