Emergency Preparedness

System and school administrators at the Renfrew County District School Board (RCDSB) believe that the safety of students and staff members is a matter of the highest priority.

The RCDSB has developed Administrative Procedure 312 - Emergency Response to ensure that each site has a plan to respond to emergency situations such as fires, bomb threats, inclement weather, and major violent incidents.

As outlined in the Administrative Procedure:

  • Each school is responsible for developing an emergency response plan and ensuring all staff, including occasional teachers, is aware of the plan;

  • The school emergency response team, at minimum, should include the principal, secretary, custodian and a minimum of two teaching staff. Roles for each team member are defined in the school emergency plan;

  • Each school's emergency response plan should include an emergency contact list;

  • Principals of schools which do not have a back-up power system must have a communication plan for signalling to persons in all parts of the school building in case of an emergency during a power failure;

  • Each school should have an emergency evacuation kit. Please see Administrative Procedure 312 for details;

  • Staff should arrange for practice drills to test the components of the emergency response plan;

  • Each principal should have a fire safety plan with sequential steps on record that is specific to the building(s);

  • Total evacuation fire drills should be held, at minimum, three times in each of the fall and spring terms in accordance with the Ontario Fire Code;

  • Each school shall conduct a minimum of two lockdown drills during each school year, as mandated by the Ministry of Education; and

Principals should conduct a tornado drill once each school year in April, to review procedures prior to the start of the season in which most tornadoes occur in Ontario.

Additional Resources

For complete Emergency Preparedness information and procedures please refer to: