Emergency Preparedness
The Sumner School District works in partnership with local law enforcement,
public safety and county emergency management to prepare for emergency
conditions in our schools. Each school has developed and implemented a
comprehensive plan for responding to a variety of natural disasters and
hazardous situations including earthquake, lahar, fire, bomb threat, and
hazardous materials incidents. Staff and students practice appropriate
responses including evacuation and shelter-in-place.
Our system for managing school emergency situations provides students,
staff and parents with a plan and a sense of security. Student safety
is our focus and guides our decisions. Staff members have been assigned
specific tasks they are responsible for during an emergency situation.
Exhibiting leadership during a school evacuation or providing first aid
are as important as communicating information to parents and organizing
student relocation centers. Our facilities are equipped with emergency
supplies, radios and equipment that may be necessary to shelter students
for two or three days.
Emergency Operations Center
In the event of a districtwide emergency, school administrators have designated
an Emergency Operations Center to provide support for students and staff
at each school. Local law enforcement and emergency management officials
will communicate directly with the district to coordinate response plans
and maximize resources, ensuring that assistance is available where it
is most needed. District communications and release of information to
the media will also be directed from the Operations Center.
Emergency Messages
When you subscribe to School Messages, you will also receive up-to-the
minute announcements by email regarding student and school status and
unscheduled school closures. In the event of an emergency school closure,
evacuation information and parent advisories will be posted on the Emergency
Operations Status page.
Homeland Security Advisory
This advisory system provides information regarding the risk of terrorist
attacks on a national and local level. The system is a means for government
officials and citizens to communicate the nature and degree of terrorist
threats. This advisory system characterizes appropriate levels of vigilance,
preparedness and readiness in a series of graduated threat conditions.
Public announcements of threat advisories help deter terrorist activity,
notify law enforcement, alert state and local government officials of
threats, and inform the public about government preparations.
Keep School Safe
Report unsafe or threatening activity by calling the toll-free Safe Schools
LifeLine anonymous tip line:
1-866-LIVE TIP ext. 161
Safe Schools LifeLine
Lahar Evacuation Plan
Living near Mt. Rainier has potential hazards that include eruption, lava
or ash fall and mudflows known as lahars. Pierce County Emergency Management,
the U.S. Geologic Survey team and the Federal Emergency Management Agency
have joined together to create a plan for responding to any Mt. Rainier
emergency that may occur. The Sumner School District has been an active
partner in planning and preparing for the evacuation of all schools located
in the valley as might someday be required.
Lockdown and Modified Lockdown
From time to time, local law enforcement agencies alert our schools to
potential risks that require the school to implement a precautionary safety
protocol known as a lockdown.
In a lockdown, exterior and interior doors are locked. Students are told
to stay away from windows and keep low. Curtains or blinds are closed.
Lights are off. Only quiet talking is allowed. Students who are outside
at recess or in a PE class come back into the building. Signs are posted
on doors instructing anyone who tries to get inside the building to leave
the school premises immediately. Staff has been trained to take the situation
very seriously, with an assumption that an intruder could actually be
in the building.
The modified lockdown takes similar precautions but allows more movement
within the building. Students may continue to work at their desks with
lights on. They may go to the restroom. No one, however, may enter or
leave the building—staff, students or parents.
PC-NET in Action
Neighbors Helping Neighbors in Disasters
Recent windstorms, power failures, and flooding should be wakeup call
to all of us that the Pacific Northwest is not immune to disasters. Pierce
County Neighborhood Emergency Teams (PC-NET) is an award winning program
that helps neighbors develop personal preparedness plans and learn how
to respond to immediate needs in their neighborhood following a disaster.
The very nature of disasters overwhelms emergency responders and they
will not be able to help individual citizens immediately. Individuals
and families need plans to get through at least seven days following a
disaster. Using skills most adults already have, PC-NET members form teams
to help check on neighbors and perhaps even save lives. They also help
by providing professional responders with important information about
injuries and damages in their neighborhood.
PC-NET works in partnership with crime prevention programs to make neighborhoods
safer. Together they form a network that strengthens the entire community.
Training is offered through a series of six meetings over the course of
a year to a year and a half, held right in the neighborhood. This program
is free for citizens. For more information call 253-798-6595.
Pandemic Flu
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for
which there is little or no immunity in the human population, begins to
cause serious illness and then spreads easily person-to-person worldwide.
Part of preparedness is maintaining overall good health and using basic
prevention measures such as covering your nose and mouth when you cough
or sneeze and washing your hands often. In the event of a pandemic flu
event the District will comply with instructions issued by the Tacoma/Pierce
County Health Department.
School Closures
Unscheduled school closures due to inclement weather, natural disaster,
Homeland Security Advisory, or school emergencies may occasionally occur.
Updated information regarding school status, student evacuation and parent
pickup points is available on the Web under the Emergency Operations Status
page, is emailed to all School Messages subscribers and recorded on our
emergency hotline at 253.891.6001. Additional school closure information
is available from the Public Schools Emergency Communication System.
Shelter-In-Place Procedures
Shelter-in-Place is a short-term solution to a short-term problem. Staff
and students may be directed to respond to hazardous materials incidents,
chemical spills or terrorist actions in this manner. More information
is available on the Shelter-In-Place page.
Limited Bus Transportation
School closure information and emergency bus transportation information
is on the District Web site. During inclement weather we’d like to
remind you to listen to the radio between 6 and 8 a.m. if you believe
there are hazardous traveling conditions. Radio and television stations
will be announcing schedule changes. If Sumner School District is not
mentioned, normal operations will prevail. Please do not call the school
offices or the District office for information.
In the event of an early dismissal due to inclement weather, television
and radio stations will be notified prior to dismissal time. School closure
information will be listed on the Web site and emailed to School Messages
subscribers during limited conditions. If you will not be home, please
instruct your child as to where he/she should go in the event of an early
dismissal due to emergency conditions. If buses cannot navigate the roads,
students will be returned to their schools.
Q & A
What is emergency preparedness?
Sumner School District has developed an emergency response plan to ensure
your child’s safety while in school. This plan outlines specific
responses that schools will take in the event of an emergency situation
such as an evacuation or a lock-down. Staff members have assigned roles
and duties that are detailed in the plan.
How will my children know what to do in the event of an emergency?
If an emergency occurs during school hours, classroom teachers will provide
students with appropriate instructions. Additionally, school officials
may provide students with instructions or information about the emergency
through the school public address system. Students often practice for
emergency situations such as fire, earthquake or intruder and may be very
familiar with school emergency responses.
Who can pick up my children from school during an emergency?
Children will be released to individuals who are authorized on the student’s
emergency care card or have prior written parent authorization. Schools
will also require photo identification when the child is released at the
parent-child reunion site.
Parents and guardians are responsible for the accuracy of the information
on their child’s emergency care card. If parents have not completed
a card, they need to do so. If their information has changed, parents
need to update the information.
What is a parent-child reunion site?
During an emergency situation, schools will set up a parent-child reunion
site where students will be released from school at their parent’s
request. Many schools have “Student Pickup” banners that will
indicate the location of the reunion site on the school campus. At the
reunion site, students will be released to their parents or others authorized
to pick them up upon presentation of proper identification.
It is likely that during an emergency, students may not be released at
the school office. If school or public safety officials require that a
school building be evacuated, students and staff members may be transported
to a neighboring school. Parents will be informed of the reunion location
through the school email system and local media. This information will
also be posted on the district website Emergency Operations Status page.
Driving directions to other school locations can be accessed from the
Web site.
Where is my child’s reunion site located?
During emergency situations, circumstances could arise that might force
changes to previously designated locations. Parents will be informed of
parent-child reunion locations upon arrival at their child’s school,
through email messages and will be posted on the District Web site.
What if my child is riding a school bus at the time of an
emergency?
School bus drivers are in constant radio communication with our Transportation
Department. In the event that an emergency occurs while students are in
transport, drivers will be notified to respond appropriately. Buses will
be rerouted or may delay arrival or departure to avoid traveling toward
the emergency situation such as a school lockdown.
What about my child’s medication?
If your child requires daily medications that are necessary for chronic
or severe medical conditions such as seizures, severe asthma or allergies,
parents should make sure that the school has a three day dosage of additional
medication. Talk with your child’s school health tech for more information.
Is my child allowed to use a cell phone at school?
During certain emergency situations such as unscheduled school closures
due to inclement weather situations, students may use their phones to
communicate with parents. In specific emergency situations, such as a
bomb threat or during a lockdown, use of a cell phone may endanger students,
staff and emergency personnel and will not be allowed. Please refer to
your school’s student handbook for school policies regarding the
use of cell phones.
Communications Tips
 Be patient
– we will communicate with you as quickly as possible.
Check the Web
site or call the Emergency Hotline (253) 891.6001 for
updates.
Please don’t
call the school; it jams the phone lines.
Be patient –
your child’s safety is our first priority!
How Families Can Help
Take care not to become part of the problem by rushing to the school.
More traffic just makes it difficult for emergency response teams.
Keep emergency cards up-to-date with correct phone numbers and names
of people authorized to pick up your children.
All
adults who are picking up children should remember to always bring photo
identification.
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