The River Valley Board of Education recognizes that Hazardous Materials Incidents could occur in River Valley School District at any time. A hazardous material is defined as a substance or material that, because of its chemical, physical, or biological nature, poses a potential risk to life, health, or property if it is released. The Board and Administration, in conjunction with local authorities and Sauk County Emergency Government, have prepared the following plan in the case of a hazardous materials incident. This plan is to be followed by all district employees, students and others, should an incident occur.
GUIDELINES:
The River Valley School District Office shall be the point of contact to receive the hazardous materials emergency information on a spill. The office staff shall then forward the Code "Yellow" message to all affected schools by phone or in person if necessary. Two types of Code "Yellow" responses are:
A Code "Yellow - Sheltering in Place" is announced three times over the intercom system. This code indicates that all persons are to go inside their buildings and assemble in the same location as specified for tornado drills. All areas of possible outside air entry should be sealed off immediately by the building custodians and others designated by the Building Administrator:
1. Windows & doors, including inside doors, should be shut and locked. A person(s) should be designated to stand by exits and assure no one leaves.
2. Air handling systems, furnaces, air conditioners, fans and any other such units should be shut down and/or closed off.
3. Gaps around doors, windows, air conditioners and other such openings could be sealed with tape, towels or other such items.
4. If some rooms become contaminated, people should be removed and that room sealed off.
5. Keep everyone inside until notified of an "ALL CLEAR", which will be announced three times over the intercom.
6. Other special instructions may be given at the time of the original notification.
In place sheltering is typically short term (15-30 minutes).
A Code "Yellow - Evacuation" (announced three times over the intercom system) requires a complete evacuation of all persons. This evacuation will be coordinated with Emergency Services personnel. The District's Central Office personnel will provide each building with a detailed plan of evacuation based on the specific incident and instructions received from Emergency Government.
All instructions must be followed carefully. Individuals should always remember to stay away from the incident site in order to minimize chances of contamination. Keep your bodies fully covered for minimal protection. If you are caught outside during an incident, try to stay upstream, uphill and/or upwind as hazardous materials can be transported quickly by water and wind. Try to go a minimum of .8 miles from the danger area but many incidents require a much farther distance. If you're in a motor vehicle, close windows and close off ventilation.
In the case of building evacuation, if there is time, custodial staff, and/or other designated persons, should close all windows and shut off ventilation systems prior to evacuating themselves.
All individuals should follow defined evacuation routes and not take shortcuts, as they may be blocked off. Teachers, administrators, and other staff are responsible for maintaining orderly student evacuation.
Once an "all clear" has been given, administration, in conjunction with Emergency Government, will determine if normal operations will resume or some delay is required. The Building Administrators are responsible to determine if everyone is OK and to ascertain if special services are required, i.e. ambulance, etc. Each building is to be inspected by custodial and/or other designated personnel prior to admitting students. Windows should be opened and air ventilation systems turned on to return to normal air flow. Should the building be deemed unsafe, the Building Administrator is responsible for designating an assembly area, outside the building, deemed to be safe.
In the event an incident occurs after hours or on weekends, Sauk County Emergency Government will notify local emergency services personnel. It will then be their responsibility to notify persons who may be in or around school district buildings of the hazardous materials incident and the course of action to be taken.
Cross Reference: Policy #722.6 - Emergency Code Signals for Use in River Valley School District School Safety Plan
APPROVED: November 12, 1992
REVISED: June 8, 2000
APPROVED: July 13, 2000
12/21/2004 pw