CHAPTER 9GETTING READY FOR

CRISIS

CRISES CAN BE CLASSIFIED AS: EMERGING ONGOING IMMEDIATE

Every School System Should Have A Policy Requiring That Each School Within The System Have A Crisis Plan. This Policy Should Include Guidelines For Each School To Follow In Plan Development. Every Private School Should Develop A Crisis Plan.

A SCHOOL CRISIS PLAN SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

A Rationale For The Plan The Types Of Crises Covered And A Check List For

Dealing With Each Type Of Crisis. Procedures Common To All Crises. Emergency Telephone Numbers. A Detailed Map Of The School Facility. Procedural Information. Guidelines For Effective Communications With The

Media, The Staff (Within The School And Also Within The District) And The Community.

Sample Backpack Letters.This list should not be taken as exhaustive, but as a

set of suggestions!!!

The Superintendent And His Staff Is Responsible For Overseeing The Plan Development In Each School. Development Of The Plan Can Be By A Committee With Representation From:

The Central Office Teacher Groups And Paraprofessional

Personnel Custodial Personnel Students Law Enforcement Agencies Community Leadership Parents Groups

Within The School, The Planning Committee Should Include (But Not Be Limited To):

The Principal And/Or Assistant Principal Staff Members – Teachers, Aids, Custodians, Etc. Students Law Enforcement Personnel Parents Community LeadersIt Is Possible That The School System Will Need To

Conduct Training And In-service For The Committees To Facilitate The Planning Process.

A Crisis Plan Should Be Communicated To And Subjected To Review By Interested Parties Such As:

The School Board The Superintendent And His Staff The Staff Of The Individual Schools Citizen Advisory Councils Parents GroupsCopies Of The Plan Can Be Distributed

Within The System And Community – It Can Also Be Put On The Internet Using The Schools’ And School System Websites

This Plan, As Is True Of All School Plans, Should Be Subjected To Periodic Review And Revision—Plans Cannot be Static in a Dynamic Environment.

A Consideration For All School People Is That Most School Violence Does Not Take Place In The Classroom, But In Common Areas Where Large Groups Of Students Gather And There Is Generally Less Supervision

Some Of The Types Of Crises That Should Be Considered Are:

Accidents/Injuries Armed Attack/Armed Intruder Bomb Threat Child Abuse/Neglect/Sexual Assault Communicable Disease Criminal Indictment Death Of A Student Of Staff Member Demonstrations Fire Gas/Chemical Attack Tornado/Hurricane, Or Other Extreme Weather

Conditions Vandalism/Property Damage

From The Stand Point Of A Director Of School Community Relations (And Also Applicable To The School Principal), Certain Steps Are Necessary When A Crisis Related To Violence In The School Occurs:

Report The Incident To Law Enforcement Get As Many Facts As Possible* Verify That The School Has Initiated Its

Emergency Plan* Be Sure The Superintendent Has Be Notified* Clear You Schedule Go To The Scene Support Law Enforcement In Establishing Controls

And Perimeters* Alert Intervention Teams Review Previous Decisions And Determine Those

That Must Still Be Made*

Dispatch Personnel To Emergency Sites And Establish Regular Communications With These Sites

Determine And Announce Location For A Media Camp And Set Up Media Briefings

Clarify Who The Primary Spokesman Will Be Prepare And Hold Briefing Place Briefing Or Summary On The System Or School

Web Site Call For Outside Help If Necessary Prepare And Distribute Facts Sheets When Appropriate Prepare Letter For Distribution To Parents* Anticipate Copy Cat Incidents At Other Schools Determine If Multi-agency Briefing And

Communications Are Necessary Remember To Eat And Sleep*Most Of These Items Should Have Already Been Done

By Or Should Be Coordinated With The Principal.

Working With The Media Give The Media Accurate Information As

Soon As Possible—some Guidelines For Working With The Media Early In The Crisis Are Given On Pages 151-2

Guidelines For Working With The Media During An Ongoing Crisis Are Given On Page 152-3

o After Establishing That The Safety Of Students And Staff Has Been Assured It Would Be Appropriate For Selected Staff And Students To Be Interviewed By The Media. It Would Be Wise To Be Sure That Parental Consent Has Been Given For The Students To Be Interviewed. It Would Seem To Prudent For The Principal Or School Community Relations Director To Choose The Persons To Be Interviewed Based On The Ability Of The Potential Interviewee.

o Access By The Media To Staff Members Should Be Controlled During The Crisis. The School Or School System Does Not Need Multiple “Talking Heads” Trying To Speak Of For The System. This Is Applies To Board Members And The Staff.

BOMB THREATS Telephone Bomb Threats Are A Very

Difficult Situation For The School. The Administration Must Evaluate Each

Threat For Credibility. A School Cannot “Put The Kids On The

Street” Every Time Some Nut Decides To Make A Call. However, There Is A Chance, However Small That The Threat Is Real.

A Suspicious Package Is Another Matter, In These Times. School Administrators Must Deal Very Carefully With Such Packages These Days.

Crises In Schools Have Told School People That Schools And School Personnel Should Be In The Crisis Prevention Business. Then Perhaps We Will Not Ever Get In The Position Of Implementing A Crisis Plan. Note The Warning Signs, Pages 155.

THE AFTERMATH Following The Crisis Some Possible Actions Are: Hold Debriefings Continue Crisis Counseling Prepare For Lawsuits Establish Appropriate Memorials Account For Donated Gifts Recognize Those Who Contributed, Volunteered,

Or Helped Pay Bills Examine School Culture Be Ready For Long-term Attention Review Crisis Policy For Needed Revisions