P.E.I. school evacuation: School officials review flaws in plans

A review into some of the issues that arose during the evacuation of all public schools on P.E.I. is now underway.

On Wednesday, a threat received by RCMP led to evacuation orders at schools throughout the province.

• RCMP deem P.E.I. school threat 'not credible'

Parker Grimmer, the director of the Public Schools Branch, said the review will look at all aspects of how the evacuation went, including the places where students are housed in an emergency.

Issues with evacuation sites

Grimmer said some evacuation sites weren't big enough for the school populations that were sent to them.

In some cases multiple schools had identified the same site, with no expectation that all schools would be evacuated simultaneously.

"In a couple cases actually their evacuation site may have actually been another school that was closed to evacuation so we do need to address that," he said.

In an email sent to parents Wednesday night, Stonepark School principal Norman Beck said the evacuation sitefor his student wasnot available.

The Cody Banks arena could not be used, and Stonepark students ended up at St. Marks Presbyterian church.

Safety, transportation, communication issues raised

Grimmer said the review will also look at how students get to the evacuation sites, and how far away they are from schools whether they're far enough away to avoid whatever potential threat may be at the school, or too far away for students to get there.

• Lack of buses caused confusion for Cornwall primary school during evacuation
• Englewood School lockdown worries parents

"Whether the age group of students we have need any special supports to transport. Whether any individual students with special needs need help transporting. Or even are kids too young to walk a certain distance? What are the pathways? And what's the weather going to be like for that? Where are they, are they outside or inside?"

Grimmer also said there were also communications problems. Once schools had been evacuated staff lost access to their computers, whichlimited theiremail access with administration and parents.

"Could some of these communications have been pre-designed and maybe put on some kind of electronic storage unit that could be plugged into a mobile site and sent out?" said Grimmer.

Principals will communicate with parents

As one of the next steps in the review process, Grimmer said individual principals will provide details on how evacuations worked at their individual schools, and whether the evacuation zones need to be changed.the review will look at all of the designated safe spaces. He said he expects most of them will remain unchanged.

"This is our opportunity to take this information and use it to make us better. At the end of the day we're so thankful all of our students are safe. Now we have an opportunity and the time to take this information and make it better,' he said.

• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |Charlottetown gets 1st bike fix-it station
• MORE P.E.I. NEWS |Endless summer? P.E.I. basking in warm September