critical incident procedure policy - muslim school

Al Noori Muslim School Critical Incident Procedure Policy

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AL NOORI MUSLIM SCHOOL

Critical Incident Procedure Policy

Policies & Documents

Year 2018


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Table of Contents Critical Incident Team (C.I.T.) ....................................................................................................................................... 3

Action Plan ................................................................................................................................................................... 4

Level One ................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Short Term Tasks - 2 or 3 days ............................................................................................................................. 4

Long Term Tasks .................................................................................................................................................. 5

Level Two ................................................................................................................................................................. 6

Procedures Requiring the Immediate Evacuation of the Whole School ..................................................................... 7

Classroom Evacuation Procedure ................................................................................................................................ 8

Procedures Requiring the Immediate Lockdown of the Whole School ....................................................................... 9

Critical Incident Checklist ........................................................................................................................................... 10

Stages of Response and Recovery for a Critical incident ........................................................................................... 11

Primary School Campus Evacuation Map .................................................................................................................. 12

Senior Campus Evacuation Map ................................................................................................................................ 36


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Critical Incident Team (C.I.T.) The Critical Incident Team consists of the following persons

Principal

Deputy Principal

Executive Teachers

First Aid Officers

Fire Officers (Admin Staff)


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Action Plan

Level One Level One of a critical incident includes

Fire, explosion, large scale damage to school property

Vandalism on a large scale

Bomb threat, earthquake, natural disasters

Severe assault or murder of a child or staff member

Incase of the above incidents occurring

1. The person on site must contact Principal/Deputy Principal immediately. Principal will determine what level

action plan will be followed.

2. The person on site must contact relevant support services e.g. fire brigade, ambulance, police.

3. The person on site must access trained school personnel to administer life-saving procedures if appropriate

e.g. first aid procedures if trained, getting blankets etc.

4. Principal informs parents if affected.

5. C.I.T. decides on action plan for students:

a. Incase of school closure

C.I.T. sets up whole school staff meeting but releases relevant staff for supervision.

C.I.T. arranges for clerical staff to notify parents.

C.I.T. notifies radio station (if appropriate).

C.I.T. sets up holding area for students whose parents are unavailable.

b. Incase of partial damage to the school

C.I.T. calls a staff meeting in order to discuss plans for students.

C.I.T. arranges supervision for students.

6. Principal liaises with Student Welfare Leader to identify students at risk and locate room for counselling. If

necessary Student Welfare team provides back-up counselling.

7. Parents of affected students are contacted by phone or note.

8. Outside enquiries

Principal deals with media.

C.I.T. deals with parents in a specially allocated room.

Clerical staff briefed by C.I.T.

9. End of day briefing of whole school via assembly and/or staff meeting if required.

Short Term Tasks - 2 or 3 days

All C.I.T. are to

Restore the school to regular routine as soon as possible.

Encourage teachers to allow students opportunities to talk about the incident and about their

reactions.

Provide ongoing debriefing and counselling for students.

Keep parents informed by note or newsletter. Inform parents of outside sources of help. Debrief staff,

monitor the welfare of those in caregiver roles.

Principal to liaise with media.


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Tasks to Address During First Month

All C.I.T. are to

Conduct ongoing counselling for students and monitor progress of those in caregiver roles.

If appropriate, allow public expression of farewell.

Monitor the progress of any hospitalised students or staff and ensure they have counselling support.

Remain in contact with families.

Be alert for effects caused by media reports.

In case of a serious incident where a number of students are directly involved, call a meeting of parents

of those students involved after 3 or 4 weeks.

Long Term Tasks

all C.I.T. are to

Continue to monitor the emotional and physical welfare of both staff and students.

Monitor the effect of outside events of those involved, e.g. inquests.


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Level Two Level Two of a critical incident include

Child knocked down in front of school.

Injuries within the school.

Violence causing bodily harm to another child requiring medical help.

Bus accident causing serious trauma to a group of children.

Death of a teacher.

Death of a classmate.

Extreme adverse media attention.

Extremes of temperature.

Incase of any of the above incidents occurring the following steps should take place.

1. Person on site accesses trained school personnel to administer appropriate first – aid procedures.

2. Person on site informs Principal, all C.I.T. decide level of incident. C.I.T. informs relevant support services, e.g.

fire brigade, ambulance, police.

3. Principal confers with other C.I.T. person on site, class teacher/s of those involved and grade supervisors to

inform and determine whether the following are required:

a. Staff meeting and/or school assembly.

b. Parent notification.

c. Counsellor involvement with at risk students.

4. Follow – up counselling of affected students and staff.

5. If appropriate, send parents further information about the incident including outside sources of help, e.g.

Health Centre, Children’s Hospital.


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Procedures Requiring the Immediate Evacuation of the Whole School

Inform any of the following persons

Principal

Deputy Principal

Fire officers (admin staff)

1. One of the above to instruct that the Fire Brigade or Police be called.

2. Fire Officer will sound emergency alarm bell in all buildings or in the event of power failure sound hand – held

pressure pack foghorn.

3. Teachers will evacuate their classes as per evacuation procedure displayed on every classroom wall near the

door.

4. Teachers are to remain in charge of their class, keeping students CALM and TOGETHER at all times.

5. Principal and/or Deputy Principal and/or Fire Officers meet and inform Fire Brigade and Police of details.

6. Signal to decide all clear and that students can return to their classrooms.

7. The school will conduct two (2) evacuation drills per year. One drill will occur with advance notice of date and

time. The second will be conducted after advance notice of date only.

THERE SHOULD BE NO ATTEMPT BY STUDENTS TO FIGHT THE FIRE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES. ALL STAFF

SHOULD BE FAMILIAR WITH THE LOCATION AND OPERATION OF FIRE EXTINGUISHERS.


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Classroom Evacuation Procedure

1. Collect class roll.

2. Leave room immediately. Walk smartly. Don’t run.

3. Use allocated exit doors and gates where possible – see map.

4. Make way to the Safe Area.

5. Mark class roll and report any absentees to the Principal or Deputy Principal.

IMPORTANT NOTE

A policy such as this cannot cover every eventuality or contingency. Therefore it is imperative that all staff use a

common sense approach in the event of a real emergency. The most important factor in a real emergency

situation is to maintain control and prevent any sort of panic overtaking the students behaviour. Always be with

your class and lead by example.

The following procedures should be undertaken only if there is no possible risk of injury.

Switch off the lights, gas heaters, urns etc.

Don’t touch, tilt or tamper with any suspect device or parcel.

Close windows but don’t lock.

Stay in class groups with children holding hands in pairs.

Keep to the left of stairs and in corridors.

Teachers in the classrooms to check that all classrooms, storerooms, toilets, etc on the floor have been

evacuated.


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Procedures Requiring the Immediate Lockdown of the Whole School

Inform any of the following persons

Principal

Deputy Principal

Fire Officers (admin staff)

1. One of the above to instruct that the Police be called.

2. Fire Officer will sound alarm (A long siren)

3. Teachers will lock all doors and windows in classroom and check class rolls.

4. Co-ordinators will check with their teachers if any student is missing and locate missing students if necessary.

5. Deputy Principal and or Welfare Co-ordinators to check with co-ordinators to account for everyone.

6. Principal and / or Deputy Principal and / or Fire Officer meet and inform Police of details.

7. Teachers will remain in lockdown procedure and await further instructions.

8. Principal and / or Deputy Principal and / or Fire Officer will signal to decide all clear.

9. The school will conduct two lockdown drills per year. One drill will occur with advance notice of date and

time. The second will be conducted after advance notice of date only.


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Critical Incident Checklist

Immediate Tasks

Find out the facts.

Refer to School’s Critical Incident Management Plan. Establish specific action plan.

Inform the next of kin if necessary.

Inform all staff. Inform all students.

Set up a recovery room in the school.

Liaise with the media.

Short Term Tasks (2 or 3 days)

Restore the school to regular routine.

Encourage teachers to allow students opportunities in class to talk about the incident and about their

reaction. Provide debriefing and counselling for students.

Keep parents informed.

Be alert for students (or teachers) showing persisting extreme reactions.

Debrief staff

Monitor the welfare of those in caregiver roles.

Liaise with the media

Tasks to address during the first month

Provide counselling for students.

Monitor carefully the mental health of those in caregiver roles.

Provide opportunities, where a death has occurred, for those affected to be involved in a public expression

of farewell to the deceased. In other circumstances provide appropriate closure.

Monitor the progress of any hospitalised students or staff and ensure they have counselling support.

Remain in contact with families.

Be alert for significant and persistent changes in the behaviour of those affected by the incident. Media

reports may cause additional stress.

In the case of a serious incident where a number of students are directly involved call a meeting of parents

of those students involved after three or four weeks.

Long Term Issues

.Continue to monitor the emotional and physical welfare of both staff and students.

Be alert for the potentially disturbing influences of inquest and legal proceedings.


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Stages of Response and Recovery for a Critical incident NORMAL STAGES OF THE RESPONSE AND RECOVERY CYCLE FOR A CRITICAL INCIDENT AS IT MAY IMPACT ON SCHOOLS.

N.B. People do not adhere rigidly to these stages they will overlap and students will be working through different stages at different times.

STAGE REACTIONS OF STUDENTS STUDENTS NEEDS

SHOCK/DISRUPTION

Can last a few hours to several days depending on severity of trauma.

DISBELIEF/DENIAL

Attempt to deny the reality of the event.

- Shock/numbness - Possible hysteria - Inability to concentrate

- Anxiety/fear - Hysteria response - Student absences

- Students need information about the incident and need to be comforted and listened to.

- Don’t be tempted to send distressed students home as there may be no one there to support them.

- Factual information - Comfort - Listening

EMOTIONAL IMPACT

Usually 2-3 days after incident can continue 6-10 weeks or longer depending on:

o situation o coping skills o amount of support

- Depression - Anger - Mood swings - Guilt responses (e.g. by friends of perpetrator). - Students don’t understand that others react/grieve

differently. Some accuse others of “not caring” or grieving inappropriately. Some try to dictate who is allowed to grieve, denying grief to those who were not close.

- Some adopt care giver roles.

- Factual, ongoing information. - Reassure that strong emotions are normal

reactions to abnormal situations. - Students need to be allowed to cry and talk

about the incident encourage resumption of normal routine.

- Begin counselling activities, listening, monitoring, reorienting.

WORKING IT THROUGH

A time of soul searching and questioning “What if”, “if only” - Students refer to each other and self refer to

school counsellor. - Students need to talk about incidents in groups

or individualising. - Ongoing counselling, problem solving, working

through feelings, monitoring.

ACCEPTANCE/RESOLUTION

Coming to terms with the meaning of the event for self acceptance of the experience as a sad or painful memory.

- Students refer occasionally to the incident. - Ongoing counselling - Supporting, withdrawing, monitoring.

NORMAL REACTIONS

Return to emotional stability.

- May temporarily repress with situation reminders - Ongoing counselling of referred identified students.


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Primary School Campus Evacuation Map

EMERGENCY EVACUATION PLAN

Classes K-2 Support Room

Exit Through the K-2 playground Assembly Area 1

4

Reassure students and wait in safety area until further instructions are given by executive staff.

3

Sit students down in two lines and ensure all students are present.

Notify supervisor of any absent students.

2

Get class roll and take students to designated safety area (assembly area 1).

1

Emergency SIREN sound: Fire evacuation siren.


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Second Floor First Floor

Support

Room

Assembly

Area 1


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Classes 4 Orange

Exit Towards home time dismissal area Assembly Area 2

4


3



2


1



15


Year 5 Block

First Floor Second Floor

Noble Ave

Assembly

Area 2

4 Orange


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Block Main Administrative Block

Exit Out to Greenacre rd Gate Assembly Area 1

4

Wait in safety area until further instructions are given by executive staff.

3

Sit students down in two lines and ensure all staff, students and parents are present.

Notify supervisor if anyone is missing.

2

Take all staff, students and parents to the designated safety area (assembly area 1).

1



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Assembly Area 1


Admin Block

Noble Ave

Green

acre Rd


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Classes 1B, KY, KP and KO

Exit Grass Area Exit Assembly Area 1

4


3



2


1



19


Assembly

Area 1

KY

1B

KP KO KG



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Classes 2O, 1O,1Y, 1G, 1P, 1R

Exit Grass Area Stairwell Assembly Area 1

4


3



2


1



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Assembly

Area 1

1Y

1G

1P

1O


1R

2O


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Classes 2P, 2G, 2B, 2R and 2Y

Exit K-2 courtyard stairwell Assembly Area 1

4


3



2


1



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Assembly

Area 1

2G 2B


2R 2Y 2P


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Classes 3B,3Y,3R, 3P and 3G

Exit Through the playground Assembly Area 2

4


3



2


1



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Assembly Area 2

3B


3Y 3R

3G 3P

Year 4 Block

Assembly Area 3

Noble Ave

Assembly Area 3


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Classes 4B,4Y,4R and 4G

Exit Towards the home time dismissal area Assembly Area 2

4


3



2


1



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Assembly Area 2

4B


4Y 4R 4G

Year 5 Block

Assembly Area 2

Noble Ave

Assembly Area 2


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Classes KG, KB and KR

Exit Across the K-2 playground Assembly Area 1

4


3



2


1



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Assembly

Area 1

KR KG KB



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Classes Computer lab, 6G, 6R, 6B and 6Y

Exit Towards the home time dismissal area Assembly Area 2

4


3



2


1



31


Assembly Area 2

6R


6B 6Y

6G

Lab

Year 4 Block

Noble ave


32


Classes Library


4


3



2

Take students to designated safety area (assembly area 1).

1



33


Assembly

Area 1

L

I

B

R

A

R

Y



34


Classes K-2 Support Room


4


3



2


1



35


Assembly

Area 1

Support

Room



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Senior Campus Evacuation Map


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