13th Annual Contra Costa County Shelter-in-Place Drill Takes Place Nov. 5

School children across Contra Costa County will participate in the 13th annual countywide shelter-in-place drill to practice safety procedures in the event of a nearby hazardous material release or other incident requiring them to shelter-in-place.

Directed by Community Awareness & Emergency Response (CAER), this year’s shelter-in-place drill will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, and all public and private schools, and childcare centers throughout Contra Costa County are encouraged to participate.

“Sequoia Middle School is thrilled to participate in the countywide drill in the collaborative effort that prepares our students in the event that we need to Shelter-in-Place,” said Mrs. Lisa Keck, principal, Sequoia Middle School, Pleasant Hill. “The safety of our learning community is our number one priority”,

CAER’s Executive Director Tony Semenza says, “Each year we are encouraged with the increased number of participating schools CAER works with. Teachers and students should all

know shelter-in-place procedures just as they are trained about what to do in case of a fire or earthquake. I encourage everyone to join us in preparing for the worst so that we may do our best during an emergency.”

This annual safety event gives children and their caregivers an important opportunity to practice responding to the Community Warning System (CWS) alerts, which includes a series of sirens along the waterfront areas from Richmond to Antioch.

The CWS sounds a siren when there has been a dangerous chemical release or other disaster that requires a shelter-in-place. These alerts are also sent via radio, TV, cell and land line calls and social media postings.

Hazardous material releases can result from many sources in Contra Costa County, including accidents at chemical treatment plants, wastewater treatment facilities, facilities that store and/or manufacture hazardous materials, refineries, but also from collisions involving trucks or trains that transport chemicals.

The possibility of accidents, make it important for the county’s youngest members to recognize and respond correctly to shelter-in-place alerts.

CAER is a coalition of local agencies, businesses, industries, community groups, and emergency response organizations. CAER works to improve emergency response planning and to actively enhance public health and safety.

--Image via Shutterstock

--Information courtesy of Contra Costa County Community Awareness Emergency Response (CAER) Group, Inc.