practical information on crisis planning: a guide for schools

Preparedness

ResponseRecovery

Mitigation& Prevention

Practical Informationon Crisis PlanningA G U I D E F O R S C H O O L S A N D C O M M U N I T I E S

Crisis Covers Final 12/14/06 2:54 PM Page 2

PRACTICAL INFORMATION ONCRISIS PLANNING:

A GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS ANDCOMMUNITIES

JANUARY 2007

THE OFFICE OF SAFE AND DRUG-FREE SCHOOLSU.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

01_TOC CURRENT 2/8/07 4:35 PM Page 1

This report was produced under U.S. Department of EducationContract No. ED-01-CO-0082/0006 with Westat. Connie Deshpandeserved as the contracting officer’s technical representative.

U.S. Department of EducationMargaret SpellingsSecretary

Office of Safe and Drug-Free SchoolsDeborah PriceAssistant Deputy Secretary

Bill ModzeleskiAssociate Assistant Deputy Secretary

Connie DeshpandeSr. Policy Analyst

Jennifer MedearisPolicy Analyst

Revised January 2007

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug-FreeSchools, Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide forSchools and Communities, Washington, D.C., 2003.

To order copies of this report,

write to: ED Pubs, Education Publications Center, U.S.Department of Education, P.O. Box 1398, Jessup, MD 20794-1398;

or fax your request to: (301) 470-1244;

or email your request to: [email protected];

or call in your request toll-free: 1-877-433-7827 (1-877-4-ED-PUBS).If 877 service is not yet available in your area, call 1-800-872-5327 (1-800-USA-LEARN). Those who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a teletypewriter (TTY), should call 1-800-437-0833;

or order on-line at: www.ed.gov/about/ordering.jsp.

This report is also available on the Department’s Web site atwww.ed.gov/emergencyplan.

On request, this publication is available in alternate formats, suchas Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer diskette. For moreinformation, please contact the Department’s Alternate FormatCenter (202) 260-9895 or (202) 205-8113.


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CONTENTSPage

Section 1: IntroductionIntroduction.....................................................1-1Why This Guide? ............................................1-3An Important Note on Research....................1-4What Is a Crisis? .............................................1-5The Sequence of Crisis Management.............1-6Take Action! Key Principles for Effective

Crisis Planning ............................................1-8Using This Guide ..........................................1-12

Section 2: Mitigation/PreventionAction Checklist for Mitigation/Prevention

Mitigation/Prevention.....................................2-1Mitigation ........................................................2-3Prevention........................................................2-4Action Steps.....................................................2-5

Section 3: PreparednessAction Checklist for Preparedness

Preparedness....................................................3-1Action Steps.....................................................3-3

Section 4: ResponseAction Checklist for Response

Response ..........................................................4-1Action Steps.....................................................4-2

Section 5: RecoveryAction Checklist for Recovery

Recovery...........................................................5-1Action Steps.....................................................5-2Closing the Loop..............................................5-7


ii

CONTENTS (C0NT.)

Page

Section 6: Closer LooksDefining What Constitutes a Crisis ...............6-2FEMA Resources.............................................6-3Leadership .......................................................6-5Terrorism.........................................................6-7Volunteers ........................................................6-9Communication .............................................6-10Preparedness..................................................6-13Community Collaboration ............................6-17Incident Command System...........................6-19The Media......................................................6-22Products .........................................................6-24Considerations of Special Needs

Staff and Students .....................................6-30Student Release .............................................6-32Preparing Students, Staff,

and Stakeholders to Respond ...................6-35Staff Training ................................................6-37Tabletop Exercises.........................................6-40Families ..........................................................6-42Models of Crisis Intervention for Students.....6-46

Appendix A.Resources ........................................................A-1

Appendix B.Emergency School Safety, Planning,

Response, and Recovery MeetingParticipants..................................................B-1

Appendix C.Crisis Planning Interview Participants .........C-1

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1.1 Cycle of Crisis Planning..................................1-7

Exhibit 3.1 Lockdown, Evacuation, orRelocation Decisions ...................................3-9


1-1

“Knowing how to respond quickly and effi-

ciently in a crisis is critical to ensuring the

safety of our schools and students. The

midst of a crisis is not the time to start

figuring out who ought to do what. At that

moment, everyone involved – from top to

bottom – should know the drill and know

each other.”

--Margaret Spellings

Introduction

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1-2

Families trust schools to keep their children safe duringthe day. Thanks to the efforts of millions of teachers,principals, and staff across America, the majority ofschools remain safe havens for our nation’s youth. Theunfortunate reality is, however, that school districts inthis country may be touched either directly or indirectlyby a crisis of some kind at any time.

Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, fires,and tornadoes can strike a community with little orno warning. An influenza pandemic, or other infectiousdisease, can spread from person-to-person causing seri-ous illness across the country, or around the globe, in avery short time. School shootings, threatened or actual,are extremely rare but are horrific and chilling whenthey occur. The harrowing events of September 11 andsubsequent anthrax scares have ushered in a new ageof terrorism. Communities across the country are strug-gling to understand and avert acts of terror.

Children and youth rely on and find great comfort inthe adults who protect them. Teachers and staff mustknow how to help their students through a crisis andreturn them home safely. Knowing what to do whenfaced with a crisis can be the difference between calmand chaos, between courage and fear, between life anddeath. There are thousands of fires in schools everyyear, yet there is minimal damage to life and propertybecause staff and students are prepared. This prepared-ness needs to be extended to all risks schools face.Schools and districts need to be ready to handle crises,large and small, to keep our children and staff out ofharm’s way and ready to learn and teach.

The time to plan is now. If you do not have a crisisplan in place, develop one. If you do have a plan inplace, review, update and practice that plan regu-larly.


1-3

WHY THIS GUIDE?Taking action now can save lives, prevent injury, andminimize property damage in the moments of a crisis.The importance of reviewing and revising school anddistrict plans cannot be underscored enough, andPractical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide forSchools and Communities is designed to help you navi-gate this process. The Guide is intended to give schools,districts, and communities the critical concepts andcomponents of good crisis planning, stimulate thinkingabout the crisis preparedness process, and provide examples of promising practices.

This document does not provide a cookbook approachto crisis preparedness. Each community has its own history, culture, and way of doing business. Schools and districts are at risk for different types of crises andhave their own definitions of what constitutes a crisis.Crisis plans need to be customized to communities, districts, and schools to meet the unique needs of localresidents and students. Crisis plans also need to addressstate and local school safety laws.

Experts recommend against cutting and pasting plansfrom other schools and districts. Other plans can serveas useful models, but what is effective for a large inner-city school district where the population is concentratedmay be ineffective for a rural community where schoolsand first responders are far apart.

Children and youth rely on and find greatcom

fortin

theadults

who

protectthem

.


1-4

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ONRESEARCHThe research on what works in school-based crisis plan-ning is in its infancy. While a growing body of researchand literature is available on crisis management forschools, there is little hard evidence to quantify bestpractices. Fortunately, major crises, especially cata-strophic events, are rare in our nation’s schools. Fewcases can be formally evaluated. Much of the informa-tion in this Guide draws heavily on what we knowabout crisis management in many settings. These prom-ising practices could effectively be adapted and appliedto school settings.

Furthermore, the Department conducted extensiveinterviews with individuals who have experienced crisisin a school first hand. We also benefited from input bythe multidisciplinary expert panel (see Appendix B) andmany other experts in the field. While not a large-scaleimpact study, these interviews provide community andeducational leaders with the most current practicalinformation on crisis management.


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WHAT IS A CRISIS?Crises range in scope and intensity from incidentsthat directly or indirectly affect a single studentto ones that impact the entire community. Crisescan happen before, during, or after school and on or off school campuses. The definition of acrisis varies with the unique needs, resources,and assets of a school and community. Staff and students may be severely affected by an incident in another city or state. The events of Columbine and September 11 left the entirenation feeling vulnerable.

The underpinnings for this Guide can be foundin the definition for crisis: “An unstable or cru-cial time or state of affairs in which a decisivechange is impending, especially one with the distinct possibility of a highly undesirable out-come (Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary,1987).” Additionally, Webster notes that “crisis”comes from the Greek word meaning “decision”(Webster’s Ninth Collegiate Dictionary, 1987). In essence, a crisis is a situation where schoolscould be faced with inadequate information, notenough time, and insufficient resources, but inwhich leaders must make one or many crucialdecisions.

All districts and schools need a crisis team. Oneof the key functions of this team is to identifythe types of crises that may occur in the districtand schools and define what events would acti-vate the plan. The team may consider many fac-tors such as the school’s ability to handle a situa-tion with internal resources and its experience inresponding to past events.

PAGE6-2

DefiningCrisis


1-6

Plans need to address a range of events and hazardscaused both by both nature and by people, such as:

Natural disasters (earthquake, tornado, hurricane, flood)

Severe weather

Fires

Chemical or hazardous material spills

Bus crashes

School shootings

Bomb threats

Medical emergencies

Student or staff deaths (suicide, homicide,unintentional, or natural)

Acts of terror or war

Outbreaks of disease or infections

THE SEQUENCE OF CRISISMANAGEMENTThe results of extensive interviews and a review of thecrisis literature reveal that experts employ four phasesof crisis management:

Mitigation/Prevention addresses what


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schools and districts can do to reduce oreliminate risk to life and property.

Preparedness focuses on the process ofplanning for the worst-case scenario.

Response is devoted to the steps to take during a crisis.

Recovery deals with how to restore thelearning and teaching environment after a crisis.

Crisis management is a continuous process in which allphases of the plan are being reviewed and revised (seeExhibit 1.1). Good plans are never finished. They canalways be updated based on experience, research, andchanging vulnerabilities. Districts and schools may be in various stages of planning. This Guide provides theresources needed to start the planning process and is a tool used to review and improve existing plans.

PreparednessPreparedness

ResponseResponseRecoveryRecovery




1-8

Exhibit 1.1 Cycle of Crisis Planning


1-9

TAKE ACTION!KEY PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVECRISIS PLANNING

Crisis planning may seem overwhelming. It takes timeand effort, but it is manageable. Sections 2 through 5provide practical tips on how to develop your plans.These principles are crucial to the planning process.

Effective crisis planning begins withleadership at the top. Every governor,mayor, legislator, superintendent, and princi-pal should work together to make school cri-sis planning a priority. Top leadership helpsset the policy agenda, secures funds, andbrings the necessary people together acrossagencies. Other leadership also needs to beidentified—the teacher who is well loved inher school, the county’s favorite schoolresource officer, or the caring school nurse.Leaders at the grassroots level will help yourschool community accept and inform theplanning process.

Crisis plans should not be developed in a vacuum. They are a natural extension ofongoing school and community efforts to create safe learning environments. Goodplanning can enhance all school functions.Needs assessments and other data shouldfeed into a crisis plan. Crisis plans shouldaddress incidents that could occur inside

Effective crisis planning begins withleadership

atthe

top.


1-10

school buildings, on school grounds, and in the community. Coordination will avoidduplication and mixed messages, as well asreduce burden on planners.

School and districts should open thechannels of communication well before a crisis. Relationships need to be built inadvance so that emergency responders arefamiliar with your school. Cultivate a rela-tionship with city emergency managers, pub-lic works officials, and health and mentalhealth professionals now, and do not over-look local media. It is important that theyunderstand how the district and schools willrespond in a crisis.

Crisis plans should be developed in part-nership with other community groups,including law enforcement, fire safetyofficials, emergency medical services, aswell as health and mental health profes-sionals. Do not reinvent the wheel. Thesegroups know what to do in an emergencyand can be helpful in the development ofyour plan. Get their help to develop a coordi-nated plan of response.

A common vocabulary is necessary.It is critical that school staff and emergencyresponders know each other’s terminology.Work with emergency responders to develop

Cris

ispl

ans

are

livin

gdo

cum

ents

.Th

ey

need to be reviewed and revised regularly.


1-11

a common vocabulary. The words used togive directions for evacuation, lockdown, andother actions should be clear and not hazardspecific. The Federal Emergency ManagementAgency recommends using plain language toannounce the need for action, for example,“evacuate” rather than “code blue.” Manydistricts note that with plain language every-one in the school building including newstaff, substitute teachers, and visitors willknow what type of response is called for.

However, some districts have found it usefulto use—but streamline—codes. Rather than a code for each type of incident they use onlyone code for each type of response. Witheither approach, it is critical that terms and/orcodes are used consistently across the district.

Schools should tailor district crisis plansto meet individual school needs. In fact, aplan should not be one document. It shouldbe a series of documents targeted to variousaudiences. For example, a school could usedetailed response guides for planners,flipcharts for teachers, a crisis response tool-box for administrators, and wallet cards con-taining evacuation routes for bus drivers.Plans should be age appropriate. Elementaryschool children will behave much differentlyin a crisis than high school students.

Plan for the diverse needs of childrenand staff. Our review of crisis plans found


1-12

that few schools addressed children or staffwith physical, sensory, motor, developmen-tal, or mental challenges. Special attention isalso needed for children with limited Englishproficiency. Outreach documents for familiesmay be needed in several languages.

Include all types of schools where appro-priate. Be sure to include alternative, char-ter, and private schools in the planningprocess, as well as others who are involvedwith children before and after school.

Provide teachers and staff with readyaccess to the plan so they can understandits components and act on them. Peoplewho have experienced a crisis often reportthat they go on “autopilot” during an incident.They need to know what to do in advance notonly to get them through an incident but alsoto help alleviate panic and anxiety.

Training and practice are essential forthe successful implementation of crisisplans. Most students and staff know what to do in case of a fire because the lawrequires them to participate in routine firedrills, but would they know what to do in adifferent crisis? Many districts now requireevacuation and lockdown drills in addition tostate-mandated fire drills. Drills also allowyour school to evaluate what works and whatneeds to be improved.


2-1


Although schools have no control over some

of the hazards that may impact them, such

as earthquakes or plane crashes, they can

take actions to minimize or mitigate the

impact of such incidents. Schools in earth-

quake-prone areas can mitigate the impact

of a possible earthquake by securing book-

cases and training students and staff what

to do during tremors.

Schools cannot always control fights, bomb

threats, and school shootings. However,

they can take actions to reduce the likeli-

hood of such events. Schools may institute

policies, implement violence prevention

programs, and take other steps to improve

the culture and climate of their campuses.

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2-2

School safety and emergency management experts oftenuse the terms prevention and mitigation differently.Crises experts encourage schools to consider the fullrange of what they can do to avoid crises (when possible),or lessen their impact. Assessing and addressing the safe-ty and integrity of facilities (window seals, HVAC sys-tems, building structure), security (functioning locks, con-trolled access to the school), and the culture and climate ofschools through policy and curricula are all important forpreventing and mitigating possible future crises.

Mitigation and prevention require taking inventory ofthe dangers in a school and community and identifyingwhat to do to prevent and reduce injury and propertydamage. For example:

Establishing access control procedures andproviding IDs for students and staff mightprevent a dangerous intruder from comingonto school grounds.

Conducting hurricane drills can reduceinjury to students and staff because they will know what to do to avoid harm. Also,schools in hurricane-prone areas can addressstructural weaknesses in their buildings.

Planning responses to and training for inci-dents involving hazardous materials is impor-tant for schools near highways.

There are resources in every community that can helpwith this process. Firefighters, police, public works staff,facilities managers, and the district’s insurance repre-sentative, for example, can help conduct a hazard assess-ment. That information will be very useful in identifyingproblems that need to be addressed in the preparednessprocess. Rely on emergency responders, public healthagencies, and school nurses to develop plans for andprovide training in medical triage and first aid.


2-3

PAGE6-3

FEMA

ResourcesMITIGATIONThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)has done considerable work to help states and commu-nities in the area of mitigation planning. It notes thatthe goal of mitigation is to decrease the need for response as opposed to simply increasing response capability.

[Mitigation is] any sustained action taken toreduce or eliminate long-term risk to life andproperty from a hazard event. Mitigation […]encourages long-term reduction of hazard vul-nerability (FEMA, 2002).

Mitigating emergencies is also important from a legalstandpoint. If a school, district, or state does not take allnecessary actions in good faith to create safe schools, itcould be vulnerable to a suit for negligence. It is impor-tant to make certain that the physical plant is up to localcodes as well as federal and state laws.

Mitigating or preventing a crisis involves both the dis-trict and the community. Contact the regional or stateemergency management office to help get started andconnect to efforts that are under way locally. A list ofresources for state emergency management agencies isin Appendix A.


2-4

The

staf

fin

char

geof

prev

enti

onsh

ould

be part of the crisis planning team.

PREVENTIONCreating a safe and orderly learning environmentshould not be new to any school and district. Identifyingstudents (or in some cases staff) who may pose a dangerto themselves or to others is sometimes called “threatassessment.” The U.S. Department of Education andU.S. Secret Service recently released a guide, ThreatAssessments in Schools: A Guide to Managing ThreateningSituations and to Creating Safe School Climates that maybe useful in working through the threat assessmentprocess. The results of a threat assessment may guideprevention efforts, which may help avoid a crisis.

Many schools have curricula and programs aimed at preventing children and youth from initiating harmfulbehaviors. Social problem-solving or life skills programs,anti-bullying programs, and school-wide disciplineefforts are common across the nation as a means ofhelping reduce violent behavior. The staff in charge of prevention in a school (counselors, teachers, healthprofessionals, administrators) should be part of the crisis planning team. Information on effective andpromising prevention programs is on the Office of Safeand Drug-Free Schools Web site.


2-5

ACTION STEPS

Know the school building. Assess potential hazardson campus. Conduct regular safety audits of the physicalplant. Be sure to include driveways, parking lots, play-grounds, outside structures, and fencing. A safety auditshould be part of normal operations. This informationshould feed into mitigation planning.

Know the community. Mitigation requires assessmentof local threats. Work with the local emergency manage-ment director to assess surrounding hazards. Thisincludes the identification and assessment of the proba-bility of natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, earth-quakes) and industrial and chemical accidents (watercontamination or fuel spills). Locate major transporta-tion routes and installations. For example, is the schoolon a flight path or near an airport? Is it near a railroadtrack that trains use to transport hazardous materials?Also address the potential hazards related to terrorism.

Schools and districts should be active partners in com-munity-wide risk assessment and mitigation planning.To help agencies work together, they may want to developa memorandum of understanding (MOU), that outlineseach agency’s responsibility.

Bring together regional, local, and school leaders,among others. Given that mitigation/prevention arecommunity activities, leadership and support of mitiga-tion and prevention activities are necessary to ensurethat the right people are at the planning table. Again,leadership begins at the top. Schools and districts willface an uphill battle if state and local governments arenot supportive of their mitigation efforts.

PAGE6-7

Terrorism,

6-9Volunteers

PAGE6-5

Leadership


2-6

PAGE

6-10

Com

mun

icat

ion

Make regular school safety and security effortspart of mitigation/prevention practices. Consult the comprehensive school safety plan and its needsassessment activities to identify what types of incidentsare common in the school.

Establish clear lines of communication. Becausemitigation and prevention planning requires agenciesand organizations to work together and share informa-tion, communication among stakeholders is critical. Inaddition to communications within the planning team,outside communications with families and the largercommunity are important to convey a visible messagethat schools and local governments are working togetherto ensure public safety. Press releases from the governorand chief state school officer that discuss the impor-tance of crisis planning can help open the channels of communication with the public.


3-1

PreparednessCrises have the potential to affect every

student and staff member in a school

building. Despite everyone’s best efforts at

crisis prevention, it is a certainty that

crises will occur in schools. Good planning

will facilitate a rapid, coordinated,

effective response when a crisis occurs.

Being well prepared involves an investment

of time and resources—but the potential to

reduce injury and save lives is well worth

the effort.

Every school needs a crisis plan that is

tailored to its unique characteristics. Within

a school district, however, it is necessary

for all plans to have certain commonalities.

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3-2

Also, it is impractical for all schools to work individual-ly with emergency responders and other local agencies,although school staff should meet the people who willrespond to a crisis before one happens. It is important to find the right balance and to assign district andschool roles early.

Set a realistic timetable for the preparation process. Whileit is reasonable to feel a sense of urgency about the needto be prepared for a crisis, a complete, comprehensive crisis plan cannot be developed overnight. Take the timeneeded for collecting essential information, developingthe plan, and involving the appropriate people.

PAGE

6-13

Prep

ared

ness


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ACTION STEPS

Start by identifying who should be involved in develop-ing the crisis plan. Include training and drills. Delegatingresponsibilities and breaking the process down into man-ageable steps will help planners develop the plan.

Identify and involve stakeholders. Identify the stake-holders to be involved in developing the crisis manage-ment plan (the people who are concerned about thesafety of the school and the people who will call assistwhen a crisis occurs). Ask stakeholders to provide feed-back on sections of the plan that pertain to them. Forinstance, ask families to comment on procedures forcommunicating with them during a crisis.

During this process, create working relationships withemergency responders. It is important to learn howthese organizations function and how you will workwith each other during a crisis. Take time to learn thevocabulary, command structure, and culture of thesegroups. Some districts have found it useful to signMOUs with these agencies that specify expectations,including roles and responsibilities.

It is essential to work with city and county emergencyplanners. You need to know the kinds of support munic-ipalities can provide during a crisis, as well as any plansthe city has for schools during a crisis. For example, cityand county planners may plan to use schools as anemergency shelter, a supply depot, or even a morgue.Reviewing this information in advance will help youquickly integrate resources. Participating in local emer-gency planning gives school and district administrators

PAGE6-17

Comm

unity


3-4

Itis

crit

ical

tow

ork

wit

hla

wen

forc

emen

t offic

ers and emergency responders.

insight into all the problems they might face in the eventof a community-wide crisis and will help school efforts.

Consider existing efforts. Before jumping in to developyour crisis plan, investigate existing plans (such as thoseof the district and local government). How do otheragencies’ plans integrate with the school’s? Are thereconflicts? Does the comprehensive school safety planinclude a crisis plan? What information from the dis-trict’s crisis plan can be used in the school’s crisis plan?

If the school recently completed a crisis plan, effortsmay be limited to revising the plan in response to environmental, staff, and student changes:

Has the building been renovated or is it currently under renovation?

Is the list of staff current?

Have there been changes in the student popula-tion? Have other hazards revealed themselves?

Determine what crises the plan will address.Before assigning roles and responsibilities or collectingthe supplies that the school will need during a crisis,define what is a crisis for your school based on vulnera-bilities, needs, and assets.

Describe the types of crises the plan addresses, includinglocal hazards and problems identified from safety audits,evaluations, and assessments conducted during the miti-gation/prevention phase (see Section 2). Consider inci-


3-5

dents that may occur during community use of theschool facility and prepare for incidents that occur while students are off-site (e.g., during a field trip).

Define roles and responsibilities. How will theschool operate during a crisis? Define what should happen, when, and at whose direction—that is, create an organizational system. This should involve many of the school staff—important tasks will be neglected if one person is responsible for more than one function.School staff should be assigned to the following roles:

School commander

Liaison to emergency responders

Student caregivers

Security officers

Medical staff

Spokesperson

During the planning process, both individuals andbackups should be assigned to fill these roles.

If the district has not already appointed a public infor-mation officer, or PIO, it should to do so right away.Some large school districts have staff dedicated solely tothis function. Many smaller districts use the superin-tendent, school security officers, or a school principal as their PIO.


Work with law enforcement officers and emergencyresponders to identify crises that require an outsideagency to manage the scene (fire, bomb threat, hostagesituations). Learn what roles these outsiders will play,what responsibilities they will take on, and how theywill interact with school staff. Especially important isdetermining who will communicate with families andthe community during an incident.

Many schools and emergency responders use theIncident Command System, or ICS, to manage incidents.ICS provides a structured way for delegating responsibil-ities among school officials and all emergency respon-ders during crisis response. An ICS and/or other man-agement plan needs to be created with all emergencyresponders and school officials before a crisis occurs.

Develop methods for communicating with thestaff, students, families, and the media. Addresshow the school will communicate with all of the indi-viduals who are directly or indirectly involved in thecrisis. One of the first steps in planning for communica-tion is to develop a mechanism to notify students andstaff that an incident is occurring and to instruct themon what to do. It is critical that schools and emergencyresponders use the same definitions for the same terms.Don’t create more confusion because terms do not meanthe same to everyone involved in responding to a crisis.

It is important to determine how to convey informationto staff and students by using codes for evacuation andlockdown, or simply by stating the facts. FEMA recom-mends simply using plain language rather than codes. If students are evacuated from the school building, willstaff use cell phones, radios, intercoms, or runners toget information to the staff supervising them? Be sure to discuss the safest means of communication with lawenforcement and emergency responders. For example,some electronic devices can trigger bombs.

3-6

PAGE

6-19

ICS


3-7

PAGE6-22

TheM

ediaPAGE

6-24Products

Plan how to communicate with families, communitymembers, and the media. Consider writing template let-ters and press releases in advance so staff will not haveto compose them during the confusion and chaos of theevent. It’s easier to tweak smaller changes than to beginfrom scratch.

Often the media can be very helpful in providing infor-mation to families and others in the community. Be sureto work with local media before a crisis occurs to helpthem understand school needs during an incident.

Obtain necessary equipment and supplies. Providestaff with the necessary equipment to respond to a crisis.Consider whether there are enough master keys for emer-gency responders so that they have complete access to theschool. Get the phones or radios necessary for communi-cation. Ask for contact information for families. Maintaina cache of first aid supplies. What about food and waterfor students and staff during the incident?

Prepare response kits for secretaries, nurses, and teach-ers so they have easy access to the supplies. For example,a nurse’s kit might include student and emergency medi-cines (“anaphylaxis kits,” which may require physician’sorders, for use in breathing emergencies such as severe,sudden allergic reactions), as well as first aid supplies. Ateacher’s kit might include a crisis management refer-ence guide, as well as an updated student roster.

Prepare for immediate response. When a crisisoccurs, quickly determine whether students and staffneed to be evacuated from the building, returned to thebuilding, or locked down in the building. Plan actionsteps for each of these scenarios.

Evacuation requires all students and staff to leave thebuilding. While evacuating to the school’s field makes


3-8

sense for a fire drill that only lasts a few minutes, it maynot be an appropriate location for a longer period of time.The evacuation plan should include backup buildings toserve as emergency shelters, such as nearby communitycenters, religious institutions, businesses, or otherschools. Agreements for using these spaces should benegotiated or reconfirmed prior to the beginning of eachschool year. Evacuation plans should include contingen-cies for weather conditions such as rain, snow, andextreme cold and heat. While most students will be ableto walk to a nearby community center, students with dis-abilities may have more restricted mobility. Your planshould include transportation options for these students.

If an incident occurs while students are outside, youwill need to return them to the building quickly. This is a reverse evacuation. Once staff and students are safelyin the building, you may find the situation calls for alockdown.

Lockdowns are called for when a crisis occurs outside of the school and an evacuation would be dangerous. A lockdown may also be called for when there is a crisis inside and movement within the school will putstudents in jeopardy. All exterior doors are locked andstudents and staff stay in their classrooms. Windowsmay need to be covered. Exhibit 3.1 illustrates the stepsin determining which action is most appropriate foreach situation.

PAGE

6-30

Spec

ial

Need

sSt

uden

ts


3-9

Move toalternativelocation.**

Is schoolcampus

safe?

Movestudentsto schoolcampus.

Dostudents need tomove?

Startreunificationprocedures.

Release toparents?

Is remote*shelter

needed?

Is offsite*

safe?Lockdown.

Movestudentsto off sitelocation.

Initiateremote

relocationplans.

Continue tohold in place.

sYes

sYes

Yes No

No

No

NoNo

Yes

* “Offsite” means off the school campus but in vicinity.“Remote” means a location further from the school than offsite location.

** Be sure to prepare primary and secondary evacuation routes in advance.

Adapted from the San Diego school district.

Exhibit 3.1 Lockdown, Evacuation, or RelocationDecisions


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Prep

ared

ness

incl

udes

emer

ge

ncy drills and crisis exercises.

Shelter-in-place is used when there is not time to evacu-ate or when it may be harmful to leave the building.Shelter-in-place is commonly used during hazardousmaterial spills. Students and staff are held in the build-ing and windows and doors are sealed. There can belimited movement within the building.

Create maps and facilities information. In a crisis,emergency responders need to know the location ofeverything in a school. Create site maps that includeinformation about classrooms, hallways, and stairwells,the location of utility shut-offs, and potential stagingsites. Emergency responders need copies of this infor-mation in advance. During a crisis designate locations—staging sites—for emergency responders to organize, formedical personnel to treat the injured, for the publicinformation officer to brief the media, and for familiesto be reunited with their children. Student reunificationsites should be as far away from the media staging areaas possible. Law enforcement will help determine theplans needed to facilitate access of emergency respondersand to restrict access of well-wishers and the curious.

Develop accountability and student release proce-dures. As soon as a crisis is recognized, account for allstudents, staff, and visitors. Emergency responders treata situation very differently when people are missing.For example, when a bomb threat occurs, the stakes aresubstantially higher if firefighters do not know whetherstudents are in the school when they are trying to locateand disarm a bomb.


3-11

Be sure to inform families of release procedures before a crisis occurs. In many crises, families have flocked toschools wanting to collect their children immediately. A method should be in place for tracking student releaseand ensuring that students are only released to author-ized individuals.

Practice. Preparedness includes emergency drills andcrisis exercises for staff, students, and emergencyresponders. Many schools have found tabletop exercisesvery useful in practicing and testing the proceduresspecified in their crisis plan. Tabletop exercises involveschool staff and emergency responders sitting around a table discussing the steps they would take to respond to a crisis. Often, training and drills identify issues thatneed to be addressed in the crisis plan and problemswith plans for communication and response. Teachersalso need training in how to manage students during a crisis, especially those experiencing panic reactions.Careful consideration of these issues will improve yourcrisis plan and better prepare you to respond to an actual crisis.

Address liability issues. Consideration of liabilityissues is necessary before crisis planning can be com-pleted and may protect you and your staff from a law-suit. Situations where there is a foreseeable danger canhold liability if the school does not make every reason-able effort to intervene or remediate the situation. Acareful assessment of the hazards faced by the schoolis critical.

PAGE6-32

StudentRelease

PAGE6-35

Preparingto

Respond,6-37

StaffTraining,

6-40Tabletop

Exercises


4-1

ResponseA crisis is the time to follow the crisis plan,

not to make a plan from scratch. This

section summarizes some of the major

recommendations gathered from

experienced practitioners and other

experts about points to remember when

called on to implement your crisis plan.

05_Response CURRENT 12/15/06 2:55 PM Page 4-1

4-2

ACTION STEPS

Expect to be surprised. Regardless of how much timeand effort was spent on crisis planning, the members ofthe crisis team should know that there will always be anelement of surprise and accompanying confusion whena school is confronted with a crisis.

Assess the situation and choose the appropriateresponse. Following the plan requires a very quick butcareful assessment of the situation. Determine whethera crisis exists and if so, the type of crisis, the location,and the magnitude. Because the team has practiced theplan, leaders are ready to make these decisions. Afterbasic protective steps are in place, more information can be gathered to adjust later responses.

Respond within seconds. When a crisis actually happens, make the basic decisions about what type ofaction is needed and respond within seconds. An imme-diate, appropriate response depends on a plan withclearly articulated roles and responsibilities, as well astraining and practice. With proper training, district andschool staff and students will respond appropriatelywithin seconds.

Notify appropriate emergency responders and theschool crisis response team. One common mistake is to delay calling emergency responders, such as thepolice or fire departments. In the midst of a crisis, people often believe that the situation can be handledin-house. It is better to have emergency responders onthe scene as soon as possible, even if the incident hasbeen resolved by the time they arrive, than to delaycalling and risk further injury and damage. For instance,


4-3

One common mistake is to delay callingem

ergencyresponders.

it is better to have emergency responders arrive at aschool to find a fire put out than to arrive too late toprevent loss of life or serious property damage.

Notifying a district’s or school’s crisis team allows themto begin the necessary measures to protect the safety ofall persons involved. Unless informed otherwise by theincident commander, school crisis team members shouldproceed with their responsibilities.

Evacuate or lock down the school as appropriate.This step is crucial and should be one of the first deci-sions made, regardless of the order in which initial deci-sions are implemented.

Triage injuries and provide emergency first aid tothose who need it. The plan should assign emergencymedical services personnel and school staff with rele-vant qualifications to determine who needs emergencyfirst aid. Designate a location for EMS to treat the seri-ously injured on the scene.

Keep supplies nearby and organized at all times. Ifyou move to another location, remember to take yoursupplies with you. Monitor the amount of supplies andreplace them as needed.

Trust leadership. Trust the internal crisis team mem-bers and external emergency responders who have beentrained to deal with crises. Trust will help calm the situation and minimize the chaos that may occur during a crisis.


During a crisis, leaders need to project a calm, confi-dent, and serious attitude to assure people of the seri-ousness of the situation and the wisdom of the direc-tions being given. This leadership style will help allinvolved to respond in a similarly calm and confidentmanner, as well as helping to mitigate the reactions ofanyone who might deny that a crisis has occurred.

In certain situations it may be necessary to yield leader-ship to others in the plan’s designated command struc-ture. In some jurisdictions laws state the protocol for thecommand structure. This structure may vary from stateto state and even from community to community withinstate. For instance, in a fire, the expertise of firefightersshould lead the way, with others filling designated rolessuch as manager of family-student reunification.

Communicate accurate and appropriate information.During a crisis, districts and schools will communicatewith the school community as well as the community atlarge. Use the channels of communication identified inthe plan. For instance, all information released to themedia and public should be funneled through a singlepublic information officer or appointed spokesperson.This will maximize the likelihood of presenting consis-tent and accurate information to the public.

The crisis team should communicate regularly with staffwho are managing students. A school’s most importantresponsibility, the safety of the students entrusted to theschool by their families, cannot be fulfilled during a cri-sis without timely and accurate information to thosecaring for students.

At a minimum, families need to know that a crisis hasoccurred and that all possible steps are being taken tosee to the safety of their children. Additional detailsabout assembly and shelter procedures may also be

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4-5

provided, as determined by the plan or those managingthe crisis. At some point, families will also need toknow when and where their children will be released.

Activate the student release system. Always keep inmind that the earliest possible safe release of students isa desired goal. Often student release will be accom-plished before complete resolution of a crisis.

Allow for flexibility in implementing the crisis plan.It is impossible for any crisis plan, no matter how com-plete, to address every situation that may arise during acrisis. With proper training and practice, emergencyresponders and staff will be able to respond appropriatelyand to adapt the school crisis plans to the situation.

Documentation. Write down every action taken duringthe response. This will provide a record of appropriateimplementation of the crisis plan. Also necessary isrecording damage for insurance purposes and trackingfinancial expenditures related to the incident. Keep alloriginal notes and records. These are legal documents.

PAGE6-42

Families


5-1

RecoveryThe goal of recovery is to return to learning

and restore the infrastructure of the

school as quickly as possible. Focus on

students and the physical plant, and to

take as much time as needed for recovery.

School staff can be trained to deal with

the emotional impact of the crisis, as well

as to initially assess the emotional needs of

students, staff, and responders. One of

the major goals of recovery is to provide a

caring and supportive school environment.

06_Recovery CURRENT 12/15/06 2:57 PM Page 5-1

5-2

ACTION STEPS

Plan for recovery in the preparedness phase.Determine the roles and responsibilities of staff and others who will assist in recovery during the planningphase. District-level counselors may want to train schoolstaff to assess the emotional needs of students and col-leagues to determine intervention needs. Experienceshows that after a crisis many unsolicited offers of assis-tance from outside the school community are made.During planning, you may want to review the creden-tials of service providers and certify those that will beused during recovery.

Assemble the Crisis Intervention Team. A CrisisIntervention Team, or CIT, is composed of individualsat either the district or school level involved in recovery.A review of the literature shows that there are differentmodels for organizing a CIT. In one model, there is acentralized CIT at the district level, which serves allschools in that district. In another model, the districttrains school-based CITs. Even when crisis interventionteams exist within individual schools, it may be neces-sary for the superintendent to allocate additionalresources on an as-needed basis.

Service providers in the community may want to assistafter a crisis. With prior planning, those with appropri-ate skills and certifications may be tapped to assist inrecovery. This will help district and school personnelcoordinate activities of the community service providersand see that district procedures and intervention goalsare followed.

PAGE

6-46

Cris

isIn

terv

enti

on


5-3

One of the major goals of recovery isto

providea

caringand

supportiveschoolenvironm

ent.

Return to the “business of learning” as quickly aspossible. Experts agree that the first order of businessfollowing a crisis is to return students to learning asquickly as possible. This may involve helping studentsand families cope with separations from one anotherwith the reopening of school after a crisis.

Schools and districts need to keep students, fami-lies, and the media informed. Be clear about whatsteps have been taken to attend to student safety. Letfamilies and other community members know whatsupport services the school and district are providing orwhat other community resources are available. Messagesto students should be age appropriate. It may be neces-sary to translate letters and other forms of communica-tion into languages other than English depending on thecomposition of the communities feeding the affectedschool(s). Be sure to consider cultural differences whenpreparing these materials.

Focus on the building, as well as people, duringrecovery. Following a crisis, buildings and theirgrounds may need repairing or repainting/relandscap-ing. Conduct safety audits and determine the parts ofthe building that can be used and plan for repairingthose that are damaged.

Provide assessment of emotional needs of staff,students, families, and responders. Assess the emo-tional needs of all students and staff, and determinethose who need intervention by a school counselor,social worker, school psychologist, or other mentalhealth professional. Arrange for appropriate interven-


tions by school or community-based service providers.In addition, available services need to be identified forfamilies, who may want to seek treatment for their chil-dren or themselves. Appropriate group intervention maybe beneficial to students and staff experiencing lesssevere reactions to the crisis. Group interventionsshould be age appropriate.

Provide stress management during class time.Trauma experts emphasize the need to create a caring,warm, and trusting environment for students followinga crisis. Allow students to talk about what they felt andexperienced during the traumatic event. Younger chil-dren who may not be able to fully express their feelingsverbally will benefit from participating in creative activi-ties, including drawing, painting, or writing stories.Young adolescents benefit from group discussions inwhich they are encouraged to talk about their feelings,as well as from writing plays or stories about their expe-riences. Engage older adolescents in group discussions,and address any issues of guilt (“I could have takensome action to change the outcome of the crisis”).

Conduct daily debriefings for staff, responders,and others assisting in recovery. Mental healthworkers who have provided services after crises stressthe importance of ensuring that those who are providing“psychological first aid” are supported with daily criticalincident stress debriefings. Debriefings help staff copewith their own feelings of vulnerability.

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5-5

Allow students to talk about what theyfelt

andexperienced

duringthe

traumatic

event.

Take as much time as needed for recovery. An indi-vidual recovers from a crisis at his or her own pace.Recovery is not linear. After a crisis, healing is a processfilled with ups and downs. Depending on the traumaticevent and the individual, recovery may take months oreven years.

Remember anniversaries of crises. Many occasionswill remind staff, students, and families about crises.The anniversary of crises will stimulate memories andfeelings about the incident. In addition, other occasionsmay remind the school community about the crises,including holidays, returning to school after vacationsand other breaks, as well as events or occasions thatseemingly do not have a connection with the incident.This underscores the notion that recovery may take alonger time than anticipated.

Staff members need to be sensitive to their own as wellas the students’ reactions in such situations and providesupport when necessary. School crisis planning guidessuggest holding appropriate memorial services or otheractivities, such as planting a tree in memory of victimsof the crises. Trauma experts discourage memorials forsuicide victims to avoid glorification and sensationaliza-tion of these deaths.


Evaluate. Evaluating recovery efforts will help preparefor the next crisis. Use several methods to evaluaterecovery efforts. Conduct brief interviews with emer-gency responders, families, teachers, students, and staff.Focus groups may also be helpful in obtaining candidinformation about recovery efforts. The following areexamples of questions to ask:

Which classroom-based interventions provedmost successful and why?

Which assessment and referral strategies werethe most successful and why?

What were the most positive aspects of staffdebriefings and why?

Which recovery strategies would you changeand why?

Do other professionals need to be tapped tohelp with future crises?

What additional training is necessary toenable the school community and the commu-nity at large to prepare for future crises?

What additional equipment is needed to support recovery efforts?

What other planning actions will facilitatefuture recovery efforts?

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CLOSING THE LOOP

At the beginning of this Guide, we

discussed the cyclical nature of crisis

planning. Recovery may seem like an end,

but it is also the beginning. You must close

the loop on the circle. A critical step in

crisis planning is to evaluate each incident.

What worked? What didn’t? How could you

improve operations? Take what you have

learned and start at the beginning. Update

and strengthen the plan so that in a crisis,

no child is left behind.

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6-1

This section provides information on specific

aspects of crisis management, and is

intended for key planners who need more

detailed guidance to help them implement

the crisis management process. As part of

these “closer looks” at crisis planning and

management, examples have been included

that illustrate how actual school districts

have implemented crisis planning. Selection

of these examples does not constitute an

endorsement of any school district’s crisis

plan by the U.S. Department of Education.

Given the vast differences in the ways

educational systems and emergency

responders are organized across the

nation, crisis planning at the local level

should address individual community needs.

Closer Looks

07_CloserLook CURRENT 12/15/06 3:21 PM Page 6-1

DEFINING WHAT CONSTITUTESA CRISISThose familiar with crises describe them as sudden,unexpected, overwhelming incidents. However, within thecrisis planning field, there is no consensus on what consti-tutes a crisis, emergency, or disaster. Often, these terms areused interchangeably. Below are some ways crisis man-agement planners have defined the terms. We hope thesewill help you craft your own definition based on localneeds, vulnerabilities to certain conditions, and assets.

The State of Florida. Emergency: A dangerous eventthat does not result in a request for state or federalassistance (Florida Department of Education, 2002).

Olathe Unified School District #233 (Kansas).People Crisis: An event dealing with people and theirphysical or emotional well-being that impacts the schoolpopulation (Olathe Unified School District, 2002).

FEMA. Emergency: An emergency is any unplannedevent that can cause deaths or significant injuries toemployees, customers or the public; or that can shutdown your business, disrupt operations, cause physicalor environmental damage, or threaten the facility’sfinancial standing or public image (FEMA, 1993).

The National Association of School Nurses.Emergency and Disaster: [A]n emergency is an unexpect-ed event that is usually managed by existing resourcesand capabilities. A disaster is any incident that results in multiple human casualties or disruption of essentialpublic health services or any incident that requires anincreased level of response beyond the routine operatingprocedures, including increased personnel, equipment, or supply requirements (Doyle and Loyacono, 2002).

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FEMA RESOURCESFEMA recently has released a series of “how-to” guidesfor state and local planners on mitigating disasters thatmay be useful in learning about and understanding miti-gation practices:

Understanding Your Risks: IdentifyingHazards and Estimating Losses. This guideprovides step-by-step instructions on assess-ing risk.

Getting Started: Building Support forMitigation Planning. This guide provides ageneral overview of emergency management,takes the reader through the stages of mitiga-tion planning, and gives practical exampleson conducting a community assessment,building a planning team, and engaging thepublic in planning.

Integrating Manmade Hazards into MitigationPlanning. This guide was developed in thewake of the September 11 attacks. The guideaddresses such incidents as technologicalhazards and acts of terrorism.

Are You Ready? An In-depth Guide to CitizenPreparedness. This guide provides detailedinformation in layperson’s terms on what todo in specific disasters and what to do to survive one.

These documents can be downloaded fromhttp://www.fema.gov.

Some of FEMA’s online courses will also be helpful for

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6-4

school and district staff. Basic Incident Command Systemprovides an introduction to the concepts and principlesof ICS including how ICS functions and the activities itis responsible for during incidents. Exercise Designteaches how to develop tabletop exercises and drills totest the plan. The course addresses the communications,logistics, and administrative structure needed to supportthese activities. These courses can be downloaded athttp://training.fema.gov/emiweb.

Students may appreciate the FEMA for Kids Web sitehttp://www.FEMA.gov/kids. Materials on the Web siteare designed to make crises less scary to children byhelping them feel prepared. The Disaster Action Kidprogram even provides certificates to students who complete a series of online activities.


LEADERSHIPLeadership is the key to crisis preparedness. An organizedmanagement structure will be needed to respond to anycrisis—and this structure begins with strong leadership.

Major Elements

Leadership should start at the top. Aneffective crisis plan requires strong leadershipfrom state, district, school, and communityleaders. Leadership should start at the statelevel and continue down to the district andschool levels. In selecting team members,remember natural leaders at the grassrootslevel.

Districts should be at the forefront inthe creation of crisis plans for all oftheir schools. Schools should then tailorplans to fit their needs.

At the school level, the principal serves as a leader.He or she should do the following:

Identify stakeholders who need to beinvolved in crisis planning, such as com-munity groups, emergency responders, fami-lies, and staff. Cultivate relationships withthese groups.

Establish a crisis planning team.

Secure commitment to crisis planningwithin the school and the larger community.

Create an incident management structure.The structure should provide a comprehensiveorganizational structure designed for all types

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of emergencies. It is based on the premise thatevery crisis has certain major elementsrequiring clear lines of command and control.

Know available resources. This activityincludes identifying and becoming familiarwith resources in the school such as staffmembers certified in cardio-pulmonary resus-citation (CPR); in the community, includingeveryone from emergency responders tocounselors; and, in organizations such as the parent-teacher association.

Set up time to train and practice withstaff, students, and emergency responders.Training is multifaceted and can includedrills, in-service events, tabletop exercises,and written materials. Also include time to review and evaluate the plan.

In times of crisis, the principal serves as the managerand a leader. This does not always equate with being the person in charge of the entire crisis response; seethe closer look on ICS for more details. During a crisis, a principal should perform the following tasks:

Respond within seconds and lead witha serious, calm, confident style.

Implement the crisis plan.

Yield authority, when appropriate, to othersin the plan’s designated command structure.

Facilitate collaboration among school staffand emergency responders.

Remain open to suggestions and informationthat may be critical in adjusting the response.

PAGE

6-19

ICS


TERRORISMThorough crisis planning will carry the school and district a long way in responding to a terrorist incident.While the risk of a terrorist attack on a school is muchlower than the risk of being impacted by many local haz-ards, it is very important to be prepared. As with otherincidents, a terrorist attack may result in the following:

Damage beyond school boundaries (as with a hurricane),

Victims who are contaminated (as witha hazardous materials spill),

A crime scene to protect (as with arson), or

Widespread fear and panic (as with a schoolshooting).

The response will need to involve securing student andstaff safety and supporting long-term recovery, just aswith any other incident.

As the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),Advisory System signals increased threat, additionalprotective measures are needed. Several districts haveincorporated the DHS system into their crisis planning.The Red Cross has also issued some general guidance onhow schools may adapt these codes. It is useful to consultwith local emergency management offices and state orcounty emergency terrorism task forces. Each state alsohas a Department of Homeland Security liaison. Checkwith the Governor’s office to identify the contact.

The sample school advisory system is a useful tool toadapt and incorporate into crisis planning. As the riskof attack increases, consider action items under bothcurrent and lower threat levels. It is important to assesslocal conditions and implement actions accordingly.

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6-8

Assign staff to monitor entrances at all timesAssess facility security measuresUpdate parents on preparedness effortsUpdate media on preparedness effortsAddress student fears concerning possible terrorist attacksPlace school and district crisis response teams on standby alert status

Follow local and/or federal government instructions(listen to radio/TV)

Activate crisis plan

Restrict school access to essential personnel

Cancel outside activities and field trips

Provide mental health services to anxious students and staff

Inspect school buildings and grounds for suspicious activities

Assess increased risk with public safety officials

Review crisis response plans with school staff

Test alternative communication capabilities

Review and upgrade security measures

Review emergency communication plan

Inventory, test, and repair communication equipment

Inventory and restock emergency supplies

Conduct crisis training and drills

Assess and update crisis plans and procedures

Discuss updates to school and local crisis plans with emergencyresponders

Review duties and responsibilities of crisis team members

Provide CPR and first aid training for staff

Conduct 100% visitor ID check

LOW(Green)

GUARDED(Blue)

ELEVATED(Yellow)

HIGH(Orange)

SEVERE(Red)

Sample SchoolAdvisory System

Risk Suggested Actions


6-9

VOLUNTEERSVolunteers can be a vital resource for planning. Recentfederal initiatives have focused on training civilians foremergency preparedness.

The USA Freedom Corps created the Citizens Corps tofunnel the energy and concern of volunteers into initia-tives that prepare local communities to prevent andrespond effectively to the threats of terrorism, crime, orany other kind of disaster. Citizen Corps is coordinatednationally by the Department of Homeland Security(DHS). In this capacity, DHS works closely with otherfederal entities, state and local governments, firstresponders and emergency managers, the volunteercommunity, and the White House Office of the USAFreedom Corps. One of these nationwide initiatives isthe Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), atraining program that prepares citizens in neighbor-hoods, the workplace, and schools to take a more activerole in emergency management planning and to preparethemselves and others for disasters.

CERT efforts include developing community actionplans, assessing possible threats, and identifying localresources. As you explore neighborhood resources toassist in mitigation, planning, response, and recovery, be sure to check whether a CERT is active in the area.Additionally, knowing this national support structuremay provide the impetus needed for organizing volun-teers who may surface at various points of the crisisplanning and management cycle.


COMMUNICATIONClear lines of communication are crucial to a successfulresponse to a crisis. During the planning process, it willbe important to establish effective lines of communica-tion among and within the state, district, school, andcommunity groups. When creating a crisis plan, thereare several communication needs that should beaddressed.

Communication is essential before crises occur:

Use common terminology across a district.Terminology should be the same acrossschools in a district. In most districts, there is a great deal of mobility from one school to another, for both staff and students. Theterm or code for evacuation in one school, for example, should be the same as the term or code for evacuation in another school in thedistrict. The use of plain language is advised.

Identify several modes of communicationfor both internal and external communi-cation. Keep in mind that in times of crisis,computers, intercoms, telephones, and evencell phones may not work or may be danger-ous to use. Plan for several methods of com-munication in a crisis.

Make sure that schools have adequatesupplies of communication gear and thatthe appropriate individuals have accessto it. One school’s crisis plan, for example,calls for the principal to immediately grab a backpack containing a cell phone and a

6-10


walkie-talkie. Communication gear is of nouse if no one can access it.

Verify that school communicationdevices are compatible with emergencyresponder devices. A cell phone or two-wayradio is of no use if it cannot be used withthe emergency responder’s phone or radio.Also, check to see that the school’s communi-cation devices do not interfere with theemergency responder’s equipment.

Create communication plans to notifyfamilies that a crisis has occurred attheir child’s school. These pathwaysshould include several modes of communica-tion, including notices sent home and phonetrees, so the pathways can be tailored to fitthe needs of a particular crisis. For example,it may be appropriate in some crises to senda notice home, while other crises requireimmediate parental notification. Use thesepathways throughout the planning process to encourage parental input and support.

Establish communication pathways withthe community. This may be in the form ofa phone or e-mail tree, a community liaison,or media briefings. It is crucial to keep thecommunity informed before, during, andafter a crisis.

Designate a PIO to deal with families, thecommunity and the media. The designationof one individual will help all parties stayinformed with identical information.

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Good communication during a crisis is also crucial.Below are some key points to keep in mind:

Keep staff who are managing the stu-dents informed. Regardless of the amountof training staff members have received,there is going to be chaos and fear.Communication mitigates those reactionsand helps regain a sense of calm and control.

Notify families of action being taken.Understand that parents are going to wantimmediate access to their children. Safelybegin reunification procedures as soon aspossible. Keep families informed as much aspossible, especially in the case of delayedreunification.

Communication often stops after a crisis subsides.However, during the recovery phase, keeping staff andcommunity informed remains critical.

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PREPAREDNESSThere is a great deal of variation in what districts do to prepare for crises. Different districts have differentneeds and face different hazards. For example, OlatheUnified School District in Kansas is likely to face a tor-nado, unlike San Diego City Public Schools in California.Also, San Diego serves far more students than Olathe.In contrast, the Boyertown Area School District inPennsylvania must address the hazards posed by itsproximity to a nuclear power plant. Volusia County,Florida, is unique for its tests of whether staff and stu-dents follow proper procedures during a mock crisis sit-uation. Despite their different needs, all four districtshave undertaken comprehensive preparedness efforts.

Olathe Unified School District, Kansas

“The question is not if an emergency happens, butwhen it happens, how prepared are we to handle a situation,” says the assistant superintendent for generaladministration for the Olathe School District. Olathe’scrisis plan has been in existence since 1993. Everyschool building is required to have its own all-hazardcrisis plans, which are also housed in the district office.Building principals review and update their plans yearlyto make sure they are in compliance. Plans are continu-ously used by school buildings and are considered partof the daily routine.

The district has two teams that have specific responsi-bilities needed to respond to crisis situations. The dis-trict crisis management team is responsible for coordi-nation of all aspects of a crisis from the district level.The building crisis management team assesses the

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situation to determine whether the building crisis planshould be set into motion. The district has also estab-lished drills and procedures for each building in the dis-trict. Training and drills are seen as essential compo-nents of the crisis plans. The district requires five typesof drills over the school year: fire, tornado, severe weath-er, code red (lockdown), and bus evacuation. Other drillsare left up to the schools’ discretion.

San Diego City Public Schools, California

San Diego has implemented a four-pronged approach forthe development and maintenance of its schools’ safetyplans and meeting safety needs of students, staff, andthe community:

1 Revise emergency procedures and develop a quick reference guide.

2 Create and distribute an emergencyresponse box to every school and childdevelopment center in the district.

3 Conduct ongoing crisis response plan-ning and training with the San DiegoPolice Department, San Diego SchoolPolice Services, public safety, and district personnel.

4 Implement safe school plans.

State law has required school safety plans since 1997.School police services coordinates the annual review ofsafe school plans for all schools and child developmentcenters in the district. Plans must be reviewed andapproved by the school site prior to submission toschool police services. The school board ultimately signs

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off on all plans. The district can be fined by the state forany school that does not submit a plan.

Boyertown Area School District, Pennsylvania

Boyertown Area School District is only a few miles fromthe Limerick Nuclear Generating Plant. Any school with-in 10 miles of a nuclear power plant has special needs forcrisis plans. Many Pennsylvania school districts havefound the Philadelphia Electric Company—Limerick’sowner—very helpful in developing evacuation plans.Boyertown has developed an All Hazards Plan, whichprovides information on various emergency procedures,including those for accidents, bomb threats, evacuation,explosion, fire, hazardous materials, natural disasters,radiological emergencies, security situations, casualties,and crisis intervention. The All Hazards Plan goes to dis-trict administrators and school principals who in turndevelop site plans. School staff are given a staff emer-gency procedures folder to use in the event of an emer-gency. The district uses a color-coded system to facilitateresponse and communication. One feature of the AllHazards Plan is the checklist that appears at the begin-ning of each section. These checklists enable the personin charge during an emergency to know exactly what todo, whom to call, and how to react. Changes are made tothe plan as the district experiences emergencies or con-ducts routine drills. In addition to the routine drills, everytwo years school buildings must conduct a radiologicaldrill with the help of emergency management staff.

Volusia County Schools, Florida

“Overall, [Volusia County Schools] feel comfortable thatstaff and students are prepared for an emergency,” saysthe district director of student assignments. The district

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has implemented a security certification process for allschools for the past four years. Schools must be in com-pliance with all 57 security standards which are dividedinto six categories:

1 training and implementation,

2 violence prevention,

3 emergencies and disasters,

4 student and staff protection,

5 physical plant, and

6 community involvement.

In addition to a copy of the standards and requirementsfor certification, schools have access to a workbook thatoutlines where they should be. A team of district,school, and law enforcement administrators conductscompliance monitoring and certification every thirdyear. To confirm that staff and students are aware ofprocedures during a crisis situation, schools are evaluatedon their response to a crisis scenario. In order to pass,schools must demonstrate that staff and students followproper procedures and are aware of steps they must takewhen a situation arises. District staff annually spot-check schools on identified standards. Schools found outof compliance receive unannounced spot-checks withina year after the initial review.

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COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONCrisis planning experts recommend that school districtscollaborate with community emergency responders indeveloping their crisis plans. They note that emergencyresponders have substantial training in this area, unlikemost school system staff. In some states, laws mandate col-laboration among schools, school districts and emergencyresponders in developing their crisis plans. For example,the Georgia General Assembly wrote the following:

“School safety plans of public schools shall beprepared with input from students enrolled inthat school, parents or legal guardians of suchstudents, teachers in that school, other schoolemployees and school district employees andlocal law enforcement, fire service, public safe-ty and emergency management agencies.”

Maine, Nevada, and Rhode Island are among the statesrequiring law enforcement, firefighters, and local emer-gency services officials be included in the planning process.

Here are examples of how two school districts have workedwith community agencies to develop their crisis plans.

Bibb County School District, Georgia

School district staff in Bibb County, Georgia, throughthe school police, have worked extensively with countyand community agencies to develop a comprehensivecrisis management plan. After their district-wide crisisteam (whose members included campus police, schoolsocial workers, school psychologists, teachers from alleducation levels, families, and students) had developed a draft crisis management plan, they worked with local

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police, sheriff, EMS, Red Cross, county health and men-tal health agencies, and family and children’s services todetermine how they would interact in a crisis and whatservices each agency would provide.

District staff have also participated in the community-wide emergency preparedness initiative. This effort toaddress major incidents was convened by the sheriffwho recognized that the county emergency managementagency has plans to deal with floods and hurricanes, butis not prepared for a weapons of mass destruction inci-dent. All community agencies were asked to bringcopies of their crisis plans and a list of the resourcesthey could lend to manage such an incident. This grouphas been meeting every two weeks and has conducted anumber of tabletop exercises.

Hanover Public Schools, Virginia

Hanover Public Schools’ crisis plans developed out of a partnership with the Hanover County Sheriff’sDepartment. Plans have been in existence for the pasteight years. The district’s plan consists of intervention,crisis response, and critical incident procedures. Animportant component of the district’s plan is its commu-nity collaboration. “The district has made every effort toinclude a broad cross section of the community con-stituency in the development of crisis plans,” says thedistrict’s executive director of support services. The dis-trict has an interagency agreement that is both writtenand verbal with a compendium of agencies to aid incommunication and to help coordinate services betweenthe agencies and individual schools or the entire schooldistrict. In addition, each school must have a communi-ty representative on the school safety committee and onthe school safety audit committee.

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INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEMResponse to all crises requires a clear chain of commandbetween all responders. The ICS is based on the premisethat every crisis has certain major elements requiringclear lines of command and control.

FEMA is a good source of information on the ICS.FEMA has developed a self-study course that anyonecan take. The description of the ICS below borrowsfrom that course and from FEMA’s multihazard trainingfor schools—a program also offered by many state emer-gency management agencies.

Before developing school and district ICS teams, workwith emergency responders to learn how they willrespond to different types of crises. Learn which typesof crises will result in fire and police departments lead-ing the response. Learn how they will direct their per-sonnel and interface with outsiders. Let these agenciesknow who at the school will be their liaison during anincident. Designate two backup liaison officers in casethe primary liaison is off site when the incident occurs.

Although emergency responders may be managing theincident, there is still much for school staff to do, includ-ing managing the care of students and the supplies andstaffing needs of the situation. While the ICS calls forschool staff to serve in all of the critical functions, be prepared for the incident commander to designate outsidepersonnel to manage these responsibilities. According to FEMA, the critical functions are as follows:

Incident commander. This person managesthe entire incident and will very often be anemergency responder rather than a schooladministrator.

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Public information officer. This person isresponsible for releasing information to fami-lies, community members, and the mediaduring a crisis. The media can be a tremen-dous help in getting information to familiesand community members.

Safety officer. This person is responsiblefor the safety of the scene and the individualsat the scene. His or her role might includedetermining whether students have beenevacuated far enough from the school. Oftenthis role will be filled by an emergencyresponder.

Liaison officer. This person is responsiblefor coordinating with all of the agencies thathave responded to the crisis. It is critical thatthis person be a good communicator and ableto convey important information both toresponders about the situation or the schoolfacility and to school staff about necessaryactions.

Operations officer. This person managesstudent and staff care during a crisis. Thisincludes physical (food and water), medical(CPR and first aid), and mental needs (psy-chological services), as well as student release.

Planning and intelligence officer. Thisperson is responsible for documenting theevent, analyzing what has transpired thusfar, and planning for possible further action.

Logistics officer. This person manages thesupply and staffing needs of the situation. Thelogistics officer focuses on acquiring


the supplies needed to assist the emergencyresponders. The logistics officer’s school stafflogistics responsibilities will include long-termneeds (beyond the first four hours) for thingslike food, water, and bathroom facilities, aswell as transportation (if students need to bebused off campus). The logistics officer is alsoresponsible for locating and assigning staff tofill various tasks for emergency situations.This could include finding staff to carry mes-sages from the operations officer to those staffmembers directly managing students.

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THE MEDIAThough there are not many certainties in school crises,it is guaranteed that the media will be at the scene.Instead of being overwhelmed and threatened by themedia, be prepared to work with them. The media canbe a valuable asset during a crisis. In the event of a cata-strophic event, the media may be your only outlet forcommunicating with families. However, as with all cri-sis planning, it is important to be proactive, not reactive.If members of the media feel that they are not getting astory, they will seek one out.

Work with local media before a crisisoccurs to make sure they understandyour needs during an incident. The mediacan even help report on preparednessefforts—families and community memberswill appreciate knowing about a plan fordealing with the situation should a crisisarise.

Designate one representative withinyour crisis team to deal with the media.This should be the PIO. The PIO may be theprincipal or another team member designatedby the principal or the head of the responseteam. There also may be media specialists atthe district level. Investigate this and makesure that the school-level representativeimmediately contacts the district-level mediarepresentative in the event of a crisis.

Emphasize that only the designated rep-resentative will give information to themedia. In order to be proactive, only onePIO/spokesperson should speak with themedia, even if there is nothing yet available

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to share. It is helpful for the representative tointroduce him or herself as the spokespersonand say, “We don’t have/aren’t able to releaseany information yet but we will keep youupdated as soon as we are able. We wouldreally appreciate your cooperation with stay-ing in the media staging area. I will be mak-ing all announcements from this area andwill keep you informed.”

Designate a predetermined site for themedia to congregate in event of a schoolcrisis. If it is not possible to use the prede-termined site that is away from students andstaff, the principal or head of the commandchain should designate an alternate site.

Prepare staff to deal with the media trying to get live coverage pictures andinterviews. Media personnel will often tryto get on campus and interview staff and stu-dents. Make it clear to staff that they shoulddirect media people to the media area and tothe school spokesperson or PIO.

Arrange for a joint press conference withemergency responders or choose onemedia representative to disseminate infor-mation to all other media outlets. This willgive you some control over the content, flow,and timing of information that is released.

Work with state and local emergencymanagement agencies to have the FederalAviation Administration restrict air spaceover your site. This will prevent helicoptersflying over your school at a time of chaos.Media helicopters can be very frightening to children.

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PRODUCTSA three-ring binder detailing every aspect of response,complete with floor plans, facilities information, androles and responsibilities is not the only product you’llneed to be able to respond to a crisis. Teachers shouldhave abbreviated guides, principals should have crisisresponse boxes, and emergency responders should havefloor plans and facilities information. Some school districts have found the following products useful.

Teacher Quick Reference Guides

The director of school safety in Bulloch County,Georgia, discovered that teachers found having copies of the district’s safety plan inadequate for crisisresponse. Using the master plan, they were unable toquickly identify their roles and responsibilities in a crisis. Teachers recommended that the district developsomething they could hold in their hands and quicklyflip through.

Staff at one high school, including teachers, nurses, andmedia center staff, were drafted to develop such a tool.Their Quick Guide was piloted by all teachers at thatschool for one year. Overall, teachers were happy withthe guide but did report some bugs. Over the summerthe district-level team worked to refine the guide toaddress the bugs and make sure the guide contained allkey information from the district-level plan. The guideis a spiral-bound notebook with plastic insert pages. Thepages contain district- and school-specific information.General district procedures are on the front pages andschool-specific information, such as evacuation locationsfor fire drills, are on the back pages. The title of eachincident is at the bottom of the page so staff can quicklyflip to the procedures for the situation at hand.

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The Quick Guide has been designed to be a dynamic docu-ment that can be updated every year. Now all faculty members, from teachers to cafeteria workers, have acopy of the guide and only principals and members of school safety team have the big book.

Crisis Boxes

The California Safe Schools Task Force realized school administrators should have crisis boxes so that they will immediately have the information essential for effective management of a critical incident. They created a monograph that can be found athttp://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/documents/crisisrespbox.pdf.The monograph contains tips on how to organize the information that should be in the crisisresponse box, recommendations for who should get copiesof the box, and details of what should be in the box and why. Recommended contents include suchitems as:

Incident Command System (ICS) key responders’phone numbers

Student attendance rosters

Student disposition forms and emergency datacards

List of students with special needs

Teacher/employee roster

Staff roster

Keys

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Aerial photos of campus

Maps of the surrounding neighborhood

Campus layout

Evacuation sites

Designated command post and staging areas

Fire alarm turn-off procedures

Sprinkler systems turn-off procedures

Utility shutoff valves

Gas line and utility line layout

The guide also reminds schools of the importance ofhaving first aid supplies easily accessible from multiplelocations.

Teacher Crisis Bags

Many experts recommend that each classroom beequipped with a crisis bag. These can take the form ofbackpacks, tote bags, or even five gallon buckets. Thecontents should include the following:

Current class roster

Copy of emergency procedures

First aid supplies

Flashlight and extra batteries

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Activities for students

Paper and pens

Clipboard

Store teacher crisis bags in easily accessible locations.

Family Reunification Plans

Staff in Bibb County School District, Georgia, have put a lot of effort into developing the family reunificationprocedures that are in the district crisis plan. They haveworked with the Red Cross to set up evacuation/reunifi-cation sites around the county. Not only does everyschool have two evacuation kits that include studentrosters and emergency notification/contact cards, butthe district has a system-wide reunification kit. This kit includes drafts of notices that can be faxed to localmedia outlets with information necessary to let familiesknow both that an evacuation has occurred and wherethey can collect their children. Bibb County’s crisispreparations included discussions with the media onhow media outlets could help distribute information inthe event of a crisis. The Chief of Bibb County SchoolPolice noted that the media has been very cooperative in developing these protocols.

School Site Information

When a crisis occurs, emergency responders will imme-diately need a great deal of information about yourschool campus. They will need to know the members of your crisis response team, how various sites can beaccessed, and the location of utility shutoff valves. Manyschools share this information with local police and

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rescue agencies during the crisis planning process. Someschools give these agencies copies of floor plans thatindicate shutoff information. Some school districts com-pile site information for all schools on a CD-ROM anddistribute copies to responders; other schools post thisinformation on a secure Web site that responders canaccess from laptops at the scene. The following are twoexamples of how this information can be assembled.

Maryland Virtual Emergency Response System, or MVERS. MVERS was developed in partnership with the Maryland State Police, Maryland Institute forEmergency Medical Services Systems, and the MarylandEmergency Management Agency. This system can beused to prepare an electronic plan that allows quick and easy access to information in order to expedite aresponse to a critical situation. MVERS utilizes digitalfloor plans with specific icons that link the viewer to photographs, panoramic pictures, or spreadsheets containing essential data. The images can includeinstructions for disconnecting utilities, gaining access to a certain area, and locations of potential hazards. The combination of floor plans and associated informa-tion provides a virtual tour of the structure’s interiorand exterior, allowing responders to understand thebuilding layout prior to entering. Schools can also loadcontact information into MVERS. The Virtual EmergencyResponse System Construction Kit will provide the userwith a description of the MVERS, an appendix ofresources, and shareware for completing the plan. TheMVERS team estimates it takes about 60 hours to col-lect and load all information to create the digital floorplan for each school. The bulk of this time will be spenttaking and editing pictures of the buildings.


Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina PoliceVirtual Tour. After a recent incident where there werecommunication glitches between school staff and police,the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department realized itneeded to better prepare for school crises. An officerwas detailed to create Virtual Tours for each school. TheVirtual Tour is a combination of the school plan and thepolice plan. School resource officers, or SROs, developbasic crisis plans around the plans their school hasalready developed. The SROs identify on-scene and off-scene command posts and initial road blocks. They alsocollect information on crucial players at the school anddistrict (maintenance supervisors), bell schedules, aerialphotographs of the school and surrounding community,and extensive photos of the school campus.

For each school, a master Web page contains a picture of the school and links to the crisis plan, the VirtualTour, and aerial photos of the school and surroundingneighborhood. The tour allows emergency responders to move around the school building from the safety of a laptop as they prepare to respond to the crisis. TheVirtual Tour opens with a map of the school. Users can zoom in on a door or window, click on a door and go through, walk down a hallway, look left, right,up and down, and turn around. Each screen includes an orientation map that shows where you are on the site map. The program also flags potential hazards, suchas closets, windows in unusual spaces, and crawl spaces.This information is loaded on police laptops and com-puters and updated monthly. This material is stored ona private Web site and cannot be accessed by the public.

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CONSIDERATIONS OF SPECIALNEEDS STAFF AND STUDENTSBe sure to give special consideration to the unique needsof staff and students with disabilities when developingthe crisis plan. Evacuation and relocation procedureswill need to address mental, physical, motor, develop-mental, and sensory limitations. For example, individu-als who use wheelchairs or other auxiliary aids will notbe able to traverse the front steps of a building withoutsubstantial assistance.

The following issues should be addressed:

In some cases, individuals with disabilitiesmay have limited mobility. In an evacuationthere may not be enough time to movemobility impaired students and staff to traditional shelters. It is important to identifyalternative, accessible, safe shelter locationsand to communicate these locations toemergency responders.

Individuals with hearing disabilities may notbe able to communicate verbally, to read lips,or to hear fire alarms or other emergency sig-nals. Consider providing basic sign languagetraining to designated school staff.

Visual impairments might impede readingsigns or traversing unfamiliar or altered ter-rain—consider whether debris might obstructthe evacuation of such staff and students andnecessitate alternative shelter locations.

Debris may obstruct the evacuation of indi-viduals with mobility impairments. Be sure

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to assign sufficient staff to assist these indi-viduals during a crisis or consider identifyingalternative shelter locations.

Are staff trained to assist students withdevelopmental disabilities? These studentsmay become upset if routine patterns ofactivity are disrupted.

Do any students or staff have special needsfor medicines, power supplies, or medicaldevices that are not likely to be available inemergency shelters? Consider what alterna-tive arrangements can be made to providethese necessities.

In addition to addressing these concerns, find outwhether specific crises will require additional considera-tions for hazards, such as fire, severe weather, or earth-quake. For example, mobility impairments might preventsome staff or students from being able to bend over toassume the protective position recommended during tor-nadoes. Also, during a fire, elevators will be unavailableto transport wheelchairs. As noted earlier, it is critical toidentify safe and appropriate shelter areas inside schoolbuildings that can be reached quickly and accommodateindividuals with disabilities.

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STUDENT RELEASEStudent release is a crucial part of crisis planning. In all school crisis planning, the safety of the students isthe main priority. During a crisis, traditional studentrelease procedures are frequently unsafe or otherwiseinoperable. Accordingly, a comprehensive crisis planneeds to include certain procedures:

Update student rosters. Rosters should beupdated at a minimum of twice a year; somedistricts recommend updating rosters weekly.

Distribute updated rosters. All teachersneed updated rosters of all their classes. Thisinformation should be stored in their class-room so that a substitute teacher could easilyfind it. A copy of all rosters should also beplaced in the crisis response box, as well aswith the principal and any other stakeholderas advisable. It is critical to know which stu-dents are present during a crisis.

Create student emergency cards. At thebeginning of the school year, make sure theschool has an emergency card for each student containing contact information onparents/guardians, as well as several otheradults who can be contacted if the parent orguardian is not available. The card shouldalso indicate whether the student is permittedto leave campus with any of the adults listedon the card, if necessary. Some districts rec-ommend authorizing one or more parents of children at your child’s school to pick upyour child. The card should also include allpertinent medical information, such as

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allergies, medications, and doctor contactinformation. These cards should be stored in the front office, both in hard copy andelectronically, if possible.

Create student release forms to be usedin times of crisis and store them withcrisis response materials. Create a back-upplan if forms are not available.

Designate student release areas, as wellas back-up options. These areas should bepredetermined and communicated to fami-lies. If necessary, changes should be commu-nicated through the designated channels.

Assign roles for staff. For example, a staffmember is needed to take the emergencycards from the office to the release area,while several staff members are needed todeal with families and sign out students.These roles should be assigned before a crisisoccurs. If roles change, the principal or desig-nated leader should assign new roles.

Create student release procedures.These procedures should create a flexible, yet simple, system for the release of students.Families will want immediate access to theirchildren; emotions will be running high.Create a system that considers this, and trainstaff to expect it. Procedures should requireproof of identity; if necessary, wait until suchproof can be ascertained. It is important notto release a student to a noncustodial guardianif custody is an issue for the family. Do notrelease students to people not listed on stu-dent emergency cards. A well-intentioned

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friend may offer to take a child home; howev-er, school staff must be certain that studentsare only released to the appropriate people sostudents’ families will know where they are.

Arrange for transportation for studentswho are not taken home by a parent orguardian. Also arrange for shelter and provi-sions, if necessary.

Use all communication outlets to keepfamilies, the media, and communityinformed during and after the crisis.Signal the end of the crisis as well.

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PREPARING STUDENTS,STAFF, AND STAKEHOLDERSTO RESPONDExperts have noted that when a crisis occurs, individu-als involved tend to go on autopilot. Therefore, when acrisis occurs staff immediately need to know how toreact. They need to know, for example, the signals forcrisis, the protocol for lockdown and evacuation, how to dismiss students, and what to do if staff or studentsneed help. They should know these things ahead oftime. There will not be a time during the crisis to thinkabout what to do next. Chances of responding appropri-ately in a crisis will be much greater if all players havepracticed the basic steps they will need to take. Trainingand drills are crucial.

In the San Diego, California, school district, staff feelthat practice and training should constitute the majorityof the crisis planning process. In their “formula for suc-cess,” practice accounts for 50 percent of the process,training for 30 percent, and planning 20 percent. Whilethe percentages are flexible, training and drills areessential. Key components to facilitate training, andthus a successful reaction, are as follows:

Provide regular, comprehensive trainingsfor teachers and staff. At least once a year,provide crisis response training for teachersand staff. Also provide make-up trainings forthose unable to attend the regular trainingsession. Go through the crisis plan and proce-dures in order to familiarize all school per-sonnel with it. Periodically remind staff ofsignals and codes.

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Visit evacuation sites with staff andstakeholders. Show involved parties notonly where evacuation sites are but alsowhere specific areas, such as student reunifi-cation areas, media areas, and triage areaswill be.

Give all staff, stakeholders, and familiesliterature corresponding to the crisisplan. While all staff should have a copy ofthe crisis plan, it will also be helpful to pro-vide them with pamphlets reminding them of key principles. Families and communitymembers should also receive literature sum-marizing crisis procedures and informationpertaining to them. Provide each classroomwith a copy of the crisis plan and any rele-vant materials, supplies, and equipment.

Require a specific number of crisis drillsevery year. Most states require fire drills; thesame should be true of crisis drills. This neednot be an extra burden; work with state anddistrict laws for possible options. In Arizona,for example, schools are permitted to use someof the mandated fire drills for crisis drills.Also, speak with students about the impor-tance of drills and explain that while theyare serious, students should not be frightened.

Conduct tabletop exercises and scenario-based drills regularly. While actual drillsand training are essential, it is also helpful tohave group brainstorming activities that canbe done informally around a table. These canbe held with stakeholders, staff, communitymembers, and first responders. Students canbe involved as well.

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STAFF TRAININGSchool staff need to be trained in how to respond in a crisis.

Bulloch County School District, Georgia

In Bulloch County School District, Georgia, school dis-trict staff were able to illustrate to the school board theneed for training by using data from a faculty surveyshowing teachers felt they lacked the skills to consis-tently and adequately respond in a crisis. The districtnow uses a train-the-trainer model to provide importantskills to all school staff.

District staff now conduct trainings every month. Eachschool sends a delegate from its crisis response team orsafety committee. Often the delegate is an assistant prin-cipal or lead teacher, but some training sessions focus onthe needs of specific groups, such as front office person-nel, custodians, and cafeteria workers. Training sessionshave addressed topics from intruders to large assemblies.

Generally the first hour of each training session is anexplanation/demonstration for the delegates. During the second hour, the delegates work in groups to deviseways to present this information to the staff at theirschools. All school staff members are expected to receivetraining from their delegates within a month of the dis-trict-wide training.

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For the bomb threat training, a representative from theGeorgia Emergency Management Agency, or GEMA,conducts an assessment at each school to identify common issues. The GEMA officer than conducts the training and covers the following issues:

What form the secretaries should completewhen a bomb threat is called in,

How the secretaries can keep the caller onthe phone as long as possible,

How to alert school staff and law enforce-ment based on their conversation with a perpetrator,

Who is in charge of the situation (law enforcement versus fire chief), and

How the building will be screened whenemergency responders arrive.

The training also addresses how school staff should benotified of the bomb threat, including those schoolswithout intercoms. In addition, staff learn that if thecaller reports that a bomb is in the gym, for example, it might not be necessary to evacuate the entire school.During the month following the training, each schoolwill be required to conduct a bomb threat drill. Thesedrills will range from law enforcement responding asthough there really was a bomb in the building to astaff-only tabletop exercise.

Every spring all school principals and safety representa-tives evaluate that year’s training to identify areaswhere more training is needed.

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Hudson School District, New Hampshire

The Hudson School District teamed with the NewHampshire Office of Emergency Management(NHOEM) to train district staff in emergency planning.The district then teamed with local police and fire officials to conduct tabletop exercises, individual schooldrills, and a town-wide mock drill.

The comprehensive town-wide drill began at a local elementary school when an intruder entered the school.The school and local response agencies were faced witha number of issues including that the intruder had aweapon and had taken a hostage. During the drill, theICS was activated at both the school and theSuperintendent’s Office. The town-wide drill was evalu-ated by NHOEM and local experts. The experiencehelped the district better prepare to manage emergen-cies. The district also gained valuable experience ininterfacing with local emergency responders.

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TABLETOP EXERCISESTabletop exercises are “informal and stress-free exercisesintended to facilitate the testing, evaluation and practic-ing of a school facility’s crisis response plan and promotegroup problem solving.” (Fairfax County, Virginia).

While drills and training are essential, it is also helpfulto have group brainstorming activities that can be con-ducted informally. For this reason, many districts areadopting tabletop exercises. Fairfax County, Virginia,has had great success with these exercises. In Fairfax,the exercises consist of complete written scenarios and“injects”—additional pieces of information or circum-stances that can be injected to alter the scenario. Theseinjects range from “suspicious person with firearmbehind school” to “electrical service to cafeteria inter-rupted.” Injects include a list of possible responses toassist the facilitator.

The exercise begins with the reading of the scenario; scenarios are often tweaked to fit a particular school.A facilitator then distributes injects to individual par-

ticipants. Participants may handle the inject and imple-ment an action individually or seek more informationand coordination from other group members.Discussion ensues.

In Fairfax, the objectives include the following:

Test the ability of school personnel to identi-fy, allocate, and utilize resources within theirschool during a critical incident.

Assess the ability of school personnel toimplement their critical incident plan.

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The director of safety and security for Fairfax CountyPublic Schools commented:

“We believe that the best type of training isexperience. Fortunately, most of our schoolsdo not have frequent critical events thatrequire these kinds of responses. Therefore,many of our personnel do not have theopportunity to experience the harsh realitiesof having to manage these issues. The table-top exercise allows us to provide an environ-ment that can reasonably simulate the topicsand some elements of the stress that areinherent in critical events. We have providedtabletop exercises to all 234 of our schoolsover the past two years. We now have a rotat-ing schedule that provides an exercise facili-tated by our office to all high schools andmiddle schools every other year, and to eachelementary school every three years.”

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FAMILIESMany facets of school safety planning impact families.Much of the literature on school safety planning pro-vides guidelines for communicating with families andadvice for families on how to deal with their childrenafter a crisis. Additionally, verbatim statements fromfamilies of children attending school near the WorldTrade Center on September 11 provide insight into cri-sis planning. The following sections address the school’srole in communicating with families both before andimmediately following a school crisis and what familiescan do to facilitate their children’s recovery.

Communicating Information to Families Before a Crisis

Families will appreciate information on crisis prepara-tions. It is especially useful to explain family members’roles before an incident occurs. Some school districtssend families letters describing the school’s expectationsfor their response. Other school districts have found ituseful to work with local media to disseminate thisinformation.

School and district staff and emergency responders needto be able do their jobs. Families need to know that theyshould rely on media outlets for information during anincident, rather than telephoning schools. It is veryimportant that families understand that during a crisis,school phones will be needed to manage the situation.Families should also know that they should wait forinstructions on student release rather than rushing tothe school. It is helpful to explain to families that emer-gency responders need the area clear to do their job.Also explain that only after emergency responders

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determine that a safe student release is possible willfamilies be reunited with their children. It is also usefulto remind families that in many situations, their chil-dren will be safer in the school building than outside or in a car, particularly in cases of severe weather.

Communicating Informationto Families During a Crisis

Communicating with families. It is important to havea mechanism for communicating with families in theevent of a crisis. The mode of communication could be a telephone voice recording with information about welfare of the children, evacuation sites, or informationabout releasing students. Arrangements could be madewith TV and radio stations to release such information.In the case of an extended crisis, such as the sniperattacks on the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area, a school official may want to write a letter to familieseach day of the crisis to update them on safety measuresdevoted to the safety of their children. Schools should besensitive to the communities they draw upon and enlistvolunteers to help communicate with families who donot speak English. It is important to acknowledge cultural differences in responding to crises.

Contact information for students. Schools need contact information from families, including numberswhere they can be reached during the day. In addition,each child should have several alternative contacts, suchas a relative or family friend who would be able to pickup the child in the event of an emergency. One of thebackup adults should live outside of the immediate area,if possible.

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Guidelines for Families in Dealing with TheirChildren After a Crisis

Remain calm. It is important to remain calm in theaftermath of a crisis. Children are greatly influenced by their family’s sense of well-being, and anything thatfamilies can do to reassure students will be helpful. At the same time, families need to be compassionate listeners when their children speak of the crisis.

Attend to children’s reactions. Be alert to children’semotional needs. Individuals recover from crisis at theirown pace. Many children will benefit from mentalhealth services regardless of whether they were directlyor indirectly involved in the incident.

Return children to normal routine as quickly aspossible. Families should adhere to the schedule of theschool, and if the school remains open immediately afterthe aftermath of a crisis, it is important to let childrenreturn to school. Adhering to a typical routine will helpchildren in the recovery process.

Refer the Media to the PIO. Undoubtedly, the mediawill try to interview families and children during orafter a crisis. Families can make a very positive contri-bution to the school by referring the media to the PIO.

Attend community meetings. Families will receiveinvaluable information and support by attending com-munity or school meetings. Community meetings oftenprovide information to help dispel rumors and establishmechanisms of communication with parents, the media,and other affected parties.

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The following statement, made by a parent of a child ina school near the World Trade Center on September 11,2001, emphasizes the points made earlier.

“Children’s reactions are reflections of theirparents. Too many parents expose children totheir every emotion: fear, anxiety, anger,worry, etc. The fact is that children want par-ents to be heroes. If parents can be strong,this will benefit their recovery.”

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MODELS OF CRISIS INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTSThere are many approaches to crisis intervention forstudents. Most experts agree that school- or classroom-based stress management needs to be conducted for allstudents and that those with more severe reactions needto be referred for evaluation and possibly counseling.

Who provides interventions? Teachers, school coun-selors, and social workers, as well as community serviceproviders may be involved in conducting interventionsfollowing a crisis. Families may also use school person-nel as a resource for seeking outside counseling. Duringthe planning phase, districts should identify serviceproviders in the community that have the skills andappropriate credentials and develop a list of referrals.

What are the types of interventions? The followingbullets briefly describe several approaches:

Group crisis intervention, or GCI, aschool-based intervention, is often defined as“psychological first aid.” GCI is an efficientand cost-effective way of helping studentscope in the aftermath of a crisis. Basically,GCI is offered to homogeneous groups of students (class membership) and involvesguided group discussions in a supportiveenvironment. The agenda for GCI includesan introduction and sessions on providingfacts, dispelling rumors, sharing stories, sharing reactions, providing empowerment,and offering a closing. Students with severereactions to the crisis should receive moreintensive interventions (Brock et al., 2002).

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Acute traumatic stress management foreducators, another school-based intervention,offers a “road map” for educators to dealwith the aftermath of a crisis. ATSM takes a practical approach to dealing with the psychological consequences of a traumaticevent. The goal is to stimulate adaptive coping mechanisms and to stabilize moresevere reactions among students. ATSM has10 stages:

1 Assess for danger/safety for self andothers.

2 Consider the mechanism for injury.

3 Evaluate the level of responsiveness.

4 Address medical needs.

5 Observe and identify.

6 Connect with the individual.

7 Ground the individual.

8 Provide support.

9 Normalize the response.

10 Prepare for the future.

Individual counseling. Students who expe-rience severe symptoms after a crisis mayneed individual counseling. It is importantfor these individuals to be referred for fur-ther evaluation by a mental health profes-sional. There are many forms of individual

6-47


counseling depending on the age of the childand presenting symptoms. Some of theapproaches to individual counseling includeplay therapy, art therapy, talking therapy,drug therapy, and a combination of therapies.Cognitive-behavioral therapy, among others,has shown to be an effective therapeuticintervention in the literature. Dr. RobertPynoos, Director of Trauma Psychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles,developed an interview guide for workingwith students who have been traumatized.The interview guide contains the followingsections:

1 Triage questions

2 Individual’s reaction to the event/traumatic reminders

3 Life changes/changes in behavior

4 Grief responses

5 Problem solving/taking constructiveaction, affirmation

6 Affirmation and reinforcement of student’s strengths and assets

6-48


A-1

This resource list provides the reader with examples ofthe types of programs that exist in crisis planning. Thisinformation is current as of Fall 2006. Selection of theseprograms does not indicate an endorsement by theDepartment of Education. The Department is interestedin identifying other crisis planning Web sites. Pleasecontact [email protected] if you have informationregarding other practical resources.

References

Brock, S.E., Lazarus, P.J., & Jimerson, S.R. (2002). Best practicesin school crisis prevention and intervention.

Bethesda, Md.:National Association of School Psychologists.http://www.nasponline.org/publications/booksproducts/BPCPI.aspx

Doyle, J. & Loyacono, T.R. (2002). Disaster preparednessguidelines for school nurses. Scarborough, Maine: National

Association of School Nurses. http://www.nasn.org

Federal Emergency Management Agency. (1993).Emergency management guide for business and industry.Washington, D.C.: Author.http://www.fema.gov

Federal Emergency Management Agency (2003)Integrating Manmade Hazards into Mitigation Planning.Web release 10. Washington, D.C.: Author.http://www.fema.gov

Appendix AResources

08_Appendix A-1toA-20 2/8/07 4:21 PM Page A-1

References (Cont.)

Lerner, M.D., Volpe, J.S., & Lindell, B. (2003). A practical guide forcrisis response in our schools.

Commack, N.Y.: American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress.http://www.schoolcrisisresponse.comhttp://www.atsm.orghttp://www.traumatic-stress.orghttp://www.aaets.org

Olathe Unified School District, Kansas. (2002).Crisis management manual.http://www.sopriswest.com

Poland, S. & McCormick, J.S. (1999). Coping with crisis:A resource guide for schools, parents, and communities.

Longmont, Colo.: Sopris West. http://www.sopriswest.com/

Pitcher, G.D., & Poland, S. (1992). Crisis intervention in theschools. New York: Guilford Press. http://www.guilford.com

Schoenfeldt, M. (2000).School crisis response teams: Lesseningthe aftermath. Marysville, Wash.: Schoenfeldt & Associates.

http://www.safer-schools.com/

U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education. (2002).Threat assessment in schools: A guide to managing threateningsituations and to creating safe school climates.

Washington, D.C.: Author.http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osdfs/resources.html

Webster’s ninth new collegiate dictionary. (1987).Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster, Inc.

Wong, M., Kelly, J. & Stephens, R.D. (2001). Jane’s school safetyhandbook. Alexandria, Va.: Jane’s Information Group.

http://catalog.janes.com/

A-2


Helpful Web Resources

For more information on grants from the Department of Educationto strengthen and improve emergency response plans, as well as tohelp fund education-related efforts in the immediate after math of aviolent crisis, please see http://www.ed.gov/emergencyplan

American Red Crosshttp://www.redcross.org

Public Health Training NetworkCenters for Disease Controlhttp://www2a.cdc.gov/phtn/

Crisis Management ToolkitDepartment of Defense Education Activityhttp://dodea.edu/instruction/crisis/

Fairfax County (VA) Public Schoolshttp://www.fcps.k12.va.us/

Federal Emergency Management Agencyhttp://www.fema.gov

Montgomery County (MD) Public Schoolshttp://mcps.k12.md.us/info/emergency/preparedness/index.cfm

National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilitieshttp://www.edfacilities.org/

NEA Crisis Response TeamNational Education Associationhttp://www.nea.org/crisis/b1home.html#response

North Carolina Public Schoolshttp://www.ncpublicschools.org

Emergency Response and Crisis Management Technical Assistance Centerhttp://www.ercm.org

A-3


A-4

Helpful Web Resources (Cont.)

Ready Campaignhttp://www.ready.gov

Emergency PlanningOffice of Safe and Drug-Free SchoolsU.S. Department of Educationhttp://www.ed.gov/emergencyplan/

Communication in a Crisis: Risk Communication Guidelines forPublic Officials, 2002

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration http://www.riskcommunication.samhsa.gov/index.htm

U.S. Department of Homeland Securityhttp://www.dhs.gov


State Emergency Management Offices1

Alabama Emergency Management Agency5898 County Road 41P.O. Drawer 2160Clanton, AL 35046-2160Phone: 205-280-2238Phone: 205-280-2200Fax: 205-280-2495http://www.ema.alabama.gov

Alaska Division of Emergency ServicesP.O. Box 5750Fort Richardson, AK 99505-5750Phone: 907-428-7000Fax: 907-428-7009http://www.ak-prepared.com/School Preparedness Page:http://www.akprepared.com/training/toppage1.htm

Arizona Department of Emergency and Military Affairs5636 East McDowell RoadPhoenix, AZ 85008Phone: 602-244-0504Fax: 602-231-6356http://www.azdema.gov

Arkansas Department of Emergency ManagementP.O. Box 758Conway, AR 72033Phone: 501-730-9750Fax: 501-730-9754http://www.adem.state.ar.us/

A-5

1 Please contact local emergency management offices prior tocontacting state offices.


A-6

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)

California Governor’s Office of Emergency ServicesInformation and Public Affairs Office3650 Schriever AvenueMather, CA 95655Phone: 916-845-8510Fax: 916-845-8511http://www.oes.ca.gov/

Colorado Office of Emergency Management Division of Local GovernmentDepartment of Local Affairs9195 East Mineral AvenueSuite 200Centennial, CO 80112Phone: 720-852-6600Fax: 720-852-6750http://www.dola.state.co.us/oem/

Connecticut Office of Emergency ManagementMilitary Department360 Broad StreetHartford, CT 06105Phone: 860-566-3180Fax: 860-247-0664http://www.ct.gov/demhs(Connecticut Emergency Management officials recommendcontacting the State Department of Education.)

Delaware Emergency Management Agency165 Brick Store Landing RoadSmyrna, DE 19977Phone: 302-659-3362Phone: 877-729-3362 (in-state only)Fax: 302-659-6855http://www.state.de.us/dema/


District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency2720 Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, SEWashington, DC 20009Phone: 202-727-6161Fax: 202-673-2290 http://dcema.dc.gov

Florida Division of Emergency Management2555 Shumard Oak Blvd.Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100Phone: 850-413-9969Fax: 850-488-1016http://www.floridadisaster.org

Georgia Office of Homeland SecurityP.O. Box 18055Atlanta, GA 30316-0055Phone: 404-635-7000Fax: 404-635-7205http://www.gema.state.ga.us

Training, Education & Information Branch Hawaii State Civil Defense3949 Diamond Head RoadHonolulu, HI 96816-4495Phone: 808-733-4300Phone: 808-734-4246Fax: 808-733-4287http://www.scd.state.hi.us

Emergency Planning Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security4040 Guard Street, Bldg. 600Boise, ID 83705-5004Phone: 208-422-3040Fax: 208-422-3044http://www.bhs.idaho.gov

A-7



Illinois Emergency Management Agency2200 South Dirksen ParkwaySpringfield, IL 62703Phone: 217-782-2700Fax: 217-524-7967http://www.state.il.us/iema

State Planning BranchIndiana Department of Homeland Security302 West Washington StreetRoom E-208 AIndianapolis, IN 46204-2767Phone: 317-233-6116Phone: 317-232-3986Fax: 317-232-3895 http://www.in.gov/dhs/

Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency ManagementDepartment of Defense7105 N.W. 70th AvenueCamp Dodge, Building W-4Johnston, IA 50131Phone: 515-725-3231Fax: 515-725-3260http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org

Training SectionKansas Division of Emergency Management2800 S.W. Topeka BoulevardTopeka, KS 66611-1287Phone: 785-274-1409Fax: 785-274-1426http://www.kansas.gov/kdem

A-8


A-9

Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board1121 Louisville Road, Suite 2Frankfort, KY 40601-3460Phone: 502-607-5781http://www.kccrb.ky.gov

Or

Kentucky Emergency ManagementEOC Building100 Minuteman Parkway Bldg. 100Frankfort, KY 40601-6168Phone: 502-607-1600 or 800-255-2587Fax: 502-607-1614http://kyem.ky.gov

Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness7667 Independence Blvd.Baton Rouge, LA 70806Phone: 225-925-7500Fax: 225-925-7501 http://www.loep.state.la.us

Maine Emergency Management AgencyState Office Building, Station 72Augusta, ME 04333Phone: 207-624-4400Fax: 207-287-3178 http://www.maine.gov/mema/



Maryland Emergency Management AgencyPublic Information OfficerCamp Fretterd Military Reservation5401 Rue Saint Lo DriveReisterstown, MD 21136Phone: 410-517-3631Toll-Free: 877-636-2872Fax: 410-517-3610http://www.mass.gov/mema

Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency400 Worcester RoadFramingham, MA 01702-5399Phone: 508-820-2000Fax: 508-820-2030http://www.state.ma.us/mema

Michigan Division of Emergency Management4000 Collins RoadP.O. Box 30636Lansing, MI 48909-8136Phone: 517-333-5042Fax: 517-333-4987 FAXhttp://www.michigan.gov/emd

Minnesota Homeland Security and Emergency ManagementDepartment of Public SafetySuite 223444 Cedar StreetSt. Paul, MN 55101-6223Phone: 651-201-7400Fax: 651-296-0459http://www.hsem.state.mn.us

A-10


Mississippi Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 5644Pearl, MS 39208Phone: 601-933-MEMA or 800-222-6362 (Toll-free)Fax: 601-933-6800http://www.msema.org/index.htm(MEMA recommends contacting the State Department ofEducation, Division of School Safety)

Missouri Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 1162302 Militia DriveJefferson City, MO 65102Phone: 573-526-910024-hour Duty Officer: 573-751-2748Fax: 573-634-7966http://sema.dps.mo.gov

Montana Division of Disaster & Emergency Services1900 Williams StreetHelena, MT 59604-4789Phone: 406-841-3911Fax: 406-444-3965 http://dma.mt.gov/des

Nebraska Emergency Management Agency1300 Military RoadLincoln, NE 68508-1090Phone: 877-297-2368Fax: 402-471-7433 http://www.nema.ne.gov

A-11



Nevada Division of Emergency Management2525 South Carson StreetCarson City, NV 89711Phone: 775-687-4240Fax: 775-687-6788http://www.dem.state.nv.us/

New Hampshire Division of SafetyBureau of Emergency Management State Office Park South107 Pleasant StreetConcord, NH 03301Phone: 603-271-2231Fax: 603-225-7341http://www.nhoem.state.nh.us/

New Jersey Office of Emergency ManagementP.O. Box 7068West Trenton, NJ 08628-0068Phone: 609 538-6050 Monday-FridayPhone: 609-882-2000 ext 6311 (24/7)Fax: 609-538-0345http://www.state.nj.us/njoem

New Mexico Department of Public Safety Office of Emergency Services & SecurityP.O. Box 1628 Santa Fe, NM 87504Phone: 505-476-9600Fax: 505-476-9695http://www.dps.nm.org/emergency/index.htm

A-12


Planning DepartmentNew York State Emergency Management Office1220 Washington AvenueBuilding 22, Suite 101Albany, NY 12226-2251Phone: 518-292-2200Fax: 518-322-4978http://www.semo.state.ny.us/

Support Services BranchNorth Carolina Division of Emergency Management116 West Jones StreetRaleigh, NC 27603Phone: 919-733-3867Fax: 919-733-5406http://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/

North Dakota Department of Emergency ServicesP.O. Box 5511Bismarck, ND 58506-5511Phone: 701-328-8100Fax: 701-328-8181http://www.nd.gov/des/

Ohio Emergency Management Agency2855 W. Dublin Granville RoadColumbus, OH 43235-2206Phone: 614-889-7150Fax: 614-889-7183http://www.state.oh.us/odps/division/ema/

Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management2401 N. Lincoln Boulevard, Suite C51Oklahoma City, OK 73105Phone: 405-521-2481Fax: 405-521-4053http://www.ok.gov/OEM/

A-13



Oregon Emergency ManagementDepartment of State PoliceP.O. Box 14370Salem, OR 97309Phone: 503-378-2911Fax: 503-588-1378http://egov.oregon.gov/OOHS/OEM/

Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency2605 Interstate DriveHarrisburg, PA 17110Phone: 717-651-2007Fax: 717-651-2040http://www.pema.state.pa.us/

Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency645 New London AveCranston, RI 02920-3003Phone: 401-946-9996Fax: 401- 944-1891http://www.riema.ri.gov

South Carolina Emergency Management Division2779 Fish Hatchery RoadWest Columbia, SC 29172Phone: 803-737-8500Fax: 803-737-8570http://www.scemd.org

South Dakota Office of Emergency Management118 West Capitol AvePierre, SD 57501Phone: 605-773-3231Phone: 605-773-6426Fax: 605-773-3580http://www.oem.sd.gov

A-14


Tennessee Emergency Management Agency3041 Sidco DriveNashville, TN 37204-1502Phone: 615-741-0001Fax: 615-242-9635http://www.tnema.org

Texas Division of Emergency Management5805 N. Lamar BoulevardAustin, TX 78752Phone: 512-424-2138Fax: 512 424-2444 or 7160http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/pages/index.htm

Utah Division of Emergency Services and Homeland SecurityRoom 1110, State Office BuildingSalt Lake City, UT 84114-1710Phone: 801-538-3400Fax: 801-538-3770 http://www.dhls.utah.gov

Vermont Emergency Management AgencyDepartment of Public SafetyWaterbury State Complex103 South Main StreetWaterbury, VT 05671-2101Phone: 802-244-8721Fax: 802-244-8655http://www.dps.state.vt.us/vem/

Virginia Department of Emergency Management10501 Trade CourtRichmond, VA 23236-3713Phone: 804-897-6500 or after hours 804-674-2400 to havean on-call representative pagedFax: 804-897-6506http://www.vdem.state.va.us

A-15



Washington Military DepartmentEmergency Management DivisionBuilding 20, M/S: TA-20Camp Murray, WA 98430-5122Phone: 253-512-7000Fax: 253-512-7200http://www.emd.wa.gov/

West Virginia Division of Homeland Security andEmergency ManagementBuilding 1, Room EB-80 State Capital Complex1900 Kanawha Boulevard, EastCharleston, WV 25305-0360Phone: 304-558-5380(Toll-free) 866-723-3982Fax: 304-344-4538http://www.wvdhsem.gov

Wisconsin Emergency Management2400 Wright StreetP.O. Box 7865Madison, WI 53707-7865Phone: 608-242-3232Fax: 608-242-3247http://emergencymanagement.wi.gov/

Wyoming Office of Homeland Security122 West 25th StreetHerschler Building, 1st floor EastCheyenne, WY 82002Phone: 307-777-4663Fax: 307-635-6017http://wyohomelandsecurity.state.wy.us/

A-16


Puerto Rico Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 966597San Juan, PR 00906-6597Phone: 787 724-0124Fax: 787-725-4244

Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management - VITEMA2-C Contant, A-Q BuildingVirgin Islands 00820Phone: 304-774-2244Fax: 304-774-1491

A-17


Safe School Centers

National School Safety Center141 Duesenberg Drive, Suite 11Westlake Village, CA 91362Phone: 805-373-9977Fax: 805-373-9277http://www.schoolsafety.us

Colorado Center for the Study and Prevention of ViolenceUniversity of Colorado1877 Broadway, Suite 601Boulder, CO 80302Phone: 303-492-1032Fax: 303-443-3297http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/

Connecticut Governor’s Prevention Partnership30 Arbor StreetHartford, CT 06106Phone: 860-523-8042 ext. 28Fax: 860-236-9412http://www.preventionworksct.org

Florida Office of Safe Schools Florida Department of Education 325 W. Gaines Street, Room 501 Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400Phone: 850-245-0668Fax: 850-245-9978http://www.firn.edu/doe/besss/safehome.htm

Indiana School Safety Specialist Academy Indiana Department of Education Room 229, State House Indianapolis, IN 46204-2798 Phone: 317-234-0326 Fax: 317-232-9140http://www.doe.state.in.us/isssa

A-18


Kentucky Center for School Safety Eastern Kentucky University 105 Stratton Building 521 Lancaster Avenue Richmond, KY 40475 Phone: 1-877-805-4277 (Toll-free)Fax: 859-622-8001http://www.kysafeschools.org

Mississippi Department of EducationDivision of School Safety359 North West Street, Ste. 168Jackson, MS 39179Phone: 601-359-1335Fax: 601-359-3235http://www.healthyschoolsms.org

Missouri Center for Safe Schools Univ. of MO. - Kansas City - School of Education. 5301 Holmes Road Kansas City, MO 64110Phone: 816-235-1042Fax: 816-235-6184http://education.umkc.edu/safe-school/

Montana Safe Schools CenterThe University of MontanaMissoula, MT 59812-6376Phone: 406-243-5344Fax: 406-243-2197http://www.montanasafeschools.org

Nebraska School Safety OfficeNebraska Department of Education301 Centennial Mall SouthLincoln, NE 68509-4987Phone: 402-471-1925Fax: 402-471-8127http://www.nde.state.ne.us/safety A-19


A-20

Safe School Centers (Cont.)

New York State Center for School Safety175 Rt. 32 N.New Paltz, NY 12561Phone: 845-255-8989Fax: 845-255-3836http://www.mhric.org/scss

North Carolina Center for the Prevention of School Violence 1801 Mail Service CenterRaleigh, NC 27699-1801Phone: 800-299-6054Fax: 919-715-1208

Ohio Safe Schools CenterUniversity of CincinnatiP.O. Box 210105Cincinnati, OH 45221-0105Phone: 800-788-7254 x2Fax: 513-556-0782http://www.ebasedprevention.org

University of OregonInstitute on Violence and Destructive Behavior1265 University of OregonEugene, OR 97403-1265Phone: 541-346-3592Fax: 541-346-2594http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/~ivdb/

Pennsylvania Center for Safe Schools275 Grandview Avenue Camp Hill, PA 17011 Phone: 717-763-1661Fax: 717-763-2083 http://www.safeschools.info


A-21

South Carolina Center for Safe SchoolsSouth Carolina Department of Education1429 Senate StreetColumbia, SC 29201Phone: 803-734-8101Fax: 803-734-4458http://ed.sc.gov/agency/offices/ssys/safe_schools/sccss/

Tennessee School Safety Center5th Floor, Andrew Johnson TowerNashville, TN 37243 Phone: 615-741-3248Fax: 615-532-6638 http://www.state.tn.us/education/learningsupport/index.html

Texas School Safety CenterTexas State University350 N. GuadalupeSuite 140, PMB 164San Marcos, TX 78666Phone: 877-245-8082Fax: 512-245-9033http://www.txssc.txstate.edu/txssc.htm

Virginia Center for School SafetyVirginia Department of Criminal Justice Services202 North 9th StreetRichmond, VA 23219Phone: 804-371-6506Fax: 804-692-0948http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/vcss/

Effective crisis planning begins withleadership

atthe

top.


Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public InstructionP. O. Box 47200Olympia, WA 98504Phone: 360-725-6044FAX: 360-664-3575http://www.k12.wa.us/Safetycenter/

A-22

Cris

ispl

ans

are

livin

gdo

cum

ents

.Th

ey

need to be reviewed and revised regularly.


B-1

Working Group

Chris Stone - FacilitatorVera Institute of JusticeNew York, N.Y.

Christine AguilarDirector of Safe Schools/Healthy

Students GrantsPoudre School DistrictFort Collins, Colo.

William BrennerDirectorNational Clearinghouse on

Educational FacilitiesWashington, D.C.

Peg CarsonRisk Watch Field AdvisorNational Fire Protection

AssociationWarrenton, Va.

Karen ClevelandEmergency Response

CoordinatorCenters for Disease Control and

PreventionAtlanta, Ga.

Julie CollinsOperations ManagerFlorida Department of Education,

Office of Safe SchoolsTallahassee, Fla.

Joan CriggerAssistant Executive DirectorU.S. Conference of MayorsWashington, D.C.

Elizabeth DavisNational Organization on

Disability Emergency Preparedness

InitiativeBrooklyn, N.Y.

Appendix BEmergency School Safety,

Planning, Response, and Recovery Meeting

Participants

09_Appendix B-1 to C-6 1/11/07 4:19 PM Page B-1

Working Group (cont.)

Michael DornAntiterrorism PlannerOffice of Homeland Security –

Georgia EmergencyManagement Agency

School Safety DivisionAtlanta, Ga.

Steven Edwards, Ph.D.Vice PresidentNational Crime Prevention

CouncilWashington, D.C.

Ted FeinbergAssistant Executive DirectorNational Association of School

PsychologistsBethesda, Md.

Robyn FordWorkplace Improvement AnalystU.S. Postal Service – Capital

DistrictCapitol Heights, Md.

Gabriella HayesProgram ManagerNational PTAChicago, Ill.

Kim HoganBehavior TeacherHudson School DistrictHudson, N.H.

Bob Hull, Ph.D.Assistant SuperintendentOlathe Unified School District

233Olathe, Kan.

James KellyPolice ChiefPalm Beach County School,

District Police and SafeSchools Center

West Palm Beach, Fla.

Curtis S. LavarelloExecutive DirectorNational Association of School

Resource OfficersSarasota, Fla.

Robert LewandowskiMiddle School CoordinatorKeys SchoolPark Hill, Okla.

Mike LoganDirector, ReadinessDisaster ServicesAmerican Red Cross National

HeadquartersFalls Church, Va.

Robert D. Macy, Ph.D.Executive DirectorThe Center for Trauma

PsychologyBoston, Mass.

B-2


Working Group (cont.)

Peter MarcelloProgram AnalystTransportation Security

AdministrationArlington, Va.

Judy MarksAssociate DirectorNational Clearinghouse for

Educational FacilitiesWashington, D.C.

Wesley MitchellChief of Police (retired)Los Angeles School Police

DepartmentAltadena, Calif.

Bebe PinterManagerHarris County Department

of EducationHouston, Tex.

Judith Robinson, Ph.D., RN,FAAN

Executive DirectorNational Association of School

NursesCastle Rock, Colo.

Gregory ThomasExecutive DirectorOffice of School Safety and

Planning – New York CityDepartment of Education

Brooklyn, N.Y.

Cynthia Wright-Johnson, MSNRNC

DirectorMaryland Institute for Emergency

Medical Services SystemsEMSC ProgramBaltimore, Md.

B-3


B-4

Charlotte, N.C. Focus Group

Melissa DeRosier, Ph.D.3-C Institute for Social

Development

Jerri HaiglerExecutive DirectorPublic InformationCharlotte-Mecklenburg School

District

William LassiterSchool Safety SpecialistCenter for the Prevention

of School Violence

Lori LumpkinDurham Public Schools

Joe ParkWinston-Salem/Forsyth County

Ted PearsonDirectorSchool Law Enforcement

DepartmentCharlotte-Mecklenburg School

District

Marianne Peltier-AllisonAlamance-Burlington School

District

Althia ScrivenHealth and Safety OfficerDurham Public Schools

Ralph Taylor, Ph.D.DirectorAlternative Education and Safe

Schools

Theresa WahomeCoordinatorSafe and Drug-Free SchoolsDurham Public Schools


Denver, Colo. Focus Group

Robert AndersonDirectorDistrict Prevention

and InterventionDenver Public Schools

Larry BorlandDirectorSafety and SecurityColorado Springs District 11

Jim DornDirectorSafety and SecurityJefferson County R1 School

District

Stephen FinleyManagerRisk ManagementDenver Public Schools

Melanie HaasAssistant SuperintendentSabin Elementary SchoolDenver Public Schools

Janelle KruegerProgram ManagerPrevention InitiativesColorado Department of

Education

Patricia LopezCo-Project DirectorPsychological ServicesDenver Public Schools

David MartinSecurity Training SpecialistDepartment of Safety and

SecurityDenver Public Schools

Greg MooreDirectorOrganizational SupportAurora Public Schools

Sharon MooreProject DirectorHighline Education Center

Leslie PaigeProject DirectorRURAL: Safe Schools/Healthy

StudentsHays Unified School District

#489, Kan.

Lynn PopkowskiTeacher on Special AssignmentSafe and Drug-Free SchoolsDenver Public Schools

B-5


B-6

Denver, Colo. Focus Group (cont.)

Edward RayChiefSafety and SecurityDenver Public Schools

Reggie RobinsonPrincipalMitchell Elementary SchoolDenver Public Schools

Chris SaizPsychological ServicesDenver Public Schools

Betsy ThompsonDirectorStudent ServicesJefferson County Schools

Jim TrevinoPrincipalHorace Mann Middle SchoolDenver Public Schools

Timothy TurleyProject ManagerSafe Schools/Healthy StudentsDenver Public Schools


Education LawPolicy

Gary AveryLaw Policy Institute

Chris BorrecaBracewell and Patterson, LLP

Mandy BingamanExecutive Director, Education

Law Association

EducationOrganization

Bill BondNational Association of

Secondary School Principals

Nancy DormanPolicy Specialist, Wisconsin

Association of School Boards

Nora HowleyProject Director, School Health

Project, Council of Chief StateSchool Officers

Jerald NewberryDirector, Safe Schools Now

Network, National EducationAssociation

Ann Od’DoneNational Education Association

Paula Rae PawlowskiMember, National PTA Board

of Directors

Ronald D. StephensExecutive Director, National

School Safety Center

C-1

Appendix CCrisis Planning

Interview Participants

09_Appendix B-1 to C-6 1/11/07 4:19 PM Page C-1

EmergencyManagement

Gordon AoyagiFire Administrator, Montgomery

County, Md.Emergency Management Center

Mike AustinDirector, Arizona Division

of Emergency Management

Charlie BiggsFEMA, Readiness Division

Gregg ChamplinNatural Hazards Program

Specialist,New Hampshire Office

of Emergency Management

Ann DeMueuseCo-Chair, Door County Wisc.

Emergency ManagementDirector

Michael DornGeorgia Emergency Management

Agency, School SafetyDivision

Renelle GrubbsExecutive Director, Kentucky

Community Crisis ResponseBoard

Trina HembreeExecutive Director, National

Emergency ManagementAssociation

Kathee HenningCoordinator, Montgomery

County, Md. EmergencyManagement Center

Richard MeighenMaryland Institute of Emergency

Management Systems

Karen MarshBranch Chief, FEMA, Office

of National Preparedness,Community and FamilyPreparedness

Ralph SwisherFEMA, Community and Family

Preparedness

Dawn WarehimeFEMA, Emergency Training

Institute

C-2


C-3

Health and Welfare

Susan WolleyAmerican School Health

Association

Local EducationAgency

Lois BerlinAssociate Superintendent for

Curriculum and Instruction,Alexandria, Va. City PublicSchools

Sharon BoettingerSuperintendent for School

Counseling, Frederick County,Md. Public Schools

Cindy CarlyleSchool Counselor

Keith GrierDirector Student Services,

Charles County, Md. PublicSchools

Brian MarcumMarion County District

Rowland SavageCoordinator Department

of Student Support Services,Baltimore County, Md. PublicSchools

Mental Health

Jill CookAmerican School Counselor

Association

Kendall JohnsonAuthor and Classroom Teacher,San Antonio High School,

Claremont, Tex. Unified SchoolDistrict

Scott PolandDirector, Psychological Services,

Cypress- Fairbanks, AlaskaIndependent School District

David SchonfeldAdministrative Director,

Behavioral Pediatrics, YaleUniversity School of Medicine,Department of Pediatrics

William SaltzmanCo-Director of the School Crisis

and Intervention Unit,National Center for ChildTraumatic Stress

Ron SlabyProfessor, Harvard Graduate

School of Education,Technology in Education

Judie SmithSchool/Community Outreach

and Crisis Coordinator, IrvingIndependent School District


Mental Health/CrisisPlanning Consultant

Cheri LovreDirector, Crisis Management

Institute

Mary SchoefeldtSchoenfeldt and Associates

Kate StetznerSafe School Solutions

Cyrill WantlandConsultant in Safe Schools

Strategies

NationalAssociation

Ann BeauchesneDirector of Emergency

Management, NationalGovernors Association

Liam GoldrickNational Governors Association,

Education Policy Studies,Center for Best Practices

Donald MurrayVice Chair, Justice and Public

Safety Steering Committee,National Association ofCounties

C-4


Public Safety

Terri RoysterSpecial Agent, FBI

Rob SchellVermont Department of Public

Safety

Terrance N. TreschukChief of Police, Rockville Police

and Community ServicesDepartments

Researcher

Daniel Della-GiustinaWest Virginia University College

of Engineering and MineralResources Industrial andManagement SystemsEngineering, American Society of SafetyEngineers (ASSE)

Fred HartmeisterProfessor, College of Education,

Texas Tech University

Patty WeeksProject Director, Stockton State

University, Calif.

C-5


Risk Management

Will EvansDirector of Safety Education,

MarkelInsurance

Ivan HentschelTraining Coordinator, Public RiskManagement Association

Jim McGintyPublic Agency Training Council

Art LangRisk Manager, Orange-Ulster

Board of CollaborativeEducation Services

State EducationAgency/SchoolSafety Center

Anne J. AtkinsonPresident, Policy Works, Ltd.

Julie CollinsOperations and Management

Consultant Manager, FloridaDepartment of Education

Arlene CundiffSDFS Coordinator, Va.

Department of Education,Office of CompensatoryPrograms/Division ofInstructional Support Services

Jean EckhalN.Y. State Center for School

Safety, Project SAVE SchoolSafety Plans Workgroup

Steve KimberlingDirector, Safe and Drug-Free

Schools, Kentucky

Marsha LathroumMaryland Department

of Education

Lynn WiddowsonMaryland Department

of Education

C-6


U.S. Department of Education

Crisis Covers Final 12/14/06 2:54 PM Page 1

practical information on crisis planning: a guide for schools

Documents