SAN DIEGO — With the threat of wildfires year-round, the School Protection and Evacuation Plan have outlined critical information schools need during a wildfire.
The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE), San Diego County Office of Emergency Services (OES), fire, and law enforcement agencies announced the release of the School Protection and Evacuation Plan (SPEP). The SPEP is meant to help school officials and public safety agencies coordinate preparedness efforts to protect life, property, and critical infrastructure at a site in advance of a wildfire, and to clearly outline critical procedures and protocols for use during a wildfire emergency.
With fire season now year-round, these agencies recognize that districts and schools must always be prepared for a wildfire event. The SPEP, which was created by OES and based on Community Wildfire Protection Plans, is to be used countywide to facilitate discussion between school, district, law, and fire officials with the goal of preparing and empowering districts to make necessary decisions to protect students and staff.
Every school has a safety plan for emergencies that is updated annually and includes general preparedness information. The SPEP serves as an addendum to a school’s existing safety plan, pulling information specific to preparation and planning for a wildfire event into one cohesive plan. The process for customizing the SPEP is meant to encourage collaboration between schools, districts and public safety agencies, allowing for a comprehensive approach to planning and decision-making on wildfire response.
Agencies that collaborated on the SPEP include SDCOE, OES, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, California Department of Forestry/CAL Fire, and the California State Parks.
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