If you have children in school, it is highly recommended that you review the emergency response procedures, usually available in the school’s Student Code of Conduct or Handbook. For privacy reasons, we’d prefer not to release the name of the school or district where our children attend in Texas, but your child’s school will likely have a similar policy:
Shelter In Place
Certain emergencies (for example, a chemical leak in the area) may require a shelter in place. In the event of a shelter in place, no one is allowed to leave or enter the building under any circumstances for the safety and security of all children and employees. During this time you may obtain information by tuning to your local radio and television stations, by visiting our website, or by calling the school. Students will only be released after clearance has been received from law enforcement or emergency management officials.
At first glance, the procedure makes sense, as the primary concern is to keep children safe. Upon further questioning, school officials advised that this specific policy also covers emergency events such as terror attacks or nearby criminal activity (such as gun violence).
If you are a TEOTWAWKI prepper, then chances are you see problems with this policy immediately. Once a lockdown or shelter in place is instituted, you will not be able to remove your children from school. Really, parents are left with no choice at this point, but to remain in the emergency area until their child is released from school. This is an important thing to keep in mind for those with disaster plans in place.
Some recommendations for parents:
- Contact your school administration center or visit their website to obtain the student handbook/emergency procedures so that you are not surprised in the event of an emergency.
- Re-check your authorized pick-up list today to make sure that if you are injured or unable to pick up your child, a back-up family member or close friend with knowledge of your preparedness plan can get your child.
- Provide your back-up with a detailed map of the location of your child’s school from their home. Include contact phone numbers for the school, your child’s teacher and the other people on your back-up pickup list. Grandmas, sisters, brothers and friends may not know where the school is and access to mapping tools may not be available in a serious emergency. Have them review the map when you give it to them, and ask them to keep it in their vehicle. Wherever they keep their car insurance is probably a good place to store the map.
These preparedness steps will take a total of 30 minutes or less to implement. In an emergency situation, such as what happened on September 11, children may be left at school for days without knowledge of where their parents are. It is impossible to effectively plan for every scenario, but the above steps will at least cover some possibilities.
TEOTWAWKI = The End of the World as We Know It
🙂
TEOTWAWKI. Yeah! I had to look that one up!
About 6 years ago I was showing off my offroad hobby / BOV at a car show. It was an old beat up but mechanically sound, big tired Ford Bronco II. I had the heavy duty tires, light bar, etc on it. It was made for rough going. Near the end of the show a very bad thunderstorm came up. They tried to herd us all inside. I had my two children with me. A building without a basement in a tornado is a sitting duck. I figured I had better chances in the BOV. We hopped in. I told the kids, “Get into the back seat! Sit down! Buckle up! Zip it! Daddy will answer your questions later!” …and I hit the gas. There was this one woman waved me down. “YOU CAN’T LEAVE! WE CAN’T LET YOU LEAVE!” , she said while they herded the sheeple into the building. In fact, she had tried to keep me from getting to the truck and I shoved her out of the way. The wind was screaming and the trees were waving like 5 year olds going off to school.
She was standing in the way blocking my exit of the parking lot. I rolled the window down and as loud as I could I scream, “Lady, I need to leave. Move your ass!!!”
The shocked look on the official sheeple’s face was precious as the bullet mufflers roared to life and I mashed the throttle. I still remember her throwing her arms up, shielding herself from the rocks flying everywhere from the 31inch, deep tred tires as they dug them out of the parking lot.
It was quite a ride too! I was driving over 4 in limbs and through a foot of water and the light bar came in handy too! I could see where other vehicles could not.
-NR
“….and I feel fine!!!”
Coincidentally (or maybe not), I’ve been humming that R.E.M. song a lot lately.
Re the tornado – I would’ve gotten the hell out of Dodge too.
I am all for the school taking care of the kids if something happens to me or my wife in the event of a terrorist attack, chemical spill, or whatever.
But, in my opinion, once I or an authorized person show up at the school and ask that the child be released, I don’t see why they would refuse.
This is a parental rights issue, pure and simple.
I agree Mac. I had a nice go round with Austin ISD after 9/11, in which some dumbass head of security told me that he could protect my children better than I could. I luaghed in his face and said I don’t think so….we lived 75 yards from the school.Â
The crazy thing is, that this law policy could probably be enforced by the use of force. I can only imagine what something like this might look like at a local public school if there was some sort of emergency and parents were told they could not have their kids back. It would be pandemonium.
Lets see them keep them from me. I have never given authority to any organization to take guardianship over my children.