School Emergency Plans - Parent Information

    Emergency Equipment

    In the event of a fire, emergency equipment automatically closes indoor hallway doors. The school is also equipped with a sprinkler system. A fire zone annunciator rings the alarm automatically and signals the zone of the fire alarm.

    Fire Procedures

    Fire drills are scheduled on a regular basis. The directions for evacuation are posted in each room. All exits are labelled. Each class has an assigned meeting place at least 50 feet from the school building. Teachers must account for all students. We will practice this drill ten times during the school year.

    Code Red and Code Blue Drills

    Code Red and Code Blue drills will also occur during the school year, with prior explanation and warning given to the students. The Code Red drill practices the procedures required by MCPS should a secured building and classrooms (lockdown) be necessary (i.e., hazardous material situation, intruder, etc.). During Code Blue students would be kept in the classroom, but we may or may not be in a lockdown situation. Code Blue could be used in the event of a local emergency (i.e., neighborhood incident, weather emergency, etc.) that requires all students to be accounted for and under supervision.

    Closing School/Early Dismissal/Delayed Opening

    It is necessary sometimes to delay the opening of school, send pupils home early, or close schools entirely because of bad weather or other emergencies. The safety of school children is the primary factor in making those decisions. Please listen to your radio/T.V. for information. Please do not call the school; our phone lines need to be available for true emergency calls. Please read the following information carefully.

    Delayed Openings: When the decision is made to delay the opening of school due to weather conditions or other emergencies, announcements will be broadcast, usually no later than 6:00 a.m. Schools will begin two hours later than usual; which means that students may enter our building at 11:00 a.m. All buses will run their routes two (depending on the opening delay) hours later than the regularly scheduled time. Lunch will be served in school, and dismissal will follow the regular schedule.

    Early Closings: When early dismissal of students is necessary, the dismissal plan will normally be announced by 11:00 a.m. Schools are usually dismissed two and one-half hours early, which will be 1:00 for our school. Lunch periods will be scheduled for students before they are dismissed. All afternoon and evening meetings are automatically cancelled on early dismissal days.

    Evacuation of the Building

    A situation may arise that would force the evacuation of the school building for more than a few minutes. A fire in the building, a bomb threat, or the presence of a dangerous intruder are examples of some of the reasons why students may be forced to evacuate and leave for home without re-entering the building. If is determined that conditions are such that students should not return to their classrooms, the principal will call the Office of School Performance to report the incident. Based on the information given, the associate superintendent or director will decide whether to call any members of a critical/emergency response team. The students may then be transported to Seneca Valley High School and will wait there until transportation or parents arrive.

    Emergency Information / Announcements

    • MCPS Cable TV (Channel 34, 6 or 60)
    • MCPS Web Home Page: www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org
    • Local radio (1500 AM, 630 AM) / TV stations
    • SchoolsOut.com on the Internet (sign up for automatic e-mails)
    • MCPS Information at 301-279-3673
    • MCPS Call Center at 301-309-MCPS (6277)