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April 18, is the anniversary of the San Francisco earthquake. As scientists tell us, in the Bay Area, it isn’t a matter of if but when the next Big One will strike.

Getting Ready

School Emergency Plans. Each school has an plan that covers a range of emergencies, including earthquakes, fires, and disturbances on campus, and they practice those plans regularly. An incident commander, typically the principal, has been identified at each campus. Other staff have been designated with specific responsibilities during an emergency. In addition, teachers receive training in first aid and other emergency actions.

Several PTAs/PTCs have worked with their schools to expand the emergency planning. They have purchased emergency supplies and participated in training to help the school.

Accountability is a very large issue for schools during an emergency. After an emergency, the school must insure that all students and staff are safe and accounted for.

Emergency Supplies

In a large earthquake, parents who work outside of Castro Valley may not be able to get back for some time. Other parents may be emergency workers themselves with responsibilities to the community. A number of children might have to stay at the school for some time.

Food and water. FEMA recommends having supplies for 72 hours. Guidance regarding how much water and food would be needed varies. 

First aid supplies. Normal emergency services might be unavailable to the school, and basic first aid supplies are important. Since the extent and severity of possible injuries cover a wide range, the supplies should include bandaids, alcohol wipes, gauze pads, and splints.

Tools. Some tools may be useful for search and rescue, putting out small fires, and clean up, including shovels, axes, pry bars, and buckets and brooms.

Communications equipment. The school may need to summon help or communicate with parents. The most basic communications tool is a whistle. More sophisticated items might include bullhorns, cell phones, or email alert/communications systems. Be sure to keep fresh batteries for any electronic communications equipment.

Falling Objects. Most injuries during an earthquake come from falling objects. Take a critical walk through your school to look for possible problems. Bookcases and heavy appliances should be securely bolted to the walls. Libraries are particularly hazardous areas. Science classrooms and custodian closets often contain hazardous chemicals that can break open during an earthquake, causing toxic fumes and compounding a disaster. Improperly secured fluorescent lights fell on students during the 1983 Coalinga, CA, earthquake.

Coping After A Disaster
Psychological trauma can be a very real problem after a disaster. Five factors affect the reactions of children to a disaster: the reactions of the adults near them; their level of exposure to the destruction; their developmental age; problems before the disaster; previous experience in another disaster.

Plan ahead to deal with these psychological issues. The FEMA for Kids Web Page http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm includes information for teachers on identifying at-risk children and for conducting classroom exercises that help students voice their fears and overcome them.

Identifying at-risk students is very important. Look for withdrawn and quiet students, those acting overly responsible or parental, hyperactive children with little focus, children who are edgy, jumpy or quick to anger, vying for attention, out of control or with an attitude of non-caring. Classroom exercises include discussions of the disaster, temporarily reducing academic performance expectations, encouraging involvement in school recovery efforts and resuming social activities.

Additional Resources

California Office of Emergency Services
http://www.oes.ca.gov/

American Red Cross (tambien en Espanol)
http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/0,1082,0_583_,00.html

Federal Emergency Management Agency
http://www.fema.gov/

US Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program for Northern California
http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/

California Department of Education - A contingency plan for school campus emergencies
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/contplan.asp