Emergency and crisis incidents affect schools every day, and the value of standardized emergency planning cannot be overstated in terms of properly addressing school safety. Natural hazards such as tornados, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes are typically thought to be the most common incidents schools need to plan for. But schools are also at risk from other hazards, such as school violence, infectious disease, terrorist threats, and student or staff deaths through suicide, intentional acts, accidental incidents, or natural causes. All of these incidents can impact safety, culture and climate, and continuity of operations at school sites.
Planning and preparations done prior to an emergency or crisis incident will help schools appropriately respond to, and recover from, an actual emergency event if and when it occurs. Effective school emergency management must be standardized and address the four phases of emergency management identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Incident Management System (NIMS). These phases are:
- Prevention/Mitigation
- Preparedness
- Response
- Recovery
Under Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD5) school districts in the United States are required to have standardized emergency operations plans which effectively address all hazards pertinent to schools within the district. In order to create an All Hazards emergency operations plan meeting these requirements, the specific hazards and likelihood of occurrence within a school district must be identified. Presidential Protection Directive 8 (PPD8) and the U.S. Department of Education Guide for High Quality School Emergency Operation Plans states planning for the hazards posing risks to school districts, and then training to the plan, are the most effective means of achieving a safe and healthy climate in a school district. A Hazard and Vulnerability Assessment (HVA) specific to the area of the school or school district is necessary in order to identify the risks faced by schools within the district. PPD8 and the Department of Education Guide also redefine the principles of emergency management and states emergency operations plans must address these five Mission Areas:
- Prevention
- Protection
- Mitigation
- Response
- Recovery
The protection phase is new to standardized emergency management and it is pertinent to school emergency operations. The concept of these five Mission Areas is if they are all addressed in the school district’s emergency management program, the district will be prepared for all hazards posing a threat to them. Assessing the hazards pertinent to school districts and individual schools, then addressing the vulnerabilities through target hardening and Crime Prevention Through Environment Design (CPTED), is an effective way to mitigate risks.
CPTED is a multidisciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior through environmental design. CPTED strategies rely on the ability to influence offender decisions that precede criminal acts. The four CPTED principles of Natural Surveillance, Natural Access Control, Territorial Reinforcement, and Maintenance will be referenced throughout this HVA report. Infrastructure target hardening using these principles is a proven method to taking a proactive approach to school safety.
An important concept of any emergency management program is continuity and sustainability of the planning and training phases of the program. Continual assessment of hazards and vulnerabilities facing schools is integral to proper planning and training to address the “All Hazards” approach to emergency management. Yearly assessments of school districts to document improvements made to the district and individual school emergency management programs and related infrastructure target hardening projects will be completed in order to track forward progress and identify priorities as they relate to school safety planning and training projects.
Assessments completed by Subject Matter Experts not employed by the school district and not affiliated with sales of products or profits from sales of products are prerequisites for most grant funding for school safety and emergency planning programs. This includes the Department of Justice and Bureau of Justice Administration School Violence Protection Program (SVPP) grants for target hardening and training projects related to safety and safe school culture and climate programs. The reason for this is grant reviewers want to see projects that are realistic and meet the “Evidence Based” requirements for funding. These grants are funded through 2028, but a realistic timeframe for preparation is six months prior to the grants being announced. Grant announcements typically come out in March of each year. Most State level grants also have the assessment requirement for funding justification.
Independent assessments performed by qualified persons also assist school districts with bond funding when placed on ballots for approval. Public outreach to voters explaining the projects and need for the funding provide justification for the approval process. If voters are asked to pay increased taxes, they want to know why and where the money is going to be used. This type of public outreach is essential when a school district is considering placing a bond on a ballot for voter review and approval.
School Safety Operations Inc. is available to assist school districts, charter schools, and private schools with the assessment process upon request. Please contact us for further information.
