STORAGE FOR DISASTER SUPPLIES

What to store: Begin with an analysis of the hazards of the area. Is your school threatened by tornadoes? Earthquakes? Is emergency assistance close at hand or would you have to wait for help if the entire community has been impacted? Do you think you will need tools for clearing debris? Remember that any school in the country could be locked down due to an intruder or gunfire in the area, so all schools should be prepared to have their students stuck inside the building for many hours. Similarly, all schools face the potential of a hazardous materials spill nearby, requiring the school to shelter-in-place with doors and windows closed and heating systems off. Adjust the supplies for extreme heat or cold temperatures. If your plan includes Search & Rescue teams for light search and rescue following an earthquake, tornado or other damaging event, stock supplies for the number of teams assigned.

Storage: Determine where to store emergency supplies. Every classroom should have some supplies and there should be a cache of supplies for the whole school. Many schools in California and other states threatened by earthquakes use outdoor storage, anticipating the possibility of having to care for students outside the buildings. They use an existing building or a cargo container, also called a land-sea container, purchased used and installed near the emergency assembly area. Schools with limited budgets and/or temperature extremes may opt to store their supplies in various caches throughout the school facility, primarily in locked closets or classrooms. Many schools stock supplies in (new) trash barrels on wheels. Do not store water in the barrels because it may leak and destroy everything else. Make sure that there are keys to ensure access to the supplies during an emergency, including access by programs such as day care and after-school events. Plan an annual inventory, replacing water and other items with limited shelf life as necessary.

How much to store: Make some planning assumptions. Do most of your students' families live nearby or do some of them commute long distances? Some schools could be cut off for days if a bridge or the main highway is blocked. If you determine that most of your students could be picked up in most emergencies within a day, then begin by stocking supplies for one day. Some schools plan that half their student body will be picked up by parents within one day, half the remainder within a day, and the remainder within another day; these schools stock supplies for 100% for day one, 50% for day two, plus 25% for day three. Other schools stock supplies for 3 days, the recommendation of many emergency management agencies. Remember to factor in the number of staff and other adults who may be on campus.