16 Oct 2014
As our school has been judged to lie in a bushfire prone area there are protocols in place that we must follow to ensure the safety of students and staff at our school.
Our school will be alerted by the Department as to preliminary weather forecasts where a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating is predicted (but not confirmed) up to four days before the event.
This information will also be published and promoted on the Department's Bush Fire Safety Website.
Preliminary weather forecasts enable us and our parent community to undertake initial preparations should a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating be issued, requiring them to temporarily cease operations on relevant days.
The State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) will notify the Department at approximately 4:30pm each day when there are Catastrophic Fire Danger Ratings predicted for the following day. For our school, which is deemed more at risk, in an area that the forecast is issued for, the WHS Directorate will issue a notification to the school principal via email and telephone advising them that they must relocate or temporarily cease operations for the day the Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating is to be implemented.
The school website will be updated, a School Enews message will be sent and the P&C will be notified to place information on the Ebenezer P&C Facebook page by myself or principal's delegate, to ensure parents/carers are aware that the school is temporarily ceasing operations for the start of the next school day and advise of the temporary arrangements for the school.
Principals will be contacted on a daily basis if the school needs to temporarily cease operations. The above information flow will occur as soon as the principal is aware of school closure. Unless there are further announcements that a school will remain closed, then it is expected that the school will operate as normal on the following day.
The principal or principal delegate will be on school grounds if deemed safe by Emergency Services. If a student arrives at the school due to parents not receiving the information all endeavours will be made to contact the parents to pick up their child. The principal will be responsible for the safety of this child / these children in these circumstances until the child has been picked up or dropped off to parents / caregivers.