EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

 Set of steps that must be done in case of a specific emergency

 When drilled properly, individual must be able to perform these steps even if most thought
process is bypassed (in case of panic and confusion)
 Must be geo-hazard specific.
 Each team must also have their own procedures in order to perform their assigned task.

LIST OF EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

 Evacuation Procedures
 Fire Emergency Procedures
 Earthquake Procedures
 Bomb Threat Procedures
 Emergency Shelter Procedures (ash fall, whirlwind, hailstorm, etc.)
 Armed Conflict / Peace and Order Emergency Procedures

EVACUATION PROCEDURES
 In times of emergencies, the first concern is the safety of learners, teachers and other school
personnel.
 By transferring them to a different location, the level of exposure is minimized.
 Different strategies for efficient and orderly movement

TYPES OF EVACUATION PROCEDURES

 Simultaneous Evacuation
 Phased Evacuation
 Reverse Evacuation
 Silent-Alert Evacuation
 Lockdown Procedure
 Off-School Site Evacuation
 Headcount Protocol
 Headcount-On-The-Move
 Personal Emergency Evacuation Protocol – for individuals with limited capability

SIMULTANEOUS EVACUATION
 In most cases, evacuation is done by everyone reacting to a warning signal received from
the alarm system.
 Upon hearing the alarm, students, teachers and school personnel proceed to a
predetermined assembly point in a fast and orderly manner
 This mode of evacuation is applicable not just for fire but also for most emergencies
where learners, teachers and school personnel must be immediately moved into a safe
location.
 Requires a predetermined primary and alternate evacuation routes
 Requires procedure for checking that no one is left behind

 This only requires a simple alarm system such as buzzers, sirens or bells.
 Speed is important, bring only things that are vital for survival.

PHASED EVACUATION
 In larger schools where the layout of the building presents a challenge for mass
evacuation, phased evacuation may be used to prevent stampede.
 This emergency evacuation is designed to delay evacuation of people not immediately at
risk in order to facilitate faster evacuation for those immediately at risk.
 On multiple story buildings, this is normally done by immediately evacuating the floor
where the fire is located and the floors above.
 Classrooms nearest to the fire are evacuated first followed by other classrooms located
further out.
 Requires an alarm system capable of two distinct signals - alarm and voice.
 Voice instructions are required in order to provide instructions for the evacuation.
 Takes an extra time for evacuation, but minimizes the chance of stampede.

REVERSE EVACUATION / TAKE SHELTER

 In emergencies where the safety of learners, teachers and school personnel is best
ensured by moving them indoors, protocols must be in place to move them rapidly
within the safety of their classrooms.
 These emergencies include volcanic ash fall, whirlwind, hailstones, armed conflict,
hostage taking, dangerous wild animals, etc.
 Learners, teachers and school personnel must immediately take shelter in order to
minimize their risk exposure.
 Reverse evacuation is often followed by a lockdown procedure during extreme
emergencies.
 A distinct and separate warning protocol must be signed for reverse evacuation

LOCKDOWN
 In cases such as terrorism, armed conflicts or presence of armed and dangerous
individual within the school vicinity, it is necessary not only to keep the learners,
teachers and school personnel indoors and out of sight.
 The doors must be locked and barred to prevent entry of dangerous individuals inside
classrooms.
 Lines of communication with the authorities must be kept established.
 Everybody must be prepared for immediate Silent alert evacuation upon notice.
 Silent alert evacuation

SILENT ALARM EVACUATION

 In some cases, an emergency evacuation must be carried out without raising the alarm
in order to prevent escalation of tension
 Silent communication and coordination by means of radio, SMS or other means of
stealthy communication is advised.
 Use evacuation routes that will not compromise safety or escalate tension

OFF-SCHOOL-SITE EVACUATION
 In tsunami-prone areas or in areas located downstream of a dam, it sometimes needed
to identify a designated safe area off-school-site. This designated off-school-site safe
area must be located in a high ground.
  The designated off-school-site safe area must be in the same designated safe area by the
LGU.
 In case of a strong earthquake – teachers, school personnel, and learners must proceed
directly to the designated off-school-site safe area once the shaking stops.
 Teachers must quickly sweep the area while facilitating evacuation in order to ensure
that no one is left behind. This kind of evacuation is always a race against time.
 Headcount must be conducted while the people are on the move.
 The family reunification protocol must be implemented on the designated off-school-
site safe area.
 Is also advised to implement buddy-system for learners where older pupils are paired
with younger pupils (e.g. Grade 6 to Kinder, Grade 5 to Grade 1).
 The distance of the designated off-school-site safe area from the school dictates how
fast the movement learner, teachers and school personnel needs to move. Therefore,
physical fitness activities must also be encouraged not only among learners, but among
teachers and school personnel as well.

HEADCOUNT PROTOCOL
 In situations where the school premises must be evacuated immediately, there is no
time available for a proper headcount
 This requires the teachers to account learners and personnel while on the move.
 To facilitate mobile headcount, at least two waypoints must be identified along the
route to the designated off-school-site safe area. Class Advisers must account for each
individual learner at each waypoint. School heads must also account for all teachers and
school personnel at each waypoint.

PERSONAL EMERGENCY EVACUATION PROTOCOL (PEEP)

 It is a special evacuation plan for individuals who may not be able to reach an ultimate
place of safety unaided or within a satisfactory period of time in the event of any
emergency. These individuals include persons with disabilities and special needs,
pregnant women, the elderly and very young children.
 Inclusive DRRM requires that measures to assist these individuals must be in place
because they are the most vulnerable members of the society due to their diminished
capability.

FIRE EMERGENCY PROCEDURES

1. The first person to discover the fire is responsible for sounding the alarm, then combat the
fire if capable without taking unnecessary risks
2. Isolate power
3. Implement Evacuation Procedure for Fire and perform Headcount.
4. School Head / OIC must convene the Incident Command Team with the following teams: Fire
Fighting team, Evacuation Team, Crowd Control Team, Medical Team, Emergency Extraction
Team
5. BFP must be alerted ASAP
6. After headcount, other emergency procedures are directed by the Ground Commander
7. Fire Fighting Team must be sent to relieve the person currently combatting the fire (the 1st
person to discover the Fire)
8. Crowd control team must also be sent to cordon the area
9. The 1st person to discover the fire updates the Fire Fighting Team about the situation and
then report to the Ground Commander
 10. Firefighting team must ensure that power is isolated before trying to combat /contain the
fire without taking unnecessary risk - until such time that the BFP personnel arrives.
11. Once the BFP personnel arrives, firefighting team can:
a. Assist the BFP
b. Assist the Crowd Control Team
12. Class advisers turn over their class to the Evacuation Team. Evacuation Team must take
charge of all the learners within the designated safe area.
13. Medical Team must take charge of any medical emergencies. If none, they must assist the
Evacuation Team
14. Constant Communication must be maintained with the Crowd Control Team and Evacuation
Team, if no radio is available, assign RUNNERS
15. If there is a need for emergency extraction, the Emergency Extraction Team must be sent.
16. Liaison must coordinate with other agencies, stakeholders and the School Division Office. If
no Liaison is assigned, Ground Commander must perform the coordination.
17. A transcript or record of events must be maintained. This could be done by a Secretary of
the Ground Commander. (for Incident Report and Situational Awareness)

EARTHQUAKE
EARTHQUAKE PROCEDURES (SHAKE STAGE)
1. Duck, cover and hold and wait until the shaking stops.
2. If outside the room during when the shake is detected, move into open ground away from
danger of falling debris.
3. Teachers must to issue instructions calmly to serves both as a reminder and to maintain
control of the learners. This will help in prevent panic.
4. Move away from wall cabinets and anything that may fall down and cause injury.
5. Move away from glass windows. These might shatter and cause injuries.
6. Take advantage of sturdy chairs and tables. This will provide protection from falling debris.

EARTHQUAKE PROCEDURES (EVACUATION STAGE)

1. Perform simultaneous evacuation / phased evacuation based on your building layout

2. In schools with secondary geo-hazards such as Tsunami or is school is located downstream
of a Large Dam, the evacuation must be to a designated of-school-site safe area located in a
high ground.
3. Remember to implement Personal Emergency Evacuation Procedures for individuals with
diminished capabilities

EARTHQUAKE PROCEDURES (RESPONSE PHASE)

1. Convene the Incident Command Team with the following teams:
a. Evacuation Team
b. Medical Team
c. Emergency Extraction Team
d. Fire Fighting Team – as necessary
e. Crowd Control Team - for Drills Only
2. The Ground Commander will oversee and direct all response action assisted by the Liaison
Officer and the assigned secretary.
 3. Family Reunification Protocol may be implemented if within the designated off-school-site
safe area
4. Ground commander must seek assistance from the available relevant responding agencies
(BFP, PNP, MDRRM, LGU, etc).
4. In the absence of - or during the time that assistance have not yet arrived - the Ground
Commander must initiate actions to address those emergencies using all available
manpower and resources.
5. Upon their arrival, the personnel from responding agencies must report to the Ground
Commander.
 These personnel become a resource of the Ground Commander and be augmented
with the manpower and resources from the school.
6. The Ground Commander will remain as the overall in-charge.

WEATHER AND OTHER NATURAL EMERGENCIES

VOLCANIC ASH FALL
1. Perform Take Emergency Shelter Procedure
2. Close all doors and windows
3. In case of heavy ash fall, soak curtains in water.
4. Instruct learners to put on face masks in order to avoid inhaling volcanic dust.
5. If there is no available face mask, instruct learners to use damp handkerchiefs and face
towels instead.
6. Coordinate with the LGU if there is a need for suspension of classes
7. If there is a class suspension, implement family reunification protocol when releasing
learners.
8. Remind parents on the proper use of face mask and the dangers of inhalation of volcanic
ash.

WHIRLWIND / HAILSTORM
1. Perform Take Emergency Shelter Procedure

2. Close all doors and windows

3. Move away from doors and windows.

4. Practice duck-cover –and hold during whirlwinds, this will help provide protection from
flying debris.

PEACE AND ORDER EMERGENCIES

BOMB THREAT THROUGH MAIL
1. Notify the local PNP immediately
2. Conduct visual inspection of the area
3. Sound the fire alarm. / Implement simultaneous evacuation procedure. In schools with
multiple floors, implement phased evacuation as needed.
4. Once everybody is in the designated area, conduct headcount. Everybody must be
accounted for.
5. When the location of a suspected bomb is unknown, move to a location at least 500 meters
away from the school.
6. Do not return to the classrooms unless the PNP declares the situation as safe.
7. If class suspension is declared, observe family reunification protocol when releasing learners
BOMB THREAT THROUGH CALL
1. Signal all personnel in the room to keep quiet. This will enable you to hear important
information from the caller.
2. Keep the caller on the line as long as possible.
3. Take note of the following information:
a. Time of the call
b. Length of the call
c. Name of person taking the call
d. Exact wording of the threat
e. Age and gender of caller
4. Ask the caller the following:
a. When will the bomb explode?
b. Where is the bomb?
c. What does it look like?
d. What will cause it to explode?
e. What building is it in?
f. What floor is it on?
g. What is your name and address?
h. Did you place the bomb? Why?
5. Notify the local PNP immediately and inform them about all the available information
gathered from the call.
6. Perform same procedure as Bomb Threat Through Mail

DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS / ARMED CONFLICT

1. Perform Take Emergency Shelter Procedure
2. Implement Lockdown Procedure
3. Lock the doors and windows
4. In case of gunfire, make everyone lie down on the floor or seek cover.
5. Move away from the doors and windows.
6. Look for alternate exits.
7. Prepare for immediate silent evacuation if there is an opportunity to evacuate.
8. Use alternate routes away from danger.
9. Implement family reunification protocol after the danger has passed if necessary.
10. Request for Psychological First Aid for affected learners and school personnel