Disasters during School Hours

"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education."
- Mark Twain (1835 - 1910)

When a sudden regional disaster (forest fire, chemical spill, nuclear power plant accident, etc) occurs during a school day, the natural instinct of parents is to rush to the schools to pick up their children. However this is NOT encouraged by most schools. A rush of incoming parents will block the roads and create confusion as the school attempts an orderly evacuation. Many school disaster plans call for all children to be taken by bus to a predetermined safe location outside the danger area. Do you know where that location is?

Bottom Line
Ask your school for a copy of its emergency plan and read it. Know what is expected of parents. Also ask yourself, "Is this plan realistic?" In Westchester county, NY there are only enough buses for one third of the school children (not counting those who walk to school!) During normal days, school buses make three trips to cover all schools - separate pickup and delivery for elementary, middle school and high schools. To evacuate everyone, the buses would have to return at lease twice into the danger zone for two additional loads of kids. This could fail on several grounds - drivers won't go back, returning buses are blocked with all lanes filled with outgoing traffic, buses are trapped in traffic trying to get out.