Emergency Procedures
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Wayside Elementary School is prepared to effectively and efficiently respond to a multitude of emergency/crisis situations that may impact students, staff, and parents or guardians. A school emergency/crisis plan enables staff to respond to and manage a multitude of emergencies/crises. Each year the emergency/crisis plan is updated, then reviewed and approved by the Department of School Safety and Security. Fire evacuation and other emergency drills are practiced throughout the year. Should you arrive at the building during one of these drills, you may find the doors locked and you will not be admitted until the drill is complete. Each year an on-site emergency team (OSET) composed of school administrators and staff receive basic and enhanced levels of emergency/crisis preparedness training, conducted by the Department of School Safety and Security. A Parent/Child Reunification plan is also reviewed and updated annually. Staff is trained to implement this plan in the event of an emergency.
Lockdown is defined as an alert status indicating imminent danger exists to all staff and students. During a lockdown, staff and students must remain within their classroom or within a secured area. If students are in the hallways, they must quickly move to the nearest classroom or to a secure area, remain quiet and follow staff instructions. Staff should secure their immediate area and account for students. Students should also be kept away from doors and windows.
Shelter is a term used to alert staff that an emergency/crisis exists at or near an MCPS facility. It requires all students to be accounted for and under supervision. Administrators may activate the OnSite Emergency Team (OSET) and set up a command post when appropriate.
Evacuate is a term used to quickly alert staff that everyone is to exit the building, similar to a fire drill. In rare cases, the evacuation may need to include walking the students to a safe, secure location away from the campus. Our identified evacuation site is the Country Glen Pool or Church of Christ of Latter Day Saints at the corner of Glen and Falls Roads. A plan has been established to safely reunite students with parents at that site and, should it be necessary, MCPS would send buses there.
Additional information about Emergency Preparedness can be found at http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/emergency/preparedness/