Gotta Go Bags are school emergency bags that are filled with supplies that you may need to have or take with you in an emergency. A minimum of two bags should be kept in each building. The bags should be kept in different locations in the school in the event that one location is not accessible. It is also a good idea to keep a bag at an outside location, such as in an evacuation site.
There are school-level gotta go bags and district-level gotta go bags. The bag should be updated periodically to make any necessary changes or replacements.
School-Level Supplies
- Student register with parent emergency numbers
- List of students with custody limitations
- Teacher/Employee roster
- Teacher schedules
- School emergency plan
- Building floor plans: Not the blueprints, the internal layout with rooms numbered (10 copies to give to agencies responding to an incident)
- Exterior school grounds map (5 copies)
- Map of local area
- Cellular phones – consider battery charging/power adapters
- Emergency phone numbers
- Bull horn(s)
- Portable radios
- Master keys to building – 2 sets, minimum
- Pens and pencils
- First aid supplies
- Student tracking forms – carbonless system where the teacher/employee can record the students with them
- Index cards and notepads
- Other forms or documents the school may require
- Flashlights and batteries
- Duct tape
- AM/FM radio
- Blanket
- Cups, plastic containers and a water source
- Towels
- Utility knife
- Screwdriver
- Pliers
- Plastic bags
Things you may need that won’t be stored in the gotta go bag:
- Student medications
- Teacher/Employee daily attendance record
- Student daily attendance record
District-Level Supplies
- First aid supplies
- Blankets
- Building floor plans – multiple sets for each building
- District emergency plans
- Parent reunification forms
- Computer (desk or laptop) and printer
- Materials to make signs for directing parents to the reunification center
Keep in mind that personnel from other schools may be able to assist you in evacuating the building.