A Message for Parents
Dear Parents,
Citizens across our nation are once again focused on a crisis that will affect many Americans. We are carefully monitoring the situation and will do whatever is deemed necessary and appropriate to ensure the safety of our students and staff.
The School Board of Alachua County has developed Crisis and Emergency Plans that are being used at each school site. These plans cover a wide array of possible emergencies including bomb threats, bus accidents, chemical spills, evaluations, lockdowns, and weather emergencies. These plans were developed and are annually updated by a committee of SBAC staff, local law enforcement, fire rescue, and emergency management personnel. To reinforce the procedures outlined in the plans, practice drills are conducted at each school, so that both teachers and students gain an understanding of what to do in the event that a real emergency should occur. As parents you probably remember participating in fire drills. Although you may never have had to evacuate due to a true fire, you and your classmates knew what to do because you practiced the drills and became familiar with the process. In today’s times we regularly conduct different types of drills, but the end results are the same today. We want our staff and students to know what to expect and what to do.
As a parent/guardian you have a major role to play if we were to have a true emergency. Your cooperation with the following will help our schools deal with emergencies efficiently and safely:
Become informed before you jump in your car and head to the
school. This will help us keep the roadways accessible to emergency vehicles.
Don’t call the school first. There are only a few incoming
lines at each school and the lines will jam. Through television and radio, the
Alachua County Office of Emergency
Management will be giving out information. A special phone number is
dedicated as a "Rumor Control Hotline" so you can obtain correct information
on what has happened and what to do. That number is 352-264-6557.
Is your emergency notification card and release card up to date? Depending on the type and extent of the emergency, children may be evacuated to an alternate site near the school. We have procedures to go by when we release students to adults. Children can only be released to persons named on the emergency card.
Providing a safe and orderly environment in the Alachua County school district is a top priority. We need students and parents to follow these procedures to help ensure the safety and security of our students and staff.
If you have additional questions please feel free to contact me by phone at 352-955-7654 x367 or by e-mail at branamanad@sbac.edu
Alex Branaman
District Security Chief
Alachua County Public Schools
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