As indicated last month, this Safety Spotlight is designed to offer some general school safety and emergency preparedness information for parents and families. In the month of October, students and staff had their annual earthquake drill at 10:16am on 10-16, known as the Great ShakeOut. While an annual earthquake drill is required by the state of Washington, earthquake drills are life-saving tools and talking to children about this preparedness response should not just be the responsibility of our schools. Emergency preparedness like this reduces injuries, saves lives, and helps to create a proactive approach to disaster readiness. Collectively, emergency preparedness increases confidence of children, which can also reduce fear and build mental resilience.
Please be sure you talk to your children about how to Drop, Cover, and Hold On. This earthquake drill protocol instructs people to first DROP to the floor to protect yourself from falling or being knocked down while also reducing your chances of being hit by falling or flying objects. Next, make yourself as small a target as possible, COVER your head and neck with one arm and hand. If there is a sturdy table or desk nearby, crawl underneath for shelter. If not, crawl next to an interior wall. It is recommended to stay on your knees and bend over to protect your chest and vital organs. Finally, you are encouraged to HOLD ON until the shaking has stopped. If you are under some form of shelter (e.g., sturdy table or desk), use your other hand to hold on to the shelter and be ready to move with your shelter if it shifts. If you do not have any shelter to hold on to, then hold on to your head and neck with both arms and hands. King County, American Red Cross, and FEMA have important information including adaptations of emergency procedures for anyone who cannot take the recommended position. For a deeper dive into talking to young children about natural disasters, please see this document from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’s disaster resource center.
Thank you for reading the second edition of the Safety Spotlight, and please reach out with questions or suggestions: president@lwptsa.net