Almanac Staff Writer
“We believe we could be self-sufficient for 72 hours” in the event of an earthquake or major disaster,” said Superintendent Anne Campbell of the Portola Valley School District, which has 670 students on two sites, Ormondale and Corte Madera.
“We’ve made emergency preparedness a real priority, ” she said, “but, obviously, we need to practice earthquake drills and work on emergency release procedures to reunite kids with their parents.”
The district’s “e-prep” committee of parents and staff has been working for years and is linked with the town’s emergency preparedness group and the Woodside Fire Protection District. Parents Brad Turner, Andrea Reid and Tracy Crawford have stepped up to the challenge of leading the effort. Laurie Duvall is the town liaison with the schools.
School administrators principals Eva Gal and Joel Willen, Assistant Superintendent Tim Hanretty and Superintendent Campbell have been actively involved in the planning.
Both Ormondale and Corte Madera have up to a three-day supply of water, Power bars, space blankets and things needed to keep the students warm and safe. All teachers have “red bags” of supplies, including flashlights, lanterns, walkie-talkies and first-aid. The school staff works in teams, and key personnel have been identified as a search-and-rescue team.
A big step for the district is having all the children’s parent and emergency contacts entered into Message 911, a telephone service located in another state. The superintendent or other designated school people can dial the service by land or cell phones and leave a message that is immediately transmitted to the children’s contacts.
Superintendent Campbell said the committee is looking at the need to prepare for a week of self-sufficiency in the case that help from the Red Cross might not be available.
