A. ACCIDENTAL DISASTER – Any major fire, explosion, transportation crash, hazardous material incident or other major occurrence in which the lives, safety or property of numerous persons is in jeopardy.
B. BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR – The principal of a school building or his or her designee.
C. BUILDING EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN – A building-specific school emergency response plan that addresses crisis intervention, emergency response and management at the building level and contains the provisions required by 8 NYCRR §155.7(e)(2).
D. BUILDING RESPONSE TEAM – Individuals within the school building designated to serve specific roles in responding to an emergency or individuals who may be called upon to assist response and recovery efforts during a crisis.
E. BUILDING SAFETY TEAM – The building-specific team appointed by the Building Administrator, in accordance with regulations or guidelines prescribed by the Board, to develop specific emergency procedures at the building level. The Building Safety Team shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, school safety personnel, other school personnel, community members, local law enforcement officials, local ambulance or other emergency response agencies, and any other individuals the Board deems appropriate.
F. CIVIL DISORDER – An action by any individual or group that poses a substantial threat to peace, life and/or property or any tumultuous or violent activity that creates a grave risk of causing public alarm.
G. DISASTER – The occurrence or imminent threat of injury, loss of life, or severe damage to property, resulting from any natural or manmade causes, such as fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, tornado, high water, landslide, mudslide, windstorm, wave action, epidemic, air contamination, drought, explosion, water contamination, chemical accident, war or civil disturbance.
H. DISTRICT-WIDE SCHOOL SAFETY TEAM – A District-wide team appointed by the Board. The District-wide team shall include, but not be limited to, representatives of the Board of Education, student, teacher, administrator, and parent organizations, and other school personnel.
I. EARLY DISMISSAL – Returning students to their homes or other appropriate locations before the end of the school day.
J. EMERGENCY – A situation, including but not limited to a disaster that requires immediate action, occurs unpredictably, and poses a threat of injury or loss of life to students or school personnel or of severe damage to school property. EMERGENCY RESPONSE BAG “Gotta Go Bag” – A conspicuously marked carry bag maintained in the Building Administrator’s office containing emergency response information. This bag is to be transported to the Command Post and Staging areas during emergency responses. Duplicate Emergency Response Bags shall also be kept in the District Office, ICC Building in the Buildings and Grounds Department, in the Transportation Department.
K. EMERGENCY SERVICES ORGANIZATION – A public or private agency, organization or group other than a governmental agency, which provides police, fire, medical, ambulance, rescue, housing or other services for the relief of human suffering, injury or loss of life or property as a result of an emergency.
L. EMS COMMANDER – The Emergency Medical Services supervisor directing EMS operations for the incident.
M. EVACUATION – Moving students for their protection from a school building to a predetermined outside or off-campus designated assembly areas (see building level plan(s), section 9) location in response to an emergency. All building occupants are required to exit the building and wait a safe distance from the building at the designated Safety Zone.
N. FIELD COMMAND POST – The on-scene location for command staff who will be responsible for determining the exact status of the emergency, resources needed, and incident strategy.
O. FIRE COMMANDER – The fire chief directing fire-fighting operations at the incident.
P. INCIDENT COMMANDER – The supervisor with decision making responsibility when responding to a particular emergency.
Q. HOLD-IN-PLACE SHELTERING – The emergency response used in situations where it is necessary to have students/staff remain in their classrooms or work-areas temporarily during an emergency or medical emergency until things can be returned to normal or early dismissal can be arranged.
R. INNER PERIMETER – The immediate area of containment around the incident site.
S. LANDING ZONE – A clear level area no less than 100 feet by 100 feet in area for helicopter landings. The landing zone should be within the outer perimeter when possible, and secured by ground personnel during helicopter operations.
T. LOCKDOWN – This emergency response is to be used when walking through the building would endanger the health and safety of students/staff. In the event of a dangerous person or intruder, students and faculty are to remain in place. Classroom doors and windows should be locked.
U. LOCKOUT- Allows no unauthorized personnel into the building. All exterior doors are locked and main entrance is monitored by administrators, security or school resource officer (SIRO). This procedure allows the school to continue with the normal school day, but curtails outside activity. Most commonly used when incident is occurring outside school building, on or off school property.
W. NATURAL DISASTER – Those incidents in which the forces of nature threaten the lives, safety and/or property of numerous persons (e.g., floods, tornado, and significant snowfall/blizzard, etc.).
X. OUTER PERIMETER – The peripheral control area surrounding the inner-perimeter providing a safe zone for access to and from the inner-perimeter as well as defining the limit of access by unauthorized persons.
Y. POLICE DETAIL COMMANDER – The police supervisor commanding police personnel detailed to the incident.
Z. POST-INCIDENT RESPONSE TEAM – A building-specific team designated by the Building Safety Team that includes appropriate school personnel, medical personnel, mental health counselors and others who can assist the school community in coping with the aftermath of a Serious Violent Incident or emergency.
AA. RELOCATION CENTER – A location established for providing temporary shelter or care for persons displaced by an Emergency.
BB. DESIGNATED ASSEMBLY AREAS (SEE BUILDING LEVEL PLAN(S), SECTION 9) – Predetermined locations either inside the school building (“sheltering”), outside the building on school property, or off campus, where students and faculty are to assemble in the event of an Emergency. Inside safety zones are the locations for in-place sheltering.
CC. SCHOOL CANCELLATION – A determination by school officials that a school or schools should not be in session for one or more school days due to an emergency.
DD. SERIOUS VIOLENT INCIDENT – An incident of violent criminal conduct that is, or appears to be, life threatening. This situation warrants the evacuation or “lock-down” of students and/or staff because of an imminent threat to their safety or health. Situations include, but are not limited to: riot, hostage taking, kidnapping and/or the use or threatened use of a firearm, explosive, bomb, incendiary device, chemical or biological weapon, knife or other dangerous instrument capable of causing death or serious injury.
EE. SHELTERING – The emergency response of keeping students in school buildings and providing them with shelter when it is deemed safer for students to remain inside rather than to return home or be evacuated (e.g., air pollution problems, chemical spills, radiological emergencies). Staff and students or held in a designated shelter location or common area inside the building, inside a gymnasium, cafeteria or etc., during an emergency or medical emergency until things can be returned to normal or dismissal can be arranged.
FF. STAGING AREA – A location selected generally within the outer perimeter to facilitate arriving resources and personnel responding for assignments.
GG. STUDENT REUNIFICATION AREA – A predetermined location where parents or authorized persons can pick up students during an emergency.
HH. TERRORIST ACTION – A hostile action taken by a person or group that has as its intent the commission of violent acts designed to instill fear, communicate a message and/or demand some action.
II. TREATMENT AREA – The location inside the inner perimeter to which the victims are evacuated for medical evaluation and emergency treatment prior to transport.
JJ. UNIFIED COMMAND – The safety plan command system which ensures that the Incident Commander shall communicate and consult with the Superintendent prior to giving any order or instruction during or after the occurrence of a violent incident.