Introduction :

Homes and School are the most important part of a Community Disaster Management Plan

Necessary to same schools & homes as students spend good amount of time in these places.

Both natural & human incidents occurred in past where large numbers of student affected

Gujarat Earth Quake on 26th January 2001 killed 971 students & 31 teachers.

In 1884 ,school building collapse because of weak structure.

300 students marching in republic day in narrow lanes of BHUJ were killed when building collapse into the street.

China earth quake killed more then 900 students of a high school on 12th may.

Kumbakonam fire tragedy occurred in Lord Krishna School on 16th July, 2004 in Tamil nadu killing 93 students all below age of 11 years.

So School Disaster Management Plan is must for all the schools

Many lives can be saved with regular mock drills

To prevent Disaster basic activities to be performed in schools & homes..

Awareness generation on various hazards in schools and home

Preparation of a School Disaster Management Plan.

Ensuing safe location of schools which are away from busy roads, low lying areas, railway tracks, hospitals etc.

Ensuing structural and non structural safety in schools

Mentoring of the students

Regular mock drills to be carried out

Awareness campaign should be carried out

Natural Hazards and Human Induced hazards :

Flood

Cyclone

Earthquake

Accidents during annual day function like fire, stampede

Excursions

Fire with in school premises (canteen, classrooms etc.)

Terrorist Attack

Kidnapping

Deliberate act of violence

Food Poisoning

Accidents while commuting

Components of School Disaster Management Plan :

Sensitization and awareness amongst teacher & school Management :

•Need to carry out sensitization programme with key peoples in school

•Key Peoples :Principal, Vice Principal, Administrative Staffs, Teachers head students

•To make everyone feel the importance of the plan.

Formation of Disaster Management Committee :

•Members have the overall responsibility in guiding & developing the plan.

•Carrying out regular mock drills

•Committee should be chaired by principal of the school

•Committee members are teachers, head boys / girls, representatives from parent teacher association, local administration, health department, NGOs, Civil Defense, Market Trader Association, Volunteers (NCC,NSS, Scouts & guides, YUVA Sanghathan)

Components of School Disaster Management Plan :

Hazard Identification and assessment

•School should know the hazards that they are prone too

•Weak structures, chemicals in laboratories, electricity

Inventory of resources-human & material

•Play important role in responding to disaster

•Resources available in the school should be tapped & listed out mentioning their location & contact details.

•Human resources like people trained on first aid, search & rescue, fire fighting etc

•Materials like ladders, rope, fire extinguishers, stretchers,first aid box,, communication system etc.

•Hospital, police stations to be listed to be contacted in case of emergency

Mapping:

•Need to be carried out as this would help every one in the school to be aware of the exit routes & the location of the resources available.

Social Map :

•Physical Location of the school

•Number of classrooms in the school

•Laboratotories in the school

•The school canteen and any prominent land mark in the school

•The play grounds and open spaces within the school premises

Resource Map:

•Resources identified and listed (human and material) need to be mapped in this so that they can easily located in case of a disaster

Vulnerability Map:

•Show vulnerable location present in the school premises

•Number of children in each class (male, female, physically challenged, sick, ailing) to be demarcated in the map of each classroom

•Location of vulnerable classrooms in the school, class room with weak structures

•Identification of the main electric switch board / area in the school

•Identification of the low lying areas in the school

Safe place and Evacuation route chart of the school:

•In the map we need to identify the safe places

•Safe places where the children and staff members can take shelter

•For an evacuation route chart of the school to be in place, there is a need to show the entire staircase, door and windows, open spaces

•The exits should be clearly demarcated in the map in case of a fire / earth quake

•The exit routes in the school should be clearly demarcated by arrows

•The maps drawn should be located in various strategic points.

•There is also a need to develop an alternative exit route in case the existing one fails

Formation and Training of Disaster Management Team (DMT)

Awareness Generation Team :

•Members should be creative and have an inclination for art & culture

•Team will generate awareness on various hazards that a school prone too in pre, during & post disaster scenario

•Can use print and electronic media for generating awarenedd

•Poster , folks songs & dances can be used for awareness campaign

Warning and Information Dissemination Team:

•School should have control room

•Students trained in the operation of VHF sets

•Schools need to have sirens, bells, flags, Computer, Internet, VHF /Ham sets for smooth functioning

Formation and Training of Disaster Management Team (DMT) First Aid Team

•Team responsible for providing First Aid •Skilled task to be carried out in case of emergency •Training can be provied by Civil Defence, Fire Services, Red Cross.

Search and Rescue team:

•Responsible for carry out search & rescue in case of emergency •Sports teaches, trainned students can be a part of the team, NCC

Mock Drills:

•Drills are conducted to test the elements of the Disaster Management Plan prepared by school

•Team expected to respond to a built in scenario which they are likely to face

•Frequent simulation drills will help the school to respond effectively at the time of crises

•DROP, COVER and HOLD is a simulation exercise carried out in areas prone to earth quake

Review Approval and updation of the plan:

•Carried out mock drills is not sufficient

•Plans need to reviewed & prepared so the gaps identified may be resolved

•Plan once prepared should be approved by Disaster Management Committee & share it with officials present in the district level like District Magistrate of the District Education Officer