# Presentation: 520015

## School Emergency/Crisis ResponseA Call To Action

**U.S. Department of Education**
**2006 Emergency Response and**
**Crisis Management Grantees Training**
**Atlanta, Georgia**
**presented by**
**Edward A. Clarke, Director**
**Department of School Safety and Security**
**Montgomery County Public Schools**
**Rockville, Maryland**

## Emergency/Crisis Preparedness

***You cannot afford to wait until the day of an emergency/crisis to start developing a response plan or relationships.***
*	**	**	**	**	**--Ed Clarke*

## Montgomery County, Maryland Sniper Crisis--October 2002

## School Emergency/Crisis Response Phase

**Response ****- ****the action and steps taken to effectively address a school related emergency or crisis **
**School districts must adopt a muti-hazard approach in developing systemwide and school-based response plans, strategies, and protocols**
**Criminal incidents ****- fights, bomb threats, school shootings, etc. **
**Natural disasters, severe weather, fires **
**Bus accidents, medical emergencies **
**Haz-mat incidents**
**Sudden and unexpected death of student(s) or staff**
**Terrorist incident-chemical, biological,or radiological **

## School Emergency/Crisis Response Plan

**A school system and school emergency/crisis response plan is a comprehensive, detailed, and organized process/method for responding to and effectively managing, as well as resolving, a school related emergency or crisis**
**Response plan focuses on pre-incident planning **
**Proactive efforts in prevention/mitigation, preparedness, and recovery validate and determine the effectiveness of response  **
**Review, analyze, and use data in response efforts    **
**school-based and criminal incidents **
**school and community hazards**
**safety and security assessments    **
**lessons learned from incidents and response  **

## Response The Most Critical Phase ofEmergency/Crisis Management

**Elements of Response/Decision Making Phase**
**Incident commander assesses the situation and makes immediate decisions dealing with life threatening issues**
**The activation and implementation of your school system's and school's emergency/crisis response plan **
**Response must be in an organized and strategic manner**
**Activation of school's on-site emergency team (OSET) and/or emergency/crisis response team**
**Lockdown or evacuation decision **
**You have to manage the emergency/crisis!**
**Don't let the emergency/crisis manage you!**

## Response  The Most Critical Phase ofEmergency/Crisis Management

**Elements of Response/Decision Making  Phase**
**Make clear identification of the decision maker/incident commander**
**Incident commander briefs response team and ensures key assignments are carried out**
**Reduce or eliminate injuries and/or property damage**
**Incident commander will facilitate regular team briefings to assess the incident and response efforts **

## Response The Most Critical Phase ofEmergency/Crisis Management

**Elements of Response/Decision Making Phase**** **
**Communicate response efforts to impacted and involved parties, such as staff, students, parents, public safety, central office**
**Start planning/implementing recovery efforts**
**Incident documentation and debriefing  **

## Incident Command System(ICS)

**Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) utilizes ICS as the foundation for our systemwide and school-based emergency/crisis response plans**
**MCPS on-site emergency teams (OSET) have pre-determined duties and responsibilities**
**The school-based incident commander is responsible for leading and resolving the emergency/crisis with assistance of the OSET**

## Slide 10

## as of May 2005

*as of May 2005*

## Role of School-BasedIncident Commander 

**School-based Incident Commander****-**** responsible for managing the emergency/crisis in conjunction with public safety officials **
**School administrator/incident commander must work collaboratively within the structure of a unified command**
**School administrator/incident commander must understand  that the location of the emergency/crisis may be a crime scene**
**maintain and respect the integrity of the crime scene**
**response staff should not become involved  in the management of the crime scene**
**response staff must follow direction of the lead public safety/law enforcement agency**

## Role of School-Based Incident Commander

**Coordinate information sharing and any assistance with the public safety incident commander**
**The school administrator/incident commander should manage and coordinate the school's response efforts from a school command post**
**Assign a response team member the role of public safety liaison to coordinate information and response needs with the primary incident commander**

## Key Elements/Best Practices for a Successful School Emergency/Crisis Response

**School emergency/crisis response plans should include:**
**communication plan for stakeholders**
**on and off site command posts, media staging areas, and parent child reunification sites**
**multi-hazard evacuation sites**
**protocols for special needs students and accountability measures**
**utilization of emergency kits****	**** ****	****  **
**Develop emergency/crisis notification protocols/codes**
**different levels of notifications and actions required**
**clear instructions/directions for moving to lockdown status or enhanced level of security**

## Key Elements/Best Practices for a Successful School Emergency/Crisis Response

**Shelter-in-place and parent/child reunification procedures **
**Shelter-in-Place is an enhanced level of safety and security requiring housing staff/students indoors for a period of time.  The nature and duration of the shelter-in-place will be determined by the emergency and by public safety officials**
**Parent/child reunification is the orderly and efficient process of re-uniting children with their parents/guardians **
**Timely incident debriefing to identify lessons learned and make necessary changes to your response plan**
**Documentation of all aspects of the incident in a detailed after action report**

## Key Elements/Best Practices for a Successful School Emergency/Crisis Response

**Develop positive working relationships with local public safety officers and officials**
**public safety participation in developing and reviewing your systemwide and school's emergency/crisis response plan  **
**share your response plan with public safety personnel **
**public safety staff must be familiar with your building/campus, response and emergency notification protocols**
**Develop a positive working relationship with your governmental emergency management team**
**establish a seat at the emergency management team table **
**All members of your school's response team must be trained and understand their roles**

## Key Elements/Best Practices for a Successful School Emergency/Crisis Response

**Educate parents/students of the systemwide and school's emergency/crisis protocols and response plans**
**parents/students must know their roles in an emergency/crisis**
**You must conduct emergency/crisis preparedness drills and test your systemwide and school's response plan**
**drills, tabletop/functional exercises validate response plans**
**Create memorandums of understanding, mutual aid agreements, and partnership agreements with your emergency/crisis response partners **
**Constantly evaluate/assess your emergency/crisis protocols and response plan to ensure continuous improvement**
**benchmark with other school districts **
**review national and local school related incidents **

## Emergency/Crisis Communication Response Resources

**Nextel emergency communication cell phone**
**Two-way radios (walkie-talkies)**
**NOAA weather alert radio**
**Internal school computers**
**Development of school specific Web sites and telephone trees**
**School system Web site**
**School system cable television**
**National school notification service**
**www.schools-out.com**
**Local government cable television**
**Local emergency radio and television stations**

## School Emergency/Crisis Response Summary  

**School district's must develop systemwide and school-based response guidelines/plans to meet district needs **
**Emergency/crisis response plan must be developed incorporating effective mitigation and prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery strategies**
**Response plans must include a multi-hazard approach**
**Continual evaluation of response plans/efforts is key to a safe and secure learning and working environment **
**Create effective public safety partnerships/relationships**** **
**Educate all stakeholders on response efforts and plans**** **
**Training and practice drills must be on-going **
**Debrief every drill and actual response for lessons learned**

## Tips for the Successful School Administrator/Incident Commander

**Display a sense of calm in a stressful environment**
**Clear, concise, effective communication is essential**
**Problem analysis and critical thinking**
**Good decision making**
**Appropriate assignment of duties/proper delegation**
**Attention to detail**
**You have to manage the emergency/crisis!**
**Don't let the emergency/crisis manage you!**
**Critical debriefing and detailed after action report**
**Continued training and practice**
**Create a winning team spirit**
**Patience, patience, patience**
**Leadership, leadership, leadership**

## 5P2 Emergency/CrisisPreparedness Formula

**poor**
**planning**
**produces**
**pitiful**
**performance**
**_____________**
**Grade:  F**

**proper**
**planning**
**produces**
**positive**
**performance**
**_____________**
**Grade:  A**

## Mr. Edward A. ClarkeDirectorDepartment of School Safety & SecurityMontgomery County Public Schools850 Hungerford Drive, Room 207Rockville, Maryland 20850Phone:  301-279-3066E-mail:  edward_a_clarke@mcpsmd.org