Safety First » Safety & Emergency Procedures

Safety & Emergency Procedures

Safety First - In Case of An Emergency

 

School Safety

HBCSD has developed District-level and school-level safety plans in consultation with local, state, and federal agencies to use in emergency situations. Faculty, staff, and administration at each school site have been trained and have completed regular drills using their safety plans. Whether the emergency is a regional natural disaster or a specific school emergency, the HBCSD will:


  1. Provide a safe and secure environment for students and staff
  2. Take immediate action to reduce injury risk
  3. Employ personnel and services to support the health of students and staff
  4. Coordinate safety efforts with our local, state, and federal partners

Comprehensive School Safety Plans

Schools individually update their Comprehensive School Safety Plans in accordance with California law on an annual basis. The safety plans are specific to each school site and outline, among other areas, emergency response roles and actions. Comprehensive School Safety Plans are brought to the HBCSD Board of Education for approval in March.

 

The HBCSD School Comprehensive Safety Plan is limited to public inspection (§ 32282(d); § 32281(f)) in an effort to protect tactile safety measures and sensitive information.


Emergency Communications

Accurate and timely communication with families during an active school emergency is essential to maintaining student safety. Here is a matrix of how/when the school will communicate with families during certain situations. During an active school emergency, the HBCSD will employ the following communication protocol to notify stakeholders:


  1. Text Message: For urgent emergency communication only. Communicates a change to school operations.
  2. Recorded Telephone Message: For urgent emergency communication. A recorded telephone message is also used for non-emergency communication.

Examples of active school emergencies include lockdowns, fires, active shooters, school closures, or other incidents requiring urgent communication. Standard, non-emergency communication methods will include email and recorded telephone messages.


Effective communication is important within our HBCSD community. As a parent, please make it a priority to update your contact information whenever there is a change with your child’s school. Current cell phone numbers are critical as we may have to send you a text message in the event of an active school emergency.


Emergency Preparation, What Can You Do?

Contact Information: Please ensure your child’s emergency contact information is updated with current information on emergency contacts or parent designees who are allowed to pick up your child. You can access the PowerSchool Parent Portal to update your emergency contacts.


Your child may only be released to an adult who you, as a parent, have designated as an emergency contact and who has proper identification. Children will be kept at school until a parent or parent designee can pick them up.


Important Points to Remember

In the event of an active school emergency:


  • If a school evacuation occurs, you will be notified through our emergency communication, and you will need to pick up your child at the following location:
    • Hermosa View: Water Tower on Golden Ave
    • Hermosa Vista: Valley Park
    • Hermosa Valley: Valley Park
  • Please refrain from calling the school or District office. Phone lines, if working, will be used for emergency communication. School staff will be busy responding to the emergency and preserving student safety. Please be calm.
  • Please refrain from going to your child’s school unless you have received direction from the school. Traffic around the school may delay the ability of emergency responders from entering or exiting the campus. In addition, the school will be closed to all but emergency responders until the situation is resolved.
  • Your school has a site-specific safety plan. Please note that in order to support school safety, it is necessary for the HBCSD to restrict public access to school safety plans. Specific safety procedures and protocols can be compromised if made public.

Please monitor communication. Outside of your cell phone, use a radio or television to receive announcements, if available. In the event of a natural disaster, tune in to an Emergency Broadcast System station (KABC-TV7-L.A.; KFWB radio at 980 AM).