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Have you ever wondered what happens when a violent storm moves across a highly populated residential area?What steps can be taken to minimise any threat to human life and damage to property?“Operation Storm Warning” was an exciting opportunity for pupils to turn parts of the school in to a Relief Centre and make decisions (using ICT) to protect the community around the school. |
Seven Kent Primary schools took part today in Operation Storm 2008. During the day the pupils used a range of ICT applications and tools to help support victims of the violent storms that struck large parts of the County. Working in small teams all the pupils managed by the end of the day to:
- Calculate how many homes in their local community had been affected by the storm
- Calculate how many adults and children could be provided with food, accommodation and basic medical requirements at the school
- Convert their school classroom/hall in to an "Emergency Relief Centre"
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During the project pupils used ICT to:
- Post information about the Rescue effort on the project blog for the Kent Emergency Planning Team to view
- View Ordnance Survey maps, line maps and aerial photographs of the area
- Calculate the total flooded area around the school
- Photograph and publish digital images of their work on the Internet
- Write and publish reports about the event on “Making the News” website
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9.15 FlashMeeting Video “Storm Alert – Protect your school”
9.30 Activity: Identify the Dangers!
Pupils to walk around the school and list all vulnerable areas (windows, roof tiles, trees, power lines etc)
10.10 Back in school pupils to compile a list of all possible dangers and the actions to be taken to minimise the threat of injury and damage to the building.
10.45 Emergency Relief Up-date – FlashMeeting Video
“Using your school as a Relief Centre for victims of Storm Damage”
Click here to see what a relief centre looks like.
11.00 Who is at Risk?
Pupils to view OS Map of Local area and determine how many houses/occupants are possibly at risk
11.15 Activity –Supporting the local community
How many local residents could your school support?
Pupils to the following questions and record their answers on the Project Blog
- How large is your school hall (Relief area)
- How many adults (taking up 2 by 3 metres) can be sheltered there?
- How many local residents can you support?
- Should priority be given to any particular group of citizens?
- Do you have sufficient toilets / washing areas for this number?
- What are the Cooking arrangements?
- What food/provisions will residents need to bring?
- Is there sufficient parking space for all visitors? (How many additional cars/emergency vehicles can be parked on the playground/field?)
13:00 Operation Storm warning Up-date
Turning your School Hall / Class Room in to a Relief Centre
13:15 The work begins!
- Use materials brought to school to create an Emergency centre
- Create sleeping / changing areas
- Eating area
- Protect windows
- Create play area for children / toddlers
- Put up signs to direct visitors to parts of school
What would you put in an emergency box?
Examples may include:
torch, spare batteries and bulb, bottled water, long life food stuffs, blankets, battery operated radio and spare batteries and some form of entertainment (books, games etc).
14:30 Finish Activity - Photograph Work and email images to Project Team.
Please note following the activity all schools (see guidance sheet below) will be expected to post reports about the event and what the children see on “Making the News
Guidance sheet - What happened in your school?
Relief Web - information on latest emergencies
What to do in severe weather from the Met Office
Stop Disasters
A disaster simulation game
Earthquakes
World map of the earthquakes in the past 7 days.
Tropical Storms, Worldwide - right now
Weather Warnings in Europe - right now