PPS Family Guide to Emergency Communications

P L Y M O U T H

P U B L I C

S C H O O L S

FAMILY GUIDE TO

EMERGENCY

COMMUNICATIONS

PLYMOUTH PUBLIC SCHOOLS GARY E. MAESTAS, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools CHRISTOPHER S. CAMPBELL, Ed.D. Assistant Superintendent Administration and Instruction PATRICIA C. FRY Assistant Superintendent Human Resources GARY L. COSTIN, R.S.B.A School Business Administrator

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES 253 SOUTH MEADOW ROAD PLYMOUTH, MA 02360 TELEPHONE: (508) 830-4300 FAX: (508) 746-1873 www.plymouth.k12.ma.us

A MESSAGE FROM THE

SUPERINTENDENT Dear Plymouth Families,

During the past 10 years, the Plymouth Public Schools has been very active in developing policies and procedures in the areas of school safety and communications. Although we accomplished a great deal to date, we continually research opportunities to enhance our operations. In the interest of fostering a greater understanding of how the school department approaches situations that may arise across the district, I felt it was important that we develop a reference document for use by Plymouth families.

I am pleased to offer the Plymouth Public Schools Family Guide to Emergency Communications. My hope is that this document can assist our families in learning more about how we mobilize in the event we need to respond to emergency situations, weather conditions, or other situations that may arise within a school year where adjustments need to be made to the school day or to school operations districtwide.

Thank you for your continued support of the Plymouth Schools, and I hope you make good use of this informative booklet.

My hope is that this document can assist our families in learning more about how we mobilize in the event we need to respond to emergency situations.

Sincerely,

Gary E. Maestas, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

FAMILY GUIDE TO EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

A PARENT'S KEY ROLE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE During and following an emergency situation, it is our job to act quickly and follow established emergency protocols to safeguard students and staff, secure schools, and communicate accurate information in a timely manner. Our comprehensive Safety Council works diligently to develop and modify plans and processes that will keep our students and staff safe.

We are very confident that the partnerships we have with the Plymouth Police, Fire and Emergency Management Departments make our schools safe and prepared learning environments. The district will be assisted greatly if parents or guardians take these few critical steps:

Keep your contact information up-to-date with your child's school. In case of an emergency, it is important to keep your contact information current by notifying your child's school of any changes as soon as they occur. Multiple contact sources are helpful, including home and office telephone and fax numbers, mobile telephone numbers and email addresses. It is also helpful to share names and contact information of family members, friends, and any other adults authorized as emergency contacts for your child in the event that you cannot be reached.

Talk to your child about your emergency-related arrangements. Inform school officials if you anticipate being unavailable or difficult to reach for an extended period of time.

Pay attention to potential inclement weather. Monitor local media when serious conditions arise that might result in school delay, early dismissal, or school closure.

See something, say something. Notify school and/or officials if you see or hear of anything that could create a danger at school.

Do not call or go to your child’s school. Calling the school during an emergency will only tie up phone lines that must be used for emergency communications with staff and emergency responders. Please do not go to your child’s school unless you have received direction to do so from the school or district officials. Traffic around the school may interrupt emergency responders from entering/exiting the campus.

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER Our schools have a plan. Each school has a site-specific Safe School Plan. Teachers, administrators and staff have been trained and have completed drills using this plan. Each classroom is equipped with a SAFETY MANUAL as a reference for ALL emergency situations.

Our School Resource Officers are on campus. Each secondary school has a School Resource Officer on campus at all times and designated School Resource Officers conduct regular visits to each elementary school.

We have emergency phone lines. Each school building has its own dedicated emergency telephone number in the event of a power outage. This information can be found on the back of this guide and on each school homepage on the district website.

Our channels of communication. We use the following channels of communication when sharing information about an emergency, cancellation or delay:

District Website

App

www.plymouth.k12.ma.us You can find the app under Plymouth PS in the App Store

@PlymouthPublicSchoolsMA

@Plymouthsch

@Plymouth Public Schools

@plymouthpublicschools

Social Media

Television

Radio

Channels 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, 25, 56

WPLM (1390 AM & 99.1 FM), WATD (95.5 FM), WQRC (99.9 FM)

COMMUNICATION DURING EMERGENCY SITUATIONS +

BUS ACCIDENT In the event of a bus accident or medical emergency on a bus, police, fire and ambulance will be called to the scene immediately. Parents or guardians of students on the bus will be notified via phone call with more information on where to pick up their child.

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FIRE / EXPLOSION In the event of a fire or explosion, police, fire and ambulance will be called to the scene immediately. Parents or guardians will be notified of emergency via phone call.

LOCKDOWN / STAY IN PLACE A lockdown takes place when there are incidents that pose immediate threats inside the building. Plymouth Police and the Superintendent are notified of the situation and respond immediately. Rooms are locked and students/staff go

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to their designated secure spots. Parents or guardians will be notified of emergency via phone call.

A stay in place is intended to protect the privacy of an individual who is in medical distress.

Students and staff are instructed to stay in their classrooms and out of the halls until the stay in place is lifted; class instruction still takes place. Communication will be made to parents or guardians of the individual in distress only.

FOR THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF STUDENTS AND STAFF, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT NOT TO DISCUSS AN EMERGENCY SITUATION WITH THE PUBLIC OR SHARE ANY INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA UNTIL ACCURATE INFORMATION IS SHARED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

Plymouth Snow Day Procedures | Click to Watch

SCHOOL CANCELLATION / SNOW DAY In the event of extreme weather conditions, the Superintendent consults with the Plymouth Department of Public Works, the Plymouth Police Department, the Plymouth Fire Department, First Student Bus Company, and the

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Plymouth Facilities Department on days leading up to a storm or weather emergency. Due to the nature for weather conditions to change, the final decision of a school cancellation is typically made the morning of. Notification of a school delay or cancellation will be made no later than 6:00 a.m. via phone call; email; district and school Facebook and Twitter pages; local television stations Channels 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, 25 and 56; and radio stations WBZ (1030 AM), WATD (95.5 FM), WRKO (680 AM) and WQRC (99.9 FM).

SCHOOL DELAY A school delay takes place when extra time is needed for Plymouth Facilities Department to clear roads, parking lots and sidewalks during a storm or building

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emergency. School buses will be delayed in accordance with the delayed opening.

Dismissals on delayed opening days will be at the regularly scheduled times. Notification of a school delay or cancellation will be via Robocall; email; district and school Facebook and Twitter pages; local television stations Channels 4, 5, 7, 10, 13, 25 and 56; and radio stations WBZ (1030 AM), WATD (95.5 FM), WRKO (680 AM) and WQRC (99.9 FM), no later than 6:00 a.m.

NUCLEAR EVACUATION In the event that schools need to be evacuated, students will be moved to“host� facilities outside the area. Do not try to pick up children at their school or phone the school. The phone lines would be needed for emergency use. Instead, meet

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them at their school's host facility. Students who live inside the emergency planning zone but who go to a school outside the area will be held at their school until their parents or guardians pick them up. If an emergency existed before the start of the school day, school would be cancelled. Each school's "host" facility can be found on the district website at www.plymouth.k12.ma.us.

POWER OUTAGE TELEPHONE NUMBERS

Every building is outfitted with a dedicated, back up telephone line for use in occasions when the power goes out or an internal system needs repair.

School/Building

Dedicated Phone Line

Administration Building

508-746-8920

Cold Spring ES

508-747-5205

Facilities Office

508-747-5302

Federal Furnace ES

508-747-6505

Hedge ES

508-747-6939

Indian Brook ES

508-224-0133

Manomet ES

508-224-8779

Nathaniel Morton ES

508-747-7257

PCIS

508-746-9260

Plymouth Early Childhood Center

508-747-5301

PNHS

508-746-1283

PSHS

508-224-8474

PSMS

508-224-7043

South ES

508-224-8264

Technology Center

508-746-8087

West ES

508-747-7957

You can find a full district directory at www.plymouth.k12.ma.us.