Crisis Communications & Emergency Response

There are a number of key details about which parents should be informed in the unlikely event of a school-based emergency.

• First and foremost, the safety of our students and staff is our primary focus and responsibility.
• Across the District, building plans and procedures for crisis response are regularly reviewed and updated. District personnel are trained.
• Each building is staffed by a nurse or a nurse's assistant. Personnel with CPR and medical emergency certification are identified in each building.
• As a health/safety precaution, a school campus may be closed to all visitors except emergency and law enforcement personnel. If the school campus is closed, parents will be directed to an identified staging area.
• Parents should check the website, social media, and local television and radio channels for information. Parents may telephone the main switchboard at the Central Offices at 412-366-2100, if necessary, until a staging area for communications is in place and operational. Parents should not call the school building. Any available school telephone lines should be kept open for emergency communications.
• If a student is injured during an emergency situation, every effort will be made to contact the parent/guardian as soon as possible. It is the parent/guardian's responsibility to complete and submit emergency care cards to the school office and to keep the information current.
• Every family should devise a personal plan to be put into place in the event of a community-based emergency crisis. This plan should include where to meet, the location of necessary supplies, a battery-operated flashlight, radio, etc.