Shelter-in-Place Drill Planned For Contra Costa Co. Students

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA – School children across Contra Costa County next week will participate in the 17th annual countywide shelter-in-place drill to practice safety procedures in the event of a nearby hazardous-material release or other incident requiring a shelter-in-place directive, according to the Contra Costa County Office of Education.

This year's drill will be Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 11 a.m., and all public and private schools and childcare centers throughout the county are encouraged to participate in the event, which will be directed by the Community Awareness Emergency Response group or CAER, officials said.

"Each year, we are encouraged with the increased number of participating schools CAER works with," said the organization's executive director Tony Semenza . "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."

The annual safety event gives children and caregivers an opportunity to practice responding to the Community Warning System (CWS) alerts, a series of sirens along the waterfront areas from Richmond to Antioch, education officials said.

The CWS sounds a siren when there are dangerous chemical releases or other disasters that require shelter-in-place orders. These alerts are also sent via radio, TV, cell and land line calls and social media postings.

In Contra Costa County, hazardous-material releases could result from such sources as accidents at chemical-treatment plants, wastewater-treatment facilities, facilities that store and/or manufacture hazardous materials, refineries, and 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," CCCOE officials said.

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

Click here to read more on CAER.

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