Fire Alarm/TOPS Building Evacuation Procedures

In practice, both expected and unexpected drills contribute to student and staff safety. In an actual emergency, no one is exempt from the consequences. Therefore, no one should be exempt from a drill. All students, teachers, food service staff, custodians, employees, visitors, and administrators—everyone in the building should cease regular activity and participate.

When TOPS administration announces a building evacuation or a fire alarm sounds,  teachers or staff members will follow the following procedures.

1. Grab the Emergency Packet from the wall hook.
2. Get your students’ attention.
3. Read loudly from the packet’s coversheet to students:
   • We are evacuating the building.
   • If you have a backpack or coat here in the room, you may take these with you.
   • We are going to our field location.
   • Close your room’s doors upon leaving after your students exit. (Lock doors only if you know this to be a drill; do not lock doors if this might be an actual emergency.)
4. Take the Emergency Packet with you to the athletic field.
5. Proceed to your room’s assigned field location. This location is designated by a bright sign numbered on the fence perimeter on the athletic field.
6. Have your students line up quietly at your designated area. Note: All classes will face the building with teachers at the front of their line of students.

   Once you and your class are in place on the field…

7. Take attendance; use the class list for that period from the packet, if available. A runner will collect this attendance sheet.
   • Check off all students present—next to the (✓) student’s name.
   • Cross out the names of students who were known to be absent from class at the time of the drill or event.
   • Circle the names of any students who were present in your classroom and who are now not in attendance at the assigned field location. Note: If you are unsure if a missing student was in class at the time of drill or event, circle their name.
8. Listen for an all-clear to return to class or further announcements regarding the evacuation.

Teacher Note: When a replacement student roster for the period of a previous building evacuation event is delivered to your TOPS mailbox, please place it in the room packet in which that class in taught immediately.

What-if’s…

• During Lunch: Go to the field location of your 4th period classroom.
• During Passing Time: Go to the field location for your previous period’s classroom.*
• Building occupants who are not pre-assigned to a specific classroom or field location, including all service and professional staff as well as visitors: Gather on the north end of the field south of the swings.

More What-if’s…

• You are a student or teacher not in your normal classroom when a fire alarm/building evacuation occurs (e.g., in the hallway, another classroom, library, or computer lab)?
  Exit the building according to your current location’s evacuation route and then proceed to your classroom’s field location assignment for that period.*
• You are a teacher and have evacuated, but you do not have an emergency packet with a student roster?
  For example: you and/or your class may not have been in your normal classroom at the time of the evacuation. 
  Take role on plain paper and as best you can determine if anyone is missing. Write the teacher name and room number on this list.
• You are TOPS staff, TA, or student in the building during a fire alarm/building evacuation and you are not assigned to a classroom for that period?
  Students should go to the north end of the field by the tennis courts. Teachers and other staff should be assisting students in finding their field location.
• You are a visitor during a fire alarm/building evacuation?
  Proceed to the north end of the field south of the swings.
• Fire alarm/building evacuation occurs prior to school or after school?
  Evacuate to the athletic field. Line up by grade level.

*Note: Emergency Packets contain field assignments for TOPS rooms.