Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 339 § 339.408 — Emergency safeguards; required drills and instruction; school building

Emergency safeguards; required drills and instruction; school building security. (1) As used in this section, “school” means any: (a) Kindergarten through grade 12 public or private school, including a public charter school; or (b) Educational institution having an average daily attendance of 50 or more students. (2) Every school is required to have emergency safeguards to protect the safety and well-being of students and staff at the school. The emergency safeguards must include: (a) Drills and instruction on emergency procedures so that students can respond to an emergency without confusion or panic. (b) Policies and procedures relating to school building security. (3) When reviewing policies and procedures relating to school building security, the governing body for a school shall consider the installation of a panic alarm system that: (a) Is wireless or consists of wearable panic alarms; (b) Is capable of connecting to diverse emergency services technologies to ensure real-time coordination between multiple emergency services agencies; and (c) Integrates with local public safety answering points to transmit 9-1-1 calls and mobile activations. (4) The drills and instruction on emergency procedures required by this section must be on: (a) Fires; (b) Earthquakes, which shall include tsunami drills and instruction in schools in a tsunami hazard zone; and (c) Safety threats, as identified in ORS 339.405 (2)(a). (5)(a) Drills and instruction on fire emergencies shall include routes and methods of exiting the school building. (b) Drills and instruction on earthquake emergencies shall include the earthquake emergency response procedure known as “drop, cover and hold on.” A school may drill earthquake emergency response procedures in addition to “drop, cover and hold on” when the school determines, based on evaluation of specific engineering and structural issues related to a building, that “drop, cover and hold on” may not be the most effective earthquake emergency response procedure to prevent or limit injury or loss of life. (c) Drills and instruction on tsunami emergencies shall include immediate evacuation after an earthquake when appropriate or after a tsunami warning to protect students against inundation by tsunamis. (d) Drills and instruction on safety threats shall include: (A) Procedures related to evacuation, hold, lockdown, secure and shelter in place, as those terms are defined in ORS 339.405, including the procedures described in ORS 339.324; and (B) Other appropriate actions to take when there is a threat to safety. (6)(a) At least 30 minutes in each school month shall be used to instruct students on the drills and instruction on emergency procedures described in subsection (4) of this section and at least one drill shall be conducted each school month. (b) At least two drills on earthquakes shall be conducted each year. (c) At least one drill on each safety threat shall be conducted each year. (d) In schools in a tsunami hazard zone, at least three drills on earthquakes and tsunamis shall be conducted each year. (7)(a) In addition to the instruction required under subsection (6) of this section, schools are encouraged to instruct students, in an age-appropriate manner, on preparing for and recovering from events that are: (A) Described in subsection (4) of this section; and (B) Natural disasters specific to the region where the school is located, including any relevant weather-related events such as flooding, drought or excessive snowfall. (b) For the purpose of this subsection, the Department of Education shall: (A) Develop, in consultation with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management, guidance that may be used for the instruction and make the guidance available to schools; and (B) Provide, when requested, professional development to teachers and administrators relating to the guidance. (8) All schools shall maintain all exit doors so that the doors can be opened from the inside without a key during school hours. (9) Units of local government and state agencies associated with emergency procedures training and planning shall: (a) Review emergency procedures and safeguards proposed by schools under this section and ORS 339.405; and (b) Assist schools in the instruction and drilling of students in emergency procedures. [Formerly 336.071]