CARNATION — Students and staff from Tolt Middle School, Carnation Elementary School, Riverview Learning Center and Encompass Preschool successfully participated in the annual Tolt Dam evacuation drill Wednesday, Sept. 23.

The drill gives schools in Carnation an opportunity to practice their response to the unlikely event of a failure at Tolt Dam, located upstream from the city. The evacuation involves moving every student and staff member to a designated safe location at higher elevation or above the determined high-water mark.

During the exercise, students and staff practiced leaving their campuses and traveling to the Tolt Highlands, an elevated evacuation site with emergency supplies and first aid resources. The district also practiced arrangements for students and staff who could not walk the steep route, using buses to transport them to designated safe areas outside Carnation.

“An evacuation succeeds when everyone has a way to reach safety,” said Aaron De Folo, Riverview School District’s Health & Safety Supervisor. “This drill gave our schools and community partners an opportunity to practice those plans together and see how they work for all students and staff.”

The exercise also supported the district’s broader emergency plan, which includes procedures for communicating with families and reuniting them with students after an evacuation.

Riverview thanks the King County Sheriff’s Office and the city of Carnation for their collaboration and assistance during the drill, as well as the staff and volunteers who helped students move safely along the route.

“Their coordination and care made this a successful exercise for our school communities,” De Folo said.