A new school year means new schedules, teachers, activities, and routines. In Marin, it also coincides with the height of wildfire season, making back-to-school time a good opportunity to make sure your family is prepared.
If a wildfire happens during school hours, your child may not be with you. Knowing what your school will do, how you’ll receive information, and how your family will reconnect can reduce confusion when it matters most.
Know your school’s emergency plan
Schools prepare for several possible responses during a wildfire, including sheltering in place, evacuating to another location, early dismissal when conditions allow, or controlled parent-student reunification. The safest response depends on the fire, weather, road access, and guidance from emergency responders.
Before an emergency, ask your school:
- How will parents receive emergency updates?
- When would students shelter in place rather than evacuate?
- Where would students go if the school evacuates?
- How does reunification work?
- Who is authorized to pick up your child?
- How are students with medical, mobility, or other special needs supported?
The best time to answer these questions is before there is smoke in the air.
Don’t automatically head to the school
A parent’s first instinct may be to immediately drive to school to get their child. During a wildfire, that may not be safe or even possible. If an area is under an evacuation order, law enforcement may not allow parents to enter. Roads may also be congested with evacuating residents and emergency service vehicles.
Many Marin school campuses have paved areas, athletic fields, fire-smart landscaping, and other features that can help reduce wildfire exposure. During a wildfire situation, schools may temporarily shelter students until conditions improve, evacuation routes are clear, or an organized reunification can begin. If it is safe and resources are available, bus transportation may also be arranged. But it is important to understand that additional traffic can make it harder for first responders to operate safely and effectively. Emergency officials are tasked with determining what the safest course of action is in any given incident.
Make a family plan now
A few preparations can make a big difference if family members are in different places when a wildfire begins.
- Update your contacts: Make sure your school has current phone numbers, email addresses, and trusted adults who can pick up your child if needed.
- Plan how you’ll reconnect: Decide who can pick up your child, where your family will reunite, and how you’ll communicate if cell service is disrupted. Details such as these are things that your child should be clear on too.
- Sign up for alerts: Make sure you receive the school’s emergency notifications, AlertMarin alerts, and Wireless Emergency Alerts (“WEA” are government-issued emergency alerts that are sent to all cell phones in a defined area).
- Register both your home and school addresses with AlertMarin, and get familiar with the Marin Emergency Portal, follow your local fire agency on their official social media profile, and know how to find your school district’s official information.
- ReadyMarin is also a great resource for parents to get reliable information. However, it is not updated during an active emergency.
- Prepare your vehicle: Keep your gas tank at least half full, have your go-kit ready, and know multiple routes between home, work, and school.
Talk with your kids
Keep wildfire conversations age-appropriate. Younger children and middle-school students should know that adults have emergency plans and, if they are at school during an emergency, that their job is to stay with their class and follow instructions.
High school students, especially those who drive, should know not to make their own evacuation decisions or drive into an area affected by wildfire to reach family members. Make sure they also know your family’s communication and reunification plan.
Start the school year prepared
Preparedness also includes reducing wildfire risks at home. So before the school year gets too busy, make sure plants and flammable materials are at least five feet away from your home, and clear out the dead leaves, wood piles, and other items that could ignite from embers. For details and best practices, you can review our resources for fire-smart landscaping, Zone 0 necessities, and home hardening guidance.
Before the school year gets busy, take a few minutes to check your school’s emergency procedures, update your contacts, sign up for alerts, and talk through your family plan.
