The Importance of Training for Effective School Emergency Response

Training: A Key to Emergency Preparedness

No matter how well-crafted school emergency plans are, they can only be effective if staff are adequately trained in the related response actions. During an emergency, there’s no time to refer to plans or checklists. Staff must instinctively know how to respond, a skill honed through rigorous pre-incident training. A common saying in Emergency Management highlights this: “In an emergency, we do not rise to the occasion. We sink to our level of training.”

School Emergency Response Training

School Safety Operations Inc.’s Approach to Emergency Response Training

Customized Training Workshops

School Safety Operations Inc. offers specialized training workshops tailored to the specific needs of each client school district or school. These workshops are designed to cover all aspects of school emergency response comprehensively, enhancing staff preparedness.

Training Based on Responsibility Level

The training content varies depending on the attendees’ roles in an emergency response. Staff in management roles within the Incident Command System need more advanced training than those in non-management positions. However, every staff member plays a role during an emergency, necessitating training for all.

SSO Inc.: Fear-Free Active Assailant Training for Schools

SSO Inc. has developed their own school Active Assailant Response Training Programs that realistically prepare staff for this worse case incident without using fear based training principles. These programs go into pre-incident planning and mitigation as well as post-incident response. The SSO Inc. training programs are updated after each incident of violence at a school to ensure current recommended best practices are addressed.

Incorporating Incident Command System Principles

Aligning with Emergency Response Standards

Schools are required to implement the principles of the Incident Command System (ICS) in both training and actual emergency responses. This system is commonly used by emergency response agencies and needs to be integrated into school staff training.

Simplifying ICS for School Staff

Given the complexity of ICS, especially for those without an emergency management background, School Safety Operations Inc. includes pertinent ICS components in their workshops in a manner easily understandable by all attendees.

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Training Formats and Accessibility

In-Person Training for Upper-Level Management

Training for upper-level emergency management in schools and districts is conducted through a blend of lectures and hands-on tabletop exercises. These interactive sessions ensure a deep understanding of emergency response concepts.

E-Learning for Broader Staff Accessibility

To accommodate time constraints, School Safety Operations Inc. will launch e-learning courses for non-management level school staff in spring 2024, offering a flexible and remote training option.

Comprehensive Training and Legal Obligations

Holistic Approach to Emergency Training

While the threat of an Active Assailant incident is a significant focus, it should not be the sole emphasis of a school’s emergency training program. Training must be comprehensive, covering responses to all types of hazards and emergencies.

Legal and Statutory Training Requirements

School districts and schools have a legal obligation to train staff in emergency response and safety. Lack of training is often a point of negligence in post-incident litigation.

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Organizing and Availing Training Workshops

Scheduling and Expertise

Training sessions are scheduled according to the availability of the school district. All consultants conducting these workshops have a minimum of 20 years in law enforcement, supplemented by experience in school safety and emergency response.

Contact for Training Workshop Quotes

Quotes for training workshops are available upon request. Interested parties can contact Jeff Kaye through this website for further information and arrangements.