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District rolls out Emergency Operations Plan, standard response protocols and training updates
Summary
York Suburban reported a year-long shift from an all-hazards manual to an Emergency Operations Plan format, adoption of standard response protocol signage and new staff training including naloxone refreshers, reunification planning and planned stop-the-bleed retraining.
York Suburban School District administrators told the board Sept. 29 they have replaced an older, lengthy all-hazards manual with a more concise Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) format and are rolling out consistent “standard response protocol” signage and training across buildings.
Assistant Superintendent Dr. Orfink said the EOP aligns with guidance from FEMA and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency and was reviewed over the past year by building-level teams, teachers and principals so the plans are operationally useful. The EOP condenses information so staff can find appropriate emergency steps quickly, Orfink said.
Standard response protocols and training: The district is adopting the five-symbol standard response protocol popularized by the I Love You Guys Foundation — hold, secure, lockdown, evacuate and shelter — and has posted signage in every classroom and public area. Staff and students are receiving age-appropriate training on the protocols, Orfink said.
Staff training and readiness: The district ran summer training for positive behavior intervention teams, de-escalation (“safety care”) training for staff, CPR and first-aid sessions and grief counseling resources for staff via a regional provider. Nurses and counselors attended a two-day drug-impairment training. The district will deliver naloxone refreshers and plans family-reunification exercises; administrators said they plan to assemble an administrative “team” to assist building offices in a large reunification event.
Stop-the-bleed and CPR: Officials said stop-the-bleed training is not included in the single-day staff course but remains a separate course the district plans to refresh; districtwide CPR training is provided on a rotating schedule with some sessions held this summer and a larger refresh planned next year.
Operational details and drills: The district requires after-action reporting for drills and reviews procedures to identify corrective steps. Orfink said local emergency-management officials and county emergency-management staff reviewed the plans. The district will also track drill documentation that is required by the state.
Public questions: Parents and residents asked how outside classes, recess or athletic events will receive timely communications in an emergency; the district said communications could include loudspeaker, radios and cellphones and that in some emergencies the best immediate action might be for an outdoor teacher to remain outside rather than return to the building. Board members also asked for counts of staff certified in CPR and for routine scheduling of stop-the-bleed refreshers; administrators said they will provide details.
