6114.1 - Fire Emergency (Drills) Crisis Response Drills/Bus Safety Drills
Policy 6114.1
Instruction
Fire Emergency Drills/Crisis Response Drills/Bus Safety Drills
A fire drill shall be held at least once a month in each school building. The initial fire drill must be held not later than ten days after the first day of school each year. In addition to the initial fire drill, each school shall conduct a safe school mode drill, shelter in place drill, fire/ campus evacuation drill and a lockdown drill no later than thirty days after the first day of school. Afterwards, a crisis response drill shall be substituted for one of the required monthly school fire drills every three months. All emergency response drills shall be scheduled and the results documented in the district’s emergency exercise software.
Each Building Principal shall prepare a comprehensive fire emergency plan, as to route and manner of exit and furnish it to all staff and students. Fire drills shall be planned and conducted to accomplish the evacuation of school buildings in the shortest possible time and in the most efficient and orderly fashion.
The Board shall develop crisis response drill protocols in consultation with the appropriate law enforcement agency and the District Security and Safety Committee (DSSC). Such protocols shall meet the statutory requirements. Further, a representative of the local law enforcement agency, fire department, and/or town emergency management team may supervise and participate in any of the required crisis response drills. Such drills shall incorporate the basic protocols of fire evacuation, safe school mode lockdown, campus evacuation and shelter-in-place responses. The activation and utilization of the Incident Command System shall also be a part of these crisis response drills.
The school bus transportation company (contractor) shall conduct a minimum of two (2) bus safety drills each school year. The purpose of these drills is to educate students in safe riding practices, and how to safely and expeditiously evacuate a school bus during an emergency incident. At least one of these drills shall require students to actually physically perform the evacuation procedures. The transportation company shall coordinate the dates and times of bus safety drills in advance with each school principal to ensure that local first responders have the opportunity to evaluate, score, and provide feedback. The Board’s contract with the transportation company shall require these bus safety drills to be completed.
Principals shall maintain a record of all fire and crisis response and bus safety drills held in their schools in the district’s emergency exercise software, stating the date and time the drill was held, the time required to complete the drill utilizing the appropriate response procedures, actions taken prior to the drill to notify parents/ students of the drill (if needed), as well as actions taken following the drill to address opportunities for improvement.
As required by Connecticut General Statues § 10-222n, local law enforcement and other local public safety officials shall evaluate, score and provide feedback on fire drills and crisis response drills conducted pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes § 10-231. “Public Safety Officials” include the local emergency management director, fire marshal, building inspector and emergency medical services representative. Each of the named officials shall evaluate and provide feedback on a representative sampling of fire/crisis response drills each year. The Board of Education shall annually submit reports to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection regarding such fire drills and crisis response drills.
(cf. 5142 – Student Safety)
(cf. 6114 – Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness)
Legal References: Connecticut General Statutes
10-231 Fire drills. (as amended by PA 00-220 and PA 09-131)
P.A. 13-3 An Act Concerning Gun Violence Prevention and Children’s Safety
10-222m – School security and safety plans. School security and safety committees
10-222n – School security and safety plan standards
Policy adopted: 6/3/2014
Revised: 07/9/2024