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In this article, the supervision and education experts at Robson Forensic outline steps/areas that school districts and schools can include in their Emergency Operations Plans (EOP) to ensure effective management and support of students, staff, and communities in times of health and safety crisis.
Schools and districts can face a myriad of threats and hazards that can disrupt the school system and education of students, creating an immediate crisis. These threats and hazards include but are not limited to:
Each of these hazards and threats have the potential to affect the health, safety, and well-being of students and staff. Although this article primarily focuses on biological hazards, the same planning principles and practices are applicable in any of the aforementioned hazards and threats.
When emergency health or safety crisis situations occur, communication and coordination between schools and governmental public health officials and stakeholders is critical. Equally critical is the development and adherence to a school EOP. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends that schools work in collaboration with local government officials and community partners to develop school EOPs.2
An EOP is just that, a well-defined, well thought out, comprehensive plan that enables a school/district to evaluate the potential ramifications of a health and safety crisis before, during, and after it affects a school/community. So what does that look like? The key is preparedness. Schools should be proactive by developing a plan. This involves training personnel and students, coordinating internal and external resources, developing viable communication systems, meeting students’ socio-emotional needs, and if school closure is necessary, planning for the students return to school.
The following components can support school EOP’s specific to biological hazards and can be applied to other health and safety crisis situations as well.
1. Education/Training provides school personnel, students and families the tools they need to act in an effective manner at a time of crisis. It can be done in advance of a crisis and then again at the time of crisis, if time permits. This may include:
2. Coordinating internal and external resources is critical to limiting the spread of disease in a school setting. This means creating a safety team during healthy times to include school personnel, Health Department, parents, local government, local law enforcement, first responders and medical and mental health personnel. For the development of a comprehensive plan that enhances the delivery of a smooth operation during a time of crisis, it’s crucial to first identify the roles of each team member and utilize their expertise efficiently and effectively. Key community members may be able to activate medical teams to provide testing or vaccinations, provide valuable scientific and up to date information, activate school closings, evacuate areas, navigate media, or ensure compliance. This use of resources includes testing and evaluating the systems created to ensure that they meet the intended goals.
3. Communication between school personnel, students, families, and community members is of utmost importance during a medical or emergency crisis. If communication lines break down, chaos and panic typically follow.
4. Resources: In the event of a school shutdown, however temporary; the impact can have a rippling effect on students, their families, and their communities. As such, schools should consider and plan for not only the learning and academic needs of their students, but their economic and socio-emotional needs as well. Emergency plans that address the socio-economic needs of the student may include:
5. Plan for Return: In continued coordination and communication with local public health officials, plan for the return of staff and students to school. The plan can include:
Planning for a hazard or threat through the development of an EOP can enable schools to address the health and safety of the students, personnel, families, and community in a systematic and comprehensive manner during emergency situations.
This article was written with input from experts in the Supervision / Education practice group. Our experts specializing in educational administration are uniquely qualified to evaluate the planning and execution performed by school districts relative to incident and crisis management. They can also evaluate district and school policies and procedures related to safety in relation to injury that might occur as a result of a threat or hazard.
For more information, submit an inquiry or call us at 866.658.3569.
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