Creating an emergency preparedness and crisis response plan: key elements

Many schools use commonly available templates to begin creating their crisis response plan. These templates provide a starting point and should be customized for each school and district. Click here for Web sites that provide templates.

Procedures. Document how the following actions will be addressed and by whom:

Alert school staff about the nature of an event with calm, level-headed information.
Notify school crisis response team members, school staff, students, parents and the community of information about a crisis.
Support teachers with backup staff to cover classes.
Release students to parents and guardians and have an accountability system for verifying names.
Manage crowds and movement during crises, including evacuation procedures.
Provide student and staff transportation to evacuation or relocation sites, if necessary.
Address needs of all students, including those with physical disabilities or limited English proficiency.
Communicate between every room and the school office.
Check in visitors.

Deal with funerals or memorial services. Click here for tips on memorial activities.
Click here for issues to consider for permanent memorials.
Debrief after the emergency or crisis. What worked? What didn’t?

Important locations.

A command post on and off campus to which school crisis response team members should report, equipped with communication equipment, such as phone lines, computers with access to the Internet, etc.
Evacuation sites and reunion areas where students, staff, parents and caregivers can meet, if necessary.
Designated areas in the school for staff and students to receive help before, during and after school.
Alternative sites for conducting school if an emergency renders schools unusable.
Utility hookups and emergency exits.
A media operations area to which reporters may be confined during a crisis. The location should be close enough to the school for access to information, but away from emergency response efforts.

At-your-fingertips information.

The chain of command to ensure continuity of operations.
Roles and responsibilities of school crisis response team members.
Steps for action in various emergencies.
A list of school personnel trained in first aid and CPR.

Equipment and supplies. Click here for a list.
A list of activities to help students discuss and deal with grief, fear, confusion, anger and other feelings that arise from crises.

Media resources — a school information fact sheet. Click here to download a sample school fact sheet.

A list of internal and external emergency contacts. Download a sample list here.
Student/staff rosters that include students with special needs and a description of required medicine and care.
Parent/guardian student release authorization forms.