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Q:
What has Phillips Academy done to prepare for emergencies?
A:
Phillips Academy maintains a set of crisis management protocols
that spell out responses for adults to follow for some of the most
common kinds of emergencies such as a fire, hurricane, drug or alcohol
overdose or injuries. Beyond this, the school has also been developing
a comprehensive, department-by-department disaster management plan
to guide faculty, administration and staff in responding to and
recovering from the widest range of emergencies. The plan is geared
first and foremost toward the protection and care of students and
other members of our community.
Perhaps
the most important asset in responding to emergencies is the academy’s
well-prepared Crisis Management Team. This group of academy staff,
faculty and administrators gather quickly, assess needs, implement
appropriate responses and communicate with internal audiences and
parents as necessary. During the last year, the CMT has met frequently
to discuss and plan contingencies for situations that might arise
from local or national threats.
Q:
How does the academy keep parents informed in an emergency?
A:
In an emergency on campus when parents are not immediately able
to contact their children or their children’s house counselors
or cluster deans by telephone, parents should
- Call
the Office of the Dean of Students’ 978-749-4175. If there
is no answer, dial
- Dean
of Students' emergency hotline (978-749-4170). This line will
be staffed during emergencies and contain a recorded message at
other times.
- If
the academy's local or regional phone service is disrupted, call
the off-campus toll-free number at 877-445-5477 for a recorded
message that will be updated regularly with information and instructions.
- Check
for e-mail messages from the Head of School. In order to reach
the greatest number of parents by e-mail, we ask that all parents
submit an e-mail address that they check often to the Office of
the Dean of Students at atucker@andover.edu.
- Check
the Academy Web site at www.andover.edu for information and instructions.
Q:
What would you do if you had to evacuate the campus?
A:
As long as the campus is not specifically affected by an emergency,
the academy has the ability to shelter students in place for an
extended period of time. The Commons has the ability to feed students
for up to a week without outside delivery. The campus power plant
can operate even when regional electric services are affected.
However,
the academy has worked in partnership with local public safety officials
to plan for an emergency that might require students to evacuate
the campus. Within Andover the academy would work with local public
safety officials to evacuate to one of Andover’s public schools.
If the academy needs to evacuate beyond the town of Andover, local
public safety officials will assist in arranging transportation,
if the academy’s usual transportation carriers are unable to
respond.
Q:
What medical services do you have on campus to treat students who
might be sick or injured?
A:
Isham Health Center is open 24 hours a day while school is in session
to respond to individual student medical needs or a health emergency
on campus. Its staff includes a full-time pediatrician who resides
on campus, a nurse practitioner, and registered nurses.
Isham
has its own pharmacy, as well as a relationship with a local retail
pharmacy to obtain any needed medications. X-rays and laboratory
tests are available on site. In addition, Isham has a medical staff
of 80 local medical and surgical specialists who are available to
provide care to our students.
While
Isham does not provide emergency room services, local community
hospitals and the tertiary medical centers of Boston are all within
easy access.
Q:
What would the academy do if it had to shut down and air travel
was not possible?
A:
In a situation where students were unable to travel from campus
by air, the academy would attempt to make other arrangements for
transportation. If other means of transportation for students were
not available or practical because of distance, the academy would
keep the student on campus or make arrangements for him or her to
stay with a local family, with the approval of the student’s
parent.
Q:
Where does the academy get its water and what would it do if the
water became contaminated?
A:
The water supply for the town of Andover is Haggetts Pond, located
in Andover. The town has long had an emergency response plan in
place to protect the water supply. Water quality is monitored as
it is brought into the town’s water treatment plant and any
significant change in quality is quickly detected. Following treatment,
water is pumped to several covered reservoirs in town. These reservoirs
distribute water by gravity to schools, residences and businesses
throughout town. In an emergency, when water use might be restricted,
the reservoirs contain a 5-7 day supply of water. Should Haggetts
Pond be contaminated, the treatment plant could be shut down until
the Board of Health determines the water is safe to drink. In addition,
the Town has security procedures in place to prevent entry into
and damage or contamination of the treatment plant itself.
Finally,
the academy’s food service provider would work with its regular
suppliers to obtain bottled water for the community, should it become
necessary.
Q:
Is Phillips Academy at risk from radiation exposure in the event
of an accident at the Seabrook Nuclear Plant in Seabrook, N.H?
A:
Andover is located outside the immediate impact area of the Seabrook
nuclear reactor. In fact, towns in the Andover area have been designated
to receive evacuees in the event of an accident or vandalism to
the Seabrook plant. The academy has identified evacuation destinations
and transportation to get there should evacuation be required.
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