Emergency Information
Emergency Information
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Reunification Parent Instructions
PARENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR A POST-CATASTROPHE REUNIFICATION WITH THEIR STUDENT.
- Please do not call or go to your student’s school unless you have been instructed to do so. Please be patient and keep clear of the school until students are released or the reunification procedures begin.
- Please keep your vehicle away from the school. Emergency vehicles will need immediate and clear access to and from the school. Abandoning your vehicle will interfere with arriving and departing ambulances and emergency vehicles.
- In some emergencies, it may be necessary to move student and staff to an alternate reunification site. Due to the unpredictable nature of any emergency, the reunification location may not be determined until that day. When the situation is safe and allows, you will be notified where you can be reunified with your student. We will need to follow our reunification plan so we can account for your child’s safety and well-being.
- Parents will be notified of the reunification site’s location by multiple means (automated phone call, text, and email). Notification and instructions will be delivered using the same methods as a “snow day” notification. Parents are encouraged to keep their phone numbers and email updated with their child’s school. Emergency alerts and reunification instructions will also be posted to the front page of the District’s website.
- Bring some form of photo identification (i.e. driver’s license, state issued identification, etc.). It will be necessary to identify who your student is being released to. The people responsible for approving your child’s reunification may not be from your student’s school or familiar with you.
ONCE YOU ARRIVE AT THE REUNIFICATION LOCATION:
- Please complete the information on the “Reunification Information Card.”
- Prepare your identification. Our staff will need to verify that you are the appropriate person authorized to pick up the student.
- Select the check-in line based on the student’s last name.
- Your identification will be examined and pick up authorized by an LPS employee. This is the same procedure as any other day that you are checking your child out of school.
- Once we have confirmed that you are authorized to pick up your child, we will find them and bring them to you. Please keep in mind that the person approving the reunification may be a district employee from a different school. They may not be familiar with you or your child. This is why we need to see your identification.
If there has been an injury and your child has been transported by ambulance, you may be asked to meet with a counselor or emergency services so we can direct you to the appropriate facility.
Please do not yell or shout at school staff or other parents. We are all trying to get through this as quickly as possible!
Parent Emergency Guide
Parent School Emergency Guide
Important Points to Remember
Each School has a Site-specific Emergency Operation Plan
Teachers, administrators, staff and students participate in multiple drills for evacuation, severe weather, and lockdown throughout the year. These drills train and reinforce the expected responses, and test the functionality of each school’s Emergency Operation Plan. Our Emergency Operation Plans are developed with guidance from the U.S. Department of Education, the Federal Emergency Management Administration, and by working closely with local public safety officials.
Keep Your Emergency Contact Information Accurate and up to Date
Be sure your emergency contact information is current. Please update this information promptly when there is a change. During an emergency, LPS will use the same systems that are used throughout the year to make parent notifications. It is important to have several alternate adults authorized to pick up the student listed on the emergency card. Even in the event of an emergency, your student will NOT be released to anyone other than an authorized person on your student’s emergency card. Consider adding a trusted neighbor or your student’s friend’s parents.
DO NOT Call or go to Your Student’s School Unless you Have Been Instructed to do so
Please be patient and keep clear of the school until students are released or reunification procedures begin. It is natural for parents to want to be reunited with their student as soon as possible. However, the first priority of school and emergency staff will be to protect the students, secure the area, and tend to anyone who is injured. For a response to be successful, it is vital that parents not interfere or distract. Please keep cars away from the school so emergency vehicles can have immediate and clear access to and from the school. Be aware of the reunification procedures.
Monitor the Local News, the LPS Website, Email and Your Telephone
Official, verified information will be released as soon as possible. Emergency “alerts” and instructions will be posted to the front page of the District’s website in the event of school emergency. Information and instructions will be released via local media outlets. During an emergency, LPS will use the same system that is used throughout the year to make parent notifications.
Evacuation to Alternate Sites
In some emergencies, it may be necessary to move students and staff to an alternate site. Due to the unpredictable nature of any emergency, the location of this site may not be determined until that day. If this occurs, parents will be notified via multiple means. Please do not share the alternate site location on social media. LPS will try to maintain students at the alternate site until their usual dismissal time, then bus them home along their regular routes, or return them to their approximate walking start point. If the decision is made for an early dismissal, reunification procedures should be anticipated.
Reuniting With Your Child
Be sure to bring some form of picture identification to the reunification site. It will be necessary to identify who your student is being released to. The persons responsible for approving their release may not be familiar with you. This will assure that your student is only released to a person authorized on the emergency card. When the situation is safe and allows, students will be released following the reunification procedures. This procedure ensures that your student is only released to an authorized person designated by the parent in an orderly manner.
Severe Weather
During periods of threatening weather, the district maintains close contact with the National Weather Service and local public safety. We want to make the safest possible arrangements for students and may delay the dismissal or transportation of students during exceptionally hazardous weather conditions. The district’s automated notification system will be used to notify parents about delayed dismissals, closings and other emergency conditions. Please monitor your phone and email for dismissal updates if there is impending severe weather. Arriving at the school after the severe weather sirens have sounded and students have been sheltered requires our staff to leave their area of shelter. This may compromise the safety of students, staff, and yourself.
This information is presented by the Livonia Public Schools’ Safety and Communications departments. Questions, comments, and concerns can be directed to the Communications Office at 734-744-2522.
Stranger Danger
What you can expect schools to do:
All visitors (including parents) on school campuses must report to the office to obtain the principal’s permission to be there, to sign in and out and to display a visitor badge while on campus.
It is against the law for unauthorized persons to be on campus. Law enforcement will be contacted when needed.
Students are released only to authorized persons.
Field trip chaperones and volunteers will be screened with a background check through ICHAT.
Communicate alerts when they are received from local law enforcement.
What you can do as parents:
Make sure your children are taking the safest routes to school and friend’s homes, ones that avoid danger spots like alleys, new construction, abandoned homes and wooded areas. Test walk the route together so they are familiar with it.
Tell your children to be aware of their surroundings and find a trusted adult if they do not feel safe.
Do not approach people they do not know, especially if that person is calling them over to a vehicle.
Establish a code word with your child. This will defeat the “stranger” that tries the “Your parents sent me to pick you up” ploy.
If they think they are being followed, tell them to go to the nearest store or public place. If there isn’t a store or public area nearby, keep moving and don’t be afraid to yell “Stranger!” or make other noise to draw attention to the situation.
Have them report anything suspicious to the police as quickly as possible and provide as much detail as they can.
In an analysis of attempted abductions, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children found the five most common “tricks” used by individuals attempting to abduct a child include:
- Offering a child a ride.
- Offering the child candy or food.
- Asking the child questions.
- Offering the child money.
- Using an animal.
For information regarding registered sex offenders in your area, click here.
After a Crisis
The following statement was made by a parent of a child in a school near the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001:
“Children’s reactions are reflections of their parents. Too many parents expose children to their every emotion: fear, anxiety, anger, worry, etc. The fact is that children want their parents to be heroes. If parents can be strong, this will benefit the recovery.”
Remain calm. It is important to remain calm in the aftermath of a crisis. Children are greatly influenced by their family’s sense of well-being, and anything that families can do to reassure students will be helpful. At the same time, families need to be compassionate listeners when their children speak of the crisis.
Attend to children’s reactions. Be alert to their emotional needs. Individuals recover from crises at their own pace. Many children will benefit from mental health services, regardless of whether they were directly or indirectly involved in the incident.
Return your child to normal routine as quickly as possible. Families should adhere to the schedule of the school, and if the school remains open immediately after the crisis, it is important to let children return. Adhering to a typical routine will help children in the recovery process.
Refer the media to the District Communications Office at 734-744-2533. The media will try to interview families and children during or after a crisis. Families can make a very positive contribution to the school community by referring the media to the District Communications Office.
Attend community meetings. Families will receive invaluable information and support by attending community or school meetings. Community meetings often provide information helpful to dispel rumors and establish mechanisms of communication with parents, the media and other affected parties.
OK2SAY Tip Line
OK2SAY is a 24-hour program designed to empower Michigan students, parents, school personnel, community mental health service programs, and law enforcement to share and respond to student safety threats. To learn more about OK2Say, click here.
Phone line: 1-855-565-2729
Text to: 652729
Email: ok2say@mi.gov
Mobile app available on iPhone or Android devices, or on the OK2SAY web site