Tips offered on helping children to cope with emergencies

Organizations such as the American Red Cross and Ready San Diego have great tips on helping your child cope with natural disasters such as fires and earthquakes, reports San Diego Unified's Counseling and Guidance staff. Here are some links to those organizations' pages.

• American Red Cross: Prepare Your Home and Family
  
• National Association of School Psychologists: "Helping Children After a Wildfire" and other helpful publications
• National Child Traumatic Stress Network: Wildfires
  
• American Psychological Association: "Recovering from Wildfires"
  
• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, "Tips for Talking With and Helping Children Cope"
  
• Ready San Diego! for kids
  
• Ready.gov for kids

Cadman Elementary students learn to stay safe in emergencies

County's Office of Emergency Services helps students get ready in case the unexpected happens. Watch video»

Video courtesy County of San Diego

Shaky day tests preparedness for earthquakes and emergencies

The 2013 Great American Shakeout is scheduled at 10:17 a.m. today as students throughout the district practice duck-and-cover drills, as well as school evacuation procedures.

Many schools also took the opportunity to use the drill as a teaching topic, helping students learn about how to handle emergencies, what causes earthquakes and other related subjects.

All district schools and sites have emergency response plans in place and are prepared should an earthquake or other disaster strike during school hours. Schools routinely practice emergency drills, including earthquake and fire.

For information on how to plan for and survive a 'quake, go to the district's Earthquake Preparedness page.

Schools to join state Thursday in Great Shakeout

For the past couple of years, San Diego schools have "experienced" a 7.8 magnitude earthquake each October. Are fault lines and shifting tectonic plates to blame for this annual phenomenon? No, it’s just the state Office of Emergency Services’ Great California ShakeOut, an annual statewide disaster exercise.

This Thursday, Oct. 17, schools and worksites across the district are scheduled to again "drop, cover, and hold" when at the appointed time, 10:17 a.m. The district’s participation in the drill is being coordinated by our School Police Services.


“Student safety is our priority at San Diego Unified ,” said Superintendent Cindy Marten. “Through proper preparation with events like ShakeOut, our students, teachers and all employees can learn what to do during an earthquake to ensure that everyone remains safe. ”

If asked, many locals would likely say that wildfires pose a more severe threat to our city than earthquakes do. While the San Andreas and San Jacinto Faults are more than 60 miles away from highly populated areas, San Diego is sitting on a major fault, Rose Canyon, that cuts right through the heart of downtown.

All district schools and worksites have emergency response plans in place and are prepared should an earthquake or other disaster strike during school hours. Schools routinely practice emergency drills, including earthquake and fire. With the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan still in recent memory, it is now more important than ever for San Diegans to be prepared for the “Big One.”

In addition to being prepared at school and work, it’s important for families to have their own earthquake preparedness plan. All San Diegans are encouraged to participate by registering at www.shakeout.org . Learn more on how to prepare for an earthquake or other disasters by visiting www.ReadySanDiego.org . For more information on your school's or worksite’s emergency response plan, check with your site administrator.

Great California Shakeout Hits Schools

Lewis Middle School students duck and cover.

The last major earthquake to rip through San Diego was way back in 1857, an estimated magnitude 7.9. However, San Diego Unified isn’t getting complacent, as all students and staff took part in the recent Great California ShakeOut, an earthquake emergency drill.

Lewis Middle School in Allied Gardens, was given the opportunity to demonstrate its emergency preparedness for local media. When the alarm bells began to sound, students quickly got under the desks, protecting themselves using the “Drop, Cover, and Hold On” technique. Eventually, teachers guided their students to the school's playground, where teachers and administrators took roll and ensured all were evacuated.

"It's important so that if an earthquake occurs, every class knows what to do and we are prepared for it," said student Ben Petty-Hull.

Earthquakes can strike at any moment with devastating consequences. All schools have emergency response plans in place and are prepared should an earthquake or other disaster strike during school hours. In an effort to continually promote safety and emergency preparedness, schools routinely practice emergency drills.

"Parents trust us every day to keep their kids educated and safe. We use valuable teaching time to make ensure that students and staff know exactly what to do during and after an earthquake," said teacher Elizabeth Hunter-Drake. English teacher Joe Ferro said drills are an important part of the school routine.

"I think it would be utter chaos" if drills weren't conducted, Ferro said. "It's necessary to prepare students so that when an emergency does take place, it's not such a frightening event."

An estimated 700,000 San Diego residents participated the ShakeOut drill held on Oct. 18; more than 19.2 million around the world observed the fifth-annual event. Learn more on how to prepare for an earthquake or other disasters by visiting www.ReadySanDiego.org. For more on your school's disaster plan, check with the principal.

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