BCSD Interim Superintendent Alerts Parents To Upcoming Emergency Drills

submitted by BCSD
The Interim Superintendent of the Berlin Central School District, Dr. Brian Howard, will be issuing a letter on November 5 to parents of students in the District to inform them of the upcoming series of emergency drills in each of Berlin CSD’s schools, starting November 8 and continuing through November 12.
Howard’s letter states, “The Berlin Central School District is committed to providing you and your children with a safe learning environment. The safety of your child and all children in our schools as well as the safety of the school staff and support personnel is very important to us. In order to maintain a safe environment for our children to study and learn, it is necessary that we practice our emergency and crisis response plans by having drills designed to exercise our procedures.”
The series of emergency drills will be conducted throughout the week in observance of National Severe Weather Awareness Week. Howard’s letter is to help parents understand the importance of this as well as to understand each type of drill. The students and staff of each school will be practicing three primary emergency drills – fire drills, lockdown drills and duck and cover drills.
Conducting fire drills is a fire code requirement as well as a requirement by the New York State Department of Education. Howard notes, “We want each student to understand and be aware of the importance of this drill and not be afraid when the fire alarm is sounded. By practicing they will know what to do and how to do it.”
Lockdown drills will secure the school building and safely shelter all students, staff and visitors inside the building. The purpose of this drill is to keep the students safe from any danger outside or inside the building.
During a lockdown drill all of the perimeter doors to the school building will be locked and will remain locked until the danger or issue outside or inside the building is removed. To enable everyone to remain safe, no one will be allowed to enter the building or leave the building until the school authorities authorize such a release.
Duck and cover drills will prepare students to move to a safe location within the building in case of severe weather or tornados.
Howard continues that these are safety drills which are done to help maintain the District’s schools as a safe place to learn and work.
For further information regarding any of these safety drills or other safety concerns, parents are asked to contact the appropriate building principal as follows:
Michelle Colvin, Principal of Berlin Elementary School, 518-658-2127, Cathie Allain, Principal of Berlin High School, 518-658-2515 or Jason Breh, Principal of Berlin Middle School, 518-658-2515.
For information about the Berlin Central School District, visit www.berlincentral.org.