Emergency Preparedness Plans for Schools

Every school should be prepared for emergencies that could arise.

The threat of disasters and unexpected events, such as floods, tornadoes, earthquakes and terrorist acts, is always present, and it is important that people are aware of how to properly respond to lessen injuries and deaths. This is especially true for children in schools. Schools must have emergency preparedness plans to guide students to safety.

Fire Drills

Probably the most frequently used emergency preparedness plan in schools is the fire drill. Several times each year, the entire school will respond to a planned fire alarm by calmly, but quickly, exiting the school building. Schools districts are required by law to conduct regular building evacuation fire drills. Fire drills are conducted so frequently because fires are more likely to occur than other disasters, such as earthquakes or bomb threats.

Earthquake Preparedness Plans

Not all schools have earthquake preparedness plans, but those in earthquake-prone areas will have them. During an earthquake drill, students are instructed to move away from windows and large objects that could tilt over. They are then instructed to duck, cover and hold. This means that each student should crouch low to the ground and curl into a ball under a sturdy desk or other strong structure that is not likely to collapse. The students stay there until the earthquake ceases, then use the buddy system to exit the building.

Inclement Weather Preparedness Plans

There are a variety of weather-related emergencies that could occur near a school, including floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and thunderstorms. Weather-related emergencies are heavily dependent on the climate and environment around the school. Because weather poses a variety of threats, the response must be appropriate to the emergency. For instance, flood emergency plans require that students move to higher ground or evacuate the building. Thunderstorms and high winds require plans that instruct children to take shelter away from glass and falling objects. All weather emergency plans require some sort of escape route or map.

Manmade Disaster Preparedness Plans

Manmade threats include bomb threats, riots, criminal acts and weapons in the school. Because manmade disasters can be so unpredictable, emergency plans for these types of events must be changed to fit the emergency and may even be changed in the midst of the emergency. The main goal is to get the students away from the threat and to a safe area. Students do not regularly perform bomb drills or weapons drills, but school administrators do often have escape routes mapped out to get students away from the threat or to contain and isolate the threat. Manmade emergencies should almost always involve calling the police.

References

• Department of Education: Emergency Planning
• Oak Ridge National Laboratory: Model Emergency Plans for Schools
• National School Safety and Security Services: School Crisis and School Emergency Plans