Strengthening Safety: Collaborative Emergency Preparedness
At Clearview Public Schools, we deeply value the strong collaboration and shared commitment of our community partners in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families.
Recently, we had the opportunity to engage with key local partners, including the Town of Stettler, County of Stettler, Stettler Regional Fire Department, Stettler Ambulance Service, and Stettler RCMP, to enhance our collective readiness in responding to an emergency. In this specific collaboration, we reviewed how the various community groups would support our school division in a lockdown scenario and a student release. Through these candid discussions, we continue to strengthen our emergency preparedness efforts and are pleased to share some key learnings with you as part of this collaborative journey.
Key Learnings:
1️⃣ Patience During a Lockdown:
During our discussions with the RCMP, we gained valuable insight into the detailed process of managing a lockdown, which includes assessing the threat, securing the area, and carefully releasing students from lockdown status. We learned that, particularly in larger schools like the Stettler Schools, this process can take significant time to ensure the safety of everyone involved.
While we understand that such a situation would be stressful for parents and guardians, we kindly ask for patience and trust in the procedures designed to protect all students and staff. Your cooperation and understanding are essential as emergency responders and school staff work methodically to resolve the situation safely. We want to remind families to not come to the school during a lockdown.
2️⃣ Keeping Parents Informed:
Effective communication is critical during a lockdown, and we are committed to keeping parents informed with timely and accurate updates. In the event of a lockdown, we will utilize multiple channels to share information, including emails, our website, and our social media platforms.
We encourage parents to monitor these channels regularly for updates during any emergency. By staying informed through these official sources, parents can reduce uncertainty and help maintain a calm and supportive environment for students and staff.
3️⃣ Efficient Student Release Processes:
Our schools have been actively working to develop efficient student release procedures, both at school sites and at designated alternate locations. These processes are designed to ensure the safe and organized reunification of students with their families during an emergency.
In the event of a student release, we kindly ask parents to bring identification and follow the instructions provided by the school staff. Adhering to these procedures will help facilitate a smooth and secure process for everyone involved.
4️⃣ Supporting Our School Community After an Incident
We are committed to ensuring the well-being of students, staff, parents, and the wider community in the aftermath of any critical incident. We are actively developing comprehensive plans to provide the necessary emotional and practical support during recovery.
These plans will include resources and strategies tailored to help individuals process and heal, while fostering a sense of safety and connection within our school communities.
We are incredibly grateful for the collaborative efforts of our community partners and the dedication of our school teams in enhancing our emergency preparedness. Together, we are creating safer and more resilient school environments for all.
If you have any questions or would like more information about our safety practices, please don't hesitate to reach out to your local school.