Three years after the terrorist attacks of September 11, almost half of all American parents are unaware of emergency preparedness plans at their children’s schools, according to a new joint study by the National Center for Disaster Preparedness (NCDP) at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and the Children’s Health Fund (CHF).

NCDP and CHF commissioned a survey in July 2004 from the Marist Institute for Public Opinion as a follow-up to their 2003 study to identify trends and public attitudes related to September 11 and the war on terrorism. A total of 1,234 adults aged 18 or older participated in the survey, conducted from July 19 through 26, 2004. Participants were chosen randomly to ensure that each region of the country was represented in proportion to its population. Approximately one third of the survey participants were parents of children age 4 through 18. Interviews were conducted in both English and Spanish.

Among the survey results related to emergency preparedness are:

• Forty-eight percent of parents surveyed reported being unaware of emergency preparedness plans at their children’s schools.
• Only 21 percent of those Americans surveyed were familiar with their community’s terrorism response plan.
• Fewer than one in four (23 percent) families surveyed had a basic emergency plan with the bare minimum of components: at least two days of food and water, a flashlight, a portable radio and spare batteries, emergency phone numbers, and a meeting place for families in case of evacuation.

Recommendations for
Improving Preparedness
NCDP and CHF offered several recommendations for how families, school officials, first responders, social workers, businesses, and other community members can improve their overall preparedness
and communication. Included among these are:

Community and Individual Involvement. Many people are not aware of or familiar with emergency plans at schools or at the workplace and very few Americans have made emergency plans for their own families. Yet, there is a great willingness among the public to help by participating in emergency planning for their communities. It is essential that the general public be more informed about and participate in preparedness planning. Inclusion in preparedness planning by community leaders, teachers, social workers, and others will strengthen overall efforts to enhance readiness on the home front.

Schools. Parents have an inadequate level of knowledge of school emergency response plans. Parents, as expected, feel strongly that they must ensure their child's well being is protected in case evacuation or other mandatory emergency procedures are enacted. Schools must develop comprehensive disaster and evacuation plans, and parents must be informed about the details of these plans.

Evacuation Planning. The majority of Americans (59 percent) reported that they would not evacuate immediately if directed to do so by officials according to the same survey. There may be instances in which immediate evacuation is necessary, so the reasons why they will not—which generally involve the desire to account for the whereabouts and safety of family members—must be addressed. Emergency planning efforts must explicitly address the issues that concern the public in a crisis, such as the need to be reassured about plans to protect children and reunite them with parents.

For more information on this survey and other issues related to disaster preparedness, visit www.ncdp.mailman.columbia.edu.