Crisis Planning Template for Schools and Communities - Southwest ...

Practical Informationon Crisis PlanningA GUIDE FOR SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIESMitigation& PreventionPreparednessRecoveryResponse

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 EducationRod PaigeSecretaryOffice of Safe and Drug-Free SchoolsJudge Eric AndellDeputy Under SecretaryBill ModzeleskiDeputy Associate Under SecretaryConnie DeshpandeSr. Policy AnalystJennifer MedearisPolicy AnalystMay 2003This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduceit in whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint thispublication 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: edpubs@inet.ed.gov;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 whouse a telecommunications devise for the deaf (TDD)or a teletypewriter (TTY), should call 1-800-437-0833;or order on-line at: www.ed.gov/about/ordering.jspThis report is also available on the Department’s Web site atwww.ed.gov/emergencyplanOn 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.

CONTENTSPageSection 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 EffectiveCrisis Planning ............................................1-8Using This Guide ..........................................1-12Section 2: Mitigation/PreventionAction Checklist for Mitigation/PreventionMitigation/Prevention.....................................2-1Mitigation ........................................................2-3Prevention........................................................2-4Action Steps.....................................................2-5Section 3: PreparednessAction Checklist for PreparednessPreparedness....................................................3-1Action Steps.....................................................3-3Section 4: ResponseAction Checklist for ResponseResponse ..........................................................4-1Action Steps.....................................................4-2Section 5: RecoveryAction Checklist for RecoveryRecovery...........................................................5-1Action Steps.....................................................5-2Closing the Loop..............................................5-7i

CONTENTS (C0NT.)PageSection 6: Closer Look:Defining 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 NeedsStaff 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 Invention for Students......6-46Appendix A.Resources ........................................................A-1Appendix B.Emergency School Safety, Planning,Response, and Recovery MeetingParticipants..................................................B-1Appendix C.Crisis Planning Interview Participants .........C-1List of ExhibitsExhibit 1.1 Cycle of Crisis Planning..................................1-7Exhibit 3.1 Lockdown, Evacuation, orRelocation Decisions ...................................3-9ii

Introduction“As a former superintendent of thenation’s seventh largest school district,I know the importance of emergencyplanning. The midst of a crisis is not thetime to start figuring out who ought to dowhat. At that moment, everyone involved—from top to bottom—should know the drilland know each other.”-Secretary Rod Paige1-1

Families trust schools to keep their children safe duringthe day. Thanks to the efforts of more than millions ofteachers, principals, and staff across America, themajority of schools remain a safe haven for our nation’syouth. The unfortunate reality is, however, that schooldistricts in this country may be touched either directlyor indirectly by a crisis of some kind at any time.Natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, fires, andtornados can strike a community with little or no warning.School shootings, threatened or actual, are extremelyrare but are horrific and chilling when they occur.The harrowing events of September 11 and subsequentanthrax scares have ushered in a new age of terrorism.Communities across the country are struggling to understandand 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 preparednessneeds 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 have one, reviewit, update and practice your plan.1-2

Children and youth rely onandfindWHY THIS GUIDE?greatTaking 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 navigatethis 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 provideexamples of promising practices.This document does not provide a cookbook approachto crisis preparedness. Each community has its ownhistory, culture, and way of doing business. Schoolsand 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.comfort in the adults who protect them.Experts recommend against cutting and pasting plansfrom other schools and districts. Other plans can serveas useful models, but what is effective for a large innercityschool district where the population is concentratedmay be ineffective for a rural community where schoolsand first responders are far apart.1-3

AN IMPORTANT NOTE ONRESEARCHThe research on what works in school-based crisis planningis 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 catastrophicevents, are rare in our nation’s schools. Fewcases can be formally evaluated. Much of the informationin this Guide draws heavily on what we knowabout crisis management in many settings. These promisingpractices 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.1-4

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 andon or off school campuses. The definition of acrisis varies with the unique needs, resources,and assets of a school and community. Staffand students may be severely affected by anincident in another city or state. The eventsof Columbine and September 11 left the entirenation feeling vulnerable.The underpinnings for this Guide can be foundin the definition for crisis: “An unstable or crucialtime or state of affairs in which a decisivechange is impending, especially one with thedistinct possibility of a highly undesirable outcome(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 activatethe plan. The team may consider many factorssuch as the school’s ability to handle a situationwith internal resources and its experience inresponding to past events.PAGE 6-2Defining Crisis1-5

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 weatherFiresChemical or hazardous material spillsBus crashesSchool shootingsBomb threatsMedical emergenciesStudent or staff deaths (suicide, homicide,unintentional, or natural)Acts of terror or warTHE SEQUENCE OF CRISISMANAGEMENTThe results of extensive interviews and a review of thecrisis literature reveal that experts employ four phasesof crisis management:Mitigation/Prevention addresses whatschools and districts can do to reduce oreliminate risk to life and property.1-6

Preparedness focuses on the process ofplanning for the worst-case scenario.Response is devoted to the steps to takeduring a crisis.Recovery deals with how to restore thelearning and teaching environment aftera 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 bein various stages of planning. This Guide provides theresources needed to start the planning process and isa tool used to review and improve existing plans.Exhibit 1.1Cycle of Crisis PlanningMitigation& PreventionPreparednessRecoveryResponse1-7

TAKE ACTION!KEY PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVECRISIS PLANNINGCrisis 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 principalshould work together to make school crisisplanning 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 ina vacuum. They are a natural extension ofongoing school and community efforts tocreate 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 insideschool buildings, on school grounds, andin the community. Coordination will avoidduplication and mixed messages, as well asreduce burden on planners.1-8

Effective crisis planningbegins withSchool and districts should open thechannels of communication well beforea crisis. Relationships need to be built inadvance so that emergency responders arefamiliar with your school. Cultivate a relationshipwith city emergency managers, publicworks officials, and health and mentalhealth professionals now, and do not overlooklocal media. It is important that theyunderstand how the district and schools willrespond in a crisis.leadership at the top.Crisis plans should be developed in partnershipwith other community groups,including law enforcement, fire safetyofficials, emergency medical services, aswell as health and mental health professionals.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 coordinatedplan 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 developa 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,1-9

Crisis plans are living documents.Theyneedtobereviewed and revised regularly.“evacuate” rather than “code blue.” Manydistricts note that with plain language everyonein 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 thana 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 toolboxfor administrators, and wallet cards containingevacuation 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 foundthat few schools addressed children or staffwith physical, sensory, motor, developmental,or mental challenges. Special attention isalso needed for children with limited English1-10

proficiency. Outreach documents for familiesmay be needed in several languages.Include all types of schools where appropriate.Be sure to include alternative, charter,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 whatto 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.1-11

Crisis plans are living documents. They need to bereviewed and revised regularly. Analyzing how wella crisis plan worked in responding to an incident,whether a drill or a real event, is crucial. Documentingall actions taken while, during, and after an event helpsin identifying the strengths and weaknesses of a plan.Use this information to strengthen the plan.USING THIS GUIDEThe remainder of this Guide is organized into five sections.Sections 2 through 5 discuss mitigation/prevention,preparedness, response, and recovery in-depth. Eachsection begins with a checklist that provides an overviewof the critical issues in each phase. These are designed sothey can be copied and distributed to various stakeholders.Section 6 provides closer looks at specific aspects ofcrisis management. These are intended for key plannerswho need more detailed guidance to help them implementthe crisis planning process. This symbol refers thereader to a Closer Look topic.Appendix A provides a resource guide for getting started.A wealth of information is already available to helpbegin or update the planning process. It also includescontact information for state school safety offices,FEMA, state emergency management agencies, anddisaster relief organizations.Appendix B contains the names and affiliations of theworking group members, as well as the members of thefocus groups held across the country. Finally, AppendixC contains the names of the crisis planning expertsinterviewed to assist in preparing the Guide.1-12

Mitigation & PreventionMitigation &Prevention

Mitigation & PreventionACTION CHECKLISTConnect with community emergencyresponders to identify local hazards.Mitigatin& PreventionReview the last safety audit toexamine school buildings andgrounds.Determine who is responsible foroverseeing violence preventionstrategies in your school.Encourage staff to provide input andfeedback into the crisis planningprocess.Review incident data.Determine the major problems in yourschool with regard to student crimeand violence.Assess how the school addressesthese problems.Conduct an assessment to determinehow these problems—as well as others—may impact your vulnerability tocertain crises.

Mitigation& PreventionAlthough schools have no control over someof the hazards that may impact them, suchas earthquakes or plane crashes, they cantake actions to minimize or mitigate theimpact of such incidents. Schools in earthquake-proneareas can mitigate the impactof a possible earthquake by securing bookcasesand training students and staff whatto do during tremors.Schools cannot always control fights, bombthreats, and school shootings. However,they can take actions to reduce the likelihoodof such events. Schools may institutepolicies, implement violence preventionprograms, and take other steps to improvethe culture and climate of their campuses.2-1

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 safetyand integrity of facilities (window seals, HVAC systems,building structure), security (functioning locks, controlledaccess 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 theywill 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 incidentsinvolving hazardous materials is importantfor 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 representative,for example, can help conduct a hazard assessment.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.2-2

MITIGATIONThe Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)has done considerable work to help states and communitiesin the area of mitigation planning. It notes thatthe goal of mitigation is to decrease the need for responseas 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 vulnerability(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 importantto 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 districtand 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.PAGE 6-3FEMA Resources2-3

shouldbepartofPREVENTIONthecrisisplanningteam.The staff in charge of 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 atpreventing 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 chargeof prevention in a school (counselors, teachers, healthprofessionals, administrators) should be part of thecrisis planning team. Information on effective andpromising prevention programs is on the Office of Safeand Drug-Free Schools Web site.2-4

ACTION STEPSKnow the school building. Assess potential hazardson campus. Conduct regular safety audits of the physicalplant. Be sure to include driveways, parking lots, playgrounds,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 managementdirector to assess surrounding hazards. Thisincludes the identification and assessment of the probabilityof natural disasters (tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes)and industrial and chemical accidents (watercontamination or fuel spills). Locate major transportationroutes 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 community-widerisk 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 mitigationand 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.PAGE 6-7 Terrorism,6-9 VolunteersPAGE 6-5Leadership2-5

Make regular school safety and security effortspart of mitigation/prevention practices. Consultthe comprehensive school safety plan and its needsassessment activities to identify what types of incidentsare common in the school.PAGE 6-10CommunicationEstablish clear lines of communication. Becausemitigation and prevention planning requires agenciesand organizations to work together and share information,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 importanceof crisis planning can help open the channelsof communication with the public.2-6

PreparednessPreparedness

ACTION CHECKLISTPreparednessPreparednessTo review the comprehensiveness ofthe crisis plan, consider the itemson the checklist below.Determine what crisis plans exist inthe district, school, and community.Identify all stakeholders involvedin crisis planning.Develop procedures for communicatingwith staff, students, families, andthe media.Establish procedures to accountfor students during a crisis.Gather information that exists aboutthe school facility, such as maps andthe location of utility shutoffs.Identify the necessary equipmentthat needs to be assembled to assiststaff in a crisis.

PreparednessCrises have the potential to affect everystudent and staff member in a schoolbuilding. Despite everyone’s best efforts atcrisis prevention, it is a certainty thatcrises will occur in schools. Good planningwill facilitate a rapid, coordinated,effective response when a crisis occurs.Being well prepared involves an investmentof time and resources—but the potential toreduce injury and save lives is well worththe effort.Every school needs a crisis plan that istailored to its unique characteristics. Withina school district, however, it is necessaryfor all plans to have certain commonalities.3-1

Also, it is impractical for all schools to work individuallywith emergency responders and other local agencies,although school staff should meet the people who willrespond to a crisis before one happens. It is importantto find the right balance and to assign district andschool roles early.PAGE 6-13PreparednessSet 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, comprehensivecrisis plan cannot be developed overnight. Take the timeneeded for collecting essential information, developingthe plan, and involving the appropriate people.3-2

ACTION STEPSStart by identifying who should be involved in developingthe crisis plan. Include training and drills. Delegatingresponsibilities and breaking the process down into manageablesteps will help planners develop the plan.Identify and involve stakeholders. Identify the stakeholdersto be involved in developing the crisis managementplan (the people who are concerned about thesafety of the school and the people who will call assistwhen a crisis occurs). Ask stakeholders to provide feedbackon 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.PAGE 6-17CommunityIt is essential to work with city and county emergencyplanners. You need to know the kinds of support municipalitiescan 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 emergencyplanning gives school and district administrators3-3

It is critical to work with law enforcementofficersand 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 district’scrisis 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 toenvironmental, staff, and student changes:Has the building been renovated or is itcurrently under renovation?Is the list of staff current?Have there been changes in the student population?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 vulnerabilities,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 mitigation/preventionphase (see Section 2). Consider inci-3-4

dents that may occur during community use of theschool facility and prepare for incidents that occurwhile students are off-site (e.g., during a field trip).Define roles and responsibilities. How will theschool operate during a crisis? Define what shouldhappen, when, and at whose direction—that is, createan organizational system. This should involve many ofthe school staff—important tasks will be neglected ifone person is responsible for more than one function.School staff should be assigned to the following roles:School commanderLiaison to emergency respondersStudent caregiversSecurity officersMedical staffSpokespersonDuring the planning process, both individuals andbackups should be assigned to fill these roles.If the district has not already appointed a public informationofficer, or PIO, it should to do so right away.Some large school districts have staff dedicated solely tothis function. Many smaller districts use the superintendent,school security officers, or a school principalas their PIO.3-5

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.PAGE 6-19ICSMany schools and emergency responders use theIncident Command System, or ICS, to manage incidents.ICS provides a structured way for delegating responsibilitiesamong school officials and all emergency respondersduring crisis response. An ICS and/or other managementplan 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 individualswho are directly or indirectly involved in thecrisis. One of the first steps in planning for communicationis 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 recommendssimply 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 sureto discuss the safest means of communication with lawenforcement and emergency responders. For example,some electronic devices can trigger bombs.3-6

Plan how to communicate with families, communitymembers, and the media. Consider writing template lettersand 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 informationto 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 emergencyresponders so that they have complete access to theschool. Get the phones or radios necessary for communication.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 teachersso they have easy access to the supplies. For example,a nurse’s kit might include student and emergency medicines(“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 referenceguide, as well as an updated student roster.PAGE 6-22The MediaPAGE 6-24ProductsPrepare 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 makes3-7

PAGE 6-30Special Needs Studentssense 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 contingenciesfor weather conditions such as rain, snow, andextreme cold and heat. While most students will be ableto walk to a nearby community center, students with disabilitiesmay 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. Thisis 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 outsideof the school and an evacuation would be dangerous.A lockdown may also be called for when there is acrisis 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.3-8

Exhibit 3.1DecisionsLockdown, Evacuation, or RelocationDostudentsneed tomove?Is schoolcampussafe?Movestudentsto schoolcampus.YesNoLockdown.Isoffsite*safe?Movestudentsto off sitelocation.Is remote*shelterneeded?YesNoNoMove toalternativelocation.**YesContinue tohold in place.Initiateremoterelocationplans.NoStartreunificationprocedures.Release toparents?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.3-9

Preparedness includesemergencydrillsand crisisexercises.Shelter-in-place is used when there is not time to evacuateor 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 buildingand 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 informationin 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 procedures.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.3-10

Be sure to inform families of release procedures beforea 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 authorizedindividuals.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 arounda table discussing the steps they would take to respondto 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 duringa crisis, especially those experiencing panic reactions.Careful consideration of these issues will improve yourcrisis plan and better prepare you to respond to anactual crisis.Address liability issues. Consideration of liabilityissues is necessary before crisis planning can be completedand may protect you and your staff from a lawsuit.Situations where there is a foreseeable danger canhold liability if the school does not make every reasonableeffort to intervene or remediate the situation. Acareful assessment of the hazards faced by the schoolis critical.PAGE 6-32Student ReleasePAGE 6-35 Preparing to Respond,6-37 Staff Training, 6-40 TabletopExcercises3-11

ResponseResponse

ACTION CHECKLISTDetermine if a crisis is occurring.Identify the type of crisis thatis occurring and determine theappropriate response.Activate the incident managementsystem.ResponseResponseAscertain whether an evacuation;reverse evacuation; lockdown;or shelter-in-place needs to beimplemented.Maintain communication amongall relevant staff at officiallydesignated locations.Establish what informationneeds to be communicatedto staff, students, families,and the community.Monitor how emergency first aid isbeing administered to the injured.Decide if more equipment andsupplies are needed.

ResponseA crisis is the time to follow the crisis plan,not to make a plan from scratch. Thissection summarizes some of the majorrecommendations gathered fromexperienced practitioners and otherexperts about points to remember whencalled on to implement your crisis plan.4-1

ACTION STEPSExpect 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 informationcan be gathered to adjust later responses.Respond within seconds. When a crisis actuallyhappens, make the basic decisions about what type ofaction is needed and respond within seconds. An immediate,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 mistakeis 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,4-2

One common mistake istodelaycallingit 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 decisionsmade, regardless of the order in which initial decisionsare implemented.emergencyresponders.Triage injuries and provide emergency first aid tothose who need it. The plan should assign emergencymedical services personnel and school staff with relevantqualifications to determine who needs emergencyfirst aid. Designate a location for EMS to treat the seriouslyinjured 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 membersand external emergency responders who have beentrained to deal with crises. Trust will help calm thesituation and minimize the chaos that may occurduring a crisis.4-3

During a crisis, leaders need to project a calm, confident,and serious attitude to assure people of the seriousnessof the situation and the wisdom of the directionsbeing 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 leadershipto others in the plan’s designated command structure.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 consistentand 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 crisiswithout 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 be4-4

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 accomplishedbefore complete resolution of a crisis.PAGE 6-42FamiliesAllow for flexibility in implementing the crisis plan.It is impossible for any crisis plan, no matter how complete,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.4-5

RecoveryRecovery

ACTION CHECKLISTStrive to return to learning as quicklyas possible.Restore the physical plant, as wellas the school community.Monitor how staff are assessingstudents for the emotional impactof the crisis.RecoveryRecoveryIdentify what follow up interventionsare available to students, staff, andfirst responders.Conduct debriefings with staff andfirst responders.Assess curricular activities thataddress the crisis.Allocate appropriate time for recovery.Plan how anniversaries of events willbe commemorated.Capture “lessons learned” andincorporate them into revisionsand trainings.

RecoveryThe goal of recovery is to return to learningand restore the infrastructure of theschool as quickly as possible. Focus onstudents and the physical plant, and totake as much time as needed for recovery.School staff can be trained to deal withthe emotional impact of the crisis, as wellas to initially assess the emotional needs ofstudents, staff, and responders. One ofthe major goals of recovery is to provide acaring and supportive school environment.5-1

ACTION STEPSPlan for recovery in the preparedness phase.Determine the roles and responsibilities of staff andothers who will assist in recovery during the planningphase. District-level counselors may want to train schoolstaff to assess the emotional needs of students and colleaguesto determine intervention needs. Experienceshows that after a crisis many unsolicited offers of assistancefrom outside the school community are made.During planning, you may want to review the credentialsof service providers and certify those that will beused during recovery.PAGE 6-46Crisis InventionAssemble 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 necessaryfor 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 appropriateskills 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.5-2

One of the major goals ofrecoveryReturn 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, families,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 necessaryto translate letters and other forms of communicationinto 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/relandscaping.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 emotionalneeds 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-istoprovide a caring and supportive school environment.5-3

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 childrenor 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 childrenwho may not be able to fully express their feelingsverbally will benefit from participating in creative activities,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 experiences.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.5-4

Allow students to talk about whattheyTake as much time as needed for recovery. An individualrecovers 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 sensationalizationof these deaths.felt and experienced during the traumatic event.5-5

Evaluate. Evaluating recovery efforts will help preparefor the next crisis. Use several methods to evaluaterecovery efforts. Conduct brief interviews with emergencyresponders, 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 communityat large to prepare for future crises?What additional equipment is needed tosupport recovery efforts?What other planning actions will facilitatefuture recovery efforts?5-6

CLOSING THE LOOPAt the beginning of this Guide, wediscussed the cyclical nature of crisisplanning. Recovery may seem like an end,but it is also the beginning. You must closethe loop on the circle. A critical step incrisis planning is to evaluate each incident.What worked? What didn’t? How could youimprove operations? Take what you havelearned and start at the beginning. Updateand strengthen the plan so that in a crisis,no child is left behind.5-7

Closer LookCloser Look

Closer LookCloser Look

Closer LooksThis section provides information on specificaspects of crisis management, and isintended for key planners who need moredetailed guidance to help them implementthe crisis management process. As part ofthese “closer looks” at crisis planning andmanagement, examples have been includedthat illustrate how actual school districtshave implemented crisis planning. Selectionof these examples does not constitute anendorsement of any school district’s crisisplan by the U.S. Department of Education.Given the vast differences in the wayseducational systems and emergencyresponders are organized across thenation, crisis planning at the local levelshould address individual community needs.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 constitutesa crisis, emergency, or disaster. Often, these terms areused interchangeably. Below are some ways crisis managementplanners 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 unexpectedevent that is usually managed by existing resourcesand capabilities. A disaster is any incident that resultsin 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).6-2

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 mitigationpractices:Understanding Your Risks: Identifying andEstimating Losses. This guide provides stepby-stepinstructions on assessing risk.Getting Started: Building Support forMitigation Planning. This guide provides ageneral overview of emergency management,takes the reader through the stages of mitigationplanning, and gives practical exampleson conducting a community assessment,building a planning team, and engaging thepublic in planning.Integrating Human-Caused Hazards intoMitigation Planning. This guide was developedin the wake of the September 11 attacks.The guide addresses such incidents as technologicalhazards and acts of terrorism.Are You Ready: A Guide to CitizenPreparedness. This guide provides detailedinformation in layperson’s terms on what todo in specific disasters and what to do tosurvive one.These documents can be downloaded fromhttp://www.fema.gov.Some of FEMA’s online courses will also be helpful forschool and district staff. Basic Incident Command System6-3

provides 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 whocomplete a series of online activities.6-4

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 ElementsLeadership 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 communitygroups, emergency responders, families,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 types6-5

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 resuscitation(CPR); in the community, includingeveryone from emergency responders tocounselors; and, in organizations such asthe 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 timeto review and evaluate the plan.PAGE 6-19ICSIn times of crisis, the principal serves as the managerand a leader. This does not always equate with beingthe 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.6-6

TERRORISMThorough crisis planning will carry the school anddistrict 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 hazards,it is very important to be prepared. As with otherincidents, a terrorist attack may result in the following:Damage beyond school boundaries (as witha hurricane),Victims who are contaminated (as witha hazardous materials spill),A crime scene to protect (as with arson), orWidespread 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.6-7

Sample SchoolAdvisory SystemRiskSEVERE(Red)HIGH(Orange)Suggested ActionsFollow local and/or federal government instructions(listen to radio/TV)Activate crisis planRestrict school access to essential personnelCancel outside activities and field tripsProvide mental health services to anxious students and staffAssign 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 statusELEVATED(Yellow)Inspect school buildings and grounds for suspicious activitiesAssess increased risk with public safety officialsReview crisis response plans with school staffTest alternative communication capabilitiesGUARDED(Blue)Review and upgrade security measuresReview emergency communication planInventory, test, and repair communication equipmentInventory and restock emergency suppliesConduct crisis training and drillsLOW(Green)Assess and update crisis plans and proceduresDiscuss updates to school and local crisis plans with emergencyrespondersReview duties and responsibilities of crisis team membersProvide CPR and first aid training for staffConduct 100% visitor ID check6-8

VOLUNTEERSVolunteers can be a vital resource for planning. Recentfederal initiatives have focused on training civilians foremergency preparedness.The White House Freedom Corps created the CitizenCorps to funnel the energy and concern of volunteersinto initiatives that prepare local communities to preventand respond effectively to the threats of terrorism,crime, or any other kind of disaster. Citizen Corpsefforts at state and local levels are coordinated nationallyby FEMA. One of these nationwide initiatives is theCommunity Emergency Response Team (CERT), atraining program that prepares citizens in neighborhoods,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 volunteerswho may surface at various points of the crisisplanning and management cycle.6-9

COMMUNICATIONClear lines of communication are crucial to a successfulresponse to a crisis. During the planning process, it willbe important to establish effective lines of communicationamong 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, thereis a great deal of mobility from one schoolto another, for both staff and students. Theterm or code for evacuation in one school,for example, should be the same as the termor code for evacuation in another school in thedistrict. The use of plain language is advised.Identify several modes of communicationfor both internal and external communication.Keep in mind that in times of crisis,computers, intercoms, telephones, and evencell phones may not work or may be dangerousto use. Plan for several methods of communicationin 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 graba backpack containing a cell phone and a6-10

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 communicationdevices 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 communication,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 processto 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.6-11

Good communication during a crisis is also crucial.Below are some key points to keep in mind:Keep staff who are managing the studentsinformed. 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.6-12

PREPAREDNESSThere is a great deal of variation in what districts doto prepare for crises. Different districts have differentneeds and face different hazards. For example, OlatheUnified School District in Kansas is likely to face a tornado,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 studentsfollow proper procedures during a mock crisis situation.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 asituation,” says the assistant superintendent for generaladministration for the Olathe School District. Olathe’scrisis plan has been in existence for the past 11 years.Every school building is required to have its own allhazardcrisis plans, which are also housed in the districtoffice. Building principals review and update their plansyearly to make sure they are in compliance. Plans arecontinuously used by school buildings and are consideredpart of the daily routine.The district has two teams that have specific responsibilitiesneeded to respond to crisis situations. The districtcrisis management team is responsible for coordinationof all aspects of a crisis from the district level.The building crisis management team assesses the6-13

situation to determine whether the building crisis planshould be set into motion. The district has also establisheduniversal codes, drills, and procedures for eachbuilding in the district. Training and drills are seen asessential components of the crisis plans. The districtrequires five types of drills over the school year: fire, tornado,severe weather, code red (lockdown), and bus evacuation.Other drills are left up to the schools’ discretion.San Diego City Public Schools, CaliforniaSan 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 anddevelop 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 planningand training with the San DiegoPolice Department, San Diego SchoolPolice Services, public safety, anddistrict 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 signs6-14

off on all plans. The district can be fined by the state forany school that does not submit a plan.Boyertown Area School District, PennsylvaniaBoyertown Area School District is only a few miles fromthe Limerick Nuclear Generating Plant. Any school within10 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 districtadministrators and school principals who in turndevelop site plans. School staff are given a staff emergencyprocedures folder to use in the event of an emergency.The district uses a color-coded system to facilitateresponse and communication. One feature of the AllHazards Plan is the checklist that appears at the beginningof 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 conductsroutine 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 district6-15

has implemented a security certification process for allschools for the past four years. Schools must be in compliancewith 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, and6 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 spotcheckschools on identified standards. Schools found outof compliance receive unannounced spot-checks withina year after the initial review.6-16

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 collaborationamong 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 safetyand emergency management agencies.”Maine, Nevada, and Rhode Island are among the statesrequiring law enforcement, firefighters, and local emergencyservices 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, GeorgiaSchool 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 developeda draft crisis management plan, they worked with local6-17

police, sheriff, EMS, Red Cross, county health and mentalhealth 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 communitywideemergency 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 incident.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, VirginiaHanover Public Schools’ crisis plans developed out ofa 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 communitycollaboration. “The district has made every effort toinclude a broad cross section of the community constituencyin the development of crisis plans,” says thedistrict’s executive director of support services. The districthas 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 communityrepresentative on the school safety committee and onthe school safety audit committee.6-18

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 emergencymanagement 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 leadingthe response. Learn how they will direct their personneland 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, includingmanaging 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, beprepared for the incident commander to designate outsidepersonnel to manage these responsibilities. Accordingto 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.6-19

Public information officer. This person isresponsible for releasing information to families,community members, and the mediaduring a crisis. The media can be a tremendoushelp 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 (psychologicalservices), 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 acquiring6-20

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 messagesfrom the operations officer to those staffmembers directly managing students.6-21

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 catastrophicevent, the media may be your only outlet forcommunicating with families. However, as with all crisisplanning, 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 representativewill give information to themedia. In order to be proactive, only onePIO/spokesperson should speak with themedia, even if there is nothing yet available6-22

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 stayingin the media staging area. I will be makingall 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 predeterminedsite that is away from students andstaff, the principal or head of the commandchain should designate an alternate site.Prepare staff to deal with the mediatrying to get live coverage pictures andinterviews. Media personnel will often tryto get on campus and interview staff and students.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 informationto 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 frighteningto children.6-23

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 schooldistricts have found the following products useful.Teacher Quick Reference GuidesThe director of school safety in Bulloch County,Georgia, discovered that teachers found having copiesof the district’s safety plan inadequate for crisisresponse. Using the master plan, they were unable toquickly identify their roles and responsibilities in acrisis. 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.6-24

The Quick Guide has been designed to be a dynamicdocument that can be updated every year. Now allfaculty members, from teachers to cafeteria workers,have a copy of the guide and only principals andmembers of school safety team have the big book.Crisis BoxesThe California Safe Schools Task Force realizedschool administrators should have crisis boxes sothat they will immediately have the informationessential for effective management of a criticalincident. They created a monograph that can be foundat http://www.cde.ca.gov/spbranch/safety/crisismgnt/crisis.asp. The monograph contains tips on how toorganize the information that should be in the crisisresponse box, recommendations for who should getcopies of the box, and details of what should be inthe box and why. Recommended contents includethe following:Crisis response team roster and contactinformationStudent attendance rostersStudent disposition forms and emergencydata cardsStudent photosSpecial needs dataStaff rosterKeys6-25

Aerial photos of campusMaps of the surrounding neighborhoodCampus layoutEvacuation sitesDesignated command post and staging areasFire alarm turn-off proceduresSprinkler systems turn-off proceduresUtility shutoff valvesGas line and utility line layoutThe guide also reminds schools of the importance ofhaving first aid supplies easily accessible from multiplelocations.Teacher Crisis BagsMany 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 rosterCopy of emergency proceduresFirst aid suppliesFlashlight and extra batteries6-26

Activities for studentsPaper and pensClipboardStore teacher crisis bags in easily accessible locations.Family Reunification PlansStaff in Bibb County School District, Georgia, have puta 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/reunificationsites 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. Thiskit 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 cooperativein developing these protocols.School Site InformationWhen a crisis occurs, emergency responders will immediatelyneed a great deal of information about yourschool campus. They will need to know the membersof your crisis response team, how various sites can beaccessed, and the location of utility shutoff valves. Manyschools share this information with local police and6-27

escue agencies during the crisis planning process. Someschools give these agencies copies of floor plans thatindicate shutoff information. Some school districts compilesite 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 partnershipwith 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 quickand easy access to information in order to expedite aresponse to a critical situation. MVERS utilizes digitalfloor plans with specific icons that link the viewerto photographs, panoramic pictures, or spreadsheetscontaining essential data. The images can includeinstructions for disconnecting utilities, gaining accessto a certain area, and locations of potential hazards.The combination of floor plans and associated informationprovides 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 collectand 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.6-28

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 offscenecommand 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 pictureof the school and links to the crisis plan, the VirtualTour, and aerial photos of the school and surroundingneighborhood. The tour allows emergency respondersto move around the school building from the safety ofa laptop as they prepare to respond to the crisis. TheVirtual Tour opens with a map of the school. Userscan zoom in on a door or window, click on a doorand go through, walk down a hallway, look left, right,up and down, and turn around. Each screen includesan orientation map that shows where you are on thesite map. The program also flags potential hazards, suchas closets, windows in unusual spaces, and crawl spaces.This information is loaded on police laptops and computersand updated monthly. This material is stored ona private Web site and cannot be accessed by the public.6-29

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, developmental,and sensory limitations. For example, individualswho 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 move studentsand staff with limited mobility totraditional 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 signals.Consider providing basic sign languagetraining to designated school staff.Visual impairments might impede readingsigns or traversing unfamiliar or altered terrain—considerwhether debris might obstructthe evacuation of such staff and students andnecessitate alternative shelter locations.Debris may obstruct the evacuation of individualswith mobility impairments. Be sure6-30

to assign sufficient staff to assist these individualsduring 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 alternativearrangements can be made to providethese necessities.In addition to addressing these concerns, find outwhether specific crises will require additional considerationsfor hazards, such as fire, severe weather, or earthquake.For example, mobility impairments might preventsome staff or students from being able to bend over toassume the protective position recommended during tornadoes.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.6-31

STUDENT RELEASEStudent release is a crucial part of crisis planning. Inall 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 classroomso 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 studentsare present during a crisis.Create student emergency cards. At thebeginning of the school year, make sure theschool has an emergency card for eachstudent 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 recommendauthorizing one or more parentsof children at your child’s school to pick upyour child. The card should also include allpertinent medical information, such as6-32

allergies, medications, and doctor contactinformation. These cards should be storedin 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 families.If necessary, changes should be communicatedthrough 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 designatedleader 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 studentemergency cards. A well-intentioned6-33

friend may offer to take a child home; however,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 provisions,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.6-34

PREPARING STUDENTS,STAFF, AND STAKEHOLDERSTO RESPONDExperts have noted that when a crisis occurs, individualsinvolved 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, howto 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 appropriatelyin 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 success,”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 proceduresin order to familiarize all school personnelwith it. Periodically remind staff ofsignals and codes.6-35

Visit evacuation sites with staff andstakeholders. Show involved parties notonly where evacuation sites are but alsowhere specific areas, such as student reunificationareas, 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 providethem with pamphlets reminding themof key principles. Families and communitymembers should also receive literature summarizingcrisis procedures and informationpertaining to them. Provide each classroomwith a copy of the crisis plan and any relevantmaterials, 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 importanceof drills and explain that while theyare serious, students should not be frightened.Conduct tabletop exercises and scenariobaseddrills 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.6-36

STAFF TRAININGSchool staff need to be trained in how to respond ina crisis.Bulloch County School District, GeorgiaIn Bulloch County School District, Georgia, school districtstaff 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 consistentlyand 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 principalor lead teacher, but some training sessions focus onthe needs of specific groups, such as front office personnel,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. Duringthe 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 district-widetraining.6-37

For the bomb threat training, a representative from theGeorgia Emergency Management Agency, or GEMA,conducts an assessment at each school to identifycommon issues. The GEMA officer than conductsthe 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 enforcementbased on their conversation with aperpetrator,Who is in charge of the situation(law enforcement versus fire chief), andHow 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 representativesevaluate that year’s training to identify areaswhere more training is needed.6-38

Hudson School District, New HampshireThe 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 fireofficials to conduct tabletop exercises, individual schooldrills, and a town-wide mock drill.The comprehensive town-wide drill began at a localelementary 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 evaluatedby NHOEM and local experts. The experiencehelped the district better prepare to manage emergencies.The district also gained valuable experience ininterfacing with local emergency responders.6-39

TABLETOP EXERCISESTabletop exercises are “informal and stress-free exercisesintended to facilitate the testing, evaluation and practicingof 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 conductedinformally. 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 circumstancesthat can be injected to alter the scenario. Theseinjects range from “suspicious person with firearmbehind school” to “electrical service to cafeteria interrupted.”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 participants.Participants may handle the inject and implementan 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 identify,allocate, and utilize resources within theirschool during a critical incident.Assess the ability of school personnel toimplement their critical incident plan.6-40

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 tabletopexercise allows us to provide an environmentthat 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 rotatingschedule that provides an exercise facilitatedby our office to all high schools andmiddle schools every other year, and to eachelementary school every three years.”6-41

FAMILIESMany facets of school safety planning impact families.Much of the literature on school safety planning providesguidelines 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 crisisplanning. 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 Informationto Families Before a CrisisFamilies will appreciate information on crisis preparations.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 emergencyresponders need the area clear to do their job.Also explain that only after emergency responders6-42

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 childrenwill be safer in the school building than outsideor in a car, particularly in cases of severe weather.Communicating Informationto Families During a CrisisCommunicating with families. It is important to havea mechanism for communicating with families in theevent of a crisis. The mode of communication could bea telephone voice recording with information aboutwelfare 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 acknowledgecultural differences in responding to crises.Contact information for students. Schools needcontact 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.6-43

Guidelines for Families in Dealing with TheirChildren After a CrisisRemain calm. It is important to remain calm in theaftermath of a crisis. Children are greatly influencedby 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 compassionatelisteners 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 contributionto the school by referring the media to the PIO.Attend community meetings. Families will receiveinvaluable information and support by attending communityor school meetings. Community meetings oftenprovide information to help dispel rumors and establishmechanisms of communication with parents, the media,and other affected parties.6-44

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 parentsto be heroes. If parents can be strong,this will benefit their recovery.”6-45

MODELS OF CRISISINTERVENTION FOR STUDENTSThere are many approaches to crisis intervention forstudents. Most experts agree that school- or classroombasedstress 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 counselors,and social workers, as well as community serviceproviders may be involved in conducting interventionsfollowing a crisis. Families may also use school personnelas 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 ofstudents (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).6-46

Acute traumatic stress management foreducators, another school-based intervention,offers a “road map” for educators to dealwith the aftermath of a crisis. ATSM takesa practical approach to dealing with thepsychological consequences of a traumaticevent. The goal is to stimulate adaptivecoping 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 experiencesevere symptoms after a crisis mayneed individual counseling. It is importantfor these individuals to be referred for furtherevaluation by a mental health professional.There are many forms of individual6-47

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 atthe 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 questions2 Individual’s reaction to theevent/traumatic reminders3 Life changes/changes in behavior4 Grief responses5 Problem solving/taking constructiveaction, affirmation6 Affirmation and reinforcement ofstudent’s strengths and assets6-48

Appendix AAppendix A

Appendix AAppendix A

Appendix AResourcesThis resource list provides the reader with examples ofthe types of programs that exist in crisis planning. Thisinformation is current as of Spring 2003. Selection ofthese programs does not indicate an endorsement by theDepartment of Education. The Department is interestedin identifying other crisis planning Web sites. Pleasecontact emergencyplan@ed.gov if you have informationregarding other practical resources.ReferencesBrock, 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/index2.htmlDoyle, J. & Loyacono, T.R. (2002). Disaster preparednessguidelines for school nurses. Scarborough, Maine: NationalAssociation of School Nurses. http://www.nasn.orgFederal Emergency Management Agency. (1993).Emergency management guide for business and industry.Washington, D.C.: Author.http://www.FEMA.gov/library/bizindex.shtmFederal Emergency Management Agency (2002).Integrating human-caused hazards into mitigation planning.Web release 10. Washington, D.C.: Author.http://www.fema.gov.Florida Department of Education. (2002). Instructor guide:Multi-hazard planning for Florida’s schools. Tallahassee, Fla.:Author. http://www.fpac.net/educator/signin.cgiA-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.orgOlathe Unified School District, Kansas. (2002).Crisis management manual.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/default.aspPitcher, G.D., & Poland, S. (1992). Crisis intervention in theschools. New York: Guilford Press. http://www.guilford.comSchoenfeldt, 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/offices/OSDFS/publications.htmlWebster’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 ResourcesFor more information on grants from the Department ofEducation to strengthen and improve emergencyresponse plans, as well as to help fund education-relatedefforts in the immediate after math of a violent crisis,please see http://www.ed.gov/emergencyplanAmerican Red Crosshttp://www.redcross.orgPublic Health Training NetworkCenters for Disease Controlhttp://www.phppo.edc.gov/PHTN/Crisis Management ToolkitDepartment of Defense Education Activityhttp://www.odedodea.edu/instruction/crisis/index.htmFairfax County (VA) Public Schoolshttp://www.fcps.k12.va.us/Federal Emergency Management Agencyhttp://www.fema.govMontgomery County (MD) Public Schoolshttp://mcps.k12.md.us/info/emergency/preparedness/index.cfmNational Clearinghouse for Educational Facilitieshttp://www.edfacilities.org/NEA Crisis Response TeamNational Education Associationhttp://www.nea.org/crisis/b1home.html# responseNorth Carolina Public Schoolshttp://www.ncpublicschools.orgA-3

Helpful Web Resources (Cont.)Ready Campaignhttp://www.ready.govEmergency PlanningOffice of Safe and Drug-Free SchoolsU.S. Department of Educationhttp://www.ed.gov/emergencyplan/Communication in a Crisis: Risk Communication Guidelines forPublic Officials, 2002U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesSubstance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administrationhttp://www.riskcommunication.samhsa.gov/index.htmU.S. Department of Homeland Securityhttp://www.dhs.govA-4

State Emergency Management Offices 1Natural Hazards ProgramAlabama Emergency Management Agency5898 County Road 41P.O. Drawer 2160Clanton, AL 35046-2160(205) 280-2238(205) 280-2200 MAIN(205) 280-2495 FAXhttp://www.aema.state.al.us/Alaska Division of Emergency ServicesP.O. Box 5750Fort Richardson, AK 99505-5750(907) 428-7000(907) 428-7009 FAXhttp://www.ak-prepared.com/School Preparedness Page:http://www.akprepared.com/training/toppage1.htmArizona Division of Emergency Services5636 East McDowell RoadPhoenix, AZ 85008(602) 231-6245(602) 231-6356 FAXhttp://www.dem.state.az.us/School Preparedness Page: http://www.dem.state.az.us/pte/multihazardschool1.htmPlans and Operations DepartmentArkansas Department of Emergency ManagementP.O. Box 758Conway, AR 72033(501) 730-9750(501) 730-9754 FAXhttp://www.adem.state.ar.us/1Please contact local emergency management offices prior tocontacting state offices.A-5

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)California Governor’s Office of Emergency ServicesInformation and Public Affairs OfficeP.O. Box 419047Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9047(916) 845-8400(916) 845-8511 FAXhttp://www.oes.ca.gov/Colorado Office of Emergency ManagementDivision of Local GovernmentDepartment of Local Affairs15075 South Golden RoadGolden, CO 80401-3979(303) 273-1622(303) 273-1795 FAXhttp://www.dola.state.co.us/oem/oemindex.htmConnecticut Office of Emergency ManagementMilitary Department360 Broad StreetHartford, CT 06105(860) 566-3180(860) 247-0664 FAXhttp://www.ct.gov/oem/site/default.asp(Connecticut Emergency Management officials recommendcontacting the State Department of Education.)Delaware Emergency Management Agency165 Brick Store Landing RoadSmyrna, DE 19977(302) 659-3362(877)-729-3362 (in-state only)(302) 659-6855 FAXhttp://www.state.de.us/dema/index.htmA-6

District of Columbia Emergency Management Agency2000 14th Street, NW, 8th FloorWashington, DC 20009(202) 727-6161(202) 673-2290 FAXhttp://dcema.dc.govFlorida Division of Emergency Management2555 Shumard Oak Blvd.Tallahassee, FL 32399-2100(850) 413-9969(850) 488-1016 FAXhttp://www.floridadisaster.orgGeorgia Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 18055Atlanta, GA 30316-0055(404) 635-7000(404) 635-7205 FAXhttp://www.State.Ga.US/GEMA/http://www2.state.ga.us/GEMA/Training, Education & Information BranchHawaii State Civil Defense3949 Diamond Head RoadHonolulu, HI 96816-4495(808) 733-4300(808) 734-4246(808) 733-4287 FAXhttp://www.scd.state.hi.usEmergency PlanningIdaho Bureau of Disaster Services4040 Guard Street, Bldg. 600Boise, ID 83705-5004(208) 334-3460(208) 334-2322 FAXhttp://www2.state.id.us/bds/index.htmA-7

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)Illinois Emergency Management Agency110 East Adams StreetSpringfield, IL 62701(217) 782-7860(800) 782-7860 (in-state only)(217) 524-7967 FAXhttp://www.state.il.us/iemaState Planning BranchIndiana State Emergency Management Agency302 West Washington StreetRoom E-208 AIndianapolis, IN 46204-2767(317) 233-6116(317) 232-3986(317) 232-3895 FAXhttp://www.ai.org/sema/index.htmlIowa Division of Emergency ManagementDepartment of Public DefenseHoover Office BuildingDes Moines, IA 50319(515) 281-3231(515) 281-7539 FAXhttp://www.state.ia.us/government/dpd/emd/index.htmTraining SectionKansas Division of Emergency Management2800 S.W. Topeka BoulevardTopeka, KS 66611-1287(785) 274-1401(785) 274-1426 FAXhttp://www.ink.org/public/kdem/A-8

Kentucky Community Crisis Response Board612 B Shelby StreetFrankfort, KY 40601-3460(502) 564-0131(502) 564-0133 (fax)http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/military/kccrb/index.htmlOrKentucky Emergency ManagementEOC Building100 Minuteman Parkway Bldg. 100Frankfort, KY 40601-6168(502) 607-1682(502) 607-1614 FAXhttp://kyem.dma.state.ky.usLouisiana Office of Emergency Preparedness7667 Independence Blvd.Baton Rouge, LA 70806(225) 925-7500(225) 925-7501 FAXhttp://www.loep.state.la.usPlanningMaine Emergency Management AgencyState Office Building, Station 72Augusta, ME 04333(207) 626-4503(207) 626-4499 FAXhttp://www.state.me.us/mema/memahome.htmA-9

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)Maryland Emergency Management AgencyPublic Information OfficerCamp Fretterd Military Reservation5401 Rue Saint Lo DriveReisterstown, MD 21136(410) 517-3631(877) 636-2872 Toll-Free(410) 517-3610 FAXhttp://www.mema.state.md.us/Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency400 Worcester RoadFramingham, MA 01702-5399(508) 820-2000(508) 820-2030 FAXhttp://www.state.ma.us/memaTraining OfficeMichigan Division of Emergency Management4000 Collins RoadP.O. Box 30636Lansing, MI 48909-8136(517) 333-5042(517) 333-4987 FAXMinnesota Division of Emergency ManagementDepartment of Public SafetySuite 223444 Cedar StreetSt. Paul, MN 55101-6223(615) 651-0450(615) 651-0459 FAXhttp://www.dps.state.mn.us/emermgt/A-10

Mississippi Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 4501 - Fondren StationJackson, MS 39296-4501(601) 352-9100(800) 442-6362 Toll Free(601) 352-8314 FAXhttp://www.msema.org/index.htm(MEMA recommends contacting the State Department of Education,Division of School Safety)Missouri Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 162302 Militia DriveJefferson City, MO 65102(573) 526-9100(573) 751-2748 24-hour Duty Officer(573) 634-7966 FAXhttp://www.sema.state.mo.us/semapage.htmMontana Division of Disaster & Emergency Services1100 North MainP.O. Box 4789Helena, MT 59604-4789(406) 841-3911(406) 444-3965 FAXhttp://www.state.mt.us/dma/des/index.shtmlNebraska Emergency Management Agency1300 Military RoadLincoln, NE 68508-1090(402) 471-7421(402) 471-7433 FAXhttp://www.nebema.orgA-11

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)Nevada Division of Emergency Management2525 South Carson StreetCarson City, NV 89711(775) 687-4240(775) 687-6788 FAXhttp://www.dem.state.nv.us/Comprehensive Emergency ManagementPlanning for SchoolsGovernor’s Office of Emergency ManagementState Office Park South107 Pleasant StreetConcord, NH 03301(603) 271-2231(603) 225-7341 FAXhttp://www.nhoem.state.nh.us/Operational Planning Bureau, or Community RelationsNew Jersey Office of Emergency ManagementEmergency Management BureauP.O. Box 7068West Trenton, NJ 08628-0068(609) 538-6050 Monday-Friday(609) 882-2000 ext 6311 (24/7)(609) 538-0345 FAXhttp://www.state.nj.us/oem/county/New Mexico Department of Public SafetyOffice of Emergency Services & SecurityP.O. Box 1628Santa Fe, NM 87504(505) 476-9635(505) 476-9695 FAXhttp://www.dps.nm.org/emergency/index.htmA-12

Planning DepartmentNew York State Emergency Management Office1220 Washington AvenueBuilding 22, Suite 101Albany, NY 12226-2251(518) 457-2222(518) 457-9995 FAXhttp://www.nysemo.state.ny.us/Support Services BranchNorth Carolina Division of Emergency Management116 West Jones StreetRaleigh, NC 27603(919) 733-3867(919) 733-5406 FAXhttp://www.dem.dcc.state.nc.us/North Dakota Division of Emergency ManagementP.O. Box 5511Bismarck, ND 58506-5511(701) 328-8100(701) 328-8181 FAXhttp://www.state.nd.us/demOhio Emergency Management Agency2855 W. Dublin Granville RoadColumbus, OH 43235-2206(614)-889-7167(614) 889-7183 FAXhttp://www.state.oh.us/odps/division/ema/Planning, Training, and Exercise DivisionOffice of Civil Emergency ManagementWill Rogers Sequoia Tunnel 2401 N. LincolnOklahoma City, OK 73152(405) 521-2481(405) 521-4053 FAXhttp://www.odcem.state.ok.us/A-13

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)Oregon Emergency ManagementDepartment of State Police595 Cottage Street, NESalem, OR 97310(503) 378-2911(503) 588-1378 FAXhttp://www.osp.state.or.us/oem/index.htmBureau of PlansPennsylvania Emergency Management Agency2605 Interstate DriveHarrisburg, PA 17110(717) 651-2196(717) 651-2040 FAXhttp://www.pema.state.pa.us/Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency645 New London AveCranston, RI 02920-3003(401) 946-9996(401) 944-1891 FAXhttp://www.state.ri.us/riema/riemaaa.htmlSouth Carolina Emergency Management Division1100 Fish Hatchery RoadWest Columbia, SC 29172(803) 737-8500(803) 737-8570 FAXhttp://www.state.sc.us/emd/South Dakota Division of Emergency Management500 East CapitolPierre, SD 57501-5070(605) 773-6426(605) 773-3580 FAXhttp://www.state.sd.us/state/executive/military/sddem.htmA-14

PlanningTennessee Emergency Management Agency3041 Sidco DriveNashville, TN 37204-1502(615) 741-4332(615) 242-9635 FAXhttp://www.tnema.orgTexas Division of Emergency Management5805 N. LamarAustin, TX 78752(512) 424-2138(512) 424-2444 or 7160 FAXhttp://www.txdps.state.tx.us/dem/Utah Division of Emergency Services and Homeland Security1110 State Office BuildingP.O. Box 141710Salt Lake City, UT 84114-1710(801) 538-3400(801) 538-3770 FAXhttp://www.des.utah.gov/Field OperationsVermont Emergency Management AgencyDepartment of Public SafetyWaterbury State Complex103 South Main StreetWaterbury, VT 05671-2101(802) 244-8721(802) 244-8655 FAXhttp://www.dps.state.vt.us/Virginia Department of Emergency Management10501 Trade CourtRichmond, VA 23236-3713(804) 897-6500 or after hours (804) 674-2400 to have anon-call representative paged(804) 897-6506http://www.vdem.state.va.usA-15

State Emergency Management Offices (Cont.)Public Education ProgramState of Washington Emergency Management DivisionBuilding 20, M/S: TA-20Camp Murray, WA 98430-5122(253) 512-7000(253) 512-7200 FAXhttp://www.emd.wa.gov/West Virginia Office of Emergency ServicesBuilding 1, Room EB-80State Capital Complex1900 Kanawha Boulevard, EastCharleston, WV 25305-0360(304) 558-5380(304) 344-4538 FAXhttp://www.state.wv.us/wvoesWisconsin Emergency Management2400 Wright StreetP.O. Box 7865Madison, WI 53707-7865(608) 242-3232(608) 242-3247 FAXhttp://badger.state.wi.us/agencies/dma/wem/index.htmState Event Management PlanningWyoming Emergency Management Agency5500 Bishop Blvd.Cheyenne, WY 82009-3320(307) 777-4920(307) 635-6017 FAXhttp://wema.state.wy.usA-16

Puerto Rico Emergency Management AgencyP.O. Box 966597San Juan, PR 00906-6597(787) 724-0124(787) 725-4244 FAXhttp://www.disaster-management.net/puerto_di.htmVirgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management - VITEMA2-C Contant, A-Q BuildingVirgin Islands 00820(304) 774-2244(304) 774-1491http://www.usvi.org/vitema/index.htmlA-17

Safe School CentersNational School Safety Center141 Duesenberg Drive, Suite 11Westlake Village, CA 91362(805) 373-9977(805) 373-9277 FAXhttp://www.nssc1.orgColorado Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence900 28th Street, Suite 107Boulder, CO 80303(303) 492-0404http://www.colorado.edu/cspv/Connecticut Governor’s Prevention Partnership30 Arbor StreetHartford, CT 06106(860) 523-8042 ext. 28(860) 236-9412 Faxhttp://www.preventionworksct.orgFlorida Office of Safe SchoolsFlorida Department of Education325 W. Gaines Street, Room 301Tallahassee, FL 32399-0400Phone: (850) 410-1667Fax: (850) 410-1796http://www.firn.edu/doe/besss/safehome.htmIndiana School Safety Specialist AcademyIndiana Department of EducationRoom 229, State HouseIndianapolis, IN 46204-2798317-234-0326317-232-9140 - Faxhttp://www.doe.state.in.us/isssaA-18

Kentucky Center for School SafetyEastern Kentucky University105 Stratton Building521 Lancaster AvenueRichmond, KY 404751-877-805-4277 (toll free)http://www.kysafeschools.orgMissouri Center for Safe SchoolsUniv. of MO. - Kansas City - School of Education.5100 Rockhill RoadKansas City, MO 64110Phone Number: 816-235-5656Fax Number: 816-235-5270http://www.umkc.edu/safe-school/Nebraska School Safety OfficeNebraska Department of Education301 Centennial Mall SouthLincoln, NE 68509-4987Phone: (402) 471-1925Fax: (402) 471-8127http://www.nde.state.ne.us/safetyNew York State Center for School Safety175 Rt. 32 N.New Paltz, NY 12561(845) 255-8989Emergency number: (845) 471-3660http://www.mhric.org/scssNorth Carolina Center for the Prevention of School ViolenceNorth Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention410 S. Salisbury StreetRaleigh, NC 27601800-299-6054http://www.cpsv.orgA-19

Safe School Centers (Cont.)Ohio Prevention and Education Resource Center (OPERC)University of CincinnatiP.O. Box 210109Cincinnati, OH 45221-0109Voice: (513) 556-0440Toll Free: (800) 788-7254Fax: (513) 556-3764http://www.ebasedprevention.orgPennsylvania Center for Safe Schools1300 Market StreetSuite 12Lemoyne, PA 17043(717) 763-1661http://www.safeschools.infoTennessee School Safety Center7th Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower710 James Robertson ParkwayNashville, TN 37243(615) 741-3248http://www.state.tn.us/education/sp/sptsscTexas School Safety CenterSouthwest Texas State University601 University DriveASB South, 3 rd FloorSan Marcos, TX 78666Phone: (512) 245-3696Fax: (512) 245-9033http://www.txssc.swt.eduA-20

Appendix BAppendix B

Appendix BAppendix B

Appendix BEmergency School Safety,Planning, Response,and Recovery MeetingParticipantsWorking GroupChris Stone - FacilitatorVera Institute of JusticeNew York, N.Y.Christine AguilarDirector of Safe Schools/HealthyStudents GrantsPoudre School DistrictFort Collins, Colo.William BrennerDirectorNational Clearinghouse onEducational FacilitiesWashington, D.C.Peg CarsonRisk Watch Field AdvisorNational Fire ProtectionAssociationWarrenton, Va.Karen ClevelandEmergency ResponseCoordinatorCenters for Disease Control andPreventionAtlanta, 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 onDisabilityEmergency PreparednessInitiativeBrooklyn, N.Y.B-1

Working Group (cont.)Michael DornAntiterrorism PlannerOffice of Homeland Security –Georgia EmergencyManagement AgencySchool Safety DivisionAtlanta, Ga.Steven Edwards, Ph.D.Vice PresidentNational Crime PreventionCouncilWashington, D.C.Ted FeinbergAssistant Executive DirectorNational Association of SchoolPsychologistsBethesda, Md.Robyn FordWorkplace Improvement AnalystU.S. Postal Service – CapitalDistrictCapitol Heights, Md.Gabriella HayesProgram ManagerNational PTAChicago, Ill.Bob Hull, Ph.D.Assistant SuperintendentOlathe Unified School District233Olathe, Kan.James KellyPolice ChiefPalm Beach County School,District Police and SafeSchools CenterWest Palm Beach, Fla.Curtis S. LavarelloExecutive DirectorNational Association of SchoolResource OfficersSarasota, Fla.Robert LewandowskiMiddle School CoordinatorKeys SchoolPark Hill, Okla.Mike LoganDirector, ReadinessDisaster ServicesAmerican Red Cross NationalHeadquartersFalls Church, Va.Kim HoganBehavior TeacherHudson School DistrictHudson, N.H.Robert D. Macy, Ph.D.Executive DirectorThe Center for TraumaPsychologyBoston, Mass.B-2

Working Group (cont.)Peter MarcelloProgram AnalystTransportation SecurityAdministrationArlington, Va.Judy MarksAssociate DirectorNational Clearinghouse forEducational FacilitiesWashington, D.C.Wesley MitchellChief of Police (retired)Los Angeles School PoliceDepartmentAltadena, Calif.Gregory ThomasExecutive DirectorOffice of School Safety andPlanning – New York CityDepartment of EducationBrooklyn, N.Y.Cynthia Wright-Johnson, MSNRNCDirectorMaryland Institute for EmergencyMedical Services SystemsEMSC ProgramBaltimore, Md.Bebe PinterManagerHarris County Departmentof EducationHouston, Tex.Judith Robinson, Ph.D., RN,FAANExecutive DirectorNational Association of SchoolNursesCastle Rock, Colo.B-3

Charlotte, N.C.Focus GroupMelissa DeRosier, Ph.D.3-C Institute for SocialDevelopmentJerri HaiglerExecutive DirectorPublic InformationCharlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolDistrictRalph Taylor, Ph.DDirectorAlternative Education and SafeSchoolsTheresa WahomeCoordinatorSafe and Drug-Free SchoolsDurham Public SchoolsWilliam LassiterSchool Safety SpecialistCenter for the Preventionof School ViolenceLori LumpkinDurham Public SchoolsJoe ParkWinston-Salem/Forsyth CountyTed PearsonDirectorSchool Law EnforcementDepartmentCharlotte-Mecklenburg SchoolDistrictMarianne Peltier-AllisonAlamance-Burlington SchoolDistrictAlthia ScrivenHealth and Safety OfficerDurham Public SchoolsB-4

Denver, Colo.Focus GroupRobert AndersonDirectorDistrict Preventionand InterventionDenver Public SchoolsLarry BorlandDirectorSafety and SecurityColorado Springs District 11Patricia LopezCo-Project DirectorPsychological ServicesDenver Public SchoolsDavid MartinSecurity Training SpecialistDepartment of Safety andSecurityDenver Public SchoolsJim DornDirectorSafety and SecurityJefferson County R1 SchoolDistrictStephen FinleyManagerRisk ManagementDenver Public SchoolsMelanie HaasAssistant SuperintendentSabin Elementary SchoolDenver Public SchoolsGreg MooreDirectorOrganizational SupportAurora Public SchoolsSharon MooreProject DirectorHighline Education CenterLeslie PaigeProject DirectorRURAL: Safe Schools/HealthyStudentsHays Unified School District#489, Kan.Janelle KruegerProgram ManagerPrevention InitiativesColorado Department ofEducationLynn PopkowskiTeacher on Special AssignmentSafe and Drug-Free SchoolsDenver Public SchoolsB-5

Denver, Colo.Focus Group (cont.)Edward RayChiefSafety and SecurityDenver Public SchoolsReggie RobinsonPrincipalMitchell Elementary SchoolDenver Public SchoolsChris SaizPsychological ServicesDenver Public SchoolsBetsy ThompsonDirectorStudent ServicesJefferson County SchoolsJim TrevinoPrincipalHorace Mann Middle SchoolDenver Public SchoolsTimothy TurleyProject ManagerSafe Schools/Healthy StudentsDenver Public SchoolsB-6

Appendix CAppendix C

Appendix CAppendix C

Appendix CCrisis PlanningInterview ParticipantsEducation LawPolicyEducationOrganizationGary AveryLaw Policy InstituteChris BorrecaBracewell and Patterson, LLPMandy BingamanExecutive Director, EducationLaw AssociationBill BondNational Association ofSecondary School PrincipalsNancy DormanPolicy Specialist, WisconsinAssociation of School BoardsNora HowleyProject Director, School HealthProject, Council of Chief StateSchool OfficersJerald NewberryDirector, Safe Schools NowNetwork, National EducationAssociationAnn Od’DoneNational Education AssociationPaula Rae PawlowskiMember, National PTA Boardof DirectorsRonald D. StephensExecutive Director, NationalSchool Safety CenterC-1

EmergencyManagementGordon AoyagiFire Administrator, MontgomeryCounty, Md.Emergency Management CenterTrina HembreeExecutive Director, NationalEmergency ManagementAssociationMike AustinDirector, Arizona Divisionof Emergency ManagementCharlie BiggsFEMA, Readiness DivisionGregg ChamplinNatural Hazards ProgramSpecialist,New Hampshire Officeof Emergency ManagementAnn DeMueuseCo-Chair, Door County Wisc.Emergency ManagementDirectorMichael DornGeorgia Emergency ManagementAgency, School SafetyDivisionKathee HenningCoordinator, MontgomeryCounty, Md. EmergencyManagement CenterRichard MeighenMaryland Institute of EmergencyManagement SystemsKaren MarshBranch Chief, FEMA, Officeof National Preparedness,Community and FamilyPreparednessRalph SwisherFEMA, Community and FamilyPreparednessDawn WarehimeFEMA, Emergency TrainingInstituteRenelle GrubbsExecutive Director, KentuckyCommunity Crisis ResponseBoardC-2

Health and WelfareMental HealthSusan WolleyAmerican School HealthAssociationJill CookAmerican School CounselorAssociationLocal EducationAgencyLois BerlinAssociate Superintendent forCurriculum and Instruction,Alexandria, Va. City PublicSchoolsSharon BoettingerSuperintendent for SchoolCounseling, Frederick County,Md. Public SchoolsCindy CarlyleSchool CounselorKeith GrierDirector Student Services,Charles County, Md. PublicSchoolsBrian MarcumMarion County DistrictRowland SavageCoordinator Departmentof Student Support Services,Baltimore County, Md. PublicSchoolsKendall JohnsonAuthor and Classroom Teacher,San Antonio High School,Claremont, Tex. Unified SchoolDistrictScott PolandDirector, Psychological Services,Cypress- Fairbanks, AlaskaIndependent School DistrictDavid SchonfeldAdministrative Director,Behavioral Pediatrics, YaleUniversity School of Medicine,Department of PediatricsWilliam SaltzmanCo-Director, National Centerfor Acute Traumatic StressRon SlabyProfessor, Harvard GraduateSchool of Education,Technology in EducationJudie SmithSchool/Community Outreachand Crisis Coordinator, IrvingIndependent School DistrictC-3

Mental Health/CrisisPlanning ConsultantNationalAssociationCheri LovreDirector, Crisis ManagementInstituteMary SchoefeldtSchoenfeldt and AssociatesKate StetznerSafe School SolutionsAnn BeauchesneDirector of EmergencyManagement, NationalGovernors AssociationLiam GoldrickNational Governors Association,Education Policy Studies,Center for Best PracticesCyrill WantlandConsultant in Safe SchoolsStrategiesDonald MurrayVice Chair, Justice and PublicSafety Steering Committee,National Association ofCountiesC-4

Public SafetyResearcherTerri RoysterSpecial Agent, FBIRob SchellVermont Department of PublicSafetyTerrance N. TreschukChief of Police, Rockville Policeand Community ServicesDepartments.Daniel Della-GiustinaWest Virginia University Collegeof Engineering and MineralResources Industrial andManagement SystemsEngineering, AmericanSociety of SafetyEngineers (ASSE)Fred HartmeisterProfessor, College of Education,Texas Tech UniversityPatty WeeksProject Director, Stockton StateUniversity, Calif.C-5

Risk ManagementWill EvansDirector of Safety Education,MarkelInsuranceIvan HentschelTraining Coordinator, Public RiskManagement AssociationJim McGintyPublic Agency Training CouncilArt LangRisk Manager, Orange-UlsterBoard of CollaborativeEducation ServicesState EducationAgency/SchoolSafety CenterAnne J. AtkinsonPresident, Policy Works, Ltd.Julie CollinsOperations and ManagementConsultant Manager, FloridaDepartment of EducationArlene CundiffSDFS Coordinator, Va.Department of Education,Office of CompensatoryPrograms/Division ofInstructional Support ServicesJean EckhalN.Y. State Center for SchoolSafety, Project SAVE SchoolSafety Plans WorkgroupSteve KimberlingDirector, Safe and Drug-FreeSchools, KentuckyMarsha LathroumMaryland Departmentof EducationLynn WiddowsonMaryland Departmentof EducationC-6

U.S. Department of Education