Severe Weather Emergency

 

Fire Emergency

 

Lock-Down Emergency

 

Howe Community
Safe Room
Located in the Howe gym
EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Howe Police: 658-3814
Howe Fire: 658-2459
LeFlore County Sherrif: 647-2317
OHP - Troop D, McAlester: (918) 423-3636 Poison Control Center
LeFlore County EMS: 647-9270
School Nurse (Lori Hall): Ex 212
If a citizen or student feels the best way to report a potential threat to his or her school is anonymously, call Oklahoma's 24-hour, school safety hotline, 1-877-SAFE-CALL, ext. OK1.
Severe Weather:
Community Members:
The Howe Public Schools gym lobby serves as a community severe weather safe room. The Howe Civil Defense will see that the safe room is open if a tornado warning is issued for Howe at a time when school is not in session. Any Howe community resident is welcome to come to the safe room when a tornado warning is issued.

During school hours, students will be using Plum Street to move from classroom buildings to the safe room. For the safety of our students, if you are driving to the safe room during school hours, PLEASE use the east entrance road to the gym and park in the east parking lot.

School Staff and Students:
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center in Normal issues severe weather watches. School administrators monitor weather conditions with local Civil Defense officials and will make the decision when to issue a tornado warning for Howe Public Schools.
  • The tornado warning consists of the class bells ringing continuously.
  • When the warning sounds, staff and students have five minutes to get into the safe room.
  • The route and class area assignments are shown on the safe room plan map.
    TEACHERS: Unlike practice drills, the community will also be using the safe room during an actual tornado warning. Be aware that some drivers may try to use Plum Street to reach the safe room. Watch the traffic for your students!
 
Fire Emergency:
No alarm will sound in buildings not threatned by fire. The safest place for students in those buildings is inside, away from emergency vehicles.
  • The building fire warning consists of class bells ringing in short bursts.
  • Every room has an evacuation route from the building and an assigned place for students to gather.
  • These evacuation maps are posted in each classroom and teachers are responsible for the students in their classroom.
  • Teachers will shut their classroom door as they leave.
  • When students are gathered in the assigned area, teachers will check their class roll to insure that all students are out of the building.
  • The building administrator will check the common rooms as the building is being evacuated.
  • Students must be kept away from the building and street that will be used by emergency vehicles.
  • NO CARS WILL BE MOVED, unless directed by an administrator.
 
Lock-Down Emergency:
District safety procedures specify that during the school day, outside access to any campus building should only be through the "front" door. All other doors should be locked so they cannot be opened from the outside without a key. All classroom doors should be locked in such a way that they can only be opened from the hall with a key.

There are many reasons why the campus might be locked down. No matter the cause, faculty and students are to remain in their rooms until specific instructions are given by the administration.

Faculty, staff, and students are NOT to be making phone calls during a lock-down - either on campus phones or cellular phones. Unauthorized use of telephones during a lock-down is very often counter-productive, spreading rumors and even increasing the danger to students and staff by tying up phone lines into the school.

Campus-wide safety is the responsibility of the administration. Faculty members are responsible for the safety of students under their immediate care only. Keep students in your room and away from doors and windows during the lock-down. Do not open your classroom door until the all-clear has been given, unless given specific instructions by an administrator.

Information will be provided by the administration as soon as it is safe and appropriate.

 
A Note To Parents:

Please do not call or come to the school if you hear there may be an emergency. Keeping the school's phone lines and roads open during an actual emergency is the most important thing you can do for the immediate safety of your child. The District Web Page will be updated with the latest information possible during an actual emergency.
 
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