Colorado School Safety Resource Center Created Response Materials

Response: Emergency Actions for K-12 Schools (March 2011)

• As part of a collaborative work group effort, and recently approved by the advisory board of the CSSRC, it is recommended that K-12 schools have protocols for five basic emergency actions to help ensure safety of all individuals on school site in the event of an actual emergency or for various crisis situations: lockdown, lockout (secured building), shelter-in-place (including weather shelter), evacuation, and a protocol for release and reunification of students to reunite them with parents/caregivers after an event.
• The document is intended as guidance to Colorado schools and recommends consultation and development of protocols with community emergency responders, customizing procedures as needed for individual school sites and developing plans for students and staff with special needs. In addition key messages include that all staff and students be trained through drill and practice, parents informed of protocols, and that schools review plans after all drills and actual events

 

National Organizations

National Commission on Children and Disasters

• The National Commission on Children and Disasters was authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008, signed into law by President Bush on December 26, 2007 (P.L. 110-161).

National Association of School Psychologists

• PREPaRE School Crisis Prevention and Intervention Training

• Template for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for School Crisis Response Mutual Aid

National Education Association

• Health Information Network - easy-to-use crisis guide with essential, to-the-point advice for schools and districts.
• School Crisis Guide

 

Specialized Materials

After a Suicide Loss: A Toolkit for Schools

• Produced by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) 2011
• A free resource to help schools cope in the aftermath of a suicide. Developed in consultation with national experts, this toolkit is a highly-practical resource for schools facing real-time crises, and is applicable for diverse populations and communities. It includes general guidelines for action, do’s and don’ts, templates and sample materials, and covers topics such as Crisis Response, Working with the Community, Memorialization, Social Media, Suicide Contagion and Bringing in Outside Help.
• To learn more about other AFSP programs and resources for schools, go to www.afsp.org/schools.

Bomb Threat Guide and Software

• An interactive CD-Rom planning tool for schools created by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice.
• Free CD-Rom Order link (for Education and Law Enforcement personnel only)

NEW Disaster Response Template Toolkit

• This Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Disaster Response Template Toolkit features public education materials that disaster behavioral health response programs can use to create resources for reaching people affected by a disaster. The Template Toolkit includes print, website, audio, video, and multimedia materials that disaster behavioral health response programs can use to provide outreach, psycho-education, and recovery news for disaster survivors. Many of the links contain sample materials and online tools that have been used in previous disaster situations across the country. The templates can also be adapted for future use as desired.

Guidelines for the Field Triage of Injured Patients

• Part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Injury Prevention and Control
• Contains links for online courses, fact sheets, posters, and other tools to help decide how to handle injured people.

Lessons Learned

• Lessons Learned is a series prepared by the Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools and the REMS TA Center. Lessons Learned are brief recountings of actual school emergencies and crises. They spotlight the critical actions, decisions and events that took place before, during and after a real incident. Lessons Learned demonstrate what worked and what did not so that all school communities can strengthen their emergency management activities throughout the four phases of school emergency management (prevention-mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery).
• Responding to a Suicide Cluster: Palo Alto School District  (V5, I2, 2010)
• Preparing for a Cyber Security Breach Before one Occurs (V5, Issue 1, 2010)
• Emergency Management Planning for After-School Programs (V4, Issue 4, 2010)
• Coordinating A Response to H1N1: One District's Experiences (V4, Issue3, 2009)
• Bus Crash at Lakeview Public Schools (V4, Issue 2, 2009)
• H1N1: Responding to an Outbreak in New York City Schools (V4, Issue 1, 2009)
• Responding to infectious disease: Multiple cases of staph infections in a rural school district (V3, Issue 3, 2008)
• Communication and Collaboration During Natural Disasters: The Lessons Learned from Past Experience (V3, Issue 2, 2008)
• Responding to School Walkout Demonstrations (V3, Issue 1, 2008)
• Responding to and Recovering from an Active Shooter Incident that Turns into a Hostage Situation (v2, Issue 6, 2007)
• Recovering from Natural Disasters: Preparation is Key (V2, Issue 5, 2007)
• Incorporating Chemical Hazards into an Emergency Management Plan (V2, Issue 4, 2007)
• Managing an Infectious Disease Outbreak in a School (V2, Issue 3, 2007)
• Coping With Multiple Suicides Among Middle School Students (V2, Issue 2, 2007)
• After-Action Reports: Capturing Lessons Learned and Identifying Areas for Improvement (V2, Issue 1, 2007)
• A Coordinated Response To Multiple Deaths in a School Community Helps the Healing Begin (V1, Issue 2, 2006)
• Dealing With Weapons on Campus (V1, Issue 1, 2006)

Responding to a Crisis at School

• This supportive document for schools was created in 2008 by the Center for Mental Health in Schools at UCLA.

Role of First Responders in Child Maltreatment Cases: Disaster and Nondisaster Situations

• Created in 2010 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families Administration on Children, Youth and Families Children's bureau, Office on Child Abuse and Neglect
• Child Abuse and Neglect User Manual Series

Standard Response Protocol, I Love U Guys Foundation

• This website provides a training guide, PowerPoint presentations, workbook and other on-line materials free of charge to Districts, Departments and Agencies to assist in a uniform classroom response to incidents at school.

Suicide Prevention Key Messages - Tips to a Great Interview

• Published by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment's Office of Suicide Prevention in August 2011 
• Sharing consistent messages about suicide and suicide prevention, when working with the media and other stakeholders, helps you to become proactive in changing the way suicide, mental health and the like are perceived.
• Consistent messaging shows that a well-organized, strategic voice is discussing the issue.

 

Threat Assessment

Prior Knowledge of Potential School-Based Violence: Information students learn may prevent a targeted attack (Bystander Study)

• Published by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Secret Service (2008)

U.S. Secret Service Final Report and Findings of the Safe Schools Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States

• Provides overview of the Key Findings of the Safe School Initiative

U.S. Secret Service Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and Creating Safe School Climates

• Provides guidance for implementing, conducting and managing a school threat assessment process

CSSRC Summary of Secret Service 11 Key Questions

• Main questions used to guide the threat assessment process in schools

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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