Dear North Penn Families,
During arrival next week, bus drivers will be conducting emergency evacuation drills on all North Penn Schools buses. The evacuation drills will take place once the driver arrives at the school building.
The driver will review 2 emergency procedures:
Front Door Evacuation- All students will participate
Rear Door Evacuation Drill- Drivers will explain the process to students, however nobody will exit through the rear door during these drills.
Front Door Evacuation:
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Once the bus arrives at the school, the driver will stand, open the front door, face the students, and say, “Remain absolutely quiet. We are performing a front door emergency evacuation drill—remain seated.”
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Students will be directed to leave all belongings such as books and lunch containers on the bus. They will be able to get them after the drill is completed.
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Students will be directed to stand and form a single line to exit the bus
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Once students exit the bus, they will look for a staff member who will tell them where they should wait until additional directions are given.
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Once all of the students have exited the bus, the driver will congratulate the students on completing the evacuation drill and share reminders- if necessary.
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Students will be directed in small groups to return to the bus to get their belongings before entering the school.
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Students will then enter school to begin their day.
REAR DOOR EVACUATION- Bus Driver will explain this procedure
In the event that students are unable to exit the school bus through the front door, they will be required to evacuate the bus through the rear doors.
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Students will remain in their seats until two helpers open the rear door.
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When directed, students will leave all belongings such as books and lunch containers on the bus. They will be able to get them after the drill is completed.
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Students will form a single file line and walk to the back door.
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Once students arrive at the rear door, helpers will ask the students to sit and scoot off the bus. One helper will assist students as they exit the bus. The other helper will lead students to a designated location away from the bus where they remain quietly.
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When the last student has exited, the bus driver will join the students.
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Students will be directed in small groups to return to the bus to get their belongings before entering the school.
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Students will then enter school to begin their day.
Please note that no students will participate in a rear door evacuation drill, the bus driver will just be explaining the procedure.
EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT
The bus driver will also explain:
When an emergency or crash happens, it’s too late to learn how and where to use emergency equipment. In the instance the Driver is not conscious, the students will be instructed to pull the yellow parking brake on the bus in order to get the bus to come to a complete stop. All school buses are required to carry the following:
• First Aid Kit;
• Portable emergency warning devices (at least three portable emergency reflective triangles);
• Pry bar;
• Fire extinguisher;
• List of student names with their assigned pick-up and delivery times;
• Spare electrical fuses unless the bus has circuit breakers;
• Seat belt cutter (also known as a web cutter) is required in every school bus equipped with passenger seat belts;
• Body Fluid Clean-Up Kit.
Since this is the first time many of our students will participate in a bus evacuation drill or may require the directions to be shared in another language, we are sharing the procedures with you. We encourage you to review the steps of the evacuation with your children so that they feel comfortable participating in the drills.
Thank you in advance for your support.
Sincerely,
Dennis Ryan
Coordinator of Transportation