WEATHERFORD ISD EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION

The safety and security of our students, staff and visitors is of utmost importance to us.  Please remember that, in the event of a campus emergency, parents might be notified through the “School Messenger System.”  Therefore, it is very important that you keep your contact information up-to-date with your child's campus.  

In the event of an emergency, please follow all directions from the school.  Parents who attempt to come to the school during a crisis can prevent first responders from arriving on the scene and may complicate an already difficult situation.  Therefore it is imperative that parents wait for further guidance from school staff, as the safety and security of our students are the priority in our decision making processes during a critical event.

Our staff has been trained in emergency processes and we work collaboratively with local, city and county law enforcement officials to assure that emergency processes are efficient.  

Emergency preparedness for our school district involves four elements:

• Prevention
• Preparedness
• Response
• Recovery

Weatherford ISD has established a District Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that provides for procedures & processes for all these elements. We have also built a great relationship with local first responders in the city and county. 

Through awareness, preparedness and collaboration, we developed processes to mitigate a wide range of both natural and man-made threats.  At Weatherford ISD emergency preparedness is a continuously evolving process.

What's the Plan?

Weatherford ISD utilizes the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) developed by the "I Love U Guys Foundation." The SRP is based not on individual scenarios but on the response to any given situation. The premise is simple - there are five actions that can be performed during an emergency situation:

Lockout - The building is put in lockout based on activity in the surrounding area, not in the school or on school grounds. School staff will move all students and activities inside and ensure the building is locked while learning continues inside the school with minimal classroom interruption or distractions.

Examples: Law enforcement activity such as serving warrants in the neighborhood; suspect at large; report of dangerous wildlife.

Lockdown - The building is put on lockdown due to perceived danger inside or very near the building. All students and staff are trained to get behind a locked door - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight. In the rare event that a student cannot get behind a locked door, they are trained in self-evacuation protocols.

Examples: Threat inside the school; emergency or dangerous situation very near the building.

Evacuate - Our students and staff are moved to a new or safe location due to a situation in or near the school building.

Examples: Gas leak in the school; unsafe situation near school affecting release times.

Shelter - Our students and staff are instructed to take safe shelter due to a situation in or near the school.

Examples: Tornado, hail, severe thunderstorm, other natural events or hazmat.

Hold - Our students and staff are instructed to clear the hallways and remain in classrooms with minimal classroom distraction or interruption until “All clear” is announced.   

Examples: Student, staff experiencing a medical condition in a hallway area; slippery hallway floor.

Additional Information:

The following questions and answers are designed to help parents and students understand Weatherford's emergency procedures.

1.  Can I see the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) that has been developed?

No.  Doing so could increase the risk to students and staff by allowing plans to come into the hands of those who may pose a risk to our campuses and other facilities.  Texas law exempts sensitive information to be disclosed publicly.  

2.  What will Weatherford ISD do in the event an emergency occurs while school is in session?

The specific actions taken by Weatherford ISD will vary depending on the nature of the emergency or crises.  Every emergency or crises is different, but we want to assure parents that we work with and prepare our staff for an emergency situation.  Your child may share with you some of the practice drills that we do in preparation for an emergency situation.

3.  In an emergency, can the school keep parents from coming and getting their children?

Depending upon the nature of the crises or emergency, it may be necessary to restrict access to a school campus to anyone who is not emergency personnel or necessary school staff.  Parents will be notified of the location of a parent / student reunification site if one is established.

4.  What is a parent / student reunification site?

A parent / student reunification site is normally a physical location separate from the facility where the crisis or emergency occurred.  It is there that parents are reunited with their students in a controlled and orderly process.

5.  Who can pick up a student from school or from a reunification site?

Students will only be released to individuals who are authorized on the enrollment card.  Appropriate identification will be required to access your child.

6.  How will I know where the reunification site is located?

Weatherford ISD will release information by School Messenger callout or have staff members to direct parents to the reunification site.  Weatherford ISD will also post information on our website and could utilize local media outlets to assist in releasing information.

7.  What occurs if my child and other students are riding a bus at the time an emergency occurs?

Weatherford ISD will be in communication with Transportation via cell phones and radios during any crises. There is an emergency process that is in place to communicate with Transportation to give direction during an emergency.  Parents will be informed if a parent / student reunification site is established.  For the safety of the students, it is important that parents not approach any bus while it is in route or in a secured location.  Drivers are instructed not to stop or allow a parent or unauthorized person to board a bus.

8.  My child has special needs.  What emergency preparations and consideration are being made for children with special needs?

Your child's teacher and the campus nurse have discussed plans for those children with special needs and those plans are practiced when the campus has drills.  This can be from assuring that medication is available during an emergency to the movement of special needs children during a crisis.

9.  Should I contact my child at school on their cell phone during an emergency?

As a parent, we all want to make sure that our children are safe and secure during an emergency.  However, in a crisis situation, a cell phone ring could create imminent danger to your child and other students.  Also, depending on the emergency, cell phone usage could cause cell towers and relay stations to become overburdened, which may cause a shutdown or delay in getting emergency calls through.  We ask that are staff and students silence their phones and limit their calls for emergencies only.

If you have additional questions regarding safety and security matters, please contact our Director of Safety and Security.