IMPORTANT!
School Emergency Drills During the 2020-21 School Year
On August 20th, the Utah State Legislature passed H.B. 6004 School Emergency Drills Amendments https://le.utah.gov/~2020S6/bills/static/HB6004.html – stating that schools are not required to hold actual fire evacuation drills before March 1, 2021, due to Covid-19.
Schools are required to:
- Teach age-appropriate fire evacuation instruction (instead of going outside) in lieu of actual evacuation drills, until February 28, 2021.
- Conduct the first fire evacuation instruction within 15 days of the start of the school year.
- Alternate conducting fire instruction with other emergency safety drills, such as: lockdown or lockout for violence, shelter-in-place for chemical spills and severe weather, bomb threat and earthquake drills.
- Conduct the first other emergency safety drill by October 1.
- Conduct a fire evacuation instruction within the first 10 days of the new calendar year, in January.
- Teach Covid-19 precautions/considerations in relation to drills and actual emergencies.
Elementary schools are still required to conduct an instruction or exercise every month, for a minimum of 9 throughout the school year (5 fire, 4 other emergency safety drills).
Secondary schools are required to conduct a minimum of 6 instruction or exercises throughout the school year (4 fire, 2 other emergency safety drills).
Schools are encouraged to conduct actual evacuation drills, if comfortable doing so, and appropriate Covid-19 precautions can be maintained.
Regular fire evacuation drills (going outside) will resume on March 1, 2021.
Questions, contact: Lance Everill, Emergency Operations Manager 801-567-8623, lance.everill@jordandistrict.org