|
Response
Response is the process of implementing appropriate
actions while an emergency situation is
unfolding. In short, responding means “doing what
you planned to do.” In this phase,
schools/districts mobilize resources needed to
handle the emergency at hand.
Emergency Management Response Protocols
A
broad range of emergency situations are identified
in the Emergency Management Response
Protocols section of this guide. For
each event listed there are specific actions to be
taken to appropriately handle the given situation.
Depending on the type of emergency, protocols may
remain under the domain of the school, may require
assistance from the District Support Team, or may
necessitate a coordinated community-wide response.
Schools and districts should strive to maintain an
agreed upon simple language protocol that all school
personnel, students, visitors and responders would
easily understand. This process would avoid the use
of elaborate codes or code words that may not be
known or understood by the majority of people
involved in the crisis or visitors in the school at
the time of the incident.
Universal Emergency Procedures
Universal Emergency Procedures refers to a set of
clear directives that may be implemented across a
number of situations. For example, 1)
Evacuation is a procedure that would apply to a
situation when it is safer outside the building than
inside (such emergencies could be a fire, bomb
threat or interior gas leak). Personnel throughout
the building would not necessarily need to know
which emergency is occurring; they simply need to
know to evacuate once a decision has been
made and announced. The intent is always to move
students, staff and visitors away from harm.
Other Universal Emergency Procedures include 2)
Shelter-in-Place, 3) Drop, Cover and Hold, 4) Severe
Weather Safe Area, 5) Lockdown and 6) “Reverse”
Evacuation. The advantage of having a small set
of universal procedures is its simplicity. With
Universal Emergency Procedures in place, staff can
learn to follow specific directions without having
to learn extensive protocols for dozens of different
emergency responses. |
