State Webinar 07-16-20

Long Branch Public Schools

“Where Children Matter Most”

July 16, 2020
Summary of NJ DOE Office of School Preparedness and Training
Webinar on Drilling Guidance

Meeting had three speakers; Jeff Gale, Director of the NJ DOE OSP&T, Dr. Thomas Gambino, NJ DOE
OSP&T, along with Chief Louis Kilmer of the Division of Fire Safety, Bureau of Fire Code Enforcement.

Topics Covered:
 Statutory Requirements
 Definition of “Security Drill”
 Examples of “Security Drills”

Drilling Guidance
 Selection of Drills
 Conducting Drills under COVID
 Fire Considerations

Temporary Structures & Barriers

Personal Protection Equipment Update

1. NJ School Drill Law N.J.S. 18A:41-1
a. 1 Fire drill & 1 school emergency drill each month
b. Must be conducted during “School Hours when students are in the school”

2. Minimum of 2 each during the school year
a. (2) Active Shooter
b. (2) Evacuation (non-fire)
c. (2) Bomb Threat
d. (2) Lockdown

3. A school security drill must be conducted within the first 15 days of the start of the school year.
4. If holding summer school/camp drills must be conducted
5. Director Gale stated that during September-October-November-December schools should look at

drills which don’t compromise the social distancing and emergency health order.
6. Shelter-In-Place, Bomb Threat (as we don’t evacuate) and Table Top are just three examples.
7. Notification Drills: Where the district notifies the community; using various platforms. All-Call,

text messages. Need to check to make sure parents are receiving and can respond.
8. Communication Drill: this is with staff, using PA system or in our case CrisisGo.
9. The state will hold a webinar at the end of each month to help districts prepare for the following

month drill.

Walter J. O’Neill, Jr., CSSS
Certified School Safety Specialist
Long Branch Public Schools, 540 Broadway, Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
732-571-2868, Ext. 40911 email: [email protected]

Long Branch Public Schools

“Where Children Matter Most”

10. I would suggest for the LBPS follow the drill schedule of the NJ DOE each month. I will advise the
schools in advance what drill will be conducted in accordance with the state.

Next speaker was from the NJ Department of Community Affairs, New Jersey Division of Fire Safety.
Chief Louis Kilmer
101 S. Broad Street, PO Box 809
Trenton, NJ 08625-0809
609-633-6106
[email protected]

 Rule Relaxation-Fire Drills
o The requirement of N.J.A.C. 5:70-3 Section 405 Emergency Evacuation Drills, shall be
suspended for the duration of the “Public Health Emergency” for Use Group E-
Educational. Upon the end of the public health emergency, the requirements of this
section and existing schedule for emergency fire drills shall be reinstated.
o Public Health Emergency is declared by the Governor and has to be renewed every 30-
days. It current runs until August, at which point the Governor must execute another 30-
day period.

 Rule Relaxation-Fire Inspections
o N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.24 Inspection of educational occupancies.
o The initial inspection of educational occupancies required by N.J.A.C. 5:70-2.5 must be
conducted prior to June 1st of each calendar year. Due to the public health emergency,
the 2020 annual inspection of educational use buildings shall be completed no later than
December 31, 2020.
o On December 31, 2020, the cyclical inspection requirements will revert back to those as
specified above.

 Temporary Partitions/Screens/Shields
o Flame retardant materials
o If combustible decorative materials such as sheets, blankets or shower curtains are used
as partitions, those materials must either be already flame retardant when purchased or
to be treated after purchase.
o Items sold as being flame retardant must have appropriate documentation from an
approved testing agency showing the product meets the flame propagation performance
criteria of Test Method 1 or Test Method 2, as appropriate, of NFPA 701.
o Where employers choose to treat materials after purchase, it is important that the
treatment product is designed for use on that specific material. It is applied at the specific
rate, and applied in accordance with all manufacture’s instruction.
o Labels from all containers should be kept in order to document that enough material was
used to cover the required area.

Walter J. O’Neill, Jr., CSSS
Certified School Safety Specialist
Long Branch Public Schools, 540 Broadway, Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
732-571-2868, Ext. 40911 email: [email protected]

Long Branch Public Schools

“Where Children Matter Most”

 Washing the decorative materials may remove the flame-retardant application and it will need to
be reapplied.

 Please note that combustible materials such as cardboard must be kept to an absolute minimum.
They ARE NOT PERMITTED TO BE USED as dividers unless they also meet the flame spread
requirements.

Location and height of hanging materials
 Employers must abide by the following rules when hanging materials to divide the living space.
o Do not block means of egress
o Do not diminish any emergency lighting
o Ensure all exit signs are visible and unobscured
o Place materials so that they do not cover electrical panels
o Ensure materials are not near any heating equipment or other source of ignition

Employers must also consider the following:
 In building equipped with an automatic sprinkler system, all hanging materials must remain a
minimum of 18” below the bottom of the sprinkler head to ensure water discharge is not
obstructed.
 The maximum height of hanging material must remain at a minimum of 15% of the ceiling height
below the ceiling for the separate spaces to not be considered separate rooms
 Smoke detectors must be above the hanging material
 Alarm devices must still be able to be heard at the required decibel levels at each space or
additional devices may be required
 Strongly recommended NO partitions/screens/shields on a bus

Outdoor learning/Temporary tents/shelters
 Fire department access: for FD vehicles must be maintained. This includes street and parking lot
access. FD apparatus including aerial must be able to reach surrounding buildings. Barriers
blocking streets and lots must be easily movable so apparatus may enter. Tents are not permitted
in Fire Zones!
 Fire Hydrant and Fire Department Connection Areas: access must always be maintained
 Tent Permits: A Type 1 permit is required to be issued for all tents, tensioned membrane
structures, and canopies greater than 900 square feet or more than 30 feet in any dimension
whether it is one unit or composed of multiple units, but 16,800 square feet or less in area and
140 feet or less in any dimension, whether it is one unit or composed of multiple units. Tents
exceeding this size require the issuance of a Uniformed Construction Code permit.

Walter J. O’Neill, Jr., CSSS
Certified School Safety Specialist
Long Branch Public Schools, 540 Broadway, Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
732-571-2868, Ext. 40911 email: [email protected]

Long Branch Public Schools
“Where Children Matter Most”

 Uniform Construction Code – Tent Permit Required
Tents, tensioned membrane structures, or canopies greater than 16,800 square feet in area or
greater than 140 feet in any dimension, whether one unit or composed of multiple units;
remaining in place for more than 180 days; used or occupied between December 1 and March
31; having a permanent anchoring system or foundation; or containing platforms or bleachers
greater than 11 feet in height shall be subject to the permitting requirements of the Uniform
Construction Code (N.J.A.C. 5:23-2.14).

Walter J. O’Neill, Jr., CSSS
Certified School Safety Specialist
Long Branch Public Schools, 540 Broadway, Long Branch, New Jersey 07740
732-571-2868, Ext. 40911 email: [email protected]