U.S. Department of Education Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center Emerrgencyy Ressponsse and Crriissiiss Managementt TA Centterr ERCMExpress Volume 2, Issue 8 CREATING EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLANS To ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff, to emergency management and work to schools and school districts nationwide should ensure that their plans take into account the create comprehensive, multi-hazard emergency unique needs of the school, any procedures management plans that focus on the four phases and processes already in place that could be of emergency management—prevention- improved and the benefits of adding structure to mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery. identified gaps. All-inclusive plans and well-executed processes will ensure the continuity of school and school Creating Plans Based on the districts’ daily business operations in the face Four Phases of Emergency of natural and man-made disasters, criminal Management activity on campuses and outbreaks of infectious The four phases of emergency management help diseases. “Schools must prepare for the expected to establish a firm foundation for successful to be prepared for the unexpected,” asserts Robert planning. The phases are all interconnected; Laird, director of school safety at the Mississippi therefore, proactive efforts in each phase Department of Education. impact the quality of the outcomes of the other three phases. The most effective plans provide The Safe and Drug-Free Schools and direction and support to the entire school Communities Act (SDFSCA) requires community and are continuously reviewed and local education agencies (LEAs) receiving enhanced through routine activities to build a SDFSCA funds to have a plan for keeping school or school district’s capacity to prevent their schools safe and drug-free that includes: and mitigate emergencies, prepare for incidents appropriate and effective discipline policies; and respond to and recover from crises. security procedures; prevention activities; a student code of conduct; and an emergency The following suggestions, categorized by the management plan for responding to violent four phases of emergency management, will or traumatic incidents on school grounds. assist schools and school districts in establishing or refining their emergency management plans. Most schools and school districts have Phase 1: Prevention-Mitigation established emergency management plans; however, they are often not comprehensive, The prevention-mitigation phase is designed practiced regularly or written in collaboration to assess and address the safety, security with the local community. It is highly and integrity of school buildings, learning recommended that schools and school districts environments and students and staff. Prevention adopt a comprehensive, multi-hazard approach is the action or actions taken by schools and school districts to decrease the likelihood that an Phase 2: Preparedness emergency will occur. Mitigation is the action The preparedness phase readies schools or actions taken to eliminate or reduce risks, and school districts to respond in a rapid, damages, injuries or deaths that may occur coordinated and effective manner to an during an emergency, such as a natural disaster emergency. Examples of preparedness activities or chemical spill. that may be incorporated into a school’s Examples of prevention activities that may emergency management plan include: be incorporated into a school’s emergency Identifying weaknesses in the current management plan may include: emergency management plan; Establishing communication procedures for Interpreting the data collected from the staff, parents, students and the media; vulnerability assessments conducted during Enforcing policies related to food the prevention-mitigation phase; preparation, mail handling, building access Developing or updating appropriate processes and student accountability; and and procedures (based on the identification Conducting comprehensive, strength-based of weaknesses as well as the data from the vulnerability assessments—of school vulnerability assessments) to ensure the buildings and grounds, school cultures safety of students, faculty, staff and visitors; and climates, staff skills, and community Creating and strengthening relationships resources—to help crisis response teams with community partners, including identify, analyze and profile hazards and members of law enforcement, fire safety, develop appropriate policies and procedures. local government, public health and mental Mitigation activities may include: health agencies and the media; Delegating roles and responsibilities, Fencing hazardous areas; including levels of authority; Anchoring outdoor equipment that could Establishing an Incident Command System become flying projectiles; and (ICS); Bolting bookshelves to walls and securing Implementing functional training exercises loose wires. for faculty and staff with first responders; Implementing evacuation, lock-down and shelter-in-place drills; and Coordinating emergency management plans with those of state and local agencies to avoid unnecessary duplication. Phase 3: Response When emergencies arise, schools and school districts must quickly implement the policies and procedures developed in the prevention- healing process of students, faculty and staff, but a school’s physical (buildings and grounds), fiscal (daily business operations) and academic (a return to classroom learning) recuperation. Strong partnerships with members of the law enforcement and public and mental health communities are essential for effective recovery efforts. Examples of recovery activities include: Outlining service delivery systems; Providing mental health services or offering referral services; mitigation and preparedness phases to effectively Developing letter templates for emergencies; manage the crisis and protect the school community. Throughout the response phase, Predetermining strategies for accepting efforts focus on deescalating the emergency donations following a death or an incident; and taking accelerated steps toward recovery. Establishing a policy for standing or Examples of response activities include: temporary memorials and ensuring that it is consistent for all events; Delegating responsibilities; Ensuring that a process is in place for Deploying resources; soliciting and receiving parental consent Activating the communication, for such activities as providing medical accountability and decisionmaking treatment or receiving counseling services; procedures outlined in the predetermined Establishing a process for screening and emergency management plan; registering volunteers; and Documenting all actions, decisions and Developing and practicing a Continuity of events (e.g., what happened, what worked Operations Plan (COOP) at the school and and what did not work); school district levels. Holding debriefing meetings; and Reviewing after-action reports to determine recovery activities and necessary revisions to the emergency management plan based on lessons learned. Phase 4: Recovery The recovery phase quickly restores educational and business operations in schools and school districts following an incident. Recovery is an ongoing process that includes not only the mental, emotional and physical Establishing Crisis Response the development of comprehensive, multi- Teams hazard emergency management plans. The process of developing and maintaining Align Plans and Procedures an emergency management plan is complex; therefore, before a plan is developed, district School and school district crisis response crisis response teams and individual crisis teams should collaborate with local, state, response teams should be assembled. These regional and federal agencies (before a crisis teams are composed of a variety of professionals occurs) to integrate processes and determine with expertise in emergency management (e.g., what resources may be shared. As an incident police, fire and emergency medical services escalates, well-aligned response procedures will personnel) and include community partners facilitate a smooth transfer of command, ensure (e.g., public and mental health professionals) the effective activation of additional resources, and school-based staff (e.g., facilities and and promote clear communication among cafeteria managers, nurses, disability specialists, responders, crisis response teams and members counselors, teachers and administrators). Partner of the local community. agreements, or memoranda of understanding, The National Incident Management System should be created by the school and school The U.S. Department of Homeland Security district crisis response teams to clearly delineate (DHS) manages the National Incident team members’ roles and responsibilities. Management System (NIMS), a unified national Crisis response teams are typically system for managing domestic incidents. responsible for: The NIMS, made up of six components— Command and Management; Preparedness; Establishing relationships with community Resource Management; Communications partners; and Information Management; Supporting Technologies; and Ongoing Management Coordinating vulnerability assessments; and Maintenance—specifies the standardized Developing training activities and conducting methods all emergency responders should exercises to support and improve the follow to plan, coordinate and carry out emergency management plan; responses to a variety of