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Drill to simulate disaster at LHS
Fire Chief Andy Elmore said the purpose of the drill is to develop a plan in case of a disaster at the school. Smoke machines will be used to simulate a fire in one of the buildings and buses will be utilized to take students safely away from the school. An exact date for the drill has not yet been set. Elmore asked for assistance with traffic control from the Washington County Sheriff's Department. Jackson Emergency Transport Service (JETS) personnel will also participate in the simulation. In the event of an actual emergency, the southbound lanes of U.S. Highway 43 would be shut down, but this will not take place during April's drill. Instead, other components will be practiced, including the busing of the students to a designated location away from the school. That location will be Leroy Baptist Church on County Road 34.
Due to their close proximity to the school, Wagarville and St. Stephens fire departments will be paged out almost immediately after the Leroy Fire Department. Emergency responders are asked not to bring their personal vehicles to the scene, to avoid creating a traffic problem. The school's response LHS Principal Larry Massey said he sees the response by school officials taking place in phases. "First, we would make sure everyone is out of the building," he said. "If we have a situation like this, there won't be a problem getting students to a central area. The problem will be the need to evacuate automobiles away from the building."
While students will be directed to the school's football stadium before being bused to the church, the concern was still focused on traffic due to the response of parents and grandparents wanting to make sure their children are alright. "Almost every kid on campus has access to a phone," explained Massey. "We will have 800-plus students making calls. This may create problems for emergency vehicles. I think blocking the southbound lanes of 43 would be a good idea in the event of an actual emergency. The blocking of 43 will be the key to getting students away from the school safely." Massey suggested turning the north entrance gate to the school into an exit for the buses. He said some of the emergency vehicles could use the south exit as an entrance. The intersection of U.S. 43 and County Road 34 would be designated as a staging area for emergency vehicles. Massey went on to suggest meeting with the Washington County Sheriff's Department and Jackson Police in developing a plan. "Having bus drivers on campus will not be a problem," he added. "We have four on campus during the day. They will be able to bus the students to the church." The drill will take place around 2 p.m. Massey said parents will be notified by letter, so those who pick up their children can do so at the church that day. Question of expense Chief Elmore said in the event of a real emergency , there will be a lot of expense created for the fire departments respond- ing. He asked Superintendent of Schools Tim Savage if the school board would look at providing some type of financial assistance. Savage said his request would certainly be considered. "We will work with you on that," he said. "We may be able to obtain some reimbursement through the state from our insurance." Deputy Fire Marshall input Deputy Fire Marshall Ken Smith was in attendance for the meeting and commended the Leroy Fire Department for taking the initiative in planning for such an emergency. "This is rare," he said. "This is the first meeting of this type I have attended during my 21 years with the state fire marshall's office." During the course of the meeting the need for a second fire hydrant at the school was discussed. Smith suggested talking to the water authority about having one put in. Chief Elmore explained that had already been looked at, but there had been some problems obtaining an easement from one of the local residents who owns property where the water line would need to run. "She was in agreement at first, but was talked out of it," he said. Smith agreed with the assessment of the traffic situation. "Traffic will be awful," he said. "The influx of family members will be phenomenal. You will definitely need the cooperation of local law enforcement agencies to face that problem." In addition to fire emergencies, Smith said plans should be made to deal with other situations. "You need to consider having an active shooter plan and a hazmat (hazardous materials) plan. Having no plan can lead to panic. Getting students out and accounted for should be the main focus. Coordinating with teachers is the best way to accomplish this. Drill teachers on accountability. Massey said such instruction was already in place and each teacher has a role to play.
A second meeting to finalize plans for the drill will be conducted April 7, 6:30 p.m., at the Leroy Fire Station.
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