Response
- In a crisis, emergency responders must be
aware of the overall makeup and population of the school.
- Emergency responders must also be aware of
the physical layout of the school. Schools should provide
them with confidential access to floor plans.
- A response must always take into consideration
the ages and mental health of students and staff, as well
as their physical abilities and limitations.
- Schools must become familiar with the Incident
Command System, the system that emergency responders use to
manage crises that require a multi-agency response. This system
unifies terminology, structure, objectives, and functions
and ensures that there is one central chain of command with
information flowing smoothly to all of the agencies concerned.
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Recovery
- Efforts to return to the school after a disaster
must be carefully timed and coordinated to meet the needs
of both students and staff.
- Schools should work with qualified professionals
to assess the emotional needs of students and staff and arrange
for counseling and other appropriate interventions.
- To support the recovery process, schools should
assemble lists of qualified mental health professionals and
community organizations during the preparedness phase, so
they will be available and pre-screened to help in the recovery
phase as soon as needed.
- School and health care officials should have
resources available to help school children cope with disaster
anniversary dates or memorials.
- School buildings may incur considerable damage
during an event such as a hurricane or a tornado. Schools
should be prepared for the possibility of the need to relocate
staff and students to alternate sites while repairs are made.
Some districts have developed plans to have schools function
in dual shifts, thereby splitting the school day in half.
This decreases the chance for the school environment to become
overwhelmed.
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