Are you prepared, tips for safety in schools- Disaster Management
1.
2. Introduction :
Homes and School are the most important part of a Community
Disaster Management Plan
Necessary to same schools & homes as students spend good amount of
time in these places.
Both natural & human incidents occurred in past where large numbers
of student affected
Gujarat Earth Quake on 26th January 2001 killed 971 students & 31
teachers.
In 1884 ,school building collapse because of weak structure.
300 students marching in republic day in narrow lanes of BHUJ were
killed when building collapse into the street.
China earth quake killed more then 900 students of a high school on
12th may.
Kumbakonam fire tragedy occurred in Lord Krishna School on 16th July,
2004 in Tamil nadu killing 93 students all below age of 11 years.
So School Disaster Management Plan is must for all the schools
Many lives can be saved with regular mock drills
3. To prevent Disaster basic activities to be performed in
schools & homes..
Awareness generation on various hazards in schools and home
Preparation of a School Disaster Management Plan.
Ensuing safe location of schools which are away from busy roads, low
lying areas, railway tracks, hospitals etc.
Ensuing structural and non structural safety in schools
Mentoring of the students
Regular mock drills to be carried out
Awareness campaign should be carried out
4. Natural Hazards and Human Induced hazards :
Flood
Cyclone
Earthquake
Accidents during annual day function like fire, stampede
Excursions
Fire with in school premises (canteen, classrooms etc.)
Terrorist Attack
Kidnapping
Deliberate act of violence
Food Poisoning
Accidents while commuting
5. Components of School Disaster Management Plan :
Sensitization and awareness amongst teacher & school Management :
•Need to carry out sensitization programme with key peoples in school
•Key Peoples :Principal, Vice Principal, Administrative Staffs, Teachers
head students
•To make everyone feel the importance of the plan.
Formation of Disaster Management Committee :
•Members have the overall responsibility in guiding & developing the
plan.
•Carrying out regular mock drills
•Committee should be chaired by principal of the school
•Committee members are teachers, head boys / girls, representatives
from parent teacher association, local administration, health
department, NGOs, Civil Defense, Market Trader Association, Volunteers
(NCC,NSS, Scouts & guides, YUVA Sanghathan)
6. Components of School Disaster Management Plan :
Hazard Identification and assessment
•School should know the hazards that they are prone too
•Weak structures, chemicals in laboratories, electricity
Inventory of resources-human & material
•Play important role in responding to disaster
•Resources available in the school should be tapped & listed out
mentioning their location & contact details.
•Human resources like people trained on first aid, search & rescue,
fire fighting etc
•Materials like ladders, rope, fire extinguishers, stretchers,first aid
box,, communication system etc.
•Hospital, police stations to be listed to be contacted in case of
emergency
7. Mapping:
•Need to be carried out as this would help every one in the school to
be aware of the exit routes & the location of the resources
available.
Social Map :
•Physical Location of the school
•Number of classrooms in the school
•Laboratotories in the school
•The school canteen and any prominent land mark in the school
•The play grounds and open spaces within the school premises
8. Resource Map:
•Resources identified and listed (human and material) need to be
mapped in this so that they can easily located in case of a disaster
Vulnerability Map:
•Show vulnerable location present in the school premises
•Number of children in each class (male, female, physically challenged,
sick, ailing) to be demarcated in the map of each classroom
•Location of vulnerable classrooms in the school, class room with weak
structures
•Identification of the main electric switch board / area in the school
•Identification of the low lying areas in the school
9. Safe place and Evacuation route chart of the school:
•In the map we need to identify the safe places
•Safe places where the children and staff members can take shelter
•For an evacuation route chart of the school to be in place, there is a
need to show the entire staircase, door and windows, open spaces
•The exits should be clearly demarcated in the map in case of a fire /
earth quake
•The exit routes in the school should be clearly demarcated by arrows
•The maps drawn should be located in various strategic points.
•There is also a need to develop an alternative exit route in case the
existing one fails
10. Formation and Training of Disaster Management Team (DMT)
Awareness Generation Team :
•Members should be creative and have an inclination for art & culture
•Team will generate awareness on various hazards that a school prone
too in pre, during & post disaster scenario
•Can use print and electronic media for generating awarenedd
•Poster , folks songs & dances can be used for awareness campaign
Warning and Information Dissemination Team:
•School should have control room
•Students trained in the operation of VHF sets
•Schools need to have sirens, bells, flags, Computer, Internet, VHF
/Ham sets for smooth functioning
11. Formation and Training of Disaster Management Team (DMT)
First Aid Team
•Team responsible for providing First Aid
•Skilled task to be carried out in case of emergency
•Training can be provied by Civil Defence, Fire Services, Red Cross.
Search and Rescue team:
•Responsible for carry out search & rescue in case of emergency
•Sports teaches, trainned students can be a part of the team, NCC
12. Mock Drills:
•Drills are conducted to test the elements of the Disaster
Management Plan prepared by school
•Team expected to respond to a built in scenario which they are
likely to face
•Frequent simulation drills will help the school to respond effectively
at the time of crises
•DROP, COVER and HOLD is a simulation exercise carried out in
areas prone to earth quake
Review Approval and updation of the plan:
•Carried out mock drills is not sufficient
•Plans need to reviewed & prepared so the gaps identified may be
resolved
•Plan once prepared should be approved by Disaster Management
Committee & share it with officials present in the district level like
District Magistrate of the District Education Officer