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Sheltering Against The Wind: The Wichita Public
School Shelter Initiative
Earlier this month, Regional Director Dick Hainje toured four schools in
the Wichita Public School District, that have taken steps to protect students,
faculty, and staff during high wind events. Through the progressive actions
of district officials, persons at Levy Special Education Center, McCollom
Elementary, OK Elementary, and Wells-Greiffenstein Special Education Center
now have a safe place to go when tornadoes and high winds threaten the
Wichita area.
During the tour, which included U.S. Representative Todd Tiahrt, Kansas
Division of Emergency Management Administrator Gene Krase, Wichita Public
Schools Superintendent Winston Brooks, and other school and emergency
management officials, participants had the opportunity to see first hand
the tornado shelters in these schools. In a severe wind event, these areas
can provide a life-saving refuge. During normal weather conditions, the
tornado shelters at Levy, Wells-Greiffenstein, McCollom, and OK serve
as conference rooms, classrooms, and a multipurpose room.
Shelters in 24 of the schools were funded through the Hazard Mitigation
Grant Program, which became available following the May 1999 tornadoes
that devastated parts of Kansas, and supplemental appropriations provided
by Congress. Other shelters were funded through FEMA's Public Assistance
program and directly by the community through a major facilities bond
issue.
In August 2002, FEMA released a case study highlighting the school shelter
initiative in Wichita. The report provides background information on the
project and highlights these tornado shelters constructed at Park Elementary,
Kensler Elementary, McCollom Elementary, and Jefferson Elementary in the
Wichita Public School District. It also addresses the inclusion of shelters
in some private schools in Wichita, including Blessed Sacrament, and Kapaun
Mount Carmel High Schools, and Trinity and Holy Cross High Schools in
Reno County. A copy of the report may be viewed at http://www.fema.gov/mit/saferoom/casestudies.shtm.
For information on financing safe rooms should be addressed to your state
emergency management agency. For additional information about residential
and non-residential tornado shelters, visit the FEMA web site at www.fema.gov/mit/saferoom/.
For additional information about safe rooms in Region VII (KS, IA, MO,
NE), contact Bob Franke at (816) 283-7073 or bob.franke@fema.gov.
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