**[School Emergency Supplies and "Go Kits"]{.underline}**

Every school, before and after care center, and day care center should
store emergency supplies in preparation for either an evacuation or an
emergency that requires students and staff to shelter in place. The
safety team should select supplies that address the needs of the
specific school, its population, climate, facilities, and resources.
Because emergency supplies are so important, the school safety plan
should reference both the supplies to be stockpiled and staff role
responsible for stocking and replenishing.

**"Go Kits"**

In case of an emergency evacuation, it is critical that every classroom
and the administration maintain a "go kit," a self-contained and
portable stockpile of emergency supplies, often placed in a backpack and
left in a readily accessible but secure location so that it is ready to
"go." The school safety plan should reference the go kits and note the
personnel to whom responsibility is delegated for stocking and
replenishing them. The contents of the go kits should reflect the safety
team's consideration of the school's circumstances and resources.

+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| ####                            |                                    |
|  Go Kit Items For Consideration |                                    |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| **Administration Go Kit         | **Classroom Go Kit Supplies**      |
| Supplies**                      |                                    |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+
| -   Clipboard with              | -   Clipboard with                 |
|                                 |                                    |
| > ○ List of students            | > ○ List of classroom students     |
| >                               | >                                  |
| > ○ List of students with       | > ○ List of students with special  |
| > special needs and description | > needs and description of needs   |
| > of needs (i.e. medical        | > (i.e. medical issues,            |
| > issues, prescription          | > prescription medicines, dietary  |
| > medicines, dietary needs),    | > needs), marked *confidential*    |
| > marked *confidential*         |                                    |
| >                               | -   List of school emergency       |
| > ○ List of school personnel    |     procedures                     |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   List of school emergency    | -   Whistle and hat for teacher    |
|     procedures                  |     identification                 |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Whistle and hat for         | -   First aid kit with             |
|     leadership identification   |     instructions                   |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Battery-operated flashlight | -   Student activities (such as    |
|                                 |     playing cards, checkers,       |
| -   Utility turnoff procedures  |     inflatable ball)               |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   Emergency communication     |                                    |
|     device                      |                                    |
|                                 |                                    |
| -   First aid kit with          |                                    |
|     instructions                |                                    |
+---------------------------------+------------------------------------+

**School Emergency Supplies**

Every school should store emergency supplies in case its students and
staff are required to shelter in place due to an emergency or a
lockdown. All supplies should be securely stored in an accessible,
central location. They should be labeled, protected, and maintained.
Supplies that have expiration dates (such as batteries, food, water, and
prescription medications) must be replenished over time. The safety team
leadership should delegate the responsibility for making sure that these
kits are properly stocked and replenished.

Schools should consider the following lists in light of their particular
needs. Some items are easily stored while others are not. For example,
extra clothing for young students is commonly stored in the classroom;
older students could store extra clothes in their lockers.

+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| # Supply It           |                       |                       |
| ems For Consideration |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| **Administration**    | # Classroom           | # Student and Staff   |
|                       |                       |                       |
| **Supplies List**     | **Supplies List**     | ### Supplies List     |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+
| -   Designated        | -   Clipboard with    | -   Jacket, raincoat  |
|     command post with |                       |                       |
|     student roster    | > ○ List of classroom | -   Change of clothes |
|     (and photos),     | > students (and       |                       |
|     emergency contact | > photo)              | -   Hat, gloves, and  |
|     information, and  | >                     |     scarf where       |
|     staff roster      | > ○ List of students  |     applicable        |
|     (with photos) in  | > with special needs  |                       |
|     the form of a     | > and description of  | -   Food              |
|     sign in/sign out  | > needs (i.e. medical |                       |
|     sheet.            | > issues,             | -   Water             |
|                       | > prescription        |                       |
| -   Reflective vests  | > medicines, dietary  | -   Personal          |
|     or other means    | > needs), marked      |     prescription      |
|                       | > *confidential*      |     medications where |
| of identifying safety |                       |     applicable        |
| team                  | -   List of emergency |                       |
|                       |     procedures        |                       |
| members               |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Whistle & hat (or |                       |
| -   Whistles          |     other identifier) |                       |
|                       |     for teacher       |                       |
| ```{=html}            |                       |                       |
| <!-- -->              | -   First aid         |                       |
| ```                   |     supplies          |                       |
| -   Small directory   |                       |                       |
|     with emergency    | -   First aid         |                       |
|     telephone numbers |     instruction       |                       |
|     of local          |     manual            |                       |
|     drugstores, etc.  |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Medical gloves    |                       |
| -   Walkie-talkies    |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Food              |                       |
| -   Pens, pencils, or |                       |                       |
|     wax markers       | -   Water             |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| ```{=html}            | -   Battery-powered   |                       |
| <!-- -->              |     flashlight        |                       |
| ```                   |                       |                       |
| -   Change for        | -   Batteries         |                       |
|     payphones         |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Blankets          |                       |
| -   Special needs     |                       |                       |
|     roster            | -   Bucket            |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Campus layout     | -   Sanitary items    |                       |
|     maps with         |     (towelettes &     |                       |
|     evacuation sites, |     toilet paper)     |                       |
|     first aid sites,  |                       |                       |
|     and parent        | -   Work gloves       |                       |
|     reunification     |                       |                       |
|     site              | -   Breathing masks   |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   First aid         | -   Plastic sheeting  |                       |
|     supplies          |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Duct tape         |                       |
| -   First aid         |                       |                       |
|     instruction       | -   Can opener        |                       |
|     manual            |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Hard candies      |                       |
| -   Medical gloves    |                       |                       |
|                       | -   Student           |                       |
| -   Food              |     activities        |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Water supply      |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Battery-operated  |                       |                       |
|     flashlight or     |                       |                       |
|     light sticks      |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Extra batteries   |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Battery-operated  |                       |                       |
|     radio             |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Blankets          |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Portable toilets, |                       |                       |
|     makeshift         |                       |                       |
|     toilets, or       |                       |                       |
|     garbage bags      |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Sanitary items    |                       |                       |
|     (toilet paper and |                       |                       |
|     towelettes)       |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Work gloves       |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Plastic sheeting  |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Breathing masks   |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Can opener        |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Waterproof        |                       |                       |
|     matches and       |                       |                       |
|     container         |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Lighter           |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Multipurpose      |                       |                       |
|     tool, wrench or   |                       |                       |
|     pliers, and knife |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Speaker or        |                       |                       |
|     megaphone         |                       |                       |
|                       |                       |                       |
| -   Utility turnoff   |                       |                       |
|     procedures        |                       |                       |
+-----------------------+-----------------------+-----------------------+

Additional items that schools may want to consider include: radio
equipment, emergency communication mechanisms, battery chargers,
cigarette lighter cords, two extra 3A fuses, gas, and LED lanterns.

Schools may wish to coordinate plans for emergency clothing and sleeping
supplies with the American Red Cross or another agency responsible for
mass care in a crisis situation. In many situations the school will
already be designated as an emergency shelter with plans already in
place for storage of cots and blankets, etc.

Stockpiling personal prescription medications is complicated by many
factors, including expiration dates, insurance, expense of extra doses,
and temporary versus long-term needs. Schools may be able to arrange to
have on hand more "routine" medications like insulin or epinephrine that
could be kept in a first aid kit. Some medications will already be
stored in the school for the chronic use of individuals. This is an
issue that must, at least, be discussed with parents, the school nurse,
and the administrator.

**Additional Information and Resources:**

[Recommended Emergency Supplies for
Schools](http://www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/supply.html). The
American Red Cross's Web site contains information on how and where to
store emergency supplies and how much to stockpile. It also includes
recommended supply lists for individual kits, an individual classroom,
and an entire school.

[Practical Information on Crisis Planning for Schools and
Communities](http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/crisisplanning.pdf).
Developed by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug
Free Schools, the guide offers particularly useful information for
schools assembling emergency supplies and classroom kits (see pages 6-25
to 6-27).

## 

## [**FEMA: Are You Ready?**](http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/assemble_disaster_supplies_kit.shtm) Offers advice for families and individuals on creating kits for the home and at work. Much of the information is transferable to schools and their preparedness efforts. It offers guidance for choosing as well as storing and maintaining items.

## 

## [**Supply Checklists**](http://www.ready.gov/supply_checklists.html). Presented by Ready America (U.S. Department of Homeland Security) and accessible at Ready.gov. These checklists include supplies for such basic needs as food, clean air, and first aid. Special checklists are also available for portable kits and for people with special needs.