When a Crisis Hits, Will Your School Be Ready?

Convene regularly to discuss overall emergency plan, identify unanswered questions and make necessary updates

• Are team members familiar with building floor plans?
• Do appropriate team members have necessary door keys?
• Have you determined who will be responsible for shutting off utilities (if necessary)?
• Do you have an evacuation plan? If so, does the team have a neighborhood map? Have you identified an off-campus evacuation site?
• Do you have a designated area where parents pick up children?
• Where are first aid supplies located?
• Is your lock-down procedure defined? Do all appropriate staff know code words/phrases?
• Does each classroom need to have an emergency lockdown kit? If so, how will your district fund these?

Identify communication priorities in your plan

• If you do not have a communications director/public information officer on staff, who will be the district spokesperson?
• Do you have a designated staging area for the press? Who will be responsible for working with the media and providing regular information updates?
• What outlets will you use to communicate with your various constituents? Social media? Website? Phone/text? Parent communication app?
• How will you communicate if any of your main communication channels do not work?
• While frequency may change depending on the situation, how often will you update the media?

Practice, practice, practice

• Your crisis team needs to practice regular emergency scenarios. Every person must be 100% clear and confident in his/her role. Do not leave anything to chance. When a crisis arises, our brains do not work at full capacity, and we cannot cross our fingers and hope everything goes okay. We must rely on extensive training and preparation.
• You're already holding regular drills with staff and students. Continue. Even students need to be 100% clear on what needs to happen during an emergency: how to evacuate, how to shelter in place, not second-guessing the teacher or staff member they're with, etc.

I always say consistent communication is critical to keep your community informed of your district's goings-on and celebrations. It's even more critical in the midst of a crisis situation. When your community is not kept in the loop, especially when their children are involved, they are not happy. And rightfully so. Make communication a priority.

Note: These suggestions and questions are just the tip of the iceberg when establishing a thorough crisis response plan. If you do not have one in place or you haven't reviewed your existing one in ages and it probably needs updating, do not waste any more time.

I've personally taken multiple Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management and FEMA courses on proper emergency procedures and protocols. We also have several former superintendents on staff who previously developed plans for their districts, so we are happy to work with you on creating or improving your plan.

No question: district staff are already overwhelmed with the day-to-day, but this is an issue you simply cannot ignore. Having a plan, practicing it frequently and being ready for an emergency situation may literally be the difference between lives saved and lives lost. Don't delay.