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 (COOP) TEMPLATE ON CD-ROM
by Douglas M. Henderson
2008 - 3rd Edition

- - - - - - - - -
-
Published by Rothstein Associates Inc.
ISBN 1-931332-50-9
In stock for immediate shipment.
- - - - - - - - -
-

Are you looking for a K-12 program that includes operational issues as well as
emergency response procedures?

Do you need a plan that can be updated quickly?

If the answer to these questions is "yes", then this planning template can help!

The Emergency Management Plan for Public & Private Schools (K-12) on CD-ROM
includes a Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) for ongoing school operations.
Also included are planning templates for faculty & staff, emergency information for
students and a Crisis / Risk Management Plan to handle emergency response.
This concise product provides the school system with the primary planning tools.

All template files use Fill-In-The-Blank format and Microsoft Word Templates that
are EASY TO UPDATE and require NO SPECIAL TRAINING!

- - - - - - - - -
-

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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

- - - - - - - - -

THE FOLLOWING FILES ARE INCLUDED:

1.ReadMe.doc
Introduction, user, license and copyright information
2.K-12 Continuity of Operations Plan.doc
The Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP) template that is designed to
become the actual COOP for your school, including a central version for the school
system and parallel versions for each individual school/campus
3.K-12 Department Division Responsibilities.doc
The identification and assignment of responsibilities to the
department/divisions
4.K-12 Crisis Risk Management Plan.doc
The Crisis/Risk Management Planning template that is designed to
become the actual CRMP for your school
5.K-12 Student Emergency Response Plan.doc
An Emergency Response Plan for distribution to students
6.K-12 Faculty Emergency Response Plan.doc
An Emergency Response Plan for distribution to faculty and staff
7.K-12 Family Disaster Planning.doc
Important personal information summarized from the American Red Cross

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -

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.

- - - - - - - - -
-

Looking for a more comprehensive Continuity of Operations Program? See
"Complete Crisis and Continuity Plan for Public and Private Schools (K-12)” at
www.rothstein.com/data/dr828.htm

- - - - - - - - -
-
Published by Rothstein Associates Inc.
ISBN 1-931332-50-9
In stock for immediate shipment.

2009, CD-ROM, 190+ pages. Order #DR700.

- - - - - - - - -
-