Department of Education Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools propose a Spectrum
of School Crisis Preparedness and Response. There are four interconnected
phases that comprise a comprehensive approach to school crisis preparedness and
response:
1.
Mitigation/Prevention: The prevention
phase aims to avoid the occurrence of incidents or lessen the harm done by
unavoidable incidents. Often this phase is called prevention and mitigation.
Prevention refers to actions aimed at stopping incidents from occurring, while
mitigation refers to actions aimed at reducing the harm done by unavoidable
incidents. For example, a monitored main entrance with all other external doors
locked is a prevention strategy to keep intruders out.
2.
Prepare: The preparedness phase requires
planning for worst-case scenarios and involves a continuous cycle of planning,
practicing, and evaluating actions aimed at an effective response to an
incident. Its goal is to minimize psychological and physical harm as incidents
occur and to have a system in place for immediate and effective response and
recovery. The preparation and prevention phases occur at the same time and are
ongoing.
3.
Respond: The response phase includes the
steps taken to minimize harm to people and property during a particular
incident. Its focus is on the short-term, direct effects of an incident and
requires tight coordination and rapid action among all participants. This
includes executing the emergency plans developed and practiced in the
preparedness phase.
4.
Recover: The recovery phase is concerned
with restoring the learning and teaching environment after an incident. It is
the process of mending the physical and psychological health of school
community members, as well as restoring physical facilities to re-establish a
positive learning environment. Its aim is to develop and implement plans to
ensure school services and facilities are restored. In addition, recovery includes
evaluating the incident and the response to it in order to revise and improve
school safety and emergency response.
Assignment
Directions
Evaluate the model crisis plan (can be found in the Activity
materials for this module) and discuss if/how the plan addresses each of the
four phases (Mitigation/Prevention; Prepare; Respond; Recover). Discuss each
phase in one paragraph; your submission should consist of five paragraphs
total. Your final paragraph will be a summary of the plan’s overall strengths
and areas for improvement.
Specifically, consider the following points, using the NEA
guide and US Dept of Education Crisis Planning guide (found in your Lesson
materials in this module) as resources for what should happen in each phase:
Consider: Does the Model Crisis Plan
Paragraph 1: Mitigation and Prevention
-Include mention of efforts to promote positive school
climate that promote student learning and well-being? (Hint – this is a broad
area, and can consist of a variety of practices!)
-discuss any steps/actions to decrease the need for response
as opposed to simply increasing response capability?
-provide a policy for primary prevention techniques such as
how to detect potentially violent or self-destructive behavior for staff,
students, and families?
-assess potential hazards on campus?
-show awareness of local threats, such as natural disasters
or industrial accidents that could occur in a certain location?
-include evidence of coordination with community and local
emergency management professionals?
Paragraph 2: Prepare
-involve a wide range of stakeholders and identify who is
involved in the crisis plan, with roles clearly described?
-describe the specific crises the plan will address?
-describe methods of communication between staff, students,
families, and the media?
-define and prepare the necessary equipment to respond to
crises?
-present plans for immediate crisis responses (such as
evacuations, lockdowns, and relocations)?
-include maps and facilities information?
-describe how students will practice the responses and test
components of the emergency response plan (drills, etc.)?
Paragraph 3: Respond
-describe policies and procedures for contacting appropriate
law enforcement in the event of a violent incident?
-describe a system to inform all stakeholders of a disaster
or crisis situation, including how to contact parents and guardians in the
event of an early dismissal or violent event?
-describe plans for responding to threats of violence,
intruders, bomb threats, hostage situations, hazardous materials, natural
disasters, school bus accidents, civil disturbance, or other critical
incidents?
-describe de-escalation strategies, and discuss the
following: inform principal of threat, determine level of threat, contact law
enforcement if necessary, initiate lockdown procedure if necessary, assess need
for early dismissal, sheltering, or evacuation procedures; determine need for
Crisis Response Team?
-identify protocols for appropriate response to emergencies,
including determining decision makers, plans to safeguard students and staff,
transportation procedures, and media and debriefing procedures?
Paragraph 4: Recover
-describe how the school will support the Crisis Response
Team after the event in the affected school?
-discuss how the school will coordinate follow-up and
intervention with local community mental health resources?
-discuss how the school will re-evaluate current violence
prevention and school safety protocols to determine how to refine or improve
them?
Paragraph 5: Discuss the overall strengths and areas for
improvement of the model plan.