Safety

PES conducts a number of safety drills in accordance with CESD policies.  Each year, the following safety drills are to be conducted:

• 6 Fire Drills
• 2 Secure all Classroom (lockdown) drills
• 2 Tornado Drills

Please see the following articles below for more information.  In addition, please refer to our division one-page Emergency Procedure or our PES Emergency Response Plan 

Fire - Evacuation from the School  

Six fire drills will be practiced over the course of a school year. Staff must be familiar with the school fire evacuation procedures that are to be posted in every room. Each staff member is required to make their students familiar with these procedures and evacuation routes. 

1. At the sound of the fire alarm, students and teachers will file out in an orderly manner to the designated areas to the east of the school near the baseball diamond. All staff members are required to take the Red Emergency Duotang from the location where they exited. The Admin Assistant or Principal or Vice Principal or designate will call 911 and meet the fire department. 
2. The first two students to reach the exit doors will remain there and hold the doors open until all classes have passed through. They will then join their classes in the designated assembly area. 
3. Teachers will take attendance and hold up the Red Emergency Duotang when all students are accounted for. If students are missing then the teacher will assign a student to report absences to the attendance collection officer (Mrs. Meyer/Mr. Crawford/Acting Admin). Teachers will remain with their classes at all times. 
4. If the alarm sounds when classes are not in session, students will assemble in the designated areas and report to their homeroom teacher. 
5. Teachers should be the last to exit classroom areas. Please make sure all doors are closed, and lights left on upon exit. 
6. Specific areas that need to be checked: 

• The Administrative Assistant will check the work room, staff room, resource room A and B 
• Educational Assistants will check washrooms, custodial rooms, library, and hallways. 
• Physical Education teachers, if teaching gym at that time, will check the change rooms and storage room.

All clear will be given by the Principal and communicated by intercom or cell phone to supervisors when it is safe to enter the building.

Secure Our School and Emergency Lockdown

When a threatening situation presents itself at school or as directed by RCMP, school staff will be following CESD Secure Our School and Emergency Lockdown Checklist (Jan 2015).  

At Penhold Elementary School, the following precautionary measures are in place.

• West door is the main entrance to the school and is in close proximity to the office. 
• West doors are open throughout the day.
• All visitors are required to check in at the office and sign in.
• Staff are asked to wear their name tags at all times 
• South and east entrances unlock automatically at 8:40 a.m., 10:45 a.m. and 12:55 p.m. for 5 minutes. 
• If an unknown visitor is in the hallways, staff will greet the person and ask how to help.  They will then escort the person to the office or send a colleague to the office to let school office/admin personnel.  Office personnel or admin direct the visitor to sign in and direct the visitor to their destination or will initiate a lock down procedure.
• School emergency and security plan will be revisited with staff at the beginning of each school year or whenever deemed necessary.  

In brief, Secure Our School is used for potential external threats and we need to keep students safe and accounted for inside the building.  These situations range from wild animals roaming outside, to local police / emergency responder activity in the neighborhood or a threat about someone coming to the school.  Typically students stay working quietly at their desks and remain in their locked classrooms.

Emergency Lockdowns are very rare and are used for immediate threats.  In these situations, students are locked in their classrooms and sit together away from the door or windows.  RCMP are involved in these cases and we take direction from them.

Tornado

The probability of having a tornado during the school day is highly unlikely, however still needs to be practiced.  

If there is worry about a potential tornado to develop, school administration will be in contact with CESD division staff, local emergency services as well as local weather network.

At the sign or warning of a tornado, if students and staff are outside they are to be summoned inside by the ringing of the bell followed by communication over the intercom directing staff and students to assigned safe locations. All students will kneel with arms covering their heads in the hallway in front of lockers away from exit doors and windows. Bags, coats, books, and other belongings will be left in the classroom. Classroom doors are to be open.