Emergency Management Plan for Public & Private Schools (K-12) on CD-ROM, by Douglas M. Henderson

EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS (K-12)
A CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN
on CD-ROM
by Douglas M. Henderson

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Published by Rothstein Associates Inc.
ISBN 1-931332-18-5
In stock for immediate shipment.
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This plan is designed to function as a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). Included is a
management team and emergency response structure that will enable your organization to
maintain or rapidly restore critical services.

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Finally there is an emergency plan specifically designed for a K-12 school environment in an
easy-to-use, template format. Planning templates not only create a plan for the entire School
System but special planning is directed to respond to a wide range of emergency situations
including emergency lockdown procedures that are required for hostile intruder, terrorist and
other threats.

There are important differences between the manner in which a school system or other
academic institution conducts its operations and the manner in which a corporation conducts
its business. The entire purpose of operations, the presence of large numbers of students,
the style of management, and etc. are all greatly different between an academic institution
and a typical business. Until now these differences have not been particularly well addressed
in literature for emergency plans.

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PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Emergency plans for academic institutions are generally developed by certain key
operations (the Maintenance Department, the Security or Police Department, Public
Relations, etc.) creating emergency response type plans. Plans are developed individually
under a “silo approach” rather than under an “enterprise-wide approach.” Under this silo
approach the resulting plans vary widely in terms of organization and detail. It is not
uncommon to find some departments with excellent plans and other departments without any
formal plan in place.

Frequently only very general guidelines coordinate these Department Plans; sometimes the
purpose of the plans is unclear; and, on occasion, important planning areas are overlooked.
A large number of individuals from different areas are involved, and many of these
individuals do not work together on a day-to-day basis. In an actual emergency situation
many individuals have important areas of responsibilities and must be able to coordinate
their efforts.

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OPERATIONAL EFFECTIVENESS

Rigid organizational structures are not normally found within the educational community. A
typical approach utilized by educational institutions to address a problem is to establish a
committee to analyze the facts and make recommendations. This group or committee
management style approach assembles a large range of ideas and generally produces
satisfactory results over a fairly long period of time. In developing an emergency plan this
approach is acceptable; but in executing an emergency plan, the approach may not work
effectively.

Quick decisions regarding the appropriate response measures are necessary in an
emergency situation. There is frequently insufficient time to gather and analyze various
opinions. A single individual must be in charge, and if that individual is not present a “chain of
command” must be utilized. This type of management structure is not common in an
academic community.

This EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR PUBLIC & PRIVATE SCHOOLS (K-12) on
CD-ROM designates an Incident Response Team that utilizes the Incident Command
System (ICS) for responding to emergency situations. This is a recognized, proven, effective
management approach utilized by FEMA to make tactical decisions during an actual
emergency.

Together with the Incident Response Team we have identified an Emergency Management
Team to determine the institution’s policy (strategic decisions). This Emergency
Management Team is structured in a committee style consistent with typical academic
institutional practices. The overall management structure couples an effective mechanism for
handling an emergency with a management style compatible with practices in an educational
setting.

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INCIDENT RESPONSE

Current Initial Response Planning by schools typically focuses on executing a facility
evacuation. This Emergency Management Plan for Public & Private Schools greatly expands
this scope and includes two Attachments for use by the initial responders. One Attachment
is
designed for use by the Incident Commander to direct the institution’s resources. The other
Attachment is designed for use by faculty, staff and others who are the initial responders to
an emergency situation. Considerable attention is given to the current threats of a Hostile
Intruder and Terrorist Activities which often require Emergency Lockdown procedures be
executed - the exact opposite of a facility evacuation.

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CAMPUS PLANS

In addition to organization-wide plans for the school system, planning is needed at every
school campus. The Initial Response Plans are presented in a template format, to be
developed by the school system and then used by the school system and by each school
campus.

To better coordinate all planning and response efforts this Emergency Management Plan for
Public & Private Schools (K-12) also contains a template for the development of a plan and
a support team at each school campus. The School Campus Plan template can be easily
completed at each school campus providing each individual school with a plan that is
compatible with all plans within the school system.

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TERMINOLOGY

The emergency management industry grew initially out of the Information Technology area.
These emergency plans were referred to as “Disaster Plans” and this terminology is still
commonly used by Information Technology Departments within both the academic and
business communities. Since the late 1980’s and early 1990’s the term “Business Continuity
Plan” has become the standard corporate term for an emergency plan. This term along with
other terms such as “Business Impact Analysis” commonly used in the corporate world are
not generally used in an academic environment.

Although there is no official terminology for emergency plans within an academic institution,
this Emergency Management Plan for Public & Private Schools (K-12) utilizes terminology
that I have found to be commonly used by academic institutions. The Glossary located in the
Appendices provides the user with the suggested terminology.

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CONTENTS

SECTION I EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Purpose
Scope
Mission
Assumptions
Types of Emergencies
Incident Command System
Declaration
Organization – Plans
Organization – Teams
Individual Roles

SECTION II ORGANIZATION
Emergency Management Team
Incident Response Team
Department Plans
Campus Plans
Members with Critical Responsibilities

SECTION III PLAN ACTIVATION OPERATION
A. Level of Response
B. Notification & Activation
C. Command Posts
D. Campus Recovery

SECTION IV DEPARTMENT PLANS
Requirements of All Departments
Special & Critical Department Responsibilities

SECTION V SCHOOL CAMPUS PLANS
Requirements of All School Campus Plans
Special & Critical Responsibilities

Appendix A Glossary

Attachment A Department Plan Template
Attachment B Incident Commander Action Steps
Attachment C Incident Response Plan
Attachment D School Campus Plan Template
Attachment E Student Information
Attachment F Contact Information

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EXCERPT:

B. Campus Closing Checklist - Wind & Flood (Hurricane) Threat

In the event that the School suspends normal operations in response to the threat of a
hurricane or other severe wind and/or flood event the following activities must be carried out
in each School prior to faculty & staff being released.

1. Back-up computer hard drives. Secure diskettes and CD's in zip-lock bags and
take duplicate copies off site.
2. Unplug computers, printers and other electrical appliances.
3. All occupants:
- Relocate contents from bottom drawers of desks and file cabinets to
locations safe from water damage.
- Move all equipment, books, papers and other valuables away from
windows, off the floor, and to interior areas of the building. (Be sure that equipment and
other valuables that are moved outside your office are tagged for easy identification and
retrieval).
- For ground floor occupants in buildings subject to flooding: If
necessary, relocate equipment and other valuables to a higher floor. (Be sure that
equipment and other valuables that are moved outside your office are tagged for easy
identification and retrieval).
- Cover and secure or encase and seal equipment and other valuables
with plastic.
- Clear desktops, tables and exposed horizontal surfaces of materials
subject to damage.
- Close and latch (or secure with tape) all filing cabinets.
- To the extent possible, turn bookcases, shelving units, etc. around to
face walls.
- Place telephones in desk drawers. Leave telephones plugged in (you
will be able to receive emergency messages).
4. In lab areas:
- Store sensitive apparatus and glassware in areas safe from wind and
water damage.
- Attend to critical utility-dependent processes and make arrangements
for back-up supply.
- Assure all hazardous and biohazards materials and wastes are
properly protected.
5. Check contents of refrigerators and set to coldest setting.
6. Empty trash receptacles of items likely to rot.
7. Take home all personal items of value.
8. Close and latch all windows. Close and lock all doors.
9. Stay tuned to the radio/television for additional information, or call the School
Hotline.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Douglas M. Henderson, FSA, CBCP, President of Disaster Management, Inc., has 25 years
of experience in the management and human resources fields with major consulting firms. In
August of 1992, Doug was the key associate of the Emergency Management Team for a
consulting firm located in South Miami-Dade County. Inspired by the real life business
experience with Hurricane Andrew and the lack of preparation within the business and
academic community, Doug founded Disaster Management, Inc.

Doug is a speaker for the AICPA’s Emergency Business Planning Course and is the
speaker for Kemper Insurance Company’s Emergency Management and Disaster Recovery
Course. Doug has also made presentations at the National Hurricane Conference, the
Florida Governor's Conference, and to numerous other organizations.

Doug has a B. S. Degree from the University of Arizona and is a Fellow, Society of
Actuaries. Doug is a Certified Business Continuity Professional, and a member of FEPA
(Florida Emergency Preparedness Association). Doug is the editor of DisasterALERT!, the
author of the Is Your Business Ready for the Next Disaster?, the Emergency Management
Plan for Colleges and Universities, the Emergency Management Plan for Public and Private
Schools and is the coauthor of the Business Continuity Plan for Academic Institutions.

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Published by Rothstein Associates Inc.
ISBN 1-931332-18-5
In stock for immediate shipment.
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