School Emergency Management: An Overview

1. School Emergency Management: An Overview Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS) Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE) U.S. Department of Education (ED)

2. Section 1: IntroductionSchool Emergency Management Overview

3. Four Phases of SchoolEmergency Management

4. School Emergency Management Plan A school emergency management plan Is the first step to securing our schools; Addresses a wide range of events (e.g., natural, man-made) that can disrupt teaching and learning; and Addresses events that occur in and outside of the school day.

5. Key Elements of School Emergency Management Plans • Framed by the four phases • Uses an all-hazards approach • Tailored to the unique school • Developed with community partners • Incorporates the Incident Command System (ICS) • Communicated as appropriate • Practiced consistently • Continually reviewed and revised

6. Section 1- Introduction Summary • What you can do: • Review your plan to ensure it includes key elements • Contact community partnerships and schedule a meeting • Assess and prioritize hazards and risks • Plan an exercise or drill aimed at revising your plan

7. Section 2:Prevention–Mitigation Phase

8. Prevention-Mitigation Phase:Objectives • Define “Prevention” and “Mitigation” • Demonstrate how Prevention-Mitigation measures emerge from an assessment • Provide sample strategies

9. Prevention–Mitigation Phase Prevention is the action schools and districts take to decrease the likelihood that an event or crisis will occur. Mitigation actions are steps that eliminate or reduce the loss of life or property damage for events that cannot be prevented. Many hazards have both and components.

10. Prevention – Mitigation Phase • Designed to assess and address • Safety and integrity of facilities • Security • Culture and climate of schools • Uses an all-hazards approach • Builds on what schools are already doing • Reliant on community partnerships and leadership • Is an ongoing process • Directly linked to the other three phases

11. Prevention and Mitigation Examples Fencing hazardous areas Anchoring outdoor equipment Installing building access control measures Conducting school vulnerability assessments Establishing wellness programs Establishing policies promoting health, safety, and security

12. Assessment & Prioritization

13. Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) • CPTED is a multi-disciplinary four-strategy approach to deterring criminal behavior and supporting a safe school environment • Natural Surveillance • Territorial Reinforcement • Natural Access Control • Target Hardening

14. Example: Building Accessand Exits • Know who is entering school buildings • Lock doors when practical • Access cards or coded entry locks • Anticipate exit routes during an emergency

15. Example: Building Materialsand Structures Roofing – structurally sound? Materials fastened securely? Awnings – will they hold up in a storm? Outdoor utility connections protected?

16. Prevention-Mitigation:School Grounds • School grounds - buffer between school buildings and the outside world • Campus entry points • Trees and shrubs around buildings and hidden areas • Emergency vehicle access • Unsafe equipment

17. Preventing Violence:School Culture and Climate Positive culture & climate = Less likelihood of violence • Welcoming • Connectedness • Respect • Cooperation

18. Culture and Climate Assessment Useful for violence prevention and other important objectives Culture and climate improvement requires a long-term strategy Includes program-based solutions, e.g. anti-bullying program

19. Prevention–Mitigation Phase: Summary • What you can do: • Work with community partners to conduct an assessment of school buildings, grounds, and surrounding community • Develop customized plans and procedures related to assessment outcome • Work to improve school culture/climate and implement violence prevention programs

20. Section 3: Preparedness Phases

21. What is the Preparedness Phase? • The Preparedness phase is designed to strengthen the school community by coordinating with community partners through: • Developing an emergency plan, policies and protocols • Adopting the Incident Command System (ICS) • Conducting staff training and drills • Goal is to facilitate a rapid, coordinated, and effective response in the event of an emergency

22. Steps for Developing an Emergency Management Plan • Step 1: Collect existing resources • Step 2: Conduct assessments • Step 3: Identify gaps and weaknesses • Step 4: Assemble plan

23. Steps for Developing an Emergency Management Plan • Step 5: Incorporate vulnerability data • Step 6: Conduct trainings and exercises • Step 7: Revise plans based on outcomes of trainings and exercises • Step 8: Disseminate plan to stakeholders • Step 9: Establish accountability measures

24. Elements to be Addressed in an Emergency Management Plan • All-hazards emergency procedures • Emergency supplies • Incident Command System (ICS) • Communication plans • Family reunification plans • Training and exercises • Recovery planning • Annual review and revision

25. Persons with Disabilities and Other Access and Functional Needs Include district special needs experts on your planning team to address needs: Visual and hearing Mobility Cognitive Attentional Emotional Medical Communication

26. NIMS & ICS The National Incident Management System (NIMS) Used by all first responders, at all levels Creates a common operating picture and mutual goals Puts forth the Incident Command System (ICS) The Incident Command System (ICS) Put forth by NIMS Uses a single management system Facilitates effective response

27. Key NIMS and ICS Principles • Emergencies require certain tasks or functions to be performed – ICS provides structure • Nature of the incident determines level of ICS activation – ICS is expandable and collapsible • Incident command - one incident commander: • May vary for different types of incidents • May change during incident response • Clear, pre-determined responsibilities and reporting lines • Uses common terminology and plain language

28. Incident Commander and Incident Command Team Liaison Officer Public Information Officer Safety Officer Operations Planning Logistics Finance & Administration Site Security Insurance Claims Transportation Documentation/ Recorder Health Services/ First Aid Food Services Personnel Situation Analysis Timekeeper Mental Health Response Team Facility and Materials Communications Student Supervision Student/Parent Reunification

29. Emergency Management Drills • Define frequency, responsibilities and procedures for: • Fire evacuation drills • Severe weather drills • Lockdown drills • Include students and staff • Use “Curve ball” contingencies • Conduct after-action reporting

30. Tabletop Exercises • Informal gathering of partners to orally review and practice the emergency plan’s elements • Provides an opportunity to • Clarify roles of involved parties during an emergency • Identify resources needed in an emergency • Identify and address gaps that may exist in current plan • Build relationships

31. Full-Scale Exercises Requires extensive planning – and a planning team Conducted in collaboration with community partners including law enforcement and fire personnel Focuses on specific elements of an emergency scenario Used to help identify and address gaps that may exist in current plan and identify training needs

32. Take Precautions • Ensure everyone involved understands the event is a drill and not an actual incident.  • Use Website, community announcements, school communications, • Use signs and other notices for observers and passersby or observers • Discuss with students before

33. Communication with the Media and Parents/Guardians Public Information Officer –reports directly to the Incident Commander responsible for communications during an emergency Template media statements Prior communications with parents/guardians Staff and students

34. Student Accountability Procedure • Define in advance how students will be accounted for: • Before classes • During classes • In between classes • After classes, and • In the case of an emergency

35. Parent/GuardianReunification Procedure Need for accurate contact information Define notification procedures Need for clear instructions to parents/guardians – photo identification

36. Preparedness Phase: Summary • What you can do: • Integrate the Incident Command System • Define Response protocols and procedures • Address the needs of persons with disabilities • Develop communications procedures and templates • Develop student accountability procedures • Develop reunification procedures • Practice tabletops, drills, and full-scale exercises

37. Section 4: Response Phase

38. What is the Response Phase? • When emergency management plans are activated to effectively contain and resolve an emergency • Activate the Plan • Deploy Resources • Activate Communications Plan • Work with Community Partners/First Responders • Account for Students and Staff • Make Informed Decisions

39. Key Elements of Response • Activate the plan and the ICS • Work with first responders and other community partners • Assess of the problem and determine response • Deploy resources and make informed decisions • Account for students, faculty, and staff • Reunify parents/guardians with students • Initiate transition to the Recovery Phase • Conduct an after-action assessment as a tool for learning and improvement

40. Response Actions • During an emergency, there are three primary responses: • Evacuation • Lockdown • Shelter-in-place • Each response decision will depend on the specifics and the severity of the situation

41. Response Actions: Evacuation Use when locations outside the school are safer than inside the school Identify multiple evacuation routes in coordination with community partners Determine how teachers will account for students Ensure teachers, staff members, and administrators have appropriate “Go-kits”

42. Response Actions: Lockdown Use when there is an immediate threat of violence in, or immediately around, the school. Lock all exterior doors, if safe to do so Ensure public safety officials can enter the building Follow predetermined policy about closing blinds, turning off lights, and using status cards Move all staff and students to an area not visible from windows or doors

43. Response Actions: Shelter-in-Place Use when students and staff must remain indoors during an extended period of time Close all windows and turn off all heating and air conditioning systems Plan for interrupted class schedules with substitute activities Provide accommodations for eating, sleeping and personal hygiene Have staff activate family emergency plans

44. Response Communications • Messages to students and staff (plain language vs. codes, use of placards) • Messages to parents • Discourage external cellular communications by students and staff during emergencies 44

45. Post-Incident Review • “Hot wash” vs. After-action reviews • Hot wash: A brief meeting shortly after an event intended to capture immediate impressions or explanations of actions. • After-action review: A thorough debrief and evaluation approximately a week following an event to capture key lessons learned from emergency response and make recommendations for improvements.

46. Response Phase: Summary • What you need to do during Response: • Activate the ICS • Coordinate with first responders • Adapt to an evolving situation • Decide on Response strategies • Account for students – reunify with parents/guardians • Communicate with parents/guardians and the media

47. Section 5: Recovery Phase

48. Recovery Phase • Designed to assist students, staff, and their families in the healing process and to restore educational operations in schools. • Has four primary components: • Physical/structural recovery • Business/fiscal recovery • Restoration of the learning environment • Psychological/emotional recovery • Connected to other phases • Uses an all-hazards approach • Supported with community partners

49. Physical and Structural Recovery • Physical/structural recovery addresses • Assessment and repair of facilities • Possible need for alternative sites or buildings due to extensive damage • Business and fiscal recovery addresses • Payroll and financial systems • Student registration systems • Record Management

50. Academic Recovery • Academics – the primary purpose of schools • Important in restoring normalcy in the school environment • Close link to Physical and Structural Recovery Strategies: • Doubling up classes • Utilizing portable classrooms and community buildings • Distance learning • Emotional recovery can also greatly impact academic recovery