The information presented on this page is to assist school districts in responding to the growing threat of internal and external Terrorism in our Country as well as accidental and natural disasters.  School Districts should move forward with Emergency/Crisis Planning and they should understand that this is a Dynamic Process which Keys Professional are trained to help with.   This information may be used to help School Districts plan in the grant process or just to help them see where they are and where they need to go. Keys To Safer Schools.com has, therefore, provided this framework from which schools can extract critical planning information for the completion of this Crisis Planning process. 

How to use this Model Program: The entire Model Program consists of seven (7) distinct phases in the building of a comprehensive and integrated Emergency Response/Crisis Plan along with School Site Specific Plans. It can be copied in its entirety and submitted as the Program Description of the Application (if needed) or individual Phases may be copied and grouped to fit the needs of a particular school district. School Districts may select the Phases they are interested in Keys providing and/or may have Keys evaluate their District to determine their specific need.  Cost is based on which phases are needed.

NOTE: The first part of the first phase is exploratory and may be purchased separately as a means for the District to determine current levels of readiness and areas of need. This diagnostic information could then be used to verify adequacy of the present plan or as justification for this or another grant in the future.

	Phase I: Evaluate the District Need			Phase V: Staff & Crisis Teams Skills Training & Overview
	Phase II: Evaluate the Schools Needs
	Phase III: Assessing Safety & Security of Schools			Phase VI: Implementation Procedures
	Phase IV: Development of a Multi-Hazard Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plans			Phase VII: Recovery Process

The first step in any journey is to know where you are now. The next step is to determine where you want to be and the third is to decide on the route. This phase is divided into these same elements, referred to as Meetings.

Subject Matter Experts (SME) will meet with District Officials who are members of the policy and decision making element of the district. The existing Emergency Response/Crisis Plan will be explored (if desired evaluated utilizing Keys assessment tool)  for its ability to meet possible contingencies. Guided by the SME’s, the District Officials will determine if the existing plan is;

• adequate as is,

• needs to be modified or

• needs to be scrapped and start all over.

Once this decision is made, they will then review this entire program specific to the needs of the District and select the phases (see Phase above) that they feel necessary for providing a safe learning environment for their students.

[This Meeting is a stand alone and could be all Keys will do. Price $500 per Subject Matter Expert (minimum of 2) plus expenses. The remainder is open to negotiation and will be based on a package deal.]

SME’s will meet with individual school Principals and their Crisis Teams to determine the specific needs of each school. To facilitate this Phase being accomplished in a timely manner, schools may be grouped regionally, functionally or in some other manner to expedite the flow of information. These series of meetings will examine such areas as Visitor Policy and Practice, Communications Systems, Traffic, Parking and others. To help the principals prepare for these meetings, a Workbook will be distributed in advance to be completed and brought with them to the meeting.  Workbook covers items like:

• School Crisis Team Member (Name, title, function on team and more..)

• Location of Alternate Evacuation Site, if school is required to evacuate off school grounds.

• How to assess a Crisis, what steps they should take and specifically who should take them - and much more...

SME’s will conduct a physical site inspection of each school and district facility assessing the effectiveness of safety & security present and needed improvements. A minimum of a half day per school is required. To Learn more

This phase may also include Town Meetings using the PTA/PTO, the School Board or venues available for the community to present their perceptions of safety issues.

The final step in this phase is a formal presentation of findings. One presentation will be for the District as a whole covering policy and global decision making. Multiple smaller presentations will offer the schools (individually or regionally) an opportunity to hear and see short comings and suggestions for improvement.

Phase IV: Development of a Multi-Hazard Emergency Response and Crisis Management Plans Top

Additional detailed information is available on another page.  To review clicking here!

SME’s will meet with the Superintendent (and policy decision makers) to determine specific policies for contingencies such as evaluations, shelter procedures, and lock downs for bomb threat and other threats. It would be a waste of time to discuss all options with a large group when the decision makers have already determined the policy.

• Meeting 2: First Responders Coordination Workshop - Learn more

District and Community leaders are brought together to discuss abilities and limitations in an emergency/crisis. This training will highlight the uniqueness of each of the schools within the designated district, county or other boundary and seek to identify areas in their emergency/crisis planning that can be made uniform for First Responders. The schools, with the help of the First Responders and others, will; 

• identify ways that they can be a resource for each other in the event of an emergency/crisis or terrorist event.

• share how schools can provide first responders with updated Multi-Hazard Crisis Plans and maps of every campus and floor plans of every building.

• discuss jurisdictional issues and roles in a variety of scenarios.

• have an open discussion on:

  • Responsibility and Authority of the school and first responders,

  • Medical personnel will discuss on-site-triage, mass casualty procedures, inoculations, air evacuation requirements and

  • the concept of Command Post operations,

  • Sites of Interest that may pose an increased risk to the surrounding schools,

  • on how schools and first responders in implement procedures to handle emergencies/crisis or terrorist events.

• other items to be covered

  • Dress Code Issues, Visitors Policies, Student ID's, How Students can conceal weapons,

  • How to setup District wide Multi-Hazard Emergency/Crisis Response Codes & Procedures,

  • When to Evacuate and When not to Evacuate, Where to Shelter and Bomb Threat Procedures,

  • Traffic Control and more....

• Meeting 3: District Plan Development Workshop

SME’s will meet with the District policy makers and Emergency/Crisis Team Members to work through actions required, specific to this District, in the event a Crisis/Disaster should occur. Contingencies are developed for each type of crisis in a Multi-Hazard approach. Actions to be taken under each of the Homeland Security Alert Codes will be developed including reactions to Terrorist attacks that involve biological, chemical agents, nuclear as well as conventional explosives.

SME’s will meet with school Emergency/Crisis Teams to go through the Crisis Workbooks they completed. The information developed will be integrated into a master Crisis/Emergency Plan Template to insure uniformity across the District. The number of people who are on multiple campuses within a District makes it extremely important that words and procedures remain consistent, while the plan itself is unique to each school.

NOTE: At the completion of this Phase, the District will have a Multi-Hazard Emergency District Crisis Plan and a school site specific plan for each school in the District. This plan will be in Print as well as in electronic medium so that updates can be made as they occur. Each school will have the District Plan plus their own.  To Learn more...

Phase V: Staff & Emergency/Crisis Teams Skills Training & Overview Top

In a fully integrated Multi-Hazard Emergency Plan, certain knowledge and skills are required by all staff and team members. SME’s will assist the District and schools in cataloging required versus available skills and will recommend training where indicated. Some skills (but not limited to) that will be covered are:

• what is an effective lockdown,

• how to setup a Command Post,

• where to shelter

• how to safeguard students,

• how to effectively handle a bomb Threat and

• how to Safe-Guard Transportation Services - see Bus Driver Training - Student Management in a Hostile and Terrorist Environment

• more...

Other available trainings can be found on our Critical Training Page --> click here.

Phase VI: Implementation Procedures Top

No plan is complete until it is put into place and exercised. Merely publishing a document will not prepare the District for a Crisis. SME’s assist the District in developing implementation procedures.

1. Flip Charts: The Plan itself may be too bulky to carry around. Smaller flip charts can be kept with the classroom grade book and used as a ready-reference to quickly implement aspects of the Plan. A larger, more detailed flip chart is available for members of the crisis teams so that they can quickly determine the next step that they should take.

2. Drills: SME’s will assist Districts in conducting drills to insure that the multi-hazard plan is exercised and is functional. These drills can be very large or very small:

   • Table Top Drills consist of calling 3 or 4 key staff members to meeting, then producing a "what if" scenario of a crisis. They will talk themselves through the actions that they would take, then explore opportunities for improving.  These drills can involve small specialized groups like:

     • District Crisis Team Members,

     • Nurses - development of Triage Centers

     • Transportation - Recalling of Bus Divers

     • Food Service - Stocking Shelter-in-Place Locations

     • Communication Drills with - outlaying Schools and more.

     • Sheltering in Place

     • Evaluations to Alternate Evaluation Sites

     • Coordination with First Responders

     • and much, much more...

   • Command Post Drills involve the key personnel exercising their communications and decision making. It might extend to relocating to the appropriate alternate sites to insure that communications will still flow.

   • Mock Emergency Drills utilizing the Multi-Hazarded Approach, which involve staff, students and others in this crisis drill. This will sometimes involve make-up and sounds effects to increase realism and interest in the drills. There is a caution here not to frighten younger children.  This type of drill may included any or all of the following;

     • Single Schools,

     • District or County Schools in system

     • Full Counties or Multiple Counties including, First Responders, Office of Emergency Management, FEMA, Other City, County, State or Federal Agencies, Private Facilities that may pose a Hazard to Schools and others.

     • State Drills involving Biological, Chemical, Nuclear, or Conventional Disasters or Terrorist Attacks.

3. Debriefings: SME’s will guide District and School personnel in holding debriefings. Getting everyone together, in small groups, after a real or simulated crisis is crucial to Plan development. This is the best means of refining a plan, instilling ownership and building interest.

Phase VII: Recovery Process Top

The goal is to return to normal activities as soon as possible. This will not happen on its own and must be guided.

At the completion of this Dynamic Model Approach your district will have a,

• Comprehensive and fully Functional Multi-Hazard Emergency Response/Crisis Plan
  • District Crisis Response Plan- specifically tailored to your needs
  • School Site Specific Crisis Plans - for each school in district
  • Classroom Crisis Flip-Charts
  • Crisis Team Flip-Charts
• Safe and Secure School/Site Locations
• A Fully Trained Crisis Response Team
• Knowledgeable and Safety Conscious Staff
• Community Support of your Safe School District and
• Last, but most important Safe Students and Staff.

Contact Keys today to see how we might be able to help your District with this Model Approach.  Keys may provide chapters to insert into your grant proposal and may help in a number of different ways during the grant process.  Call us or email us to find out how.  Act today for the grant opportunity.

Keys To Safer Schools.com
P.O. Box 296
Bryant, AR 72089-0296.
(800) 504-7355 "toll free"

Programs to Combat Violence

• Kids are the Keys Assembly

• See the Lock Out Violence Everyday Campaign - A community violence prevention program.

• See SCHOOL SAFETY SITE ASSESSMENT

  • To Learn How "Keys To Safer Schools" Can Help.

  • Learning what to look for - "Early Warning Signs"

  • Map of School Shootings

  • Learn about National Reports on Violence

If you have any comments or questions please Email us at keys@keystosaferschools.com.