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)
Section 1: Introduction
School Emergency Management
Overview
2
Four Phases of School
Emergency Management
3
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.
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Key Elements of School Emergency
Management Plans
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•
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
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

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Section 2:
Prevention–Mitigation Phase
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Prevention-Mitigation Phase:
Objectives
 Define “Prevention” and “Mitigation”
 Demonstrate how Prevention-Mitigation
measures emerge from an assessment
 Provide sample strategies
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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.
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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
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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
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Assessment & Prioritization
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Crime Prevention Through
Environmental Design (CPTED)
 CPTED is a multi-disciplinary four-strategy
approach to deterring criminal behavior and
supporting a safe school environment
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1.
Natural Surveillance
2.
Territorial Reinforcement
3.
Natural Access Control
4.
Target Hardening
Example: Building Access
and Exits
 Know who is entering school buildings
 Lock doors when practical
 Access cards or coded entry locks
 Anticipate exit routes during an emergency
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Example: Building Materials
and Structures
 Roofing – structurally sound? Materials
fastened securely?
 Awnings – will they hold up in a storm?
 Outdoor utility connections protected?
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Prevention-Mitigation:
School Grounds
 School grounds - buffer between school
buildings and the outside world
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
Campus entry points

Trees and shrubs around buildings and
hidden areas

Emergency vehicle access

Unsafe equipment
Preventing Violence:
School Culture and Climate
Positive culture & climate = Less likelihood of violence
•
•
•
•
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Welcoming
Connectedness
Respect
Cooperation
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
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Prevention–Mitigation Phase:
Summary
 What you can do:
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
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
Section 3:
Preparedness Phases
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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 Facilitates effective response
Key NIMS and ICS Principles
 Emergencies require certain tasks or functions
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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
Incident Commander and Incident Command Team
Public Information
Officer
Liaison Officer
Safety Officer
Operations
Site Security
Planning
Logistics
Finance & Administration
Documentation/
Recorder
Transportation
Insurance Claims
Food Services
Personnel
Facility and Materials
Timekeeper
Health Services/
First Aid
Situation Analysis
Mental Health
Response Team
Student Supervision
Student/Parent
Reunification
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Communications
Emergency Management Drills
 Define frequency, responsibilities and
procedures for:
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Fire evacuation drills
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Severe weather drills
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Lockdown drills
 Include students and staff
 Use “Curve ball” contingencies
 Conduct after-action reporting
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Tabletop Exercises
 Informal gathering of partners to orally review
and practice the emergency plan’s elements
 Provides an opportunity to
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
Clarify roles of involved parties during an
emergency
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Identify resources needed in an emergency

Identify and address gaps that may exist in
current plan

Build relationships
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
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Take Precautions
 Ensure everyone involved
understands the event is a drill
and not an actual incident.
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Use Website, community
announcements, school
communications,
Use signs and other
notices for observers and
passersby or observers
 Discuss with students before
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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
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Student Accountability Procedure
 Define in advance how students will be
accounted for:
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Before classes
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During classes
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In between classes
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After classes, and
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In the case of an emergency
Parent/Guardian
Reunification Procedure
 Need for accurate contact information
 Define notification procedures
 Need for clear instructions to
parents/guardians – photo identification
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Preparedness Phase: Summary
 What you can do:
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
Integrate the Incident Command System
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Define Response protocols and procedures
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Address the needs of persons with disabilities
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Develop communications procedures and
templates
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Develop student accountability procedures
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Develop reunification procedures
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Practice tabletops, drills, and full-scale
exercises
Section 4:
Response Phase
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What is the Response Phase?
 When emergency management plans are activated
to effectively contain and resolve an emergency
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
Activate the Plan

Deploy Resources

Activate Communications Plan

Work with Community Partners/First
Responders
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Account for Students and Staff

Make Informed Decisions
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
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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
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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”
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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
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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
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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
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Post-Incident Review
 “Hot wash” vs. After-action reviews
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
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.
Response Phase: Summary
 What you need to do during Response:
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Activate the ICS
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Coordinate with first responders
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Adapt to an evolving situation
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Decide on Response strategies
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Account for students – reunify with
parents/guardians
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Communicate with parents/guardians and
the media
Section 5:
Recovery Phase
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Recovery Phase
 Designed to assist students, staff, and their families
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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
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
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
Payroll and financial systems
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Student registration systems

Record Management
Academic Recovery
 Academics – the primary purpose of schools
 Important in restoring normalcy in the school
environment
 Close link to Physical and Structural Recovery
Strategies:
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Doubling up classes
Utilizing portable classrooms and
community buildings
Distance learning
 Emotional recovery can also greatly impact
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academic recovery
What is Psychological/Emotional
Recovery?
Purpose: Promote coping and support resiliency
for students and staff following an emergency
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Key steps to take with community partners:
 Recognize factors that may impact recovery
 Provide Psychological First Aid
 Establish a system for identifying and
monitoring children and staff who may need
additional support
 Develop short- and long-term interventions
as needed
Adjustment Over Time in Crisis
A = baseline functioning
B = event
C = vulnerable state
D = usual coping mechanisms fail
E = helplessness, hopelessness
F = improved functioning
G = continued impairment (PTS)
H = return to baseline
I = post-traumatic growth
I
B
A
H
C
G
F
D
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Why Psychological First Aid?
When bad things happen children and
adolescents are the most vulnerable victims.
 “The day before I started high school my mom
found my brother and his wife, dead.”
 “There was a man who had a gun and ran into our
school. We had to put the school on lockdown.”
 “The water came through the house and I was
drowning, and I didn’t see my parents nowhere.”
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How Do Some Adults Deal with
Child Trauma?
 “I don’t know what to say and I’m afraid I’ll
make it worse”
 Resulting Student Perceptions:
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
“I had a couple teachers that did not get the
point at all.”

“I don’t really talk to them because they don’t
know where I’m coming from, like nobody
understands my pain.”
How Do Students Deal with
Trauma?
 “Sometimes I talk to some of my teachers
because I have my favorites, they ones I feel
comfortable talking to.”
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With Psychological First Aid?
Every Adult On Campus
Plays an Important Role
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The Responsibility of Caring Adults
Psychological First Aid after School Crises
 Listen
 Protect
 Connect
 Model
 Teach
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Recovery Phase – Summary
What you can do:
 Inventory
assets and estimate replacement
values
 Assess
damages using a damage assessment
team; effectively manage reparations
 Partner
with mental health resources in the
community; make counseling available
 Identify/implement
continue learning
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creative alternatives to
REMS TA Center
For additional information, resources and
technical assistance, please contact the
Readiness and Emergency Management for
Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center
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Phone:
(855) 781-7367 (REMS)
Email:
remstacenter@seiservices.com
Website:
http://rems.ed.gov