The School Organisation and Provision Team are carrying out the annual full update of the school emergency key holder list. In order for the Council to fulfil its duties under the Civil Contingency Act 2004 and to respond to any type of emergency involving a school, the Council's School Organisation and Provision Team keeps a school emergency key holder list for all Derby schools, including academies.

Key holder contact information held on this list is shared with the Council's Emergency Planning Team so that they can contact school key holders if it is ever necessary to open a school as a temporary rest centre for people needing temporary evacuation from their homes. The list is also used to contact key holders and head teachers should there be any other emergency, such as a major school fire or an accident on a school visit.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service no longer automatically attends school sites when an automated fire alarm trigger goes through to a school alarm handling company Therefore, it is extremely important that schools continue to maintain their out of hours alarm activation call monitoring services to have the best chance of a prompt response. We recommend that schools have at least one key holder on the emergency key holder list with quick and easy access to the school site, and that schools manage their call out arrangements appropriately so that there is always someone available to attend site as quickly as possible in any emergency event, including if a fire needs to be confirmed.

A secure (Egress) e-mail will be sent to the head teacher and school business manager or administrator of every school in Derby during the week beginning Monday 2 October. This will contain details of the information we currently hold for the school and a form which needs to be completed and returned by Friday 20 October.

If you need any further information, please contact Helen Zwart on helen.zwart@derby.gov.uk