Amanda Bailey

Geography 1700
4/24/2015
Project #2
My declared major is secondary education. I plan to become a middle school history
teacher in a public school in Utah. There are many things that teachers and educators in the state
can do to prepare for a natural disaster. They can prepare emergency supplies for students
including, extra food and water in the cafeteria. For example, there are specific foods and
medications safety put away for emergencies for children with diabetes and other health
problems. Teachers and all staff members may be required to take CPR classes to become
certified.
School staff members and school boards also must devise emergency plans to help keep
children safe during a natural disaster. These evacuation plans are updated every year to make
sure the school follows the safety requirements. The evacuation plans include safety procedures
on exiting the building, and the accountability of staff members and students. The schools work
with city officials who observe disaster drills and give advice on how to improve the plans and
be safer. Many schools in Utah are required to do four full evacuation drills every year.
Schools in Utah are also required to participate in quarterly staff meetings with all
personal to address any concerns they may have with preparation for a disaster. Educators go to
state and district training sessions to learn how to react when a natural disaster happens at school.
Safety inspectors from school districts and the state come in to inspect the building to make sure
safety requirements are being met.
There are also some things that schools must do after a natural disaster happens. The first
thing the school does is take accountability of staff members and students. They then see what
damage has been caused to the building, and see who is safe, and who is hurt. Safety always
comes first in a school. Many schools are required to make designated offsite locations where
students can go following an evacuation. After everyone is safely evacuated, the school
administrators contact the necessary people to come and assess the damage. Schools have a
person who directly speaks with the media to give factual information about what happened in
the school. The school also works with city officials to make sure that the person who speaks
with the media has the right information to provide.