Educational Facilities Disaster and Crisis Management Guidebook.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES DISASTER 

AND CRISIS MANAGEMENT GUIDE BOOK 

Charlie Crist 

Governor 

John Winn 

Commissioner 

Executive Committee Members 

Ms. Josiane S. Vosefski 

Director of Risk Management 

Florida Community College 

at Jacksonville 

Mr. David Bishop 

Supervisor, Plant Operations 

Edison College 

Mr. Steven D. Ayers 

Director, Pupil Administrative Services 

School District of Hillsborough County 

Mr. Jerry Graziose 

Director, Safety Department 

The School Board of Broward County 

Mr. Robert Proie 

Mr. Steve Ratliff 

Senior Facilities Director, Operations & 

Assistant Superintendent for 

Maintenance Administrative Services 

Orange County Public Schools 

Santa Rosa County District Schools 

Mr. Jon Hamrick 

Construction Planning and Design Manager 

Florida Department of Education 

January 2, 2007

TABLE OF CONTENTS 

TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................... 

i 

INTRODUCTION 

Purpose ..................................3 

Disaster ..................................4 

Disasters and Catastrophic Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 

General Evacuation Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 

PREPAREDNESS 

Preparedness ............................29 

School Disaster Plan .......................30 

Facility Preparedness ......................32 

Hazard Preparedness ......................33 

Go Kits ..................................36 

Legal Considerations .......................47 

RESPONSE 

Response................................51 

Critical Incident Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 

The Incident Command System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 

Unified Command .........................55 

Command Center .........................57 

Emergency Operations Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 

Shelters .................................61 

Shelter Operations.........................64 

RECOVERY 

Recovery ................................71 

Initial Site Inspection and Recording Impacts . . . . 72 

Insurance and Pitfalls ......................78 

Issues Affecting FEMA Reimbursement . . . . . . . . 81 

FEMA Public Assistance Program Overview . . . . . 86 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

MITIGATION 

Mitigation ...............................107 

CLOSING 

Closing.................................117 

BIBLIOGRAPHY...............................119 

APPENDIX 

1. Shelters ...............................127 

2. Guidance and Statute Requirements for 

Design and Construction of EHPAs . . . . . . . . 129 

3. Law Enforcement in Shelters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133 

4. Mental Health ..........................135 

5. Jessica Lunsford Act .....................139 

6. Debris Removal.........................141 

7. NCEF Safe School Facilities Checklist . . . . . . . 157 

8. The Incident Command System . . . . . . . . . . . . 161 

9. Family Preparedness Kits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 171 

10. Palm Beach Community College 

Damage Assessment System . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 

11. Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement . . . . . . . . . . . 199 

12. Helpful Web Sites .......................227 

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INTRODUCTION 

- Purpose 

- Disaster 

- Disaster and Catastrophic Events 

- General Evacuation Procedures 

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INTRODUCTION 

Purpose 

The goal of this guidebook is to provide direction for disaster 

preparedness planning and management for all types of 

disasters affecting school districts and community colleges. 

Organization leaders frequently believe that a disaster will not 

happen to them, and fail to realize the impact a disaster can 

have on organizations. 

Schools have a dual role in disaster preparedness. They must 

function as emergency shelters when called upon, and must be 

returned to an educational function as quickly as possible to 

secure a normal environment for children, parents, and staff. 

Information for this guidebook was gathered from publications 

and both personal and phone interviews. This document 

should be used as a beginning point for a focused disaster 

facility plan that, when managed efficiently, will minimize 

disaster losses. 

The guidebook is organized around the four phases of 

emergency management: preparedness, response, recovery, 

and mitigation. 

This guidebook is intended for school, district, and community 

college facility managers. Its intended audience does not 

include administrators, students, or members of affiliate 

organizations. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Disaster 

A disaster is any natural, technological, or civil emergency that 

causes damage of sufficient severity and magnitude as to 

result in a declaration of a state of emergency by a county 

official, the Governor, or the President of the United States. 

A program of disaster preparedness must include general 

disaster principles and specific plans tailored for a particular 

school. Pre-disaster training includes: 

# Preparation of emergency supplies. 

# Familiarization with the types of disasters likely to 

impact the geographical location of the school. 

# Methods of self-protection during and after a 

disaster or act of violence (e.g., the identification 

of safe zones and alternative routes of escape in 

the event of a terrorist or sniper attack, and 

identification of the safest structural areas of the 

school in the event of a tornado). 

# Well rehearsed evacuation protocols, including the 

assignment of staff to specific tasks and duties, as 

well as the institution of methods of early warning 

and prompt evacuation (e.g., intercom, "walkietalkie," 

or cellular systems that permit school-wide 

and between-site communication during any 

telephone outage). 

# Institution of procedures to enlist aid following a 

catastrophic event (including telephone 

procedures). 

# A system of tracking the location and safe 

dissemination of children and personnel during a 

rescue effort. 

# A plan for restoration of the school facility and 

removal of trauma-invoking imagery. 

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INTRODUCTION 

# A mechanism for directing media response, which 

can become intrusive and distressing (e.g., 

directing news media personnel to a central 

administration representative). 

Facility managers should be familiar with these general 

principles and have a working knowledge of the school 

emergency preparedness and response plan. This guidebook 

specifically addresses facility preparedness and safety issues. 

Disaster Classifications 

The three classifications of disasters are: 

Minor 

Major 

A disaster that is likely to be within the response 

capabilities of local government. Minimal need 

for state or federal assistance. Example: tropical 

storm, local flooding. 

A disaster that is likely to exceed local 

capabilities. Requires a broad range of state and 

federal assistance. Example: Category One, 

Two, or Three hurricane. 

Catastrophic 

A disaster that will require massive state and 

federal assistance, including military involvement. 

Example: Category Four or Five hurricane that 

hits a densely populated area. 

The core role of facility managers in preparing for a disaster is 

to identify areas of vulnerability and past history of different 

types of disasters, including: 

# Projected storm surges by hurricane category. 

# Past hurricane occurrences. 

# Past tornado events. 

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INTRODUCTION 

# Past flood events. 

# History of freeze. 

# History of droughts. 

# History of forest fires. 

# History of civil disturbance. 

# Potential toxic spill locations. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Disasters and Catastrophic Events 

Hurricanes 

Hurricanes are events that can produce extremely high winds, 

tornadoes, and torrential rain (leading to mud slides and flash 

floods), and can drive storm surge onto coastal areas. 

Secondary hurricane events include: 

# Surge inundation. 

# Rainfall flooding. 

# High winds. 

# Power outages. 

# Tornadoes spawned by hurricanes. 

# Hazardous material spills. 

# Wind-borne debris. 

# Fallen trees. 

# Building damage. 

Hurricane alerts include: 

Hurricane watch 

# A hurricane watch (HWA) is issued for a specified 

coastal area for which a hurricane or a hurricanerelated 

hazard is a possible threat within 36 hours. 

Hurricane warning 

# A hurricane warning (HWW) is issued when a 

hurricane with sustained winds of 74 mph (65 

knots, 118 kmh) or higher is expected in a 

specified coastal area in 24 hours or less. 

When a hurricane is imminent: 

# Stay tuned to local radio, National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) weather alert 

radio, or television for weather advisories and 

special instructions from local government. 

# Upon issuance of a hurricane warning: 

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INTRODUCTION 

» Send students home according to district 

procedures. 

» Cancel school as necessary. 

» Close schools in threatened area(s). 

» Prepare facilities for hurricane. 

» If a facility is designated as a shelter, prepare 

the shelter. 

Flood 

A flood is an overflow of water, an expanse of water 

submerging land, or a deluge. To prevent flooding, facilities 

should be constructed one foot above the flood plain level. If 

buildings become flooded, the structures will need to be 

recertified by a structural engineer before they can be 

reoccupied. 

Flooding considerations include: 

# Facility elevation in relation to streams, canals, 

and waterways. 

# Flood history of area. 

# Evacuate or avoid areas that are subject to 

flooding. 

# Send students home or keep them at school until 

emergency subsides. 

Severe Thunderstorms 

A severe thunderstorm is defined as a storm with winds 

exceeding 58 mph, containing strong wind gusts and down 

bursts of wind. Severe thunderstorms may also have hail +/- 

3/4 inch in diameter and may spawn tornadoes. 

Severe thunderstorm: 

# Watch: indicates that a severe thunderstorm is 

possible. 

# Warning: indicates that a severe thunderstorm has 

been spotted or indicated by radar. 

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INTRODUCTION 

In the event of a thunderstorm warning, take immediate 

shelter, remain indoors, and stay away from windows. Stay 

tuned to local radio, NOAA weather alert radio, or television for 

weather advisories and special instructions from local 

government. 

Power Outages 

A power outage is the loss of electricity supply to an area. 

The reasons for a power failure include a defect in a power 

station, damage to a power line or other part of the distribution 

system, a short circuit, or the overloading of electricity mains. 

A power outage may be referred to as a “blackout” if power is 

lost completely, or as a “brownout” if some power supply is 

retained but the voltage level is below the minimum level 

specified for the system. Some brownouts, called “voltage 

reductions,” are initiated intentionally to prevent a full power 

outage. 

Power failures are particularly troublesome for schools as they 

can impact the safety of students. For this reason, and 

because of their potential use as shelters, some schools have 

emergency power generators that are configured to start 

automatically as soon as a power failure occurs. 

Lightning 

Lightning is a powerful natural electrostatic discharge produced 

during a thunderstorm. Lightning causes more deaths annually 

than do hurricanes or tornadoes. 

To prepare for lightning, train all appropriate school personnel 

in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External 

Difibrillator (AED), and First Aid. (Lightning victims can often be 

revived). 

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INTRODUCTION 

In the event of a lightning threat: 

# Move students inside a permanent structure. 

# Stay tuned to local radio, NOAA weather alert 



# Cancel outside recess. 

# Conduct physical education classes indoors. 

In the event of lightning: 

# Stay away from: 

» Open doors. 

» Glassed in areas. 

» Radiators. 

» Stoves. 

» Metal pipes. 

» Sinks. 

» Plugged-in electrical appliances. 

# If in a vehicle, stay in the vehicle unless it’s a 

convertible. If the vehicle is a convertible, then 

find shelter elsewhere. 

# If outdoors, and no permanent structure is 

available for shelter, lie as flat as possible in a 

ditch for best protection. 

# Avoid: 

» Open doors. 

» Highest object in area. 

» Hilltops. 

» Open spaces. 

» Wire fences. 

» Exposed sheds. 

» Trees (stay twice as far away as the tree is 

tall). 

» Being in bodies of water. 

» Being in small boats. 

» Using telephones or electrical equipment. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Develop a policy for students who walk home or drive their own 

vehicle: 

# Keep students at school under supervision until 

the storm passes, walking is safe, or 

transportation is provided. 

Alternate options include: 

# Dismissing students early, before an anticipated 

storm becomes severe. 

# Providing emergency transportation. 

# Developing policies for school cancellation, 

delayed school opening, or late dismissal when 

road conditions are unsafe. 

When an electrical charge is felt: 

# Hair stands on end. 

# Skin tingles. 

# Lightning may be about to strike you; drop to the 

ground immediately. 

Tornados 

A tornado is a deceptively violent, spinning column of air in 

contact with both a cumiliform cloud base and the surface of 

the earth. A tornado is typically shaped like a funnel, with the 

narrow end on the ground. 

Develop an early warning system to alert all schools with local 

emergency management authorities: 

# Hold pre-season drills at each facility. 

# Equip each facility with a distinct tornado alarm. It 

should not be confused with fire alarm or any 

other type of alarm or evacuation signal. 

# Instruct staff on specific district policies and 

procedures to protect students, to protect facilities, 

and to relocate students. 

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INTRODUCTION 

# Assign specific teachers to round up students on 

playgrounds or other outdoor areas. 

# Determine the best tornado shelter areas in each 

facility, and the quickest way to get there. 

For tornado shelters, use: 

# Lowest level of the building. 

# Small interior rooms. 

# Inner hallways. 

# Bathrooms. 

# Low interior spaces. 

# Enhanced Hurricane Protection Areas (EHPAs). 

Do not use: 

# Long-span rooms. 

# Windowed areas, if avoidable. 

# Corridors facing the wind, outer walls, or doorways. 

# Portable or mobile structures. 

For tornado shelter spaces: 

# Determine space availability and number of 

persons that each area can house. 

# Post a tornado shelter plan in the 

principal's/provost’s office. 

# In each room post the location of the tornado 

shelter to be used by the occupants of the room, 

and the quickest route to get to the shelter. 

# Provide a copy of the tornado shelter plan to the 

local emergency management office to ensure that 

tornado shelters are identifiable to local emergency 

managers. 

A tornado watch is activated when conditions may produce 

tornadoes, or tornadoes are expected to develop. In the event 

of a tornado watch: 

# Continue normal activities. 

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INTRODUCTION 

# Stay tuned to local radio, NOAA weather alert 



# Send pre-designated spotters to observation spots. 

# Obtain clear view of south and west, or of 

approaching severe weather. 

# Move students from temporary structures. 

A tornado warning indicates that a tornado has been detected 

nearby. In the event of a tornado warning: 

# Act quickly, stay calm, and move to safe areas. 

# Evacuate the room quickly and orderly. 

# If a school was constructed with an EHPA, this 

area should be used during a tornado threat. 

# Once in a tornado shelter area: 

» Assume protective squatting position with 

hands locked on back of neck. 

» Remain in position until instructed differently. 

If there is insufficient time to evacuate: 

# Go to an inside wall away from windows. 

# Squat on floor, face down. 

# Cover your head. 

If in relocatable/portable/mobile facility: 

# If time permits, evacuate to interior corridors of 

permanent structures. 

# Alternately, seek shelter in a ditch or low spot on 

the ground away from relocatable/portable/mobile 

building, assume a fetal position, and protect your 

head. 

If outdoors: 

# If there is sufficient time, go to a reinforced 

structure. 

# Seek shelter in a ditch or low spot on the ground. 

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INTRODUCTION 

# Assume a fetal position and protect your head. 

If in a motor vehicle: 

# Stop and get out. 

# Seek shelter away from the vehicle. 

# Do not use school buses during tornado warnings. 

# Seek shelter in a ditch or low spot on the ground. 

# Assume a fetal position and protect your head. 

After a storm passes: 

# Check students for injuries. 

# Report to principal/provost in a predetermined 

manner. 

# Check classroom for unsafe conditions. 

# Close windows if weather warrants. 

# Shut off gas and power if building has sustained 

damage that warrants doing so. 

Sinkholes 

Sinkholes are formed by the collapse of cave roofs and are a 

feature of landscapes that are based on limestone bedrock. 

After cave roof collapse, the result is a depression in the 

surface topography, which may range in size from a small, 

gentle, earth-lined depression to a large, cliff-lined chasm. In 

the event of a sinkhole: 

# Evacuate the building. 

# Do not reenter the building until it is certified safe 

by a structural engineer and a soils engineer. 

Fire 

Fire is one of the most planned for disasters in a school. 

Planning and prevention procedures should include: 

# Posting an evacuation route map in each space 

(for new facilities, the evacuation route should 

correspond to the life safety plan). 

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INTRODUCTION 

# Develop a plan that identifies where each class 

should assemble outside the building. 

Upon activation of the fire alarm: 

# Evacuate the building(s). Follow general 

evacuation procedures detailed at the end of this 

chapter, with the following modifications: 

» Immediately evacuate building to prearranged 

outside gathering places. 

» Proceed to assigned spaces on grounds, away 

from building(s). 

# Evacuation groups should not stop in front of traffic 

entrances, driveways, fire lanes, or other entrances 

that may be used by the local fire department. 

# Groups should evacuate at least 60 feet away from 

a building. 

# Call 911 or the appropriate emergency number. 

# Report all fire incidents to the local fire department, 

regardless of size. 

Forest Fire 

A wildfire - also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, 

brush fire, or bushfire - is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in 

wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or 

agricultural resources. Common causes include lightning, 

human carelessness, and arson. 

Controlled burnings are performed for the prevention of small 

forest fires; prescribed or controlled burning is a part of forest 

management, since fire is a natural part of forest ecology. 

Gas leak 

A gas leak refers to a leak of natural gas from a pipe or other 

containment. Because natural gas explodes when exposed to 

flame or sparks, a gas leak can be dangerous. In the event of a 

gas leak, the person identifying the gas leak should notify the 

15

INTRODUCTION 

principal/provost. School evacuation routes should avoid gas 

tanks on the school site. 

If a serious gas leak is found: 

# Evacuate building in the same manner as in a fire. 

# Notify maintenance department immediately. 

# Notify fire department immediately. 

# Custodian should shut off gas at meter. 

Toxic Spill 

In the event of a toxic spill: 

# From considerable distance, if possible, attempt to 

read hazard warning and numbers on diamondshaped 

placards placed outside of vehicle or tank. 

# Call 911 or appropriate emergency number. 

# Relay placard information. 

# Indicate wind direction in case upwind evacuation 

is directed by emergency personnel. 

# Gather students and staff from outside areas. 

Shelter in area not affected by spill or fumes: 

# Close all doors and windows. 

# Shut down air conditioning and ventilation systems 

until it is safe to keep them on. 

# Only trained rescue personnel should assist in 

cleanup and rescue. 

# Attempt to keep unauthorized persons away from 

the scene. 

Elevator Emergencies 

The mechanical, electrical, and operational designs of elevators 

are dictated by various elevator codes, which may be 

international, national, or state. 

Because an elevator is part of a building, it must also comply 

with fire standards, electrical wiring rules, and so forth. The 

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INTRODUCTION 

U.S. National Elevator Standard Code is ASME A17.1-1990 

Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators. 

Additional requirements relating to access by disabled persons 

may be mandated by laws or regulations, such as the 

Americans with Disabilities Act. 

In the event that a person is trapped in an elevator, he or she 

should pick up or press the emergency communications unit to 

connect with persons outside the elevator. The other end of the 

communication unit should contact either the elevator servicing 

company or the fire department. Constant communication must 

be maintained with the elevator occupants. Consideration 

should be given to the occupant(s) possible medical needs or 

conditions. If any indication of panic is noted either by 

emergency phone contact with the trapped passengers, or by 

communicating with the passengers from outside the trapped 

elevator, the responsible party should immediately notify the 

local fire department. 

If response by the elevator mechanics is going to take more 

than 30 minutes, the responsible party should notify the fire 

department for faster response to the elevator emergency. 

Earthquake 

An earthquake is a sudden and sometimes catastrophic 

movement of a part of the Earth's crust. The threat of 

earthquakes in Florida appears to be minimal, but, in the event 

of an earthquake, you should: 

# Assume a low position as close to the center of the 

room as possible. 

# Stay clear of bookshelves, overhanging cabinets, 

hanging fixtures, etc. 

# Take cover under the closest desk, table, etc. 

# Keep the students calm. 

# Explain the phenomenon of an earthquake; 

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INTRODUCTION 

knowledge helps to ease the fear and lessen 

panic. 

# If the shock is severe enough to cause structural 

damage, evacuate the building after shock waves 

have subsided. 

# The Principal or facility director shall perform a 

preliminary inspection and notify district or 

community college maintenance personnel per 

policy. 

Nuclear 

A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station for 

which the heat source is one or more nuclear reactors 

generating nuclear power. Currently, the following four nuclear 

power plants could impact Florida; three are within the state 

and one is in Alabama: 

# Crystal River Nuclear Power Plant, Crystal River, 

FL. 

# St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant, Ft. Pierce, FL. 

# Turkey Point Nuclear Power Plant, Miami, FL. 

# Joseph M. Farley Nuclear Power Plant, Dothan, 

AL (16 miles north of northwest Florida’s border). 

In the event of a nuclear plant accident: 

# Evacuate a zone within a ten-mile radius of the 

(NPP) Nuclear Power Plant. 

# Warn personnel of emergency by alarms, 

emergency broadcast system, NOAA weather 

radio, door-to-door notification, Channel 16 VHF. 

# Instruct school personnel to stay indoors or 

evacuate. 

# Make arrangements for persons with special 

needs. 

# Follow school evacuation procedures. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Epidemic and Pandemic 

An epidemic is a disease that appears as new cases at the 

local level in a human population, during a given time period, at 

a rate that substantially exceeds what is expected time or 

normal. A pandemic is the same as an epidemic except that it 

happens on a global scale. In the event of an epidemic or 

pandemic, consult your local county health department for 

guidelines and policies. 

Decontamination Procedures 

Decontamination requirements for facilities are handled by the 

local county health department and implemented by the local 

fire department. If your facility has a decontamination need, 

the county health department will inform you or the district 

administration regarding the proper procedures and any 

necessary equipment. 

Criminal 

A crime is an act that violates a political or moral rule. Crimes 

in schools include: 

Bomb Threats 

Treat all bomb threats seriously. 

# Person receiving bomb threat shall: 

» Attempt to have the caller indicate where bomb 

is located and when it will go off. 

» Keep caller talking as long as possible and try 

to identify the caller’s: 

• Age. 

• Gender. 

• Type of voice and/or accent. 

• Background noises. 

• Other information that may identify caller. 

# Immediately notify the principal/dean. 

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INTRODUCTION 

» Principal/dean shall notify the superintendent 

or president and determine next course of 

action. 

# Evacuate building (see general evacuation 

procedures). 

# If students are to be relocated to another facility: 

» Notify transportation department of immediate 

need to relocate staff and students. 

» Notify parents of relocation of their children. 

# Secure building as much as possible. 

# Close all windows; lock all doors. 

# When the police or fire department is called: 

» Provide it with all necessary information. 

» Provide it with Florida Inventory of School 

Houses (F.I.S.H.) plan and keys for facility for 

a bomb search. 

# Bomb squad will remove bomb. 

# Appropriate authorities will investigate. 

Explosions 

In the event of an explosion, evacuate from the danger area in 

a manner similar to a fire drill. Assess any medical needs and 

contact the police and fire departments. Evaluate the condition 

of the building prior to reoccupancy. 

# Explosions can be the result of: 

» Arson. 

» Vandalism. 

» Terrorism. 

Guns 

Between 1994 and 1999, nationwide there were 220 schoolassociated 

violent events, resulting in 253 deaths (74.5 percent 

of these involved firearms). Handguns caused almost 60 

percent of these deaths (Journal of American Medical 

Association, December 2001). Almost all schools address the 

presence of firearms in their School Emergency Plans. 

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INTRODUCTION 

As a facility manager, you should be aware of your board’s 

policies and procedures. If equipment such as metal detectors 

or metal detecting wands are used in your school or community 

college to prevent gun violence, you should be aware of your 

role, if any, in maintaining this equipment. 

Africanized Bees 

In 1956, researchers imported honeybees from Africa into 

Brazil in an effort to improve beekeeping in the New World 

tropics. These African bees were well suited to conditions in 

Brazil, and they began colonizing South America, hybridizing 

with European honeybees (hence the name "Africanized" 

honeybees) and displacing the European bees. Compared to 

docile European bees, Africanized honeybees are extremely 

defensive. Large numbers of them may sting people and 

livestock with little provocation. They also take over European 

colonies by entering them and killing the resident queen. 

Africanized bees are sometimes called “Killers Bees,” not 

because of their stings but because they attack in massive 

swarms and can cause death. They eventually migrated to the 

United States in 1990 and are now found in much of the South. 

Precautions to take: 

# Use caution with power mowers - bees are 

sensitive to low-frequency vibrations; an enginedriven 

lawn mower may elicit a defense response 

from a hive or swarm. 

# Walk with care in clover and near picnic sites. 

# Avoid perfume, cologne, and scented cosmetics; 

foraging bees will seek out floral scents. 

# Beware of head-butting bees. Honeybees usually 

have a small number of sentry bees patrolling the 

perimeter of the hive's territory. In some if not 

most cases, these sentry bees will initially butt (not 

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INTRODUCTION 

sting) any animal that enters the hive's territory. If the 

animal continues closer to the hive, stinging will 

ensue. 

# If bees start butting you, retrace your steps and 

walk away from the hive. Choosing any other path 

could lead you deeper into the hive's territory. 

# Wear light colors; bees react to dark colors. 

# Water meter chambers: Africanized bees are 

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INTRODUCTION 

known to frequently nest in ground cavities. In 

suburban areas, a favored place is an inground 

concrete chamber that contains a water meter. 

The small lifting hole in the cover becomes the 

entrance to their hive. If the outside air 

temperature is over 60F (15C), you will probably 

see bees using this entrance if they are present. 

Otherwise, use caution if you are in an area 

known to have Africanized bees. 

# Open air hives: While all bees may build open air 

hives in mild climates, this practice is much more 

prevalent with Africanized bees (as well as certain 

"rafter bees" native to southeast Asia). 

# Contact local exterminator for removal of bees. 

What to do in case of an attack: 

# Run away as fast as possible. Get into a building 

or vehicle if you can. 

# Try to cover your face and head as you run. 

# Call 911. 

# Start removing stingers from your skin once you 

are away from the bees. You can remove them 

by scraping, pulling, or using sticky tape. Do not 

leave the stingers in any longer than necessary, 

as they will continue to pump venom. 

# Don’t stop to remove stingers until you are safely 

away from the attacking bees. 

# Don’t jump into water. The bees will see you and 

wait for you to come up for air. 

# Don’t panic. 

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INTRODUCTION 

General Evacuation Procedures 

The following evacuation tips should be followed to ensure the 

safety and security of all involved: 

# Students should stop work immediately. 

# Teachers in technical vocation, home economics, etc., shall 

verify that motors, torches, gas and water outlets, 

appliances, etc., are turned off. 

# Have assigned students assist the physically disabled. 

# Immediately evacuate to prearranged shelter/gathering 

places. 

# Do not pick up papers, textbooks, etc. 

# Do not close windows or do anything that will delay the 

evacuation. 

# Speed is subordinate to control and order; no talking, 

running, or skipping steps on stairs. 

# The last adult to leave the room should check to be sure 

that everyone is out and then shut the door. 

# The first staff member to reach a door shall open it and 

keep it opened until everyone is out or the staff member is 

relieved by another staff member. 

# Staff should check adjoining toilet rooms. 

# Proceed to assigned shelter/gathering places. 

# Pupils in lavatories or out of their rooms shall join the 

nearest line to exit and proceed to a staging location. 

# With permission of individuals in charge, students shall join 

their own class, report to their teachers, and take their 

places in line. 

# Staff members shall evacuate as soon as their assigned 

duties are completed. 

# Take roll and keep students quiet and calm. 

# Report missing students to the principal, assistant principal, 

or the person in charge. 

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INTRODUCTION 

Lockdown 

A school lockdown means no one is allowed in and no one is 

allowed out. Children are not permitted to leave the school 

during a lockdown and off-duty staff members are not allowed 

in. Doors are locked and students must follow the directives of 

school personnel. Procedures include: 

# An emergency lockdown (or shelter-in-place) will 

be announced by intercom or other voice 

communication. 

# If an intercom is not available, a bell should be 

used. 

# If a situation that may require an emergency 

lockdown is discovered, the individual making the 

discovery shall immediately contact Police/ 

Security and provide as much information as 

possible. 

# Fire evacuation alarms should not be sounded. 

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INTRODUCTION 

26

PREPAREDNESS 

- Preparedness 

- School Disaster Plan 

- Facility Preparedness 

- Hazard Preparedness 

- Go Kits 

- Legal Considerations 

- State Requirements for Educational Facilities 

27

PREPAREDNESS 

Preparedness 

Emergency management is the continuous process by 

which all individuals, groups, and communities manage 

hazards to avoid or alleviate the impact of disasters 

resulting from the hazards. 

Effective emergency management relies on thorough 

integration of emergency plans at all levels of government 

and non-government involvement. Activities at each level 

(individual, group, community) affect the other levels. 

29

PREPAREDNESS 

School Disaster Plan 

Almost all schools have a Disaster Response Plan or an 

Emergency Plan. These plans identify from a school 

administration level action to be taken during the four 

phases of an emergency: preparedness, response, 

recovery, and mitigation. 

These school disaster or emergency plans are different 

from facility plans in that they take into account actions and 

needs of students and teachers, whereas a facility plan 

focuses on restoring the physical plant to its pre-disaster 

condition and performance. 

Disaster recovery plans allow school facilities to recover 

operations after a disaster. When developing a disaster 

plan, there are several things to identify: 

Establish the authority under which the plan is 

developed. 

Determine: 

# What to do prior to the event. 

# What to do during the event. 

# What to do after the event. 

Identify: 

# Critical functions 

# Resources required to support critical 

functions. 

# Timetable to implement critical functions. 

At a minimum, the plan should address: 

# Coordination. 

# Communications. 

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PREPAREDNESS 

# Logistics. 

# Who is to perform each task. 

# Who is to report and when. 

# Where task will be done. 

# How task will be done. 

# Facilities’ vulnerability to disasters. 

# Risk probability of each type of disaster: 

» Assign risk probability to each type of 

disaster. 

» Assign resources accordingly. 

# Appropriate resource assignment. 

# Chain of command setup: 

» Define specific roles and responsibilities. 

» Assign alternates. 

Chain of command: 

# Define specific roles and responsibilities. 

# Assign director/administrator. 

# Assign alternates. 

# Identify individuals and alternates who are 

authorized to activate emergency plan. 

# Determine policy of when and how chain of 

command will be activated. 

# Make quick decisions related to construction, 

building materials, and safety. 

# Assign personnel to disaster and recovery 

teams. 

# Assign duties to team members. 

Consider: 

# Residence in evacuation zone. 

# Single-parent families. 

# The ill. 

# Elderly parents. 

# Training personnel in expected duties and 

responsibilities to ensure implementation. 

31

PREPAREDNESS 

Facility Preparedness 

Facility disaster preparedness focuses on protecting 

educational facilities so that they can be used for their 

intended purposes. 

Preparedness activities 

vary depending on the 

disaster and whether 

there is warning. A 

hurricane provides 

warning only as its 

approach path can be 

estimated. A bomb going 

off on the roof of a school 

gives little or no warning. 

“You can never plan for every contingency. 

There will be things that come up that no 

one thought about or anticipated. That's 

why they are called emergencies. It's the 

process of planning and putting your plan 

into effect that will help you cope and 

overcome.” 

– Steve Ayers 

Hillsborough County 

School Board 

The type of disaster will determine your preparedness 

activities. For all disasters, the following actions should be 

taken: 

# If the school emergency plan contains a 

Facility Hazard Analysis, review and 

understand the analysis. 

# Review insurance policies and keep paper 

copies in a safe, watertight place, perhaps off 

school grounds. 

# Ensure communication systems have 

redundant backup. 

# Clearly post and practice evacuation 

procedures. 

# Gather a Go Kit (detailed in following pages). 

# Create backups of important computer files. 

# Gather other facility-relevant documents or 

equipment. 

# Review and update mutual aid agreements. 

32

PREPAREDNESS 

Hazard Preparedness 

Specific facility hazard preparedness activities include: 

Potential Man-Made Hazards 

# Identify potential threats or targets near the 

school, along with their impact (e.g., chemical 

plants, gas lines, heavy truck traffic, and railroad 

tracks). 

# Identify hidden areas adjacent to the school that 

might provide offenders with cover or provide 

students with a location for illicit activities. 

Maintain natural surveillance from the surrounding 

neighborhood, allowing neighbors and passing patrol 

cars to help serve as guardians of the school. 

Seismic and Wind Hazards 

# Identify alternate routes into and out of the site to 

avoid potential fallen trees, buildings, utility lines, 

or other hazards. 

# Ensure backup emergency power and 

communication sources have been incorporated 

into the design. 

# Ensure building setbacks are adequate to prevent 

damage from falling trees. 

Flood Hazard 

# Is the site located in a floodplain or at high risk if 

nearby water sources flood? 

# Can emergency vehicles access the site during 

high water conditions? 

Storm Hazard 

# If there is construction on the campus, contact the 

33

PREPAREDNESS 

facilities project manager to implement contractor tiedown 

procedures. 

# All objects that may be blown by the wind should be 

taken into the building (e.g., garbage cans, lawn 

furniture). Anchor objects that cannot be brought 

inside. Also, check the roofs of buildings for loose 

objects. 

# Clean out all gutters and roof drains. One gallon of 

water weighs 8.35 pounds; the weight from backedup 

water adds up quickly and can easily cause a roof 

collapse. 

# Remove and relocate all portable physical education 

equipment to the interior of the school. 

# Lower and secure window storm awnings (if 

applicable). 

# Close all windows. 

# Take down and properly store all cloth coverings 

from exterior of the site. 

# Pools: 

» Lower the water level of swimming pools one foot 

to accommodate heavy rains, but do not drain 

them completely. 

» Add extra chlorine to pools to prevent 

contamination. 

» Turn off electricity to pool equipment. 

# Check generator and emergency lights (if 

applicable). 

# Media Area/Computer Labs - If possible, relocate all 

equipment to tabletops and cover with plastic to 

reduce water damage. 

# Media Area - Relocate any valuable books in the 

collection to the upper shelves. 

34

PREPAREDNESS 

Site Acess Control 

Ensure site perimeter is secured at a level that 

prevents unauthorized vehicles or pedestrians from 

entering. 

# In high threat areas, manholes, utility tunnels, 

culverts, and similar unintended access points to 

the school property are secured with locks or other 

appropriate devices without creating additional 

entrapment hazards. 

# Perimeter fences, walls, and vegetation may be 

used to provide sufficient access control, 

surveillance, and territoriality. 

35

PREPAREDNESS 

Go Kits 

“In 2005, the assessment teams were wellequipped 

with digital cameras to provide visual 

proof of damage before anything was 

removed/repaired/installed. The 2004 experience 

involved a lot of adrenalin and enthusiasm to 

reopen schools, which at times limited the amount 

of photographic documentation, and later muddled 

the FEMA and insurance adjuster efforts in trying 

to verify and validate claims. In 2005.we had a 

whole lot of pictures!” 

– Bob Proie 

Orange County 

School Board 

Comprehensive school crisis prevention planning includes 

coordinating with all individuals who will be involved if a crisis 

occurs, conducting practice drills, and identifying security 

needs. 

Some of the tools that will be needed can be found in a Go Kit, 

a portable box that contains important information such as 

written procedures for an emergency or disaster. The following 

components of a Go Kit make possible a thorough school and 

community response to a crisis: 

Aerial Photos of Campus 

An aerial perspective of the campus and the 

surrounding area is very helpful to all 

agencies involved in a critical incident, 

including police, fire, paramedic, and rescue 

personnel. Your local municipality may be 

able to provide you with an aerial photo of 

your school and surrounding campus. 

Because of Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) and insurance 

documentation requirements, extensive 

photos and digital images of damage prior to 

cleanup and repair are critical. If a FEMA or 

insurance claim is challenged, a picture is worth a thousand 

words. After the storm, be sure to take pictures and document 

damage BEFORE recovery efforts begin. Additionally, photos 

should be taken of facilities and grounds prior to an event to 

document conditions prior to the occurrence of damage. 

36

PREPAREDNESS 

Maps 

Crisis response planners need to review the traffic patterns and 

intersections that will be affected in a major crisis. You should 

identify locations where parents or guardians can retrieve their 

children after an incident and determine traffic safety issues 

your school and law enforcement officials will have to consider 

when directing personnel to safe areas. Each school should 

keep as many as 20 copies of the map available, preferably 

laminated, for emergency personnel. Establish an emergency 

traffic plan capable of protecting emergency response routes 

and accommodating traffic and parking needs for parents, 

students, and the media. Maps should illustrate these planned 

routes, as well as: 

# Streets surrounding the school. 

# Intersections near the school. 

# Vacant lots near the school 

# Location of major utilities. 

Campus Layout 

It is important to maintain current, accurate blueprints, 

classroom layouts, and floor plans of the building and grounds, 

including information about main leads for water, gas, 

electricity, cable, telephone, alarm and fire sprinkler systems, 

hazardous materials location, elevators, and entrances. This 

information is extremely helpful for damage assessments and 

“shelter-in-place” situations when students are safely locked in 

classrooms. 

Information should be available on the layout of the building, 

including room numbers and availability of phones, cable 

television, e-mail, computers, and cell phones in the 

classroom. On the campus layout diagram, it is also helpful to 

highlight areas that could pose a possible threat, e.g., the 

chemistry laboratory, biology laboratory, or any welding and 

wood shop areas that could also become a potential source for 

weapons. 

37

PREPAREDNESS 

It is also helpful to show the location of the fire alarm turnoff, 

fire sprinkler system turnoff, utility shutoff valves and switches, 

cable television shutoff, and first aid supply boxes. These 

items can be color-coded on the campus layout. 

Blueprint of School Buildings 

Architectural blueprints of the school building(s) are important 

to Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) teams, and provide 

additional – and more detailed – information other than the 

simple classroom layout diagram. This information may be 

critical, especially in the event of a bomb threat. The Principal 

for the school site should be the custodian for the blueprints. 

Grounds and maintenance staff of the school should be 

familiar with these blueprints and their location. 

Teacher/Employee Roster 

A teacher/employee roster should be included in the Go Kit. A 

classroom-layout diagram with teachers’ names should be 

included, if available. If not, be sure to match up each 

teacher’s name with his or her classroom and identify whether 

or not each teacher has a cell or land phone. This roster 

should identify any teacher or employee with special medical 

needs (e.g., diabetes) who will require medications during a 

prolonged period, and individuals with a disability who may 

require assistance in an evacuation. Someone in the front 

office should be assigned to take the visitor/volunteer/ 

substitute teacher list with him/her in the event of a critical 

incident. 

Keys 

The Go Kit should also contain a master key and an extra set 

of keys for those rooms for which a master key cannot be 

used. The keys must be clearly tagged. Consider placing the 

keys in a locked container within the Go Kit for added security 

38

PREPAREDNESS 

in case the box should end up in the wrong hands. Some 

schools have found it 

advantageous to keep the 

master key in a lockbox (rapid 

entry system) outside of the 

school. This is a secured 

metal box that can easily be 

accessed by a code or a key 

without having to enter the 

building. This can prove 

especially helpful when it is 

not safe to enter the school. 

Further information on a 

lockbox can be obtained from 

your local fire department. 

School Go Kit 

employees). 

Another option is the Dual Key 

Box, which can be useful to 

school districts and community 

colleges wanting to provide 

keys to various entities (e.g., 

sheriff’s department, fire 

department, or board 

Fire Alarm Reset Procedures 

One of the lessons learned from Columbine was to make it 

easier to turn off the alarm than it was during the incident 

affecting that high school. The loud alarm made it very difficult 

for responders to hear directions. It took considerable time 

before someone who knew how to turn the fire alarm off was 

able to do so. School officials learned that you cannot assume 

39

PREPAREDNESS 

that the person who knows how to turn off the alarm will be 

available to do so. If that person is inside the building, he or 

she might not be able to get to the shutoff valve or switch; if 

that person is outside, it is possible that he or she might not be 

able to safely reenter the school. Multiple people need to know 

how to shut off the alarm. Providing such information on where 

shutoff valves or switches are located in the building and the 

procedures for shutoff in the lockbox could prove vital. In 

addition, though somewhat costly, some schools have installed 

a secure alarm shutoff system outside the school that can 

control the fire alarm and fire sprinklers. 

Fire Sprinkler System Reset Procedures 

Fire sprinkler systems may activate during an emergency. 

During the incident at Columbine, no one was readily available 

who knew how to immediately turn off the fire sprinkler system. 

As a result, hallways quickly filled with water, making it difficult 

to escape. In some places, the water reached dangerous 

levels in proximity to the electrical outlets -- water reaching 

such outlets could have caused many more injuries and 

possibly additional deaths. At least two people need to be 

trained and assigned responsibility for turning off the fire 

sprinkler system. As backup, the Go Kit needs to provide 

information on where shutoff valves or switches are located in 

the building and the necessary procedures for shutoff. 

Utility Shutoff Valves or Switches 

Shutoff and access points for all utilities – gas, electric, water, 

phone, and data network – need to be clearly identified and 

their locations listed so they can be quickly shut off in a crisis; 

however, consideration should be given to not shutting off 

certain lines, i.e., gas lines to generators. If there is not a fire, 

the water should be shut off immediately to prevent flooding 

from the fire sprinkler system. Unless open electric or gas 

lines pose an immediate threat to life, the decision whether to 

shut off these lines should be made by the Incident Command 

40

PREPAREDNESS 

Officer. Detailed information about the Incident Command 

process can be found in Appendix 8 and on page 48 in the 

Response section. 

Gas Line and Utility Line Layout 

Include a diagram that shows where gas and other utility lines 

are located throughout the campus. 

Cable Television Satellite Feed Shutoff 

If your school has a satellite feed for a cable television system, 

you should also provide directions on how to shut down that 

feed. Several of the police officers involved in nationally 

televised shootings recommend that the cable television feed 

be shut off so that the perpetrators on the inside will not be 

able to view the whereabouts of the SWAT team by tuning into 

live coverage of the scene on the outside. On the other hand, 

in a natural disaster, the television system can be helpful (if 

working) to provide individuals who are sheltered-in-place with 

up-to-date information. 

Key Responders’ Phone Numbers 

Names and phone numbers for all team participants involved in 

coordinating with your local emergency response system 

should be in the Go Kit. These people include the coordinators 

for the Incident Command System (ICS), Public Information, 

First Aid, Traffic Safety, Student Assembly and Release, and 

Grounds and Maintenance. Also, include the names and 

phone numbers of other key staff members, such as the food, 

water, and supplies coordinator; the bilingual translator (if 

appropriate for your school); and any additional positions you 

have identified. Be sure to place these phone numbers on 

several cards so that more than one person can begin calling 

them. 

41

PREPAREDNESS 

Designated Command Post and Staging Areas 

Police chiefs involved in several of the recent school shootings 

recommend that schools and law enforcement officials plan for 

three distinct staging areas, in addition to the Command Post 

for the Incident Command Officer. Among other benefits, 

separate staging areas will prevent the press from converging 

upon parents or parents from converging upon police. The 

areas should include: 

# A staging area for law enforcement and 

emergency personnel. 

# A media staging area away from the school, at a 

location that can accommodate a large number of 

vehicles. 

# A parent center, located away from the Command 

Post, where parents can retrieve their children. 

Maps of all staging areas and command posts, listing main 

phone numbers for each, should be included in the Go Kit. Be 

aware that these locations may change based upon the 

circumstances. It is also recommended that the command 

post and staging areas have telecommunications capability, 

whenever possible. 

Emergency Resource List 

A list of individuals and organizations that assist in an 

emergency should be prepared on a separate sheet of paper 

and placed in the Go Kit so that the person assigned can 

immediately begin to make phone calls. Your local emergency 

management agency can recommend agencies you should call 

during an emergency. 

Please note that any volunteers you enlist for a critical incident 

response should be prescreened and that the volunteers on 

your list must receive training prior to becoming a responsible 

member of your emergency response team. Contact numbers 

to include are: 

42

PREPAREDNESS 

# Vendors. 

# Mutual Aid contacts. 

# Other board personnel with whom relationships 

have been built over time. 

# Parent representatives, who should be trained to 

answer questions, help fellow parents receive 

information, and maintain calm at the Parent 

Center. (Fellow parents can be an excellent 

source of support.) 

Evacuation Sites 

Maps with evacuation and alternate evacuation 

routes should be stored in the Go Kit as well as 

posted on classroom doors. Be aware that 

during a shooting spree, the best-laid plans for 

evacuation may also be under siege. All 

classrooms at Columbine, for example, had 

evacuation plans, but with two students 

shooting throughout the entire school, 

evacuating the building was itself a dangerous 

venture. In the Jonesboro, Arkansas, incident, 

two boys opened fire after students evacuated the building 

during a false fire alarm. 

Other factors may require an Incident Command Officer to alter 

the usual evacuation route. In a chemical spill, for instance, 

the wind direction will determine where to evacuate. Thus, it is 

important to have at least two predetermined evacuation sites 

identified. 

Student Disposition Forms and Emergency Data Cards 

Imagine hundreds of parents descending upon a school to 

retrieve their children while you are trying to account for each 

student and staff member’s whereabouts. Forms will be 

needed to track who has been released and to whom - 

parents, relatives, emergency personnel, or the hospital. A set 

43

PREPAREDNESS 

of release forms (enough to cover the entire school census) 

should be stored in the Go Kit and should be given to the 

appropriate personnel on your Incident Command team. 

Additionally, if possible, it is helpful to 

have a set of your student emergency 

data cards placed in the box. Having 

all the data stored on a disk is the 

most convenient way of storing the 

information. Optimally, the cards and 

disks should be updated every three 

months to remain current. Emergency 

information can also be stored, 

updated, and retrieved electronically, 

either from the school office or a 

remote site; however, updated hard 

copies must always be available in the 

event that power is out. 

FEMA Publication 

Inventory of Staff Resources 

Survey your staff members to build an 

inventory of special skills and training 

they possess. Document your findings 

and place the list in the Go Kit under the 

“Incident Command System” heading. 

For instance, experience can include 

prior medical and triage experience, 

bilingual capabilities, grief counseling 

background, search and rescue 

training, hostage negotiations, first 

aid/CPR certification, and volunteer 

firefighter or reserve police 

officer/deputy experience. These skills 

could prove to be very helpful in a 

critical incident. 

44

PREPAREDNESS 

First Aid Supplies Location 

Sets of first aid supplies should be located throughout the 

campus. Storage locations should be included in the Go Kit. 

Include the locations on one of the building layout maps in the 

Go Kit. 

Emergency First Aid 

Supplies 

In the Jonesboro, Arkansas, 

shooting, large bins of first aid 

supplies were readily 

accessible on the school 

grounds and are credited with 

saving two children’s lives 

and preventing other 

individuals from going into 

shock. These supplies were 

situated inside and outside of 

the school building in 

anticipation of an earthquake 

because the school property 

is located on a fault line. The 

accessibility of these supplies 

proved to be lifesaving. 

First Aid Supplies 

It will do no one any good if 

first aid supplies are locked 

away deep within the confines 

of the school. Some schools have stationed first aid boxes in 

every classroom, with basic emergency aid instructions to treat 

various injuries. 

Although not designed for first aid, duct tape is very useful and 

versatile and should be available in every classroom. 

45

PREPAREDNESS 

Whichever methods you deem will work best for your school, 

make sure that ample supplies are readily accessible. 

Building Supply Kit 

It is advisable to have a tool kit with supplies and tools ready 

for initial needs that could be addressed by the facility 

manager. Such a kit could include: 

# Hammer. 

# Ax. 

# Nails. 

# Duct tape. 

# Putty. 

# Other tools that would be helpful in a disaster. 

46

PREPAREDNESS 

Legal Considerations 

“Before Katrina we had a tendency to think 

everything would be over in 72 hours. Now 

we need to think and plan for a much longer 

span of time and a much worse-case 

scenario.” 

– Steve Ayers 

Hillsborough County 

School Board 

Boards have the authority to adopt a rule giving the 

Superintendent/President emergency purchasing authority to 

restore the school districts and community colleges to full 

operational condition immediately after a disaster. This 

emergency authority needs to be in place before disaster 

strikes. 

Boards also have the authority to adopt a rule 

relating to leave for emergency personnel directly 

affected by a hurricane. Such a policy allows 

employees, under specific conditions determined 

by the Board, to be granted personal leave that is 

not deducted from sick leave. This can help 

greatly with the financial burdens suffered by 

employees as a result of a disaster. If you plan to 

use this provision, a mutual agreement with local 

unions prior to a storm would be most helpful. 

Because of the personnel issues, labor contracts 

are impacted. It is questionable whether the contracts will 

require renegotiating, but that will depend on actions of the 

boards. At the very least, calendars will need to be 

renegotiated in areas suffering the worst damage. 

Personnel issues need immediate attention. In areas where 

campuses remain closed for a week or two, the 

Superintendent, or President, may have authority to declare 

that teachers/professors are on duty preparing for schools to 

open (check your board’s policies carefully). Staff will need 

funds as quickly as possible to get their personal lives in order, 

as well as prepare for school to reopen. 

47

PREPAREDNESS 

48

RESPONSE 

- Response 

- Critical Incident Procedures 

- The Incident Command System 

- Unified Command 

- Command Center 

- Emergency Operations Center 

- Shelters 

- Shelter Operations 

49

RESPONSE 

Response 

Response to a disaster includes emergency assistance to 

individuals affected by the disaster. Response activities also 

include reducing the probability of additional injuries or damage. 

Response actions should be performed in a way that speeds 

later recovery operations. 

During the initial response to a disaster, approach buildings with 

caution. Damage and structural integrity cannot always be 

determined by what is visible outside. Also, wind may still be an 

issue; care should be taken to avoid injury from flying debris 

that may still be in the area. 

51

RESPONSE 

Critical Incident Procedures 

Critical incident 

procedures focus 

narrowly on situations 

that involve imminent 

danger to life and limb. 

Such procedures 

emphasize a 

coordinated interagency 

response to preserve 

and protect life. 

"Insure that your entity has a clear chain of 

command in terms of communications in the 

event of a disaster (whether dealing with 

students, parents, teachers, the public or media). 

This will prevent conflicting information from 

being given, prevent distracting phone calls, and 

provides a single contact with the media insuring 

that correct information is disseminated." 

 

– Steve Ratliff 

Santa Rosa County 

School Distrct 

Sound policy requires 

the development, in advance of a critical incident, of 

interagency agreements that specify channels of 

communication, types of service, and areas of responsibility. 

Such interagency agreements typically are established with 

public safety (i.e., police, sheriff’s office, fire department, 

emergency services) and mental health agencies (i.e., 

Community Services Board). 

52

RESPONSE 

The Incident Command System 

The Incident Command System (ICS) is the combination of 

facilities, equipment, personnel, procedures, and 

communications operating within a common organizational 

structure, designed to aid in domestic incident management 

activities. It is used for a broad spectrum of emergencies, 

from small to complex incidents, both natural and man-made, 

including acts of catastrophic terrorism. ICS is used by all 

levels of government — federal, state, local — as well as by 

many private-sector and nongovernmental organizations. 

ICS is usually organized around four functional areas: 

Operations, Planning, Logistics,and Finance/Administration. 

A fifth functional area, Intelligence, may be established if 

deemed necessary by the Incident Commander, depending 

on the requirements of the situation at hand. 

The ICS provides a unified command structure in an 

emergency involving multiple responders and jurisdictions by: 

# Determining the overall objectives to gain control 

of the incident. 

# Selecting strategies to achieve their objectives. 

# Planning jointly for tactical activities. 

# Integrating appropriate tactical operations. 

# Making maximum use of all assigned resources. 

As a rule of thumb, if a crime is involved, the police take over 

the scene; most other incidents are controlled by the fire 

department or local emergency response system. School 

and college staff need to be familiar with their local 

jurisdiction’s ICS to avoid any confusion when responding to 

a critical incident. 

It is a good idea to identify in advance a liaison officer for the 

school or college. There is a clear chain of command among 

53

RESPONSE 

law enforcement personnel, fire department personnel, and 

paramedics. It is very important for school and college 

leaders to meet ICS members ahead of time and learn about 

their ICS so that the school or college can become a 

functioning member of the ICS team. 

The type of event will often determine response and ICS 

structure. For example, for a health event the county health 

department is the lead agency for the management of the 

disaster. For a toxic spill or other hazardous materials event, 

the lead agency is the Fire Department. For a 

comprehensive list of agencies and their responsibilities for 

responding to different disasters, contact your local 

Emergency Management office. 

ICS Functions 

The ICS provides overall direction and sets priorities for an 

emergency. In operation, the ICS has four functions: 

Operations, Planning, Logistics, and Finance/Administration. 

Under each of these functions, schools and colleges should 

assign specific individuals prior to an event, based on their 

job roles and responsibilities, to assist in the management of 

school or college site operations. 

Incident Command Structure 

54

RESPONSE 

Unified Command 

Although a single Incident Commander normally handles the 

Command function, an Incident Command System 

organization may be expanded into a Unified Command (UC). 

The UC is a structure that brings together the Incident 

Commanders of all major organizations involved in the 

incident to coordinate an effective response while carrying out 

their own jurisdictional responsibilities. The UC links the 

organizations responding to the incident and provides a forum 

for these entities to make consensus decisions. Under the 

UC, the various jurisdictions and/or agencies and nongovernment 

responders blend together to create an integrated 

response team. 

The UC is responsible for overall management of the incident. 

The UC directs incident activities, including development and 

implementation of overall objectives and strategies, and 

approval of ordering and release of resources. Members of 

the UC work together to develop a common set of incident 

objectives and strategies, share information, maximize the use 

of available resources, and enhance the efficiency of the 

individual response organizations. 

Partnerships with Community Public Safety Agencies 

The National Incident Management System (NIMS) is a 

nationally recognized emergency operations plan that is 

adapted for large critical incidents for which multi-agency 

response is required. Schools and colleges can use NIMS 

and the ICS as the organizing structure for their Critical 

Incident Response Plan. NIMS facilitates priority-setting, 

interagency cooperation, and the efficient flow of resources 

and information. NIMS establishes common standards of 

organization, procedures, communications, and terminology 

among agencies. This unified command structure functions 

55

RESPONSE 

under the direction of the ICS, and all agencies and 

organizations work together under this system to effectively 

respond to any major critical incident. By adopting this 

system, schools and colleges can respond to any critical 

incident with good communications and coordination with 

other responding agencies and organizations. 

Debriefing 

At the conclusion of any critical incident, regardless of size, it 

is important to conduct a debriefing session. This is often 

referred to as a “critique.” 

All participating agency representatives should meet to 

discuss what went right and how the system could be 

improved. It is critical that all agencies participate in this 

process in order to refine and improve the plan as needed. 

The recommendations for improvements and identification of 

success should be recorded and compiled into an After Action 

Report to be filed with the local Emergency Management 

office. 

56

RESPONSE 

Command Center 

Establish a command center location where the Incident 

Command Team can work. This location should have already 

been identified in your school or community college 

emergency plan. If that location is not available, you should 

consider using an alternate location – one outside school 

district or community college boundaries. The alternate 

location should also be identified in your plan. One 

expensive, but reliable, alternative is a mobile center with a 

portable generator. 

Considerations for equipment and structure of your command 

center should include: 

# Emergency power. 

# Communication equipment: 

» Communication tie-in with the operation 

center. 

» Direct line telephone(s). 

» Cellular phones. 

» Satellite phones. 

» Shortwave radio/800 MHZ radio. 

» Public address system. 

# Office/clerical space for a small core of 

personnel. 

# Large meeting room(s). 

# Adequate parking: 

» For staff and volunteers. 

# Furniture and equipment: 

» Tables. 

» Chairs (comfortable). 

» Copier. 

» Computer/printer. 

» Facsimile machine. 

» Easel. 

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RESPONSE 

» White board. 

» Paper and office supplies. 

» Large pads of paper (24 x 36). 

» A/V equipment. 

» Refrigerator. 

# FISH inventory, plans, and photos. 

# Insurance policies. 

# Telephone numbers. 

# Vendor contacts. 

# Contracts and contact information. 

# Food and drink. 

# Toilet facilities. 

# Prior to the event: Implement plans. 

# During the event: Man with a skeleton crew. 

# After the initial event: Gather, assimilate 

information and directives. 

# Disaster team organization. 

# Development of disaster organization chart. 

# Appointment of chairperson. 

# Determination of personnel and alternates to fill 

organization chart. 

58

RESPONSE 

Emergency Operations Center 

The Emergency Operations Center, or EOC, is a central 

command and control facility led by the state coordinating 

officer and responsible for carrying out the principles of 

emergency preparedness and emergency management, or 

disaster management functions at a strategic level in an 

emergency situation. It also ensures the continuity of 

operation of the company or political subdivision. 

The EOC is responsible for the strategic operation, or "big 

picture," of the disaster and does not normally have direct 

control of field assets. It makes strategic decisions and leaves 

tactical decisions to lower commands. The common functions 

of all EOCs are to collect, gather, and analyze data; make 

decisions that protect life and property; maintain continuity of 

the government or corporation, within the scope of applicable 

laws; and disseminate decisions to all concerned agencies 

and individuals. In most EOCs, there is one individual in 

charge – the Emergency Manager. 

The State Emergency Response Team (SERT) is a 

collaboration of Florida's state agencies led by the state 

coordinating officer. SERT's mission is to ensure that Florida 

is prepared to respond to emergencies, recover from them, 

and mitigate their impacts. Visit www.floridadisaster.org for 

the latest information on disaster relief efforts. 

59

RESPONSE 

State Warning Point 

The mission of the State Warning Point (SWP) is to provide 

the people of the State of Florida and the Division of 

Emergency Management with efficient and effective 

communications during normal periods and pre- and postdisaster 

periods. In addition, it serves as the contact point in 

Florida for communications among local governments, 

emergency agencies, state government agencies, and the 

federal government. The communications mechanisms used 

to accomplish its mission include: 

# Commercial Telephone Service (Plain Old 

Telephone System, or POTS). 

# SunCom Telephone Network. 

# National Warning System (NAWAS) Alerting and 

Warning System. 

# Nuclear Power Plant Hot Ring-Down Telephone 

System. 

# Emergency Satellite Communication System. 

# High Frequency Radio Network. 

# VHF/UHF Radio Systems. 

# Amateur Radio. 

# Florida Crime Information Center (FCIC). 

# NOAA Weather Radio System. 

# Emergency Alert System. 

Contact Numbers for the SWP include: 

Emergencies Only 

1-800-320-0519 

1-850-413-9911 

Non-Emergencies 

850-413-9900 

Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD) Emergencies 

and Non-Emergencies 

1-800-226-4329 

60

RESPONSE 

Shelters 

Types of hurricane shelters that facilities could be used for 

are: 

General (Risk) Shelters 

These shelter spaces are designated for use during disasters, 

especially hurricanes. Facilities designated as Risk Shelters 

lie in the forecast path and associated error cone of an 

approaching hurricane or severe storm. The designation does 

not imply that a facility is 

capable of affording 

complete protection or is free 

from hazards, but only that it 

meets established minimum 

safety criteria. 

“Shelters are a last resort, not a resort.” 

– Jerry Olivo 

Charlotte County 

School Board 

Pet-Friendly Shelters 

Some General Risk or Host Shelters may be designated as 

pet-friendly. These shelters sometime require pre-registration 

either days or months before the shelter opens. Pet-friendly 

shelters may also have weight, type of animal, quantity or 

other pet restrictions. Contact your local EOC at the county 

for a list of pet-friendly shelters in your area, and learn their 

procedures and policies. 

Special Needs Shelters 

Special Needs Shelters (SpNS) are structures that have 

auxiliary power and are capable of providing safe refuge for 

people who require assistance with the management of a 

health condition or supervision of that condition by a health 

care professional during a disaster. The special needs 

services provided during an emergency are supplied, when 

practical, in an environment that can help to sustain predisaster 

levels of health. 

61

RESPONSE 

In Section 381.0303(2), F.S., local emergency management 

agencies are given the statutory responsibility of designating 

and operating Special Needs Shelters. The Department of 

Health, through County Health Departments, is given the 

responsibility to assist with managing the medical service 

needs of clients. The Division of Emergency Management 

strongly encourages local emergency managers to designate 

SpNS facilities that, at a minimum, meet the ARC 4496 

hurricane safety criteria, and preferably facilities that have 

been designed and constructed to meet the public shelter 

design criteria. 

Section 381.0303(2), F.S., Special 

Needs Shelter Plan and Staffing. -- 

Local emergency management agencies 

shall be responsible for the designation 

and operation of special needs shelters 

during times of emergency or disaster. 

County health departments shall assist 

the local emergency management 

agency with regard to the management 

of medical services in special needs 

shelters. 

62

RESPONSE 

Host Shelters 

Host Shelters are spaces that are available for general use 

outside of a forecasted hurricane, severe storm, or disaster 

impact area. These shelters should be facilities that are 

relatively safe and provide essential support services. 

Facilities are designated as Host Shelters when they are 

located in an area that is outside the projected path of an 

approaching hurricane, severe storm, or disaster area. Since 

local conditions are not expected to present hazards such as 

surge inundation, rainfall flooding, high winds, or hazardous 

materials that exceed the building codes of the facilities in 

use, shelter selection guidelines in ARC 4496 do not have to 

be considered. 

63

RESPONSE 

Shelter Operations 

The decision to open a shelter is made by the County EOC. 

Staff members from the EOC communicate with the 

appropriate Emergency Support Function to activate and set 

up the necessary shelters. The shelter manager, responsible 

for opening the actual shelter, is the primary liaison between 

the shelter and the EOC. 

Shelter Staffing 

Shelter staff typically includes the following individuals, at a 

minimum: 

# Red Cross Shelter Manager (if used). 

# Principal. 

# Food Manager. 

# Maintenance Manager. 

# Law Enforcement. 

# Service Technicians (electrical, plumbing, 

heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC), 

etc.). 

Ensure that sufficient shelter staff is 

scheduled to operate the facility for 

the approved number of evacuees, 

including adequate relief staff to allow 

shifts for sleep. The longer the 

shelter remains open, the more 

critical this becomes. Shelter 

environments are stressful and staff 

will need rest to work effectively and 

make sound decisions in dealing with 

evacuees. Develop a staffing 

schedule, establish teams, and 

schedule shifts for each team 

throughout the day. 

64

RESPONSE 

Shelter Considerations 

Short-term planning (36 hours before possible strike): 

# Set up command center for the shelter. 

# Prepare rooms to be used for housing individuals 

in the shelter. Remove computers, equipment, 

furniture, supplies, etc., not needed for sheltering 

activity, and lock/secure areas with valued items. 

# Test-run generator and top 

off fuel tank. 

# Use supplies checklist to 

confirm adequate supplies 

inventory, (e.g., paper 

towels, toilet paper, hand 

soap, garbage bags, 

sanitizers). 

# Have appropriate shelter 

forms (e.g., shelter 

admission form, emergency 

contact phone numbers). 

# Have a plan for deceased 

persons in the shelter. 

# Confirm food supplies with 

the food manager (e.g., food, 

water, commodities). 

# Store/secure outside items. 

# Plan for disposal of human 

waste. 

# Contact waste removal 

service to have school or 

college dumpsters emptied 

when over one-third full. 

Shelter Activation 

Registration of evacuees. Law enforcement should maintain a 

presence at registration. Registration should include: 

# Insignia to identify shelter staff. 

65

RESPONSE 

# Individual identification tags for evacuees. 

# Ensure evacuees bring only allowed items into 

the shelter. 

Assign evacuees to specific areas of the shelter: 

# Families with children in one area. 

# Elderly in one area. 

# Pets (if pet shelter) to the appropriate area. 

Traffic Control 

Individual(s) should be assigned to the parking lot, with 

flashlight(s), bright vest(s), and traffic cones. Duties include: 

# Ensuring vehicles are parked in appropriate 

locations, not blocking bus traffic. 

# Ensuring traffic routes remain clear, allowing 

emergency vehicle entry/exit. 

# Ensuring motor homes are directed to remote or 

off-campus parking, since they take up multiple 

parking spots due to their size. 

Watch for vans or buses arriving from congregate living 

facilities. Some facilities have been known to drop off 

evacuees with special needs or conditions. These facilities 

are required by law to have alternative arrangements. If this 

should occur, the individuals should be denied entry to the 

facility (depending on the severity level of the event), and the 

name and contact number of the facility should be relayed to 

the County EOC for further instructions. 

Administration 

The following administrative procedures should be addressed: 

# Develop shelter procedures and rules for 

individuals sheltered: 

» Prominently post rules. 

# Create procedures and checklist for human waste 

issues. 

66

RESPONSE 

# Develop procedures to follow if power goes out 

(including emergency lighting). 

# Develop procedures for closing facility when 

event is over. 

# Develop staff procedures for cleaning shelter and 

returning facility to normal use. 

Communication 

The following communication issues should be considered: 

# An ability to maintain communication with the 

County EOC and board administration during and 

after an event is one of the greatest problems. 

# Ensure that backup communication is available at 

all shelters. 

“Communication before, during and after a 

catastrophic event has been identified as the single 

most important function of any facility by numerous 

surveys. Regularly updating telephone trees, 

maintaining basic two-way communications devices 

and disseminating vital information to key personnel 

on a regular basis has proven to be an invaluable 

tool with regards to building and maintaining an 

effective Incident Command Structure.” 

– David Bishop 


67

RESPONSE 

68

RECOVERY 

- Recovery 

- Initial Site Inspection and Recording Impacts 

- Insurance and Pitfalls 

- Issues Affecting FEMA Reimbursement 

- FEMA Public Assistance Program Overview 

69

RECOVERY 

Recovery 

Recovery is the ability to recuperate from the loss or damage 

to a school facility, whether due to natural disaster or malicious 

intent. Disaster recovery strategies include rebuilding and 

implementing procedures to restore a system or community to 

its pre-disaster condition. 

Recovery planning includes consideration for assets and 

services following a disaster. 

The recovery period also allows for the identification of 

systems and buildings that performed well in the disaster and 

others that failed. Learning from the experience is an 

important part of the recovery process. 

71

RECOVERY 

Initial Site Inspection and Recording Impacts 

After the disaster, be sure to take pictures and document 

damage BEFORE recovery efforts begin. 

As you document 

damage, think long-term. 

The immediate damage, 

such as damage to roofs 

and windows, is obvious. 

The long-term, less 

detectable damage, such 

as air quality issues, also 

needs to be included in 

your estimates and reimbursement requests. 

"One of the first things you do is access the 

buildings and structures to look for any 

vulnerable areas that could harm people or 

property and secure them." 



School District 

Both insurers and FEMA will require well-documented evidence 

of damages claimed. Personnel responsible for taking pictures 

should be instructed on the type of photos required, the proper 

labeling of photos, and what to avoid. Several thousand 

pictures of wet, damaged ceiling tile are worthless unless care 

has been taken to identify the school, building, and room 

where the tiles are located. 

There is no single assessment process followed by all school 

systems; each school system has its own particular method. 

The assessment process used will depend on the severity of 

the event, number of facilities, staff available to perform 

damage assessments, distance between the facilities, and the 

ability to travel between campuses. Assessments vary as to 

level of detail; some boards with widely disbursed campuses 

will perform an initial “drive-by” inspection, attempting to obtain 

cursory information as to the extent of exterior damage, and 

follow up with a more detailed inspection at a later time. Other 

schools will begin with a detailed assessment, performing 

72

RECOVERY 

interior and exterior inspections right away. Some school 

systems are able to complete detailed reviews for all their 

campuses quickly (i.e., in two days), while others may take 

several days or weeks. 

The Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) has developed a 

comprehensive set of processes and procedures for taking 

pictures and documenting damage. The system is explained in 

Appendix #10, which also includes forms used to document 

damage. PBCC has used this system and has found it to very 

effective when dealing with FEMA and insurance providers. 

The system as presented may be modified to meet individual 

school district and community college needs. 

Areas that should be considered when taking photos include 

the following: 

Interior Areas 

# Main Office, Lobby, 

Reception. 

# Administrative Areas and 

Staff Offices. 

# Mailboxes. 

# Health Clinic. 

# Guidance Office. 

# Conference Rooms. 

# Corridors, Circulation, 

Lockers. 

# Stairs, Stairwells, 

Landings, Steps. 

# Ramps. 

# Restrooms. 

# Classrooms. 

# Art Rooms. 

# Music Rooms. 

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RECOVERY 

# Labs, Shops, Computer Rooms. 

# Dance Classrooms. 

# Gymnasiums. 

# Locker Rooms. 

# Media Center. 

# Auditorium and Theaters. 

# Cafeterias and Student Commons. 

# Coolers, Freezers. 

# Vending Machines. 

# Storage Rooms. 

# Equipment Rooms. 

# Elevators. 

# Portable, Modular, or Temporary Classrooms. 

# Non-Structural Building Hazards. 

# Obvious Building Damage. 

# Entryways. 

# Interior Walls. 

# Interior Doors, Windows. 

# Ceilings. 

# General Fire Requirements for Existing Buildings. 

# Utilities. 

# Air Handling and Filtration. 

# Fresh Air Intakes. 

# Gas Tank/Piping. 

# Interior Water Pipes. 

# Interior Lighting. 

# Lighting Fixtures/Poles. 

# Building Access Control. 

# Building Notification Systems. 

# Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Surveillance 

Systems. 

# Telephone Systems. 

# Public Telephones. 

# Radio/Wireless Communication Systems. 

74

RECOVERY 

Exterior Areas 

# Site Access. 

# Fencing. 

# Landscaping, Trees and Shrubs, Land 

Washout. 

# School Sign. 

# Flagpoles. 

# Playground Equipment. 

# Walkways. 

# Canopies, Awnings, Breezeways, Covered 

Walkways. 

# Courtyards. 

# Building Access. 

# Exterior Walls. 

# Siding. 

# Exterior Doors. 

# Windows. 

# Skylights. 

# Roofs. 

# Exterior Roof Damage. 

# Rooftop Vents. 

# Gutters, Downspouts. 

# Rooftop HVAC Units. 

# Exterior Water Pipe. 

# Water Fountains. 

# Water Supply and Storage. 

# Sewage, Backup, Sewage 

Plants. 

# Exterior Wiring. 

Aerial photography works well to 

document before and after situations 

affecting both school grounds and 

structures, and is well received by 

FEMA and insurance companies. 

75

RECOVERY 

Infrared photography can 

also be used; it does an 

excellent job of identifying 

where water has 

penetrated the roof, as well 

as where it may be leaking 

down walls. Single ply and 

 

built-up roofing that has 

experienced broken seals 

can look solid on the 

exterior when, in fact, its integrity has been compromised. 

"Provide each assessment team with a 

digital camera and instructions on use. A 

picture is worth a thousand words - one 

that insurance adjustors and FEMA 

representatives can't fight or argue with.” 



School Board 

Purchasing 

The School Board has the authority to adopt a rule giving the 

Superintendent emergency purchasing authority to restore the 

district to full operational condition immediately after a disaster. 

This emergency authority needs to be in place before a 

disaster strikes. Purchasing authority may extend to: 

# Purchase cards (P-cards): 

» Establish limits for emergency situations before 

an event occurs. 

» Identify who can increase those limits. 

# Open purchase orders: 

» Establish limits on your open accounts. 

» Establish purchase limits. 

# Negotiate and establish pre-contracts. 

# Maintain purchasing flexibility: 

» Determine limits with and without approval. 

Depending upon the extent of the damage, boards may 

experience some cash flow issues in reopening schools. In 

2004, school districts were allowed to borrow capital outlay 

funds from the state and pay loans back within a specified 

time. Although this was allowed at the time, it may not be 

allowed again, so districts need to carefully consider their 

options. 

76

RECOVERY 

Reopening Schools 

Parents attempting to get their lives back in order need 

someone to supervise young people. Extended school 

programs and Saturday library programs assist parents and 

can be grant funded in some cases. With some schools 

inoperable for a period of time, students may be transported to 

other schools. Some of these transportation costs may be 

grant funded as well. 

Local AM and FM radio stations can be helpful in 

communicating which schools are open after a storm: 

Schedule these announcements to be made at the same time 

each day. In previous storms, school districts and community 

colleges used local radio stations to get information to 

personnel, parents, students, and the community. 

Reactions of Staff 

The trauma of a disaster can affect everyone. You do not have 

to be a primary victim to feel the impact or stress of an event. 

Possible behaviors after a disaster include: 

# Increased irritability and impatience with students 

and staff. Decreased tolerance of minor student 

infractions. 

# Decreased concentration. 

# Worries and fears that answers or responses to 

students could make things worse for them. 

# Worries about reoccurrence and repercussions. 

# Increased concern or hypersensitivity about school 

violence. 

# Feelings of discomfort, with intense emotions such 

as anger and fear. 

# Denial that the traumatic event may impact the 

students. 

77

RECOVERY 

Insurance and Pitfalls 

Boards use funds from their operating budgets to pay for 

damage repairs, with the hope that insurance and third party 

payors (i.e., FEMA) will provide enough reimbursement to 

cover the cost of recovery. 

Although schools look to both 

insurers and FEMA to 

reimburse for the cost of 

repairs, there is no assurance 

that all costs will be 

recovered. Because boards’ 

primary objective is to get 

schools reopened as quickly 

as possible, they may 

"Know your insurance program in 

advance. Be prepared to file a claim 

and know the proper steps." 


Santa Rosa 

County School District 

proceed with recovery activities without truly knowing whether 

expenditures will be fully reimbursed. The assessment of costs 

by both third-party insurers and FEMA often conflicts with what 

schools believe to be necessary and/or required. Settlements 

for reimbursements can be less than actual expenditures made 

by boards. 

Pursuant to Chapters 1001.32, 1001.41, 1001.42, and 1001.43 

F. S., and the Florida Administrative Code, Florida School 

Districts shall keep insurance coverage in force or self-insure 

for the following: 

# Buildings and contents. 

# Boilers and machinery. 

# Vehicle fleet. 

An example of activities boards should perform annually is 

checking property listings for accuracy. If an update is 

necessary, it should be done immediately. If a facility is 

located in a flood zone, ensure that adequate flood insurance 

is in place. 

78

RECOVERY 

When seeking property and hazard insurance coverage, 

several factors must be considered: 

# The carrier’s fiscal stability, rated by organizations 

such as A. M. Best. 

# The amount of coverage to carry. 

# Whether coverage is applied by site, occurrence, 

or a combination of the two. 

# Policy limitations. 

# Deductible amounts. 

# Whether to insure for replacement value or 

depreciated value. 

Know the differences between: 

# Wind coverages. 

# Flood coverages. 

# Coverages for other damages. 

Insurance Policies 

Chapter 1001.64(27), F.S., authorizes community colleges to 

be self-insured, to enter into risk management programs, to 

purchase insurance for whatever coverage they may choose, 

or to have a combination thereof in anticipation of any loss, 

damage, or destruction. Most school 

districts and community colleges 

participate in an insurance program that 

allows self-insurance of property/ 

casualty exposures and offers other 

services as deemed appropriate. 

At the beginning of each school year, 

the insurance policy should be 

reviewed and the following items should 

be considered for adequacy: 

# Items covered and not covered. 

# The level of replacement cost and 

who pays. 

79

RECOVERY 

# Wind and storm coverage. 

# Adequate contents insurance, with coverage that 

includes vital records, furniture, fixtures, and 

equipment. 

Documentation is critical when filing claims with FEMA or 

private insurance carriers. If possible, a DVD or videotape 

documenting campus building conditions before and after an 

event should be recorded and stored in a secure location or 

vault. Additional documentation may include: 

# In past hurricane seasons, when facilities were 

battered by multiple storms, recording the stage of 

repair to a facility allowed boards to provide 

evidence of status of work applicable to specific 

storms since insurance companies may request 

this information. 

# For proper claims submission, it is important to 

document and separate hurricane damage as it 

applies to separate events. 

80

RECOVERY 

Issues Affecting FEMA Reimbursement 

# If an insurance policy applies to a facility, FEMA is 

required to reduce the amount of the grant by the 

amount of insurance proceeds that the applicant 

anticipates or receives for the insured facility, even 

if the applicant has not completed negotiations 

with the insurer. 

# The applicant is required to provide information 

concerning insurance recoveries to FEMA, 

including copies of all applicable polices. FEMA 

will review the insurance information and 

determine whether the settlement appears proper 

in terms of the provisions of the policy. 

# The retention of duplicated funds is illegal, and 

duplicated federal funds must be returned to 

FEMA (Section 312 of the Stafford Act, 44 CFR 

206266(a)(1), Duplication of Benefits – Non- 

Government Funds). 

Invoices, contracts, and proposals must be broken down by 

material, labor, and unit costs with measurements, if 

applicable; this is an insurance industry standard/requirement. 

Other items of note include: 

# No lump sum invoices. 

# Backup documentation from the contractor, 

vendors, etc., is needed to support 

proposals/invoices. 

# When possible provide insurance providers with 

copies of all photographs by storm via disk or CD. 

# Exclusion of the information listed above will slow 

the claim payment and repair process, as 

additional time and communication will be needed 

to clarify the proposals or invoices prior to 

authorization for commencement of payment. 

81

RECOVERY 

Submission of invoices should be organized by: 

# The storm to which the submission pertains. 

# Specific school or campus. 

# Description of the damage, by: 

» Building. 

» Grounds. 

» Sports Facilities (including campus-owned 

lighting). 

» Parking garages/decks (including campusowned 

lighting). 

» Portables, etc. 

Keep any damaged property for the adjuster’s investigation 

and/or salvage; do not discard any salvaged items until 

instructed. Note: Proof of items is mandatory for the claims 

process. 

Optional coverage, such as loss of income, provides benefits 

during the restoration period when the insured’s normal 

business activities are interrupted. Examples of loss include: 

# Loss of tuition beyond expectation. 

# Loss of revenue from sources such as the 

bookstore, restaurant/snack bar, sports arena, 

auditoriums, and leased properties. 

Shelters 

Because of the liability that exists from the operation of 

shelters, agreements with the Red Cross to limit liability should 

be considered. If no agreement is developed, the issue should 

be reviewed with the insurance agent. 

Attend FEMA seminars and obtain and be familiar with the 

publications FEMA-321 (Public Assistance Policy Digest) and 

FEMA-322 (Public Assistance Guide). 

82

RECOVERY 

FEMA 

The following narrative summarizes more detailed information, 

which is also provided in FEMA and State of Florida 

publications. Hard copies of the FEMA manuals can be 

ordered from FEMA directly. Any school district or community 

college that plans to file an application for Public Assistance 

and desires to deal with FEMA effectively must have a prior 

working knowledge of this information. Waiting 

until an event to become familiar with requirements 

will delay and frustrate the recovery process. 

Several websites that can assist with further 

information and can be found in Appendix #12. 

The following flowchart provides an overview of the Public 

Assistance Grant process and the requirements for applying to 

FEMA for assistance. 

83

RECOVERY 

84

RECOVERY 

85

RECOVERY 

FEMA Public Assistance Program Overview 

Primary responsibility 

for emergency and 

disaster response lies 

initially with local 

government, followed 

by state government. 

If the effects of the 

event are too 

extensive for the 

combined resources 

of both state and local 

governments, the 

Governor may request 

that the President 

declare, under the 

authority of the 

Stafford Act, that a 

state of emergency or 

disaster exists (see 

Robert T. Stafford 

Disaster Relief and 

Emergency 

Assistance Act, 42 

U.S.C. §5121 et. seq. 

as amended). 

Once the federal 

disaster declaration is made, FEMA will designate the area 

eligible for assistance and the types of assistance available. 

FEMA disaster assistance falls into three general categories: 

# Individual Assistance. 

# Public Assistance. 

# Hazard Mitigation Assistance. 

86

RECOVERY 

FEMA’s Public Assistance (PA), oriented to public entities, can 

fund the repair, restoration, reconstruction, or replacement of a 

public facility or infrastructure that is damaged or destroyed by 

disaster. 

# The PA program is based on a partnership among 

FEMA, State, and local officials. FEMA is 

responsible for managing the program, approving 

grants, and providing technical assistance to the 

State and applicants. 

# The State, acting as the Grantee for the PA 

Program, is responsible for implementing and 

monitoring the grants awarded under the program. 

# Local officials are responsible for identifying 

damage, providing data for FEMA to develop an 

accurate scope and cost estimate for doing the 

work, and managing the projects funded under the 

PA Program. 

FEMA will establish a Disaster Field Office (DFO) in or near the 

disaster area. This office is used by Federal and State staff 

and is the focal point of disaster recovery operations. FEMA 

and the State manage the implementation of the PA Program 

from the DFO. 

# The federal share of assistance is no less than 75 

percent of the eligible cost for emergency 

measures and permanent restoration. 

# The grantee (usually the State) determines how 

the non-federal share (up to 25 percent) is split 

with the subgrantees (eligible applicants). 

The PA program provides varied assistance, depending on the 

type of public entity. Examples of assistance provided are: 

# Implementation of emergency protective measures. 

# Debris removal. 

# Permanent restoration of infrastructure. 

87

RECOVERY 

Eligibility 

Following the disaster declaration and FEMA’s designation of 

state and local eligibility for PA funding, assistance for response 

and recovery operations is made available to eligible applicants. 

Four types of entities are eligible to apply: 

# State government. 

# Local governments. 

# Indian tribes. 

# Non-profit organizations. 

School districts are one of a multitude of local governments 

eligible to receive grant assistance. Eligible applicants must be 

legally responsible for the damaged facility at the time of the 

disaster. For example, in the case of facilities under 

construction, typically the facility is the responsibility of the 

contractor until the owner has 

accepted the work as 

complete. Because the 

contractor is not an eligible 

applicant, the portion of the 

facility under the contractor’s 

responsibility is not eligible for 

public assistance. 

In the event of damage to a 

facility under construction, 

FEMA must determine if the 

applicant is responsible for 

repairs to a facility before 

granting assistance. If the 

contract places responsibility 

for damage on the applicant 

during the construction period, 

then the facility would be 

eligible for public assistance. 

88

RECOVERY 

Facility 

A facility is defined as any publicly owned building, works, 

system, or equipment with certain improved and maintained 

natural features. 

Work 

There are three general types of work that may be eligible, with 

different criteria for each: 


# Emergency protective measures. 

# Permanent restoration. 

Both debris removal and emergency protective measures are 

considered emergency work. Permanent restoration is 

permanent work, and includes restoring the facility back to its 

pre-disaster design, function, and capacity. 

Three general criteria apply to all types of work and to all 

applicants: 

# The work must be required as a direct result of the 

declared disaster. 

# The damaged facility must be located within the 

designated area. 

» When a declaration of a major disaster is made 

for a state, FEMA will designate those counties 

of the state that are eligible for assistance. The 

types of assistance available in the designated 

disaster area may vary among counties. Some 

counties may be eligible for reimbursement for 

both emergency and permanent work, while 

others may be eligible to receive funding for 

emergency work only. 

# To be eligible, the work must be the legal 

responsibility of the applicant at the time of the 

disaster. 

89

RECOVERY 

Negligence 

Damage caused by negligence on the part of the applicant is 

not eligible. This issue often arises when an applicant fails to 

take prudent measures to protect a facility from further damage 

in the wake of a disaster. 

Fifty Percent Rule 

FEMA will restore an eligible facility to its pre-disaster design. 

Restoration is divided into repair and replacement. If a facility is 

damaged to the extent that the applicant thinks the facility 

should be replaced rather than repaired, the following 

calculation, known as the “50 Percent Rule,” should be used to 

determine whether replacement is eligible: 

IF Repair Cost / Replacement Cost is < 50%, 

Then only the repair cost is eligible. 

IF Repair Cost / Replacement Cost is > 50%, 

Then the replacement cost is eligible. 

Repair Cost includes only those repairs associated with 

damaged components. This does not include upgrades 

triggered by codes and standards, demolition, site work, or 

applicable project management costs, even though such costs 

may be eligible for public assistance. 

Replacement Cost includes cost for all work necessary to 

provide a new facility of the same size or design capacity and 

function as the damaged facility. As with repair cost, it does not 

include demolition, site work, or applicable project management 

costs, even though such costs may be eligible for public 

assistance. 

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RECOVERY 

Relocations 

Temporary: When buildings housing essential services, such 

as school classrooms, are damaged so extensively that they 

cannot be used until repairs are made, temporary relocation of 

the essential services may be necessary. The critical nature of 

the service and safety of the facility determine the need for 

temporary relocation. 

The costs associated with temporary relocation are eligible, but 

are subject to cost comparisons of alternate methods of 

providing facilities. 

Cost 

Generally, costs that can be directly tied to the performance of 

eligible work are eligible. 

Such cost must be: 

# Compliant with federal, state, and local 

requirements for procurement (including 44 CFR 

Part 13). 

# Reduced by all applicable credits, such as 

insurance proceeds and salvage values. 

Reasonable and necessary costs to accomplish the work are 

defined as follows: a cost is reasonable if, by its nature and 

amount, it does not exceed that which would be incurred by a 

prudent person under circumstances prevailing at the time the 

decision was made to incur the cost. Reasonable costs can be 

established through: 

# Historical documentation for similar work. 

# Average costs for similar work in the area. 

# Published unit costs from national cost estimating 

databases. 

# FEMA cost codes, equipment rates, and 

engineering and design services curves. 

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RECOVERY 

An applicant may not receive funding from two sources to repair 

the same disaster damage; the Stafford Act prohibits such a 

duplication of benefits. If a damaged building is insured, FEMA 

is required to reduce the amount of the grant by any insurance 

proceeds that the applicant anticipates or receives for the 

insured facility. 

Labor 

“Force account labor” is defined as 

labor performed by the applicant’s 

employees rather than a 

contractor. Force account labor 

costs associated with eligible work 

may be claimed at an hourly rate. 

Labor rates include actual wages 

paid, plus fringe benefits paid or 

credited to personnel. 

Permanent Employees 

For debris removal and emergency 

protective measures, only overtime 

labor labor is acceptable, 

regardless of normal duties or 

assignments. 

For permanent work, both regular time and overtime labor are 

eligible. 

The costs of salaries and benefits for individuals sent home or 

told not to report due to the emergency conditions are not 

eligible for reimbursement. 

Materials 

The cost of supplies that were purchased or taken from an 

applicant’s stock and used during the performance of eligible 

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RECOVERY 

work is eligible. If available, actual costs for materials should be 

taken from invoices. 

Equipment 

The incurred cost of applicant-owned (force) equipment used to 

perform eligible work is acceptable. Cost for use of automobiles 

and pickup trucks may be reimbursed on the basis of mileage. 

For all other types of equipment, costs are reimbursed using an 

hourly rate. Equipment rates typically include operation 

(including fuel), insurance, depreciation, and maintenance; 

however, they do not include the labor of the operator. 

While FEMA may assist the applicant in purchasing the needed 

equipment and supplies, the applicant is required to 

compensate FEMA for individual items of equipment, and the 

aggregate total of supplies with a current fair market value in 

excess of $5,000, when the items are no longer needed for the 

disaster. For equipment and supplies below this threshold, the 

applicant may sell or otherwise dispose of the items with no 

compensation to FEMA. 

For this purpose, the following definitions apply: 

# The term “equipment” means tangible, nonexpendable, 

personal property having a useful life 

of more than one year and an acquisition cost of 

$5,000 or more per unit. 

# The term “supplies” means all tangible personal 

property other than equipment. 

# The “fair market value” is the value of equipment 

and supplies determined by selling them in a 

competitive market or researching advertised 

prices for similar items on the used market. 

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RECOVERY 

Contracts 

Contracts must be of reasonable cost, generally must be 

competitively bid, and must comply with federal, state, and local 

procurement standards. The four methods of procurement 

FEMA finds acceptable are: 

“By having contracts in place prior to 

a catastrophic event, we were able to 

mitigate the damage of a 30,000 sq. 

ft., two-story building by enacting the 

standby roofing contractor and 

remediation services with immediate 

response. We were able to install a 

temporary roof, dry out the building 

and re-occupy within 48-hours of the 

event- thereby eliminating the 

possibility of mold growth and 

minimizing the disruption to 

operations.” 

– David Bishop 


# Small Purchase Procedures: An informal method 

for securing services or supplies that do not cost 

more than $100,000 by obtaining several price 

quotes from different sources. 

# Sealed Bids: A formal method whereby bids are 

publicly advertised and solicited, and the contract is 

awarded to the bidder whose proposal is the lowest 

price. 

# Competitive Proposals: A method similar to sealed 

bid procurement, in which contracts are awarded 

on the basis of contractor qualifications instead of 

on price. 

# Noncompetitive Proposals: A method whereby a 

proposal is received from only one source. 

Noncompetitive proposals should be used only 

when the award of a contract is not feasible under 

small purchase procedures, sealed bids, or 

competitive proposals, and one of the following 

circumstances applies: 

» The item is available only from a single source; 

» There is an emergency requirement that will not 

permit a delay; 

» FEMA authorizes noncompetitive proposals; or 

» Solicitation from a number of sources has been 

attempted and competition is determined to be 

inadequate. 

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RECOVERY 

FEMA provides reimbursement for three types of contracts: 

Lump sum contracts for work within prescribed boundaries, with 

a clearly defined scope and a total price. 

# Unit price contracts for work done on an item-by-item 

basis, with cost determined per unit. 

# Cost plus fixed fee contracts, either lump sum or unit 

price contracts with a fixed contractor fee added to the 

price. 

Time and materials contracts should be avoided, but may be 

allowed for a limited period of time for work that is necessary 

immediately after a disaster has occurred when a clear scope of 

work cannot be developed. Cost plus a percentage of cost 

contracts, and contracts contingent on FEMA reimbursement, 

are not eligible. 

Administrative Allowance 

For the PA Program, the Stafford Act stipulates that each grant 

recipient be provided an allowance to meet the cost of 

administering the grant. In general, the administrative costs 

cannot exceed five percent of the total grant. Examples of 

administrative activities covered by the allowance include: 

# Field inspections. 

# Preparation of damage assessments and cost 

estimates. 

# Conducting applicants’ briefings. 

# Working with applicants. 

# Project monitoring, processing of appeals, final 

inspections, and audits. 

Categories of Work 

To facilitate the processing of public assistance grants, FEMA 

has divided disaster-related work into two broad categories: 

emergency and permanent work. The work is further divided 

into the following seven categories: 

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RECOVERY 

Category Type of Work 

Emergency Work: A Debris Removal 

B Emergency Protective Measures 

Permanent Work: C Roads and Bridges (Not Used) 

D Water Control Facilities (Not Used) 

E Buildings and Equipment 

F Utilities (Not Used) 

G Parks, Recreational Facilities, Other 

Items 

Emergency Work 

Emergency work is that which must be performed to reduce or 

eliminate an immediate threat to lives, protect public health and 

safety, and protect property threatened as a result of an event. 

Category A – Debris Removal 

Eligible debris removal activities include the clearance of: 

# Trees and woody debris. 

# Building components or contents. 

# Sand, mud, silt, and gravel. 

# Other disaster-related material. 

In general, removal of debris on public property to allow 

continued, safe operation of governmental functions or to 

alleviate an immediate threat is eligible. 

Refer to the Debris Management Guide (FEMA publication 325) 

and the Public Assistance Debris Operations Job Aid (FEMA 

9580.1) for additional guidance regarding debris operations and 

FEMA eligibility criteria. 

Category B – Emergency Protective Measures 

Emergency protective measures are those activities undertaken 

by a community before, during, and following a disaster that are 

necessary to do one of the following: 

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RECOVERY 

# Eliminate or reduce an immediate threat to life, 

public health, or safety. 

# Eliminate or reduce an immediate hazard that 

threatens significant damage to improved public or 

private property through cost-effective measures. 

Generally, those prudent actions taken by a community to warn 

residents, reduce the disaster damage, ensure the continuation 

of essential public services, and protect lives and public health or 

safety are eligible for assistance. The following examples may 

apply to schools: 

# Emergency mass care and shelter, when such 

cannot be provided by volunteer agencies. (If the 

applicant’s facilities are used by the volunteer 

agency to provide this care, actual expenses 

incurred by the applicant, such as supplies, security, 

or cleanup labor, would be eligible). 

# Provision of food, water, ice, and other essential 

needs at central distribution points for local citizens. 

# Emergency measures to prevent further damage to 

the facility. 

Other types of emergency work: 

# Emergency public transportation. 

# Building inspection. 

Permanent Work 

Permanent work is that which is required to restore a damaged 

facility, through repair or restoration, to its pre-disaster design, 

function, and capacity in accordance with any applicable code 

and standard, as defined below: 

# Design: FEMA provides funds to restore a facility to 

its pre-disaster design or to design in accordance 

with an applicable standard. 

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RECOVERY 

# Function: The facility must perform the same 

function that it was designed to perform before the 

disaster. 

# Capacity: The restored facility must operate at the 

same capacity as before the disaster. 

Category E – Buildings and Equipment 

Buildings, structural components, interior systems (such as 

electrical or mechanical work), and contents (including 

furnishings) are eligible for repair or replacement. 

# If an insurance policy applies to a building, FEMA 

must take that policy into account before providing 

funds for restoration of the building. 

# The owner of insurable buildings can expedite the 

grant process by providing FEMA with policy and 

settlement information as soon as possible after a 

disaster occurs. 

FEMA will fund the replacement of a damaged building if the 

building is completely destroyed, or if the severity of the 

damages meets FEMA’s 50 percent rule for replacement. 

When equipment, including vehicles, is not repairable, FEMA will 

approve the cost of replacement with used items that are 

approximately the same age, capacity, and condition. Readily 

available price guides should be consulted for used equipment 

and vehicles. 

Category G – Parks, Recreational, and Other 

Eligible, publicly-owned facilities in this category include 

playground equipment. 

Trees and Ground Cover: The replacement of trees, shrubs, 

and other ground cover is not eligible (see FEMA Policy 9524.5, 

Trees, Shrubs and Other Plantings Associated with Facilities). 

This restriction applies to trees and shrubs in recreational 

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RECOVERY 

areas, but does not affect the removal of trees or tree debris as 

an emergency protective measure. FEMA will reimburse for the 

removal of tree debris and the removal of trees as an 

emergency protective measure if the removal eliminates an 

immediate threat to lives, public health, and safety, and if it 

improves property. FEMA will not reimburse for replacement of 

these trees. 

Applying for Public Assistance 

Following a disaster declaration by the President, FEMA makes 

assistance for recovery from the disaster available to eligible 

applicants. The PA Program is implemented as outlined below: 

# Preliminary Damage Assessment is performed and 

Immediate Needs Funding is identified. 

# An Applicant’s Briefing is held. 

# Potential applicants submit the Request for Public 

Assistance to Florida’s Department of Community 

Affairs. 

# A Public Assistance Coordinator (PAC) is assigned 

to each applicant. 

# The PAC holds a Kickoff Meeting with the 

applicant. 

# The applicant’s specific needs are identified and 

cost estimates are developed through the project 

formulation process. 

# Cost estimates for small projects that have been 

prepared by the applicant are checked through the 

validation process. 

# FEMA approves and processes grants for the 

applicant’s projects. 

Standard Operating Procedures 

FEMA has developed a series of Standard Operating 

Procedures (SOPs) that provides guidance for FEMA, the State, 

and applicants on various processes. The following documents 

are included: 

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RECOVERY 

# 9570.2 Public Assistance Coordinator. 

# Kickoff Meeting. 

# Project Formulation. 

# Validation of Small Projects. 

# Immediate Needs Funding. 

# Cost Estimating Format for Large Projects. 

# Historic Review. 

Preliminary Damage Assessment and Immediate Needs 

Funding 

The Preliminary Damage Assessment (PDA) documents the 

impact and magnitude of the disaster on individuals, families, 

businesses, and public property. FEMA, state, and applicant 

representatives participate in the PDA. 

As the PDA is conducted, potentially urgent needs in the 

immediate aftermath of the disaster may be identified. If the 

President declares a disaster, upon request by the state, FEMA 

may provide Immediate Needs Funding (INF) to an applicant for 

work that must be performed immediately and paid for within 

the first 60 days after disaster declaration. 

Eligible activities typically include: 


# Emergency protective measures. 

# Removal of health and safety hazards. 

Applicants’ Briefing 

An Applicants’ Briefing is a meeting conducted by a 

representative of the state for potential public assistance 

applicants. The briefing occurs after an emergency or major 

disaster has been declared and addresses application 

procedures, administrative requirements, funding, and program 

eligibility criteria. The state representative is responsible for 

notifying potential applicants of the date, time, and location of 

the briefing. FEMA personnel should participate in the briefing 

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RECOVERY 

to clarify issues regarding eligibility, insurance requirements, 

and federal procurement standards. To obtain the maximum 

benefit from the information presented at the briefing, each 

applicant should send representatives from each of the 

following areas: 

# Management. 

# Facilities Maintenance. 

# Finance. 

Kickoff Meeting 

Within one week of FEMA’s receipt of an applicant’s request, 

the PAC and Liaison will contact the applicant to schedule a 

Kickoff Meeting. This meeting differs from the Applicants’ 

Briefing conducted by the state at the onset of disaster 

operations. While the Applicants’ Briefing describes the 

application process and gives a general overview of the PA 

Program, the Kickoff Meeting is designed to provide a much 

more detailed review of the PA Program and the applicant’s 

damages. 

Project Formulation 

Project formulation is the process of identifying the eligible 

scope of work and estimating the costs associated with the 

scope of work for each applicant’s projects. 

Small and Large Projects 

A project is a logical method of 

performing work required as a result of 

the declared event. The applicant is 

responsible for identifying all work that is 

required as a result of the disaster. 

To facilitate project review, approval, 

and funding, projects are divided into 

two groups based on the monetary 

threshold established in Section 422 of 

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RECOVERY 

the Stafford Act and elaborated in 44 CFR 206.203. Projects 

are categorized as large or small before applying insurance 

reductions. 

Small projects are those projects with a total estimated cost 

below the threshold, and large projects are those projects with a 

total estimated cost at or above the threshold. The threshold, 

which is adjusted each fiscal year to account for inflation and is 

published in the Federal Register, was $57,500 for fiscal year 

2005. Large projects have total estimated costs above the 

Federal Register threshold; for 2005, any project that cost more 

than $57,500 is categorized as a large project. 

The Project Worksheet 

The Project Worksheet (PW) is the primary form used to 

document the damage description, scope of work, and cost 

estimate for a project. Applicants are strongly encouraged to 

submit PWs as soon as possible to expedite the assistance 

process. The applicant may prepare PWs for small projects. 

Some applicants may request assistance from FEMA or the 

State in preparing PWs; others will proceed without assistance. 

For large projects, a Project Officer is assigned to help the 

applicant prepare the PW. 

# It is important to completely describe the cause of 

damage because it can affect eligibility 

determinations. 

# The damage must be described in terms of the 

facility, features, or items requiring repair. 

# All damaged elements must be clearly defined in 

quantitative terms with physical dimensions (e.g., 

length, width, depth, and capacity). 

# Without appropriate dimensions of the damaged 

elements, proper estimates of material quantities 

cannot be developed. 

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RECOVERY 

Cost Estimate 

FEMA may grant funds on the basis of actual costs or cost 

estimates of work to be completed. The three primary methods 

for determining costs are time and materials, unit cost, and 

contracts. If work is completed at the site visit, actual costs 

should be used whenever possible. 

Work to be Completed 

When the work has not been initiated, the unit cost method 

should be used whenever possible. 

Work Completed 

When the work was completed by force account labor, actual 

personnel, materials, and equipment cost will be used (time and 

materials method). If a contractor performed the work, 

reasonable actual contract costs will be used. 

Methods of Payment 

Small Projects: Payment for small projects is made on the 

basis of the estimate prepared at the time of project approval. If 

the applicant spends less than the amount approved by FEMA, 

federal share will not be reduced to match actual costs. If the 

applicant incurs costs significantly greater than the total amount 

approved for all small projects, the applicant may apply for 

additional funding. 

Large Projects: Large projects are funded on documented 

actual costs. Such monies may not be immediately drawn down 

by the state. Instead, progress payments are made to the 

applicant as actual costs are documented. Upon completion of 

a large project, an applicant must submit documentation to 

account for all incurred costs to the state. 

Appeals 

The appeals process is the opportunity for applicants to request 

reconsideration of decisions regarding the provision of 

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RECOVERY 

assistance. There are two levels of appeal. The first level of 

appeal is to the FEMA Regional Director; the second level of 

appeal is to FEMA Headquarters. 

Closeout 

The PA Program will be considered programmatically closed 

when FEMA assures that all of the grants awarded under the 

PA Program for a given disaster meet the statutory and 

regulatory requirements governing the program. To achieve 

programmatic closure, FEMA ensures that all funds for small 

projects have been obligated and that funds for large projects 

have been fully obligated and work has complied with eligibility 

requirements and conditions of the grant. FEMA must resolve 

any appeals before programmatic closure is complete. 

104

MITIGATION 

- Mitigation 

105

106

MITIGATION 

Mitigation 

Recent disasters have 

affected millions of lives 

and cost billions of 

dollars. It is worthwhile 

to learn how to avert 

disaster or minimize its 

effects through 

foresighted and 

ultimately cost-efficient 

mitigation programs. 

This section deals with 

mitigating the effects of 

disaster on a facility. 

FEMA defines mitigation 

as “acting before a 

disaster strikes" to 

permanently prevent the 

occurrence of the 

disaster or to reduce the 

effects of the disaster 

when it occurs. 

Mitigation is also used effectively after a disaster to reduce the 

risk of repeat disasters or further damage. According to FEMA, 

the benefits of effective mitigation include the following: 

# Saving lives and reducing injuries. 

# Preventing or reducing property damage. 

# Reducing economic losses. 

# Maintaining critical facilities in functioning order. 

# Lessening legal liability. 

# Providing positive consequences. 

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MITIGATION 

The first step in formulating a mitigation program is to identify 

the hazards that could affect the school or community college 

and the likely results, e.g., wind damage, water damage, fire, 

structural damage, and nonstructural damage. 

The second step is to inspect the campus for both structural 

and nonstructural vulnerabilities. These terms are defined as: 

# Structural: the components that keep the building 

standing: the roof, foundations, and load-bearing 

walls. 

# Nonstructural: all items that are not part of the 

structure of the building, including windows, 

heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems, 

emergency generators, storage racks, electrical 

components, and piping. 

Structural evaluations and upgrades are best carried out by 

qualified contractors and engineers. Make sure that your 

building has been constructed to code. Structural upgrades 

might include bolting or tying down the roof to the building. 

Anything that does not actually hold the building up is 

nonstructural, including floors, ceilings, windows, and all 

furnishing. Eliminating hazards from these items can reduce 

injuries significantly and cut down on property losses. 

Non-structural activities might include: 

# Checking the condition of drains, gutters, and 

downspouts of the building. 

# Building a levee to direct a river or stream away 

from your building. 

# Elevating heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and 

other electrical equipment. 

# Tying down computers, keyboards, and heavy 

objects to prevent their falling during an 

earthquake. 

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MITIGATION 

Upgrade and Build Better 

The FEMA Public Assistance (PA) program, authorized by the 

Stafford Act, provides recovery assistance to communities 

impacted by a declared disaster event. The PA program 

provides assistance for debris removal, emergency protective 

measures, and permanent restoration of publicly owned 

infrastructure. In providing assistance for permanent 

restoration, there is a required focus on restoring damaged 

infrastructure to its pre-disaster design; however, Section 406 

of the Stafford Act allows FEMA to consider funding mitigation 

measures that go beyond the scope of work required to return 

the damaged facility to its pre-disaster design. 

The guidelines for requesting PA funding for hazard mitigation 

measures under Section 406 of the Stafford Act require that: 

# Measures can be applied only to the damaged 

element of the facility. 

# Measures must reduce the risk of damage from 

future similar events. For example, if damage was 

caused by hurricane force winds, the mitigation 

measures must reduce the risk of damage from a 

similar wind event. 

# Measures must be technically feasible and 

effective in preventing future damage. 

# Measures must be cost-effective, determined as 

follows: 

» Hazard mitigation measures that cost up to 15 

percent of the total eligible repair cost on a 

particular project are considered cost-effective. 

» Certain mitigation measures identified in FEMA 

Policy 9526.1 may be considered cost-effective 

if the mitigation measure does not exceed the 

cost of eligible repair work in the project. 

» For mitigation measures that exceed the costs 

of eligible repair work, an acceptable 

benefit/cost analysis must be conducted. 

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MITIGATION 

# Measures must comply with applicable federal 

environmental laws, regulations, and executive 

orders, such as the National Environmental Policy 

Act and Executive Order 11988 – Floodplain 

Management. 

In repairing damaged infrastructure to meet the pre-disaster 

design, changes required by updated building codes and/or 

design and construction standards are not considered 

mitigation measures. Those changes are evaluated for PA 

funding eligibility using separate criteria applicable to codes 

and standards changes. For more information on Mitigation or 

PA programs, see Appendix 12. 

Annual Actions 

In reviewing annual budgets and facilities maintenance, the 

cost of disaster recovery should be considered. Annual 

estimates should keep up with market costs for construction 

and debris removal. Update construction unit cost estimates 

by taking the following into account: 

# Cleanup and debris removal. 

# Fencing. 

# Review and update disaster preparedness plan. 

# Test plan. 

# Document condition of facilities and equipment. 

# Take aerial photographs to establish facilities’ 

condition. 

# Take aerial photographs after major construction 

projects are completed. 

# Inventory all board-owned property, including 

vacant land. 

# Summarize property size and facilities. 

# Take aerial photographs of facilities. 

Update transportation information: 

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MITIGATION 

Obtain list of all bus drivers and alternates, with 

after-hours contact phone numbers. 

# Determine times to complete transportation 

operations under normal and emergency 

conditions. 

Review all insurance to determine limits of liability: 

# What is covered? 

# What is not covered? 

# Who pays costs? 

# Is wind/storm coverage included? 

# Is contents insurance included? 

» Vital records. 

» Furniture, fixtures, and equipment. 

# Flood insurance details: 

» In what FEMA Flood Zone is the facility 

located? 

» Is facility in high hazard evacuation zone? 

# Who pays for required upgrading of construction 

to meet: 

» Current building codes? 

» FEMA for flood plain floor elevation? 

# What are the differences between: 

» Wind coverage? 

» Flood coverage? 

» Coverage for other damages? 

# Update insurance coverage, if needed. 

Insurance markets close once an imminent danger exists: 

# Consider the use of multiple carriers; major 

disasters speed the demise of small, 

geographically restricted companies. 

# Investigate insurance carriers: 

» How well they work with you. 

» How well they work with other boards. 

» How well they performed in other disasters. 

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MITIGATION 

# FEMA: 

» Secondary insurance when primary coverage 

is exhausted. 

» Full documentation. 

» Requires roofs to be dried in. 

» Insurance even for demolished structures. 

# Regarding property coverage, consider: 

» Carrier physical stability, determined by 

reputable rating organization. 

» Geographical distribution of policy holders. 

» Reinsurance specifications. 

» Per occurrence. 

» Combination. 

» Broadest coverage for lowest cost. 

» Single per-occurrence limit, applied on a 

blanket basis (risk manager determines 

maximum amount of property damage that 

may occur if major disaster strikes). 

» Caps (limitations) on certain types of losses. 

» Deductibles. 

» Replacement versus depreciated values. 

» Loss of income coverage. 

» Loss of tuition (beyond expected). 

» Loss of revenue from: 

• Bookstores. 

• Restaurants/snack bars. 

• Sports arenas. 

• Auditoriums. 

• Leased property. 

# Extra expense coverage: defrayal of cost of 

continuing institution's operation after loss from a 

covered event: 

» Covers loss over period of time. 

» Contract with insurance negotiator to provide 

services for negotiations with insurance 

companies over damages sustained. 

112

MITIGATION 

» Contract with professional cost estimator to 

determine cost of repairs and replacements. 

Facilities used as shelters should consider annually developing 

agreements with the Red Cross to limit liability. 

Litigation 

The following issues affecting litigation should be considered 

and evaluated annually: 

# Future litigation. Entities that may be held 

responsible may include: 

» Government officials: 

• Who promote and permit development of 

hazardous sites. 

» Land owners, developers, and lenders: 

• Who build on unsafe locations. 

» Architects and engineers: 

• Who design structures that will not resist 

hurricane forces. 

» Builders, contractors, and workers. 

» Real estate brokers and sellers. 

# Plaintiff must establish: 

» Defendant owed a duty of care to plaintiff. 

» Defendant breached the duty. 

» Plaintiff suffered damages. 

» Defendant's breech of duty was the proximate 

cause of all damages. 

# Violation of a building code requirement is 

evidence of negligence. 

# Individuals injured as a result of a storm may seek 

compensation from the owner or occupier of the 

building where the injury occurred. 

# Victims of a hurricane may find relief for 

inadequate performance of a contract. 

113

MITIGATION 

114

CLOSING 

- Closing 

115

116

CLOSING 

Closing 

Closing out a disaster 

After a disaster, even with rebuilding underway, a community 

may have changed. Demographic shifts may include: 

# Shifts in population and students to: 

» Non-damaged areas of schools or community 

colleges. 

» Other schools, districts, or community colleges. 

# Loss of FTE. 

# Loss of students: 

» Contact families to get students back to school 

or community college. 

# Excess number of teachers under contract: 

» Reallocation of teaching personnel. 

# Shift of personnel: 

» Increased travel distances. 

# Loss of tax revenue due to devaluation of real 

estate. 

# Capital programs affected by unknown: 

» Long-range projection of: 

• Students. 

• Revenues. 

• Construction cost. 

# Loss of commerce. 

# Loss of industry. 

# Bus routes revamped due to shifts in population. 

It is important to remember to document all activities in dealing 

with disasters. These lessons of what worked and what needs 

improvement in your community can help as new events occur. 

117

CLOSING 

118

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Comprehensive Emergency Management Planning Guide for 

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Defense Civil Preparedness Agency. (1972). Your Chance to 

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Dieffenbach, R. (1999, August). Planning safer schools: 

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Emergency/Disaster Preparedness – A Planning Guide. (1998, 

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Emergency Procedures Manual. (2005, June). Orange County 

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Precautions. The Florida East Coast Chapter. The Associated 

General Contractors of America. 

Registered Sexual Offender in Shelters (n.d.). Tallahassee, 

FL: Capital Area Chapter of the American Red Cross. 

Retrieved April 12, 2006, from www.tallytown.com/redcross/ds. 

Responding to Tragedy: A Resource Guide. (2001, Sept.). 

Bureau of Instructional Support and Community Services, 

Division of Public Schools and Community Education, and 

Florida Department of Education. 

School safety program and self-assessment guide: District 

level program. (1999, January). Delware Departments of 

Education and Public Safety. 

SROs: Schools are vulnerable to terrorism. (2003, January). 

Inside School Safety: Effective Management Strategies for 

School Administration, 7(9), 7-10. 

121

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

State of Florida Disaster Assistance Reimbursement 

Documentation Information. (1996, April 5). Department of 

Community Affairs, Division of Emergency Management. 


Thaler-Carter, R. E. (2005, Nov/Dec.). Coping with crisis: 

Members respond to hurricane aftermath. Facilities Manager. 

Retrieved April 11, 2006, from 

https://www.appa.org/files/PDFs/Coping%20With%20Crisis.pdf 

The Handbook for Disaster Assistance. (n.d.). Department of 

Community Affairs, Division of Emergency Management. 


University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center (2001). 

Interviews 

Broward and Dade County School Board Personnel 

interviewed by John Laney, Wednesday, March 22, 2006. 

Broward County School Board Safety Office, 4200A N. W. 10 th 

Avenue, Oakland Park, FL. 

Charlotte County School Facilities personnel interviewed by 

John Laney, Thursday, April 6, 2006. Charlotte County 

Schools’ Facilities Office, 1016 Education Avenue, Punta 

Gorda, FL. 

David Klaitz interviewed by John Laney, Wednesday, April 19, 

2006. Florida Community College Risk Management 

th 

Consortium Offices, 5700 S.W. 54 Street, Gainesville, FL. 

122

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Hillsborough and Pinellas County School Board personnel 

interviewed by John Laney, Wednesday, April 5, 

2006. Hillsborough School Board Offices, 901 E. Kennedy 

Boulevard, Tampa, FL. 

Orange, Seminole, Osceola, and Brevard County School Board 

personnel interviewed by John Laney, Friday, March 24, 

2006. Orange County School Board Facilities Office, 6501 

Magic Way, Orlando, FL. 

Pat Myerscough and Claude Edwards, Palm Beach 

Community College, interviewed by John Laney, Monday, April 

24, 2006. The Florida Public Affairs Office, The Florida State 

University. 

Santa Rosa County School Board, Escambia County School 

Board, Okaloosa-Walton Community College, and University of 

West Florida personnel interviewed by John Laney, Friday, 

April 21, 2006. Santa Rosa County School Board offices, 6544 

Firehouse Road, Milton, FL. 

St. Lucie and Martin County School Board personnel; Indian 

River Community College personnel interviewed by John 

Laney, Thursday, March 23, 2006. St. Lucie County School’s 

Facilities Office, 327 N. W. Commerce Drive, Port St. Lucie, 

FL. 

South Florida Community College and Okeechobee School 

Board personnel interviewed by John Laney, Thursday, April 

20, 2006. South Florida Community College, 600 W. College 

Drive, Building I, Avon Park, FL. 

123

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Volusia County School Facilities personnel interviewed by John 

Laney, Tuesday, April 11, 2006. Volusia County School Board 

Office, 729 Loomis Avenue, Daytona Beach, FL. 

124

Appendix 1 Shelters 

2 Guidance and Statute 

Requirements for Design 

and Construction of 

EHPAs 

3 Law Enforcement in 

Shelters 

4 Mental Health 

5 Jessica Lunsford Act 

6 Debris Removal 

7 NCEF Safe School 

Facilities Checklist 

8 The Incident Command 

System 

9 Family Preparedness Kits 

10 Palm Beach Community 

College Damage 

Assessment System 

11 Statewide Mutual Aid 

Agreement 

12 Helpful Web Sites 

125

126

Shelters 

After Hurricane Andrew in 1992 a post-disaster evaluation of evacuation and 

sheltering concerns by the Governor's Disaster Planning and Response Review 

Committee, known as the Lewis Commission Report, identified the lack of 

adequate and appropriate public shelter space as a critical planning issue. 

The Lewis Commission Report served as the driving force behind the writing of 

Chapter 93-211, Laws of Florida, and subsequent revisions to Chapters 235, 240 

and 252, Florida Statutes. The educational facilities sections of Chapters 235 

and 240 have been superseded by Chapter 1013, Florida Statutes. Based on 

those revisions, the Legislature clearly stated its intent that Florida not have a 

deficit of safe public hurricane shelter space in any region of the state. 

One of the statutory revisions required that the Department of Education, in 

consultation with boards and county and state emergency management offices, 

develop standards for public shelter design criteria, which were to be 

incorporated into State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF). The new 

criteria were designed to ensure that appropriate new educational facilities can 

serve as public shelters for emergencies. 

After promulgation of the criteria, all new educational facilities (or appropriate 

areas within facilities), for which a design contract was entered into after the 

effective date of the inclusion of the public shelter criteria in SREF, must be built 

in compliance with the criteria, unless the facility is exempted by the applicable 

local emergency management agency or the Department of Community Affairs. 

The sheltering lessons learned from Hurricane Andrew were further reiterated by 

the experiences of the 2004 and 2005 hurricane seasons. During these two 

seasons alone, approximately 15 million people in Florida were under evacuation 

orders from eight (8) hurricanes and two (2) tropical storms. Nearly every county 

in Florida was under hurricane or inland high wind warnings, prompting 

mandatory evacuation orders for residents vulnerable to storm surges and floods, 

including manufactured home residents. More than a thousand shelters were 

opened, which safely protected more than 410,600 evacuees. 

252.385 Public shelter space.-- 

(1) It is the intent of the Legislature that this state not have a deficit of safe 

public hurricane evacuation shelter space in any region of the state by 

1998 and thereafter. 

(2) The division shall administer a program to survey existing schools, 

universities, community colleges, and other state-owned, municipally 

owned, and county-owned public buildings and any private facility that the 

owner, in writing, agrees to provide for use as a public hurricane 

evacuation shelter to identify those that are appropriately designed and 

127

located to serve as such shelters. The owners of the facilities must be 

given the opportunity to participate in the surveys. The Board of Regents, 

district school boards, community college boards of trustees, and the 

Department of Education are responsible for coordinating and 

implementing the survey of public schools, universities, and community 

colleges with the division or the local emergency management agency. 

(4)(a) Public facilities, including schools, postsecondary education 

facilities, and other facilities owned or leased by the state or local 

governments, but excluding hospitals or nursing homes, which are 

suitable for use as public hurricane evacuation shelters shall be made 

available at the request of the local emergency management agencies. 

Such agencies shall coordinate with the appropriate school board, 

university, community college, or local governing board when requesting 

the use of such facilities as public hurricane evacuation shelters. 

Construction and Shelters 

1013.372 Education facilities as emergency shelters.-- 

(1) The Department of Education shall, in consultation with boards and 

county and state emergency management offices, include within the 

standards to be developed under this subsection public shelter design 

criteria to be incorporated into the Florida Building Code. The new criteria 

must be designed to ensure that appropriate new educational facilities can 

serve as public shelters for emergency management purposes. A facility, 

or an appropriate area within a facility, for which a design contract is 

entered into after the effective date of the inclusion of the public shelter 

criteria in the code must be built in compliance with the amended code 

unless the facility or a part of it is exempted from using the new shelter 

criteria due to its location, size, or other characteristics by the applicable 

board with the concurrence of the applicable local emergency 

management agency or the Department of Community Affairs. Any 

educational facility located or proposed to be located in an identified 

category 1, 2, or 3 evacuation zone is not subject to the requirements of 

this subsection. If the regional planning council region in which the county 

is located does not have a hurricane evacuation shelter deficit, as 

determined by the Department of Community Affairs, educational facilities 

within the planning council region are not required to incorporate the public 

shelter criteria. 

128

Guidance and 

Statute Requirements 

for Design and 

Construction of EPHAs 

The Florida Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan (SESP) provides guidance 

and statute requirements for the design and construction of 

Enhanced Hurricane Protection Areas (EHPAs) and compares them to 

other requirements. From Appendix G, Consultative Guidance for 

Implementation of Public Shelter Design Criteria: 

“EHPAs are required to be designed and constructed in accordance 

with the wind load provisions of the American Society of Civil 

Engineers Standard 7, Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and 

Other Structures (ASCE 7). The minimum design wind speed is per 

ASCE 7's basic wind speed map, using the importance factor (I) for 

a Category III or IV (essential facility) building occupancy. Also, to 

ensure that the EHPA remains an enclosed structure (and avoid a 

partially enclosed condition, which would invalidate the design), 

building openings are also required to withstand impact by 

windborne debris in accordance with Test Standard for Determining 

Reistance From Windborne Debris SSTD 12 (SSTD 12).” 

____________________________________________________________________________________ 

HURRICANE CHARLEY ON FLORIDA MITIGATION ASSESSMENT TEAM REPORT 129

The selection of an appropriate design wind speed is critical to the 

performance of public hurricane shelters. ASCE 7's wind speed 

map is based upon a 50-year recurrence level, which pre-sumes 

1 

that 50 years is the useful life expectancy of a facility . The 

Category III/IV importance factor (1.15) is used to adjust the wind 

speed design up to a 100+ year recurrence level to account for a 

greater degree of hazard due to the nature of a facility’s 

occupancy. This is the minimum wind design and construction 

requirements for EHPAs and reflects the minimum national design 

standard for designated hurricane shelters. 

However, the EHPA code provisions highly recommend that the 

ASCE 7 map wind speed be increased by 40 miles per hour, with 

an importance factor of 1.00. The Department also highly recommends 

the 40 mile per hour increase in base wind speed. The 

40 miles per hour increase in base wind speed translates into wind 

designs of as high as 200 miles per hour in the Florida Keys, to as 

low as 140 miles per hour in inland north-central Florida. The 40 

miles per hour increase in base wind speed is used to adjust the 

wind speed design up to about a 1,000+ year recurrence level, and 

is consistant with the Department of Energy’s DOE-STD-1020 

hurricane wind Performance Category (PC) 3 criteria. The 

Department of Energy’s enhanced performance expectations are 

that its facilities not only resist collapse, but that occupants, critical 

equipment and contents be protected from wind, windborne 

and falling debris, rainwater intrusion, and continue to maintain 

operation as an essential facility. The Department of Energy’s 

enhanced performance expectations are more consistent with 

public hurricane shelter design and construction performance 

expectations than ASCE 7's minimum design standards.” 

Furthermore, the SESP design requirements provide commentary of 

minimum design level and “best practices” for the design of high-wind 

shelters as presented in additional text from Appendix G of the SESP 

and in the summary table provided herein as Table F-1 (SESP Table G- 

2). Using a scale of “Performance Criteria” the table identifies different 

levels of design, provides comments and provides references for the 

standard form which the criteria was provided. The criteria for these 

performance criteria are taken from the SESP itself, the Department of 

Energy STD-1020 standard for hazard-resistant construction, and 

ASCE 7. Additional commentary on the design assumptions shown in 

the table, including the different wind hazard return periods, are found 

in each of the reference documents. From Appendix G of the SESP: 

1. 

The presumption that 50 years is the useful life expectancy of a facility may be incorrect 

____________________________________________________________________________________ 


“...Therefore, to ensure that public hurricane shelters are designed 

and constructed to resist major hurricanes, the 40 mile per 

hour increase in base wind speed is critical to achieve the EHPA 

performance expectation. Table G-2 provides a comparison 

summary of hurricane shelter performance objectives to be 

considered when selecting an appropriate design wind speed. 

The 40 miles per hour increase in design wind speed is especially 

important for certain types of buildings. Buildings with tall 

exterior walls, long span lightweight roof systems, wide roof overhangs, 

located in open areas with minimum sheltering, etc., are 

particularly vulnerable to damage in “design level events.” The 

Department strongly recommends use of the 40 mile per hour 

increase in design wind speed for buildings that possess these 

characteristics.” 

____________________________________________________________________________________ 


Table F-1. Summary of EHPA Wind Design Criteria 

Crosswalk of EHPA, DOE-STD-1020 and FEMA 361 Performance Criteria 

Performance 

Category 

X 

O PC 1 

PC 2 

(EHPA min) 

PC 3 

(EHPA 

rec) 

PC 4 

(FEMA 

361) 

Wind Hazard Return 

Period (yrs) 

100 >1,000 >10,000 

Design Wind Speed 

Does not 

meet ARC 

4496 

Code and 

meets ARC 

4496 

ASCE 7 or 

Code and 

ARC 4496 

ASCE 7, 

essential 

facility and 

ARC 4496 

ASCE 7 plus 

40 mph 

ASCE 7 

plus 80 

mph 

Design Wind Speed, 

V (moh), 3-second 

peek gust 

Law Enforcement In Shelters 

Law Enforcement Officials Present in the Shelter with a Registered Sexual 

Offender 

The Shelter Manager must meet with the law enforcement officer and discuss the 

specific logistical and other needs of the law enforcement officer. This may 

include separating the officer and the registered sexual offender (and family, if 

applicable) from the general shelter population, keeping them away from 

children, and having the law enforcement officer present with the registered 

sexual offender at all times. 

· The Shelter Manager must comply with the law enforcement officer’s 

requirements 

· The Shelter Manager must not discuss the registered sexual offender’s 

status with the general shelter population 

· There generally should be no reason to disclose the status of the 

registered sexual offender with other shelter residents 

Law Enforcement Officials Not Present in the Shelter with Registered 

Sexual Offenders 

As soon as the Shelter Manager learns about the presence of a registered sexual 

offender in the shelter, the shelter manager must consult with the emergency 

manager at the County Emergency Operations Center so that the appropriate 

law enforcement agency may be notified and a law enforcement officer be 

assigned to the shelter to control and monitor the registered sexual offender. 

When the officer arrives at the shelter, the Shelter Manager must meet with the 

law enforcement officer to discuss the specific logistical and other needs of the 

law enforcement officer. The Shelter Manager must comply with these 

requirements. 

If the local law enforcement agency cannot immediately provide an officer, the 

Shelter Manager must obtain one. A volunteer off-duty law enforcement officer 

or contracted security guard may be used. The Administration Function at the 

County Emergency Operations Center must be involved in obtaining the law 

enforcement support. 

On a temporary basis only, if there is some delay in getting a volunteer off-duty 

law enforcement officer or a paid security guard, steps must be taken to model 

the control and monitoring requirements that the law enforcement officials use. 

This can occur only after the Shelter Manager and the Administration Function at 

the County Emergency Operations Center are notified that there is a registered 

sexual offender in the shelter. 

The Shelter Manager and the Administration Function at the County Emergency 

Operations Center must be involved in briefing and instructing one or more 

133

Disaster Services volunteers to remain with the registered sexual offender 24 

hours a day, including escorting or accompanying the person during all activities 

at the shelter (e.g., sleeping, bathroom use, eating). In addition, the registered 

sexual offender must be monitored on a constant basis. For example, the 

registered sexual offender must be segregated from the general shelter 

population and kept away from children. 

For the longer term, law enforcement personnel, whether on-duty or off-duty or 

contracted security, must be brought into the shelter to monitor the registered 

sexual offender. This law enforcement person must be brought into the shelter as 

soon as possible. 

134

Mental Health 

Some special counseling assistance may be necessary to help deal with the 

trauma that some staff and youngsters experience during a hurricane. 

What to Expect After Trauma: 

Possible Reactions of Elementary School Students 

1. Feelings of anxiety, fears, and worries about safety of self and others 

(Students may act more clingy with teacher or parent). 

2. Worries about reoccurrence of violence. 

3. Increased levels of distress (whiny, irritable, moody). 

4. Changes in behavior: 

a. Increased activity level. 

b. Decreased concentration and/or attention. 

c. Withdrawal. 

d. Angry outbursts. 

e. Aggression. 

f. Absenteeism. 

5. Increased somatic complaints (e.g., headaches, stomachaches, aches 

and pains). 

6. Changes in school performance. 

7. Recreating event (e.g., talking repeatedly about it, reenacting the event). 

8. Increased sensitivity to sounds (e.g., sirens, planes, thunder, backfires, 

loud noises). 

9. Statements and questions about death and dying. 

At home, parents may see: 

1. Changes in sleep habits. 

2. Changes in appetite. 

3. Withdrawal. 

4. Lack of interest in usual activities. 

5. Increased negative behaviors (e.g., defiance) or emotions (e.g., sadness, 

fears, anger, worries). 

6. Regression in behaviors (e.g., baby talk, bed-wetting, tantrums). 

7. Hate or anger statements. 

Possible Reactions of Middle School Students: 

1. Feelings of anxiety, worries, and fears about safety of self and others 

2. Worries about reoccurrence or consequences such as war, as well as 

worries about school violence. 


a. Decreased attention and/or concentration. 

b. Increase in hyperactivity. 

c. Changes in academic performance. 

d. Irritability with friends, teachers, events. 

135

e. Anger outbursts and/or aggression. 

f. Withdrawal. 

g. Absenteeism. 

4. Increased somatic complaints (e.g., headaches, stomachaches, chest 

pains). 

5. Discomfort with feelings, particularly those associated with revenge. 

6. Increased likelihood to discuss the gruesome details. 

7. Repeated discussions of event. 

8. Increased sensitivity to sounds (e.g., sirens, planes, thunder, backfires, 

loud noises). 

9. Negative impact on issues of trust and perceptions of others, particularly 

of individuals who are "different." 

10.Repetitive thoughts and comments about death and dying. 


1. Changes in sleep. 



4. Lack of interest in usual activities (e.g., after-school activities, time with 

friends). 


fears, anger, worries). 


7. Denial of impact. 

Possible Reactions of High School Students 

1. Worries, fears, and anxiety about safety of self and others. 

2. Worries about reoccurrence or repercussions such as war or school 

violence. 


a. Withdrawal. 

b. Irritability with friends, teachers, events. 

c. Anger outbursts and/or aggression. 

d. Changes in academic performance. 

e. Decrease in attention and concentration. 

f. Increase in hyperactivity. 

g. Absenteeism. 

4. Discomfort with feelings, including revenge and vulnerability. 

5. Increased risk for substance abuse, including drinking. 

6. Discussion of events and review of details. 

7. Negative impact on issues of trust and perceptions of others, particularly 

individuals who are "different." 

8. Increased sensitivity to sounds (sirens, planes, thunder, backfires, or loud 

noises). 

136

9. Repetitive thoughts and comments about death or dying (including suicidal 

thoughts). 


1. Changes in sleep. 



4. Lack of interest in usual activities (after-school activities or time with 

friends). 


fears, or anger, worries). 


7. Denial of impact. 

137

138

Jessica Lunsford Act (JLA) 

This law, which became effective September 1, 2005, affects businesses with 

employees or agents on school grounds while students are there, when these 

employees or agents have direct contact with students or access to or control of 

school funds. The law requires that employees of such vendors have a Level 2 

background screen. (Level 2 screening consists of a state and national search of 

the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Federal Bureau of 

Investigations (FBI) databases for any criminal arrest information). When 

schools are closed and facilities are being used for sheltering purposes, JLA 

does not apply. 

Section 1012.465, Florida Statutes, states: 

Noninstructional school district employees or contractual personnel who 

· 

are permitted access on school grounds when students are present, who 

have direct contact with students or who have access to or control of 

school funds must meet Level 2 screening requirements as described in s. 

1012.32, F.S. Contractual personnel shall include any vendor, individual, 

or entity under contract with the school board. 

The major impact of the law has been on contract cost and labor availability. The 

requirement for each employee of a vendor working on a school campus to be 

screened has affected both contract cost and labor availability. The background 

screen includes both a fingerprinting and a disclosure of previous criminal history 

on a Criminal Record Information form. On large school projects, construction 

vendors may have several hundred employees on a school campus throughout 

the duration of a project. The expense of screening each employee has had a 

major effect on contract costs. Additionally, some contractors have had to back 

out of contracts due to an inadequate number of employees being able to pass 

the screening criteria. 

Under the Act each school district’s responsibilities include: 

· Conduct a fingerprinting and background screening of non-instructional or 

contractual personnel at a location designated by the district and 

determine whether individuals have been convicted of a crime involving 

moral turpitude. 

· The district may bear the cost of the screening, or leave it to the contractor 

or individual to pay. The district is responsible for establishing payment 

procedures. 

· The district must establish policies and procedures to ensure that only 

individuals who have undergone a background screening and have been 

approved are permitted to have access to school grounds when students 

are present, have direct contact with students, or have access to or control 

over school funds. 

139

· Each district must also establish communication policies and procedures 

to ensure that all pertinent parties are notified when an individual 

terminates service with the district. 

140

Debris Removal 

In its pilot Debris Management Course, FEMA recommends developing a debris removal 

strategy for large-scale debris removal operations by dividing the operation into two 

phases. 

Phase I - Remove debris that hinders the immediate lifesaving actions that pose an 

immediate threat to public health and safety. 

Phase II - Remove and dispose of debris that hinders the orderly recovery of the 

community and poses less immediate threats to health and safety. 

Diversion - Develop debris management strategies, including programs for recycling and 

reuse of the disaster debris, and monitoring of removal and diversion activities including 

the tasks in the table below. 

Phases description: Activities carried out in each phase are described in the table below: 

Debris Removal Phases 

Phases of Debris Removal 

Actions to be taken 

Phase I: 

Emergency Roadway Debris Removal 

Clear emergency access routes. Roadway 

debris is moved to the side of the road to 

open access routes into devastated areas. 

No attempt is made to remove or dispose 

of the debris. The objective is only to 

clear key access routes to allow for the 

following: 

• 

Movement of emergency vehicles. 

• 

Law enforcement. 

• 

Resumption of critical services. 

• 

Damage assessment of critical 

public facilities and utilities. 

141

Phase II: 

Public Rights-of-Way Debris Removal 

During the emergency opening of key 

routes, mixed debris is pushed to the 

shoulders of the roadway, along the 

public right-of-way. The initial roadside 

piles of debris can become the dumping 

locations for additional yard waste, 

personal property, construction material, 

trash, etc. 

The debris manager and staff must now 

coordinate the removal of this debris, and 

should be prepared to: 

• Develop a reliable initial assessment 

of the disaster’s magnitude. 

• Coordinate with local agencies to 

establish a contracted workforce 

capable of expeditious removal of the 

debris. 

• Coordinate with local and state 

Department of Transportation and law 

enforcement authorities to ensure that 

traffic control measures expedite 

debris removal activities. 

Evaluate damaged utility systems, 

• 

structurally unstable buildings, and 

other heavily damaged public 

facilities to determine whether they 

should be repaired, deactivated, 

barricaded, or removed. 

142

Diversion programs development 

• Develop a debris diversion strategy to 

establish diversion (recycling and 

reuse) programs that include the 

following: 

• P 

rojected types and amounts of 

materials likely to be generated. 

• 

Available processing facilities and 

potential end-use markets for the 

collected debris. 

• 

List of haulers and processors. 

• 

Labor and processing equipment 

needs. 

• 

Temporary storage areas; contracts 

and franchise agreements. 

• 

Public information program methods. 

• 

Funding options. 

Monitor the removal and diversion 

activities to: 

• 

Develop a tracking and 

documentation system to account for 

the types and amounts of debris 

collected. 

• 

Develop contingency plan to handle 

debris immediately after disaster. 

• 

Develop diversion incentives. 

• 

Develop monitoring and enforcement 

program. 

• 

Set up records retention system and 

archives. 

• 

Prepare final report on program 

activities and results. 

143

Private Property Demolition and Debris Removal 

Who is responsible? The need for private property debris clearance is the first critical 

determination that has to be made in defining the specific area or areas to be contracted. 

Debris removal on private property is the primary responsibility of the individual 

property owner aided by insurance settlements and assistance from voluntary agencies. 

Insurance coverage: Most homeowner, fire, and extended coverage insurance policies 

have specific coverage for debris removal from private property and for demolition of 

heavily damaged structures. Flood insurance policies do not provide coverage for 

debris removal. 

The standard practice is that the individual property owners are responsible for moving 

debris to the curb for pickup by city or county workforces. 

Public agency responsibility: For cases in which the individual property owners are 

unable to remove the debris from their property, the jurisdiction may determine that it 

is in the public interest to remove the debris for them. 

Use the following criteria to make this decision: 

• 

The debris is an immediate health and safety threat to the general public, or 

• 

The debris is of such a magnitude that the economic recovery of the 

community would be threatened. 

Example: No-cost demolition 

In establishing its building demolition program after the Northridge earthquake, the 

City of Los Angeles determined that most of the affected residents did not have 

earthquake insurance. As a result, the City assumed responsibility for the 

demolition of private structures that threatened the public health and safety. 

To help residents rebuild, the City offered demolition services at no cost for 

buildings that had suffered greater than 50 percent damage or had greater than 35 

percent of their structural system compromised. 

Release form: A standard release form from individual property owners is required 

to hold and save the government free of liabilities when government forces or 

contractors perform work on private property. 

Map project area: Clearly define the limits of the project area by delineating the 

boundaries of the project area on a map. 

This map will identify to contractors the area or areas to be included in the contract. 

144

Additionally, for a debris removal project on which many contractors may be 

working, this can help ensure that the contractors remain in their assigned work 

area. 

Establishing the work area is also important to identify key items such as: 

• 

Ingress and egress routes to the project area. 

• 

Location of utilities. 

• 

Distance to recycling, storage, and disposal sites. 

Criteria for selection: Once a jurisdiction has undertaken an assessment of its 

probable waste stream, facilities, temporary storage areas, and markets for the 

collected materials, it can then determine the program(s) to be implemented. 

Based on the amount and types of debris to be handled, jurisdictions can plan for 

diversion programs accordingly. 

Assessment factors: The selected program should be best suited to the jurisdiction 

based on an assessment of the following: 

• 

Materials generated. 

• 

Facilities available. 

• 

Need for temporary storage areas. 

• 

Haulers/processors/brokers. 

• 

Processing requirements/barriers. 

• 

End uses for collected materials. 

• 

Markets. 

• 

Local conditions. 

Most often used programs: Programs most often used include those in the table 

below. For each major program type, there are source separated recycling 

programs to handle particular waste types. Examples include mulching and 

chipping operations for wood, smelting for metals, and concrete crushing. Issues 

associated with each of the diversion programs are also included for consideration 

because they could impact the program's effectiveness. 

145

Program Description Materials 

Generated 

Curbside 

Frequently Used Diversion Programs 

Residents 

place their 

disaster 

debris at the 

curbside for 

city crews or 

contractors to 

pick up. 

Household 

furniture, 

wallboard, 

wood, metals, 

concrete, 

bricks, HHW 

(see below) 

Source 

Separated 

Recycling 

Programs 

Wood 

chipping, 

mulching, 

concrete 

crushing 

Issues 

Source separation is 

key to avoiding 

contamination and 

increasing product 

marketability. 

Consider requiring 

source separation as 

part of the program 

and advertise program 

requirements to 

residents and 

contractors. Source 

separation on site can 

decrease costs for 

labor, transportation, 

processing, and 

disposal. 

One approach is to 

offer free debris 

pickup if materials are 

separated at the curb 

and charge a higher 

fee for the pickup of 

mixed debris. 

146

Building 

Demolition 

Buildings 

damaged 

beyond repair 

or 

representing a 

safety hazard 

are torn 

down. 

Wood, 

concrete, 

metals, 

bricks, 

drywall 

Wood 

chipping, 

mulching, 

scrap metal 

Hand salvaging will 

yield more recyclable 

materials, although 

time required to do so 

may be more than 

traditional demolition. 

For building 

demolition in general, 

there are increased 

savings in disposal 

and transportation 

costs, with likely 

increase in labor 

costs. 

Depending on the age 

of the building, 

asbestos and lead 

paint abatement may 

be concerns. 

Household 

Hazardous 

Waste 

(HHW) 

Residents 

take their 

HHW to a 

collection 

event, mobile 

collection 

vehicle, or a 

permanent 

collection 

center. 

Paint, 

pesticides, 

household 

cleaners, oil 

Oil filter 

recycling, 

material 

exchange, 

hazardous 

waste 

disposal 

Residents must be 

informed to keep 

HHW separate from 

the rest of the disaster 

debris. This will 

reduce contamination 

of the materials and 

will help to ensure 

that collected 

materials are not 

designated as 

hazardous and 

disposed of as such. 

147

Drop-off 

Fencing 

Ghost Town 

Residents 

place debris 

in bins 

located 

throughout 

the 

community. 

Separate bins 

can be 

designated for 

specific 

materials or 

all materials 

can be placed 

in one bin and 

separated 

later. 

This program 

was specific 

to the City of 

Los Angeles 

and instituted 

because the 

City had an 

ordinance 

requiring that 

all swimming 

pools be 

fenced. 

Abandoned 

private 

property was 

boarded up 

for public 

health and 

safety 

reasons. 

Same as 

curbside 

Cinder block 

Same as 

curbside 

This may be more 

convenient for remote 

or rural areas where 

curbside collection is 

not available or 

practical or in areas 

where the topography 

precludes curbside 

collection. 

Contamination of 

materials is a concern, 

as is security at the 

collection sites. 

Placement of the 

equipment may pose 

problems, depending 

on the area's 

topography. 

The City assumed 

responsibility for 

fencing pools on 

private property in the 

interest of public 

health and safety. 

N/A N/A Liability and crime 

prevention are the 

most pressing issues. 

148

Other programs 

Condominiums: In the case of condominiums, FEMA will authorize demolition 

work only if all owners of the condominiums participate in the demolition program. 

Consider how to handle a situation in which not all residents want to participate in 

the city- or county-sponsored program, thus eliminating the other residents' ability 

to have their homes demolished. 

Drop-off program: A drop-off program may be more useful for remote or sparsely 

populated communities where residents do not have curbside pickup. Issues to 

consider are contamination of materials and security needs at the site. 

Identify barriers: Identify potential barriers to a debris management program and 

develop contingency plans to avoid problems. Such barriers may include: 

• 

Blockage of major transportation corridors. 

• 

Closure of recycling or disposal facilities. 

• 

Lack of funding. 

• 

Lack of temporary storage areas. 

• 

Illegal dumping at temporary storage areas. 

• 

Limited markets for targeted waste types. 

• 

Limited contractors available. 

• 

Residents, businesses, and other governmental agencies cleaning up 

independently of the city/county-sponsored program. 

• 

Insurance company requirements. 

Liability: Be aware of the liability issues associated with debris management and 

develop procedures to handle the following: 

• 

Wrong building demolished. 

• City workers or volunteers entering and damaging private property. 

• 

City/county worker/contractor injured. 

• “Debris" collected from private property that should not have been 

removed. 

• 

Ghost towns (abandoned property). 

• 

Demolishing a unit in a condominium complex. 

Rebuilding: Rebuilding also generates debris. Although rebuilding is necessary as 

a result of the disaster, the waste generated is not considered disaster debris. For 

this reason, FEMA reimbursement may not be available. Check with your OES 

Regional Office to ascertain the rebuilding activity's funding eligibility. 

149

A jurisdiction can take advantage of established diversion programs to handle the 

disaster debris and capture the rebuilding wastestream. 

To avoid confusion, keep the two wastestreams separate so FEMA reimbursement 

for the disaster debris program will not be affected. This was not possible in Los 

Angeles since many victims were still removing earthquake debris while neighbors 

were rebuilding. There was no clear end to one activity before beginning the other. 

Green waste: In addition, during the recovery phase residents may work on 

landscaping their yards and generate large amounts of green waste. Again, this is 

not debris generated as a direct result of the disaster, and is not eligible for FEMA 

reimbursement. 

Jurisdictions should take note if this occurs and notify homeowners that the debris 

must be kept separate from the earthquake-related debris (that is, do not place this 

material at the curbside or place in bins designated for disaster debris). 

Source separation: Separate materials at the source and leave them at the curb so 

they can be sent directly to processing facilities. If you place all debris together at 

the curb, it is more likely that the materials will be sent to a mixed waste facility, 

where processing can be more costly than a recycling facility. 

Realize that there will be extra labor costs for separating the collected materials 

before they go to a recycling facility. This equates to more time and expense. This 

can also be the key to realizing a successful diversion program. 

Mixed waste facilities: Because many jurisdictions may not have mixed waste 

facilities nearby, this will limit the diversion potential. In the case of the City of 

Los Angeles, one of the city's goals was to establish mixed waste facilities not only 

to handle the disaster debris but also to become part of the permanent infrastructure 

after the disaster debris was gone. 

Set Debris Removal Program Goals 

Background: It is important at the outset to set program goals for the recycling and 

diversion programs to help determine the program's success in meeting diversion 

goals, ensure the program's cost-effectiveness, and evaluate whether changes are 

needed during implementation or whether other programs need to be established. 

Example: After the Northridge earthquake in 1994, the City of Los Angeles 

established goals for its pilot debris removal program, which consisted of two 

components: 

1. 

Collection of earthquake debris placed at curbside by city residents, and 

2. 

Demolition of buildings damaged by the earthquake. 

150

Program goals: The program goals for the pilot program were to: 

· 

Determine maximum recycling rates. 

· 

Determine facility needs for a massive diversion effort. 

· 

Gain knowledge about the costs associated with a diversion program run at 

maximum efficiency. 

· 

Increase, through private investment, the capacity of private sector facilities 

that can process mixed earthquake construction and demolition (C&D) debris 

for recovery of recyclables at high rates. 

· 

Save landfill space. 

DSR for recycling: Based on the success of the pilot program, FEMA approved a 

Damage Survey Report (DSR) for the city's debris removal and recycling program, 

which was then expanded citywide. 

DSRs: Damage assessments and Damage Survey Reports or DSRs are the 

foundation for FEMA/OES reimbursement after a disaster. DSRs describe the 

damage, set forth the scope of recovery work, and estimate cost of the work to be 

performed. Based upon the damage assessment conducted by the federal/state/local 

inspection teams, a DSR is written. 

· 

· 

· 

· 

Example: Similarly, the City of Santa Clarita, in establishing its diversion 

programs after the Northridge earthquake, set up the following program features. 

The city identified the following five features as ones that would maximize 

recovery and diversion while maintaining an effective collection effort: 

No tipping fees. This would discourage illegal dumping. 

Enforcement of illegal dumping ordinances or regulations. 

Provide debris diversion information to haulers and residents. 

Provide security assurance against hazardous materials or contaminated inerts 

being dumped. 

City will assume ownership of material product to ensure reuse. 

Contractor responsibility: Although this was one of the city's goals, the city 

later changed its position and assigned ownership of the materials to the 

contractor, who was responsible for collecting and marketing the materials. The 

city did this in an effort to avoid conflict with FEMA over reimbursement for its 

diversion programs. Had the city retained ownership of the collected materials 

and received revenues from their sale, FEMA could have reduced the city's 

reimbursement for the diversion program since there was no compelling local 

program or plan. 

151

Identify labor needs 

Estimate staffing: An estimate of staffing becomes one of the most important 

aspects of disaster debris management as the recovery begins. It is likely that the 

jurisdiction's staffing resources will be overwhelmed in responding to the disaster. 

· 

· 

· 

· 

Staff will be needed to manage the recovery programs and implement the 

programs. There are several resources available that can help a jurisdiction in its 

emergency response: 

Mutual Aid Agreement. 

Emergency Managers Mutual Aid. 

City/county staff available from other agencies. 

Volunteer and non-profit agencies. 

Determine staffing needs in light of the diversion program needs. Based upon the 

selected program, identify staff resources needed, including number and 

classification of staff. Identify staff available within and outside the agency. 

Do not underestimate the staffing needed to monitor the debris recycled and 

disposed and the facilities used. A tracking system is critical to verify weight 

tickets when used as payment, determine the program's recycling and disposal 

rates, and monitor facility usage. 

For assistance: To request mutual aid from neighboring cities or counties, follow 

the Statewide Mutual Aid procedures. 

Staff functions: Keep in mind that staff will be needed for diversion program 

implementation as well as for the administrative functions that will serve the 

overall recovery operations. 

Identify Equipment and Processing Requirements 

· 

· 

· 

Equipment types: Select equipment based upon the type of activity to be carried 

out and the materials involved. The table below groups construction and 

demolition (C&D) processing equipment into three main types: 

Conveying. 

Crushing/reducing. 

Screening/separating. 

152

Construction and Demolition Processing Equipment 

Equipment Equipment Description Materials Handled 

Conveying 

Equipment 

Conveyors transfer materials 

from one location to another. 

The most common type of 

conveying equipment used to 

process C&D is a belt conveyor, 

which consists of a strip of 

belting material that is looped 

around a shaft on each end. 

All types of C&D 

Crushing/ 

Hydraulic breaker 

or jackhammer 

Jaw Crusher 

Hopper 

Cone 

Impactor 

Size reduction is the unit operation in which waste materials 

A pneumatic impact tool is used 

for breaking oversized material 

into pieces small enough to be 

processed by the next 

crusher/reduction unit in the 

process. 

Designed to crush large chunks 

of concrete, asphalt, etc 

Receives the chunks and feeds 

them to the cone or impactor. 

Crushes concrete and asphalt to 

aggregate size. 

Concrete pavement, 

foundations. 

Crushes concrete and asphalt to aggregate size. 

Concrete, asphalt, pipes, 

steel, rebar, manhole lids, 

etc. Compressible 

materials such as wood 

and plastics tend to jam up 

the jaws and severely 

reduce throughput. 

Can choose either cone or 

impactor, or both. 

Can choose either cone or 

impactor, or both. 

153

Hammermill 

Stump Grinder 

Rotary Shear 

Shredders 

Screw Shredders 

Screening/ 

Separating 

Equipment 

Also known as “wood hogs,” 

hammermills can process a 

variety of wood materials. 

Reduction occurs as the heavy 

hammers, attached to a rotating 

element, hit the material as it 

enters and eventually forces the 

shredded material through the 

discharge of the unit. 

Large machines, often trailermounted 

and top-loaded by onboard 

knuckleboom loaders. The 

machine is more expensive than a 

wood hog, but can handle large 

bulky materials. 

Low-speed, high-torque 

machines that rip and tear 

material apart. 

Shredding is done by two parallel 

screws with opposing threads. 

Wood 

Wood, stumps 

Ideal for primary reduction 

of bulky wood material, 

such as pallets, crates, and 

stumps, up to 3" to 4" in 

diameter. Large units can 

also reduce concrete, steel 

drums, white goods, and 

furniture. 

Bulky wood material, 

including tree stumps, 

brush, logs, scrap lumber, 

clean wood, pallets, trees, 

yard trimmings. 

Screening separates mixtures of materials of different sizes into 

two or more size fractions by means of one or more screening 

surfaces. 

Grizzly Screen 

Vibrating Screen 

Vibrating grizzly feeders are 

ideal for feeding rubble and 

mixed C&D material to the 

primary crusher. 

Rubble and mixed C&D 

material 

Vibrating screens can be designed to vibrate from side to side, 

vertically, or lengthwise. 

154

Trommel Screen 

Disc Screen 

Air Classifiers 

Flotation 

Magnetic & 

Electric Field 

Separation 

Magnetic 

Separation 

Electrostatic 

Separation 

Eddy Current 

Separation 

Manual Picking 

Station 

An inclined rotating cylindrical screen where material to be 

separated tumbles and contacts the screen several times as it 

travels down the length of the screen. 

Disc screens consist of parallel 

horizontal shafts equipped with 

interlocking lobed (or starshaped) 

discs that run 

perpendicular to the flow of 

infeed material. 

A separator that uses an airstream 

to separate materials based on the 

weight difference of the material. 

Employs water to separate wood 

from rubble-based material. 

Wood 

Commingled waste 

(plastic, glass, paper, 

metal) 

Separate wood from 

rubble-based material. 

Uses the electrical and magnetic properties of waste materials 

to separate them. 

Designed to remove ferrous 

metals from a moving bed of 

material. 

High-voltage electrostatic fields 

can be used to separate 

nonconductors of electricity, such 

as glass, plastic, and paper, from 

conductors such as metals. 

Ferrous materials 

Nonconductors such as 

glass, plastic, and paper 

Separates non-ferrous metal (usually aluminum cans) from the 

waste stream by passing a current through the materials. These 

systems can be expensive. 

An elevated platform with a conveyor and a catwalk along both 

sides of the conveyor. Manual sorting involves removing 

specified items from the conveyor and dumping them in the 

appropriate chute provided. 

155

Processing techniques - wood, concrete, and asphalt 

Table: The table below describes various processing techniques for wood, 

concrete, and asphalt. 

Wood Processing 

Wood 

C&D wood waste can be processed according to the intended 

end use. Options can include: 

• 

Chipping with a mobile chipper or grinder at the site where 

the waste is produced. 

• 

Hauling to a processing facility that accepts and processes 

wood waste only. 

• 

Delivering to a full-service processing facility where 

multiple types of C&D wastes are processed. 

Non-wood waste: 

Non-wood wastes are first separated from the waste. If not 

source-separated, some facilities use flotation tanks to separate 

wood from non-wood material. 

Concrete and asphalt processing 

Concrete 

Asphalt concrete 

processing 

Portland cement concrete (PCC) is commonly called 

"concrete." Concrete is mostly made of aggregate; the cement 

binds the aggregate together. Concrete can be crushed on-site 

and used immediately for aggregate base or hauled to a 

crushing plant. 

Asphalt concrete (AC) pavement is commonly called "asphalt." 

Asphalt is mostly made of aggregate (94 percent); the asphalt 

binder binds the aggregate together. Asphalt can be crushed 

on-site, mixed with crushed concrete, and used immediately for 

aggregate base or hauled to crushing plant. 

156

NCEF Safe School Facilities Checklist 

Downloaded October 27, 2006. Copyright © 2005, 2006, National Clearinghouse for Educational 

Facilities. This electronic file has been provided to Jeff Haberman of the Denver Police 

Department for use by the Department in inspecting Denver Public Schools. The file may be 

altered by the Denver Police Department but not provided to any outside source. 

School or building name: _______________________________________ 

Date of assessment: ________________ 

Assessor: ______________________________ Phone number: _________________ 

Contact person: ______________________________ Phone number: ________________ 

About the Checklist 

This checklist is designed for assessing the safety and security of school buildings and grounds. 

Created by the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities and funded by the U.S. 

Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, the checklist combines the 

nation's best school facility assessment measures into one comprehensive online source. 

Nationally recognized school facility and safety experts participated in the checklist's creation and 

oversee its maintenance and updating. 

The checklist embodies the three principles of Crime Prevention through Environmental Design 

(CPTED): natural surveillance, the ability to easily see what is occurring in a particular setting; 

natural access control, the ability to restrict who enters or exits an environment; and 

territoriality-maintenance, the ability to demonstrate ownership of and respect for property. 

There is no perfect score or passing grade for the checklist and not all assessment measures will 

apply to any one school. Those that do apply must be considered in the context of the school's 

primary purpose: providing an effective teaching and learning environment. Proper safety and 

security measures do not work counter to this purpose. 

Using the checklist should be an integral part of a school's crisis mitigation and prevention 

strategy. For complete information about crisis planning, see the publication Practical 

Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities by the Office of Safe 

and Drug-Free Schools (available on the NCEF website at www.edfacilities.org/safeschools). 

The Assessment Team 

For reviewing designs for a new school, addition, or renovation, the assessment team should be 

led by a school CPTED specialist and include the project facility planner and architect as well as 

appropriate school personnel and engineering and security professionals. Reviews should be 

conducted during the schematic phase and at the 30 and 95 percent document completion stages, 

with emphasis on getting things right as early in the design process as possible. If there is a postdesign 

value engineering review, be careful that safety and security features are not compromised. 

For assessing an existing school, where the facility itself is examined, the assessment team 

should be led by a school CPTED specialist and include the school or district facility manager, the 

principal, and, as appropriate, the head custodian, a teacher, the school resource officer, the local 

fire and building inspectors, and any needed architectural, engineering, and security 

157

professionals. Where assembling such a team is impractical, key school personnel should be 

interviewed to identify specific safety and security concerns and potential sources of trouble that 

otherwise might be missed. 

Acknowledgements 

The checklist was created by William Brenner and Tod Schneider, with technical oversight by 

Michael Dorn. Reviewers were Craig Apperson, J.C. Ballew, Robert Canning, Gregg Champlin, 

Mary Filardo, Mark Gliberg, Gerald Hammond, Jon Hamrick, Alex James, Allen Kasper, Don 

Kaiser, Gordon Leeks, Kelvin Lee, Joe Levi, John Lyons, Judy Marks, Peter McGlinchy, Tom 

Mock, Bill Modzeleski, David Mooij, Ed Murdough, Irene Nigaglioni, Russ Riddell, Tom Roger, Joe 

Sanches, Henry Sanoff, Linda Sargent, David Sellers, Yale Stenzler, Grace Taylor, Jennifer 

Woolums, and Richard Yelland. 

Special thanks to Julie Collins and Jon Hamrick of the Florida Department of Education and to 

Billy Lassiter of the North Carolina Center for Prevention of School Violence. 

Sources 

The checklist is drawn primarily from six sources: 

Florida Safe School Design Guidelines: Strategies to Enhance Security and Reduce Vandalism. 

University of Florida. Florida Department of Education. 2003. 

Online at http://www.firn.edu/doe/edfacil/safe_schools.htm 

Safe Schools Facilities Planner. Division of School Support, Public Schools of North Carolina, 

State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction. February 1998. (Based in part on the 

1993 edition of the Florida Safe School Design Guidelines.) Online at 

http://www.schoolclearinghouse.org/pubs/safesch.pdf 

School Safety and Security. School Facilities Planning Division, California Department of 

Education. 2002. 

School Safety Audit Protocol. Section 1, "Buildings and Grounds." Jo Lynne DeMary, Marsha 

Owens, A.K. Ramnarian. Virginia Department of Education. June 2000. 

Online at http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/schoolsafety/safetyaudit.pdf 

NIOSH Safety Checklist Program for Schools. National Institute for Occupational Safety and 

Health, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human 

Services. October 2003. Online at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004_101/ 

FEMA 428, Primer to Design Safe School Projects in Case of Terrorist Attacks. Appendix F, 

"Building Vulnerability Checklist." Federal Emergency Management Agency. December 2003. 

Appendix F is based on Appendix II, "Facility Assessment Checklist," of the Physical Security 

Assessment for the Department of Veterans Affairs Facilities, Recommendations of the National 

Institute of Building Sciences Task Group. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. September 6, 

2002. Online at http://www.fema.gov/fima/rmsp428.shtm 

Other sources include: 

A Practical Guide for Crisis Response in Our Schools. Fifth Edition. "Preventive Measures," p. 80. 

Mark D. Lerner, Joseph S. Volpe, Brad Lindell. American Academy of Experts in Traumatic 

Stress. 2003. 

158

USA TM 5-853-1, 2, 3, 4, Security Engineering. U.S. Army. May 12, 1994. [Included in FEMA 428] 

Safety and Security Administration in School Facilities; Forms, Checklists, and Guidelines. 

Second edition. Sara N. DiLima, Editor. "Security Assessment Checklist," pp. 2:25 - 2:28. Aspen 

Publishers, Inc. 2003. 

CDC/NIOSH Pub. No. 2002-139, Guidance for Protecting Building Environments for Airborne 

Chemical, Biological, or Radiological Attacks. Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. May 2002. [Included in FEMA 428] 

DOC CIAO Vulnerability Assessment Framework 1.1. U.S. Department of Commerce, Critical 

Infrastructure Assurance Office. October 1998. [Included in FEMA 428] 

DOD UFC 4-010-01, DoD Minimum Antiterrorism Standards for Buildings. U.S. Department of 

Defense. July 31, 2002. [Included in FEMA 428] 

Creating Safe Schools for All Children. Chapter 8, "Standard 6: School Facilities Designed for 

Safety." Daniel L. Duke. Allyn and Bacon. Boston. 2002. 

Multihazard Emergency Training for Schools, Train-the-Trainer. Appendix A, "Hazard Identification 

Guidelines." Federal Emergency Management Agency. No date. 

FEMA SLG 101, Guide for All-Hazard Emergency Operations Planning. Chapter 6, Attachment G, 

"Terrorism." Federal Emergency Management Agency. April 2001. [Included in FEMA 428] 

FEMA 154, Rapid Visual Screening of Buildings for Seismic Hazards: A Handbook. (Also Applied 

Technology Council ATC-21 of same name). Federal Emergency Management Agency. 1988. 

[Included in FEMA 428] 

FEMA 361, Design and Construction Guidance for Community Shelters. Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. July 2000. Online at http://www.fema.gov/fima/fema361.shtm [Included in 

FEMA 424] 

FEMA 386-7, Integrating Human-Caused Hazards into Mitigation Planning. Federal Emergency 

Management Agency. September 2002. [Included in FEMA 428] 

FEMA 424, Design Guide for Improving School Safety in Earthquakes, Floods, and High Winds. 

Federal Emergency Management Agency. January 2004. 

Online at http://www.fema.gov/fima/rmsp424.shtm 

GSA PBS-P100, Facilities Standards for the Public Buildings Service. Chapter 8, "Security 

Design." General Services Administration. 2005. Online at http://www.gsa.gov 

Protecting Our Kids from Disasters: Nonstructural Mitigation for Child Care Centers. Institute for 

Business & Home Safety. 1999. Online at http://www.ibhs.org/docs/childcare.pdf 

Jane's Safe Schools Planning Guide for All Hazards. Sections 3.15.8 - 3.15.21, 12.1.24. Mike 

Dorn, Gregory Thomas, Marleen Wong, Sonayia Shepherd. Jane's Information Group. 2004. 

LBNL Pub. 51959, Protecting Buildings from a Biological or Chemical Attack: Actions to Take 

Before or During a Release. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL). January 10, 2003. 

[Included in FEMA 428] 

Building and Renovating Schools. Chapter 4, "Integration of Security." Drummey Rosane 

159

Anderson, Inc, Architects, and Joseph Macualuso, David Lewek, Brian Murphy. R.S. Means. 2004. 

Assessment Inventory for Safe, Orderly & Caring Schools. School Improvement Division, Public 

Schools of North Carolina, State Board of Education, Department of Public Instruction. No date. 

Online at http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/schoolimprovement/inventory.pdf 

National Criminal Justice NCJ 181200, Fiscal Year 1999 State Domestic Preparedness 

Equipment Program, Assessment and Strategy Development Tool Kit. U.S. Department of 

Justice. May 15, 2000. [Included in FEMA 428] 

The Appropriate and Effective Use of Security Technologies in U.S. Schools: A Guide for Schools 

and Law Enforcement Agencies. Mary W. Green. National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of 

Justice. September 1999. Online at http://www.ncjrs.org/school/pdf.htm 

Guide 4, Ensuring Quality School Facilities and Security Technologies. Tod Schneider. Northwest 

Regional Educational Laboratory. September 2002. 

Online at http://www.safetyzone.org/pdfs/ta_guides/packet_4.pdf 

Guidance Document for School Safety Plans. "Hazard Identification," page 43. Project SAVE: 

Safe Schools Against Violence in Education. The University of the State of New York. April 2001. 

Installation Force Protection Guide. U.S. Air Force. 1997. [Included in FEMA 428] 

160

The Incident Command System (ICS) 

The Incident Command System provides a unified command in an emergency involving 

multiple responders and jurisdictions by: 

# Determining the overall objectives to gain control of the incident. 

# Selecting strategies to achieve objectives. 

# Coordinating joint planning for tactical activities. 

# Integrating appropriate tactical operations. 

# Making maximum use of all assigned resources. 

As a rule of thumb, if a crime is involved, the police take over the scene; most other 

incidents are controlled by the fire department or local emergency response system. 

School staff need to be familiar with their local jurisdiction’s Incident Command System 

to avoid any confusion when responding to a critical incident. It is a good idea to 

identify in advance a liaison officer for the school; this is typically the principal/provost. 

There is a clear chain of command among law enforcement personnel, emergency 

personnel of the fire department, and paramedics. It is very important for school 

leaders to meet ICS members ahead of time and learn about their ICS so that the 

school can become a functioning member of the ICS team. 

ICS Functions 

The ICS provides overall direction and sets priorities for an emergency. In operation, 

the ICS has four functions: Operations, Planning, Logistics and Finance/Administration. 

Under each of these functions, schools or colleges should pre-assign specific 

individuals, based on their job roles and responsibilities, to assist in the management of 

school or college site operations. Under each of these functions, schools should preassign 

specific individuals, based on their job roles and responsibilities, to assist in the 

management of school site operations. 

161

Management - Overall policy direction 

Incident Commander (IC): The critical incident and/or disaster determines who will be 

the Incident Command Officer. Until the arrival of the Incident Command Officer, the 

site administrator is in charge. The site administrator is most often the principal/provost 

unless circumstances dictate otherwise. Responsibilities include: 

# Assess the situation and/or obtain a briefing from the prior IC. 

# Brief Command Staff and Section Chiefs. 

# Review meetings and briefings. 

# Establish immediate priorities, especially the safety of students, responders, 

other emergency workers, bystanders, and people involved in the incident. 

# Establish an appropriate organization. 

# Approve the use of trainees, volunteers, and auxiliary personnel. 

# Stabilize the incident by ensuring life safety and managing resources 

efficiently and cost-effectively. 

# Determine incident objectives and strategies to achieve the objectives. 

# Authorize release of information to the news media. 

# Ensure planning meetings are scheduled as required. 

# Establish and monitor incident organization. 

# Approve the implementation of the written or oral Incident Action Plan (IAP). 

# Ensure that adequate safety measures are in place. 

# Coordinate activity for all Command and General Staff. 

# Coordinate with key people and officials. 

# Approve requests for additional resources or for the release of resources. 

# Keep school/college/district administrator informed of incident status. 

# Ensure Incident Status Summary (ICS Form 209; see the form below) is 

completed and forwarded to appropriate higher authority. 

# Order the demobilization of the incident when appropriate. 

Public Information Officer: The administrator may authorize and designate a trusted, 

well trained individual to coordinate information being released to the press and make 

public announcements. Responsibilities include: 

# Determine from the IC if there are any limits on information release. 

# Develop material for use in media briefings. 

# Obtain IC approval of media releases. 

# Inform media and conduct media briefings. 

# Arrange for tours and other interviews or briefings that may be required. 

# Obtain media information that may be useful to incident planning. 

# Maintain current information summaries and/or displays on the incident and 

provide information on the status of the incident to assigned personnel. 

# Maintain Unit/Activity Log (ICS Form 214; see the form below). 

162

Working with the news media: 

# Only pre-assigned personnel will meet with the media 

in a designated area. 

# News media personnel are not to be on school 

grounds, except in designated areas. 

# If media personnel are allowed anywhere else on 

campus, they must be accompanied by an assigned 

designee. 

# Employees should cooperate with the news media as 

directed by the Incident Commander or the PIO. 

Safety Officer: The function of the Safety Officer is to develop and recommend 

measures for assuring personnel safety, and to monitor and/or anticipate hazardous 

and unsafe situations. Responsibilities include: 

# Prepare a site-specific Safety and Health Plan and publish Site Safety Plan 

summary as required. 

# Identify and correct occupational safety and health hazards. 

# Continuously monitor for exposure to safety or health hazardous conditions. 

# Alter, suspend, evacuate, or terminate activities that may pose imminent 

safety or health dangers, to any member of the school community. 

# Take appropriate action to mitigate or eliminate unsafe conditions, 

operations, or hazards. 

# Provide training, safety, and health information. 

# Comply with OSHA Standards. 

# Document both safe and unsafe acts, corrective actions taken on the scene, 

accidents or injuries, and ways to improve safety in future incidents. 

# Participate in planning meetings. 

# Identify hazardous situations associated with the incident. 

# Review the Incident Action Plan (IAP) for safety implications. 

# Exercise emergency authority to stop and prevent unsafe acts. 

# Investigate accidents that have occurred within the incident area. 

# Assign assistants, as needed. 


Liaison Officer: This person serves as a liaison officer to other agencies and 

organizations. He/she is the point of contact for assisting and cooperating with agency 

representatives. Responsibilities include: 

# Be a contact point for school/college/district representatives. 

# Maintain a list of assisting and cooperating agencies and agency 

representatives. 

163

# Monitor check-in sheets daily to ensure that all agency representatives are 

identified. 

# Assist in establishing and coordinating interagency contacts. 

# Keep agencies supporting the incident aware of incident status. 

# Monitor incident operations to identify current or potential interorganizational 

problems. 

# Participate in planning meetings, providing current resource status, 

including limitations and capability of assisting agency resources. 

# Coordinate response resource needs for Natural Resource Damage 

Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) activities with the Operations 

Section Chief (OPS) during oil and HAZMAT responses. 

# Coordinate response resource needs for incident investigation activities with 

the OPS. 

# Ensure that all required school/college/district forms, reports, and 

documents are completed prior to demobilization. 

# Hold debriefing session with the Incident Commander prior to departure. 


# Coordinate activities of visiting dignitaries. 

Planning/Intelligence - Gather and assess information 

Instructional Staff: Teachers, librarians, computer center managers, and teachers’ 

aides can perform this function. These individuals must be able to use communication 

equipment, gather information in a timely manner, and assess information for 

significance and relevance to important decisions. 

Operations - Implement priorities established by the Incident Command Officer 

First Aid Coordinator: Knows where all supplies are located, oversees first aid prior to 

paramedics’ arrival, coordinates with paramedics. 

Search and Accountability Coordinator: Accounts for everyone on site as quickly as 

possible. This person must have access to attendance records, visitor sign-in sheets, 

student emergency data cards, and any other information that will assist in accounting 

for the school population. This person works closely with the Student Assembly, Shelter 

and Release Coordinator. 

Student Assembly, Shelter and Release Coordinator: Oversees location where 

students assemble; attends to student needs when providing shelter; and oversees how 

parents receive students and the process for releasing students. This person works 

closely with the Search and Accountability Coordinator. 

164

Grounds and Maintenance Coordinator: This individual is familiar with the layout of 

building and grounds, location of shutoff valves and utility lines, and school building 

plans. 

Food, Water and Supplies Coordinator: Oversees distribution of food, water and 

essential supplies throughout critical incident. 

Traffic Safety Coordinator: Oversees transportation system. 

Bilingual Translator: Assists in communication for schools that have a significant 

number of students and parents who speak English as a second language. 

Logistics - Obtain resources to support the operations 

Instructional, Facilities and Administrative Staff: Facility staff or administrators who 

provide support and resource systems for the operations functions. 

Finance/Administration - Track all costs associated with the operations 

Administrative and Clerical Staff: Individuals responsible for purchasing, paying bills, 

and balancing books are best suited to this function, which involves planning, 

purchasing emergency supplies and tracking costs following an emergency. 

165

166

1. Date/Time 2. Initial 

Update 

Final 

ICS Form 209 

INCIDENT STATUS SUMMARY 

FS-5100-11 

G 

G 

G 

3. Incident Name 4. Incident Number 

5. Incident Commander 6. Jurisdiction 7. County 8. Type Incident 9. Location 10. Started Date/Time 

11. Cause 12. Area Involved 13. % Controlled 14. Expected Containment 

Date/Time 

15. Estimated Controlled 

Date/Time 

16. Declared Controlled 

Date/Time 

17. Current Threat 18. Control Problems 

19. Est. Loss 20. Est Savings 21. Injuries Deaths 22. Line Built 23. Line to Build 

24. Current Weather 25. Predicted Weather 26. Cost to Date 27. Est. Total Cost 

WS Temp WS Temp 

WD RH WD RH 

28. Agencies 

29. Resources TOTALS 

Kind of Resource SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST SR ST 

ENGINES 

DOZERS 

CREWS 

Crews: 

Number of 

Number of Crew 

Personnel: 

HELICOPTERS 

AIR TANKERS 

TRUCK COS. 

RESCUE/MED. 

WATER TENDERS 

OVERHEAD PERSONNL 

TOTAL PERSONNEL 

30. Cooperating Agencies 

31. Remarks 

32. Prepared by 33. Approved by 34. Sent to: 

Date Time By 

167

168

ICS Form 214 

UNIT LOG 

1. Incident Name 2. Date Prepared 3. Time Prepared 

4. Unit Name/Designators 5. Unit Leader (Name and Position) 6. Operational Period 

7. Personnel Roster Assigned 

Name ICS Position Home Base 

8. Activity Log 

Time 

Major Events 

9. Prepared by (Name and Position) 

ICS 214 169

ICS 214 170

Family Preparedness Kits 

All Floridians should have some basic supplies on hand in order to survive for at least 

one week if an emergency occurs. Following is a listing of some basic items that every 

emergency supply kit should include. 

Individuals should review this list and consider where they live and the unique needs of 

their family in order to create an emergency supply kit that will meet these needs. 

Individuals should also consider having at least two emergency supply kits, one full kit 

at home and smaller portable kits in their workplace, vehicle, or other places they spend 

time. 

Recommended Items to Include in a Basic Emergency Supply Kit: 

# Water - one gallon of water per person per day for at least one week, for 

drinking and sanitation. 

# Food - at least a one-week supply of nonperishable food. 

# Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone 

alert and extra batteries for both. 

# Flashlight and extra batteries. 

# First aid kit. 

# Whistle to signal for help. 

# Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic sheeting and duct tape 

to shelter-in-place. 

# Moist towelettes, garbage bags, and plastic ties for personal sanitation. 

# Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities. 

# Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food). 

# Local maps. 

# Ax. 

# Non-cordless phone. 

Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit: 

# Prescription medications and glasses. 

# Infant formula and diapers. 

# Pet food and extra water for your pet. 

# Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies, 

identification, and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container. 

You can use the EFFAK (Emergency Financial First Aid Kit) developed by 

Operation Hope, FEMA, and Citizen Corps to help you organize your 

information. Information can be found at www.fema.gov. 

# Cash or traveler’s checks and change. 

# Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from 

www.ready.gov. 

# Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional 

bedding if you live in a cold-weather climate. 

171

# Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants, and 

sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather 

climate. 

# Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When bleach is diluted 

nine parts water to one part bleach, it can be used as a disinfectant. In an 

emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular 

household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented or colorsafe 

bleach or bleaches with added cleaners. 

# Fire extinguisher. 

# Matches in a waterproof container. 

# Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items. 

# Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels. 

# Paper and pencil. 

# Books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children. 

Food 

Your family should build up and maintain a one- to two-week supply of nonperishable 

food in the house, rotating and replacing it regularly to ensure freshness. This food 

should require little or no cooking and be packed in containers small enough so the 

contents can be used in a single meal. Perishable foods on hand at the time of an 

emergency should be eaten first. There may be no gas or electricity available in your 

home for cooking or refrigeration, and neither open flames nor charcoal burners should 

be used in a shelter area. Also, do not store volatile fuels in a shelter area. It's better 

to eat cold food than to run the risk of fire, explosion, or poisoning by fumes when you 

are confined in a shelter. 

When choosing foods for storage, your family should include items that: 

# Require little or no water for preparation. 

# Can be eaten without heating. 

# Are packaged in one-meal sizes. 

# Require minimum storage space. 

# Have a long shelf-life. 

# Can be rotated in your home food supply. 

# Your family likes. 

Be sure to keep all food in covered containers. Keep cooking and eating utensils clean. 

Keep garbage in a closed container and dispose of it outside the home when it's safe to 

do so. 

When you choose food for your family stockpile, select items that will provide good 

nutrition, such as: 

# Beverages - powdered or canned fruit and vegetable juices; powdered 

coffee, tea, and milk; canned milk. 

172

# Prepared foods - canned hash, spaghetti dinners, salmon, tuna, chicken 

and noodles, baked beans and frankfurters (without tomato sauce), corned 

beef, vegetables, and fruits (which also provide liquid). 

# Crackers and cookies. 

# Spreads for crackers - peanut butter, cheese spreads, canned meat 

spreads. 

# Soups, canned or in dry packages (not tomato). 

# Sugar, salt, and pepper. 

# Special foods needed for invalids or infants. 

# Utensils - paper plates, plastic cups, knives, forks, spoons, pans, can and 

bottle openers, and a camp stove if practical. 

Clothing and Blankets 

Camping equipment, such as sleeping bags and air mattresses, can be stored in the 

home shelter area when not in use. A change of clothing for each member of the 

household and any extra blankets in the house should be stored in the shelter. 

Someone in the house should take the responsibility for collecting blankets and pillows 

and bringing them to the home shelter when an emergency is declared. 

Sanitary Facilities 

An emergency toilet can be constructed from a watertight container with a snug-fitting 

lid. It could be a garbage container or pail or bucket, but it must be covered. If the 

container is small, a larger covered container should be available into which the 

contents of the small one can be emptied when necessary. Both containers should be 

lined with plastic bags, and you should keep extra bags on hand. After each use, add a 

small amount of disinfectant or chlorine bleach to the container to check odor and 

germs. Then replace the lid. 

Sanitation supplies include: 

# Small can with tight lid. 

# Deodorizer. 

# Garbage can with lid. 

# Small wash pan. 

# Plastic bags to fit both cans. 

# Soap. 

# Newspapers. 

# Towels. 

# Toilet paper. 

# Razor. 

# Sanitary napkins. 

# Toothbrushes and toothpaste. 

# Disinfectant or bleach. 

# Combs and hairbrushes. 

173

174

Palm Beach Community College Damage Assessment System 

Because one of the primary objectives of schools, after a disaster has occurred, is to 

reopen as quickly as possible, the damage assessment process is usually started right 

away. It is not unusual for school staff members to start assessing their facility situation 

while storm winds are still blowing. School staff members should never expose 

themselves to sustained winds above 45 mph for any reason, especially to perform 

facility damage assessment. 

There is no single assessment process followed by all schools systems; each district 

has its own particular method. The assessment process used will depend on the 

severity of the event, number of facilities, the number of staff members available to 

perform damage assessments, and distance between the facilities. Assessments vary 

as to level of detail; some school districts with widely disbursed campuses will perform 

an initial “drive-by” inspection to obtain cursory information as to the extent of exterior 

damage, and follow up with a more detailed inspection at a later time. Other schools 

will begin with a detailed assessment, performing interior as well as exterior inspections 

right away. Some school systems are able to, complete detailed reviews for all their 

campuses in short order, i.e., two days’ time, while others may take several days or 

even weeks. 

The following facility assessment narrative is provided as a best practice and is not 

intended to be the know-all/end-all for all school systems across the state. The 

procedures, forms, and supply list can, and should be, modified to best meet the needs 

of the individual school or district. A complete set of forms used by Palm Beach 

Community College is located at the end of this appendix. 

Photo 1 

Facility Assessment Tool Kit 

175

Tool Kit Supplies: 

• Flashlight. 

• Dry erase marker. 

• Dry marker eraser. 

• Tape Measure. 

• Pen. 

• Band-aids. 

• One zippered pouch to hold the items listed above. 

• One clip board. 

• One whiteboard (small enough to be taped to the back of the clipboard 

listed above). 

• One camera, preferably digital. 

One of the easiest and most critical items used in this assessment system is the 

whiteboard. By taping it to the back of the clipboard it takes up less room and is 

always available throughout the day. The whiteboard is used to document 

damage shown in pictures taken throughout the facility. It provides an easy and 

convenient way of identifying what is being viewed in each picture. For example, 

when taking a picture of destroyed ceiling tile in Room 101.2 in the 

Administration Building, the person taking the picture simply writes the details of 

what appears in the picture on the whiteboard: 

PBCC Lake Worth 

Administration Building 

Room #101.2 

Water Damage 

Ceiling Tile 

The whiteboard, with its narrative, becomes part of the scene in the picture. When the 

picture is viewed several days later, along with several hundred other pictures of 

damage, each photo tells its own story. The use of whiteboards allows the inclusion of 

any pertinent information as needed. School or district logos can also be placed on the 

whiteboard for additional identification (See Photo 1). 

176

Photo 2 

Photo Documenting Ceiling Tile Damage 

Other examples of using the whiteboard in the damage assessment process are with 

vehicles and roof flashing (See photos 3 and 4 below). 

Photo 3 

Photo Documenting Vehicle Damage 

177

Photo 4 

Photo Documenting Roof Flashing Damage 

Three components that must be linked before third-party private insurers or FEMA will 

reimburse for a loss are: 

• Man hours. 

• Materials. 

• The damaged facility. 

To deal effectively with insurers and FEMA, a system must be in place to effectively 

document the damage and tie specific labor and materials to the repair. The following 

is a description of an assessment system (i.e., supplies, procedures, and forms) 

developed by Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) and used by it after Hurricane 

Wilma. As a result of its use, PBCC reported that it was not required by FEMA to 

transpose information it collected (i.e., provide the information in another format for 

FEMA at a later date). 

Forms 1 and 2A (front) - 2B (back) 

Forms 1 and 2, provided below, should be completed prior to a known event’s 

occurrence. Specific information about the facility is gathered ahead of time and used 

in the development of these forms. Such information includes building numbers and 

names, building floor plans, site plans, and the location of specific items (e.g., smoke 

hatches, lock down roof hatches, elevators, windows that require shuttering, areas that 

need to be sandbagged). 

178

Form 1, the “Pre-Storm Work Assignment Form,” is used to assign staff to specific 

locations. The form identifies the buildings or schools to which an individual is assigned 

by listing the individual’s name in the “Assign To” column. Once the individual has 

completed the pre-storm activity assigned, he/she submits Form 2A/B to the 

Plant/Facilities Supervisor. 

Form 2A and B, the Pre-Storm Building Checklist and Pre-Storm Checklist Item 

Location, is a two-sided form. Side 2A identifies tasks that are to be performed at 

specific locations. Side 2B indicates the specific location for each task. For example, 

Form 2A indicates that smoke/roof hatches need to be locked down in the 

Administration Bldg. Form 2B gives the specific location of the smoke/roof hatches in 

the Administration Bldg. 

Examples of some of the processes that West Palm Beach Community College goes 

through are: 

• The smoke/roof hatches in Room 110.1 and Room 202 are to be secured. 

• The elevator in Room 116 is to be locked at the top floor with the door 

closed. 

• The shutters in the Cashier’s Office and the Security Office are to be 

installed. 

• Sandbags are to be installed on the west side of Room 100, the east side 

of Room 101.6, at the exterior door to room 108.1, and beside the 

elevator in Room 116. 

As work is completed, it is checked off on the front side of Form 2 and returned to the 

Plant/Facility Supervisor to document that all work has been completed. Additional 

comments may also be included on the front side of Form 2, as a reminder of any issue 

that needs to be further addressed. 

Form 3A (front) – 3B (back) 

Form 3A and B, Exterior Damage Assessment, is used after an event to report specific 

damage to building exteriors, walkways, furniture, fencing, lighting, signs, parking lots 

and roadways, vehicles, and landscaping. This form captures specific measurements 

to quantify the extent of damage. 

The date, storm name, campus, building or area name, and staff member name should 

be filled in at the top of the form. The form is divided by specified areas such as wall 

and window damage, roof damage, covered walkways, furniture, etc. When filling in 

the form, the type of damage is checked in the appropriate check box and a measure of 

the width and height are given. For example, if there is exterior damage to the north 

side of a wall to report, the second box under “Wall-Windows-Doors” would be checked 

and the approximate length and height of the damage would be completed by the letter 

“N,” designating north. The same procedure would be followed for each of the other 

179

sections on this form. 

The top right-hand side of the form indicates that there is to be no writing in the shaded 

section at the bottom of the form. The designations “GSF” and “NSF” at the bottom of 

the form are for “Gross Square Footage” and “Net Square Footage.” Once the 

completed form is turned in to the Plant/Facility Supervisor, the administrative staff will 

complete this part of the form based on the information provided. 

Form 4 

Form 4, titled “Room Number Sheet,” provides room numbers for each room within 

each building within a facility, along with a room description. The form also indicates 

whether damage has occurred or not and whether a photo has been taken of the 

damage. The initials of the individual providing this information must be supplied. 

The date, event name, and staff member’s name are provided at the top of the form. 

Summary information is provided for each room regarding any damage found. If 

damage is noted on this form, then more detailed information is provided on Form 5. A 

floor plan of the facility follows this form to aid the assessor in locating all rooms in case 

he/she is unfamiliar with the building. 

Form 5A (front) – 5B (back) 

Form 5A, titled “Interior Damage Assessment,” is used to document damage to ceiling, 

walls, windows, doors, and flooring. The date, storm name, campus, building/area 

name, room number, and staff member name are provided at the top of the form. At 

the top right-hand corner of the form is the instruction, “Do not write in shaded areas.” 

(As with Form 3A, the shaded areas will be completed by administrative staff at a later 

time.) A photo will accompany each Interior Damage Assessment form to provide 

clearer evidence of the damage sustained in the area described on the form. 

Specific detail about the damage is identified on the form. For instance, if drywall 

damage is being documented, the appropriate box under “Walls-Windows-Doors” is 

checked. The area of damage is provided by indicating width and height of the 

damage, as well as which direction the damaged wall faces; “N 12 x 5" for “North wall 

with 12’ wide by 5’ high.” At the bottom of the first page of the form is an area for 

additional comments, where the assessor can provide further detail as required. The 

summary of the amount of width, length, height, offset, closet space, and other 

information is completed by administrative staff at a later time. 

Form 5B is used to list damage to the contents of the building. Examples include 

furniture, fixtures, equipment, and supplies. The cost and total loss is entered at a later 

time by administrative staff in the grayed area of the form. 

180

Form 6 

Form 6, titled “Building Damage Repair/Replacement and Occupancy Assessment,” is a 

summary document used to provide information on whether individual buildings can be 

occupied, and if there is damage, to provide a rough estimate of the cost to repair. 

Information for completing this form is obtained from Forms 3 through 5. Not all 

damage is attributable to a specific building, but zones are identified so damage 

assessments can be established for areas that are not related to a specific building. 

Areas are identified and defined when the system is established, so assessment 

information on the areas can be recorded. 

Form 7 

As mentioned previously, the three components of man hours, materials, and damaged 

building or facility must be linked before third-party insurers, or FEMA, will provide 

reimbursement for damages suffered. Form 7, titled “Facilities Work Assignment 

Form,” is used to document this relationship. Information on date, campus, employee 

name, and event are provided at the top of the form. The columns on the bottom half 

of the form call for information on the building/room number, a description of the work 

completed, materials used, the work order number related to the specific task, and the 

hours spent by the employee on this job. The information provided on this form 

documents the building the employee worked on, the hours spent on the task, and the 

materials used to complete the task. 

Mold is a primary concern for schools as they go through the assessment process. 

This assessment system provides a means to rapidly identify areas where water 

damage exists, to prioritize where resources should be directed, and to expeditiously 

implement temporary repairs and drying out of interior spaces. 

For more information on this assessment system, forms, and processes, call Ms. Pat 

Myerscough or Mr. Claude Edwards at Palm Beach Community College, 561-868-3487. 

181

182

FORM 1 

PRE-STORM 

WORK ASSIGNMENT FORM 

Event:___________________ 

Campus:_______________________________ 

Directions: 

Forward completed form to director of Facilities 

BLDG# BLDG NAME ASSIGN TO COMPLETED FORM 

RETURNED BY 

DATE 

TIME 

183

184

FORM 2A 

PRE-STORM 

BUILDING CHECKLIST 

Date____________ Storm Name______________ Campus PALM BEACH GARDENS 

Building Name/Number ________________________________________________ 

Staff Name__________________________________________________________ 

1. Check gutters, remove obstructions from roofs All Buildings 

Initial When 

Completed 

2. Ensure all windows are shut and latched All Buildings 

3. Secure all building doors, interior and exterior All Buildings 

 

 

 

Secure smoke hatches & lock down roof hatches 

Lock elevators at top floor with door closed 

Install shutters on designated areas 

AD LL LC AU 

BB BR AA 

AA AU LC 

AD BB LL 

AD 

Sandbag identified areas AU AD 

Additional Comments 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

Item location listed on reverse side 

SUBMIT COMPLETED CHECKLIST TO PLANT SUPERVISOR 

185

FORM 2B 

PRE-STORM CHECKLIST 

ITEM LOCATION 

Smoke/Roof Hatches 

Building# 

Location 

1. AD101 Rm 110.1 

2. AD101 Rm 202 

3. AA102 Rm 203 

4. LL104 Rm 226.1 

5. BB111 Rm 324 

6. BR106 Rm 106 

7. LC107 Rm 209 

rd 

8. AU108 Machine Rm 3 floor 

9. AU108 Rm 112 over stage on room 

Elevators 

1. AD101 Rm 116 

2. AA102 Rm 203.1 

3. LL104 Rm 106.2 

4. LL 104 Rm 204 

5. BB111 Rm 121.1 

6. AU108 Rm 126 

7. LC107 Rm 130 

Shutters 

1. AD101 Cashier’s Office 

2. AD101 Cashier’s Office – old #122 

3. AD101 Security Office 

Sandbag 

1. AU108 124A E Side 

2. AU108 114A W Side 

3. AU108 003B Pit 

4. AU108 001A Pit 

5. AU108 119A N Side 

6. AU108 120A N Side 

7. AD101 100 W Side 

8. AD101 101.6 E Side 

9. AD101 Rm 108.1 Exterior door to room 

10. AD101 Rm 116 Elevator 

186

FORM 3 A 

EXTERIOR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT 

Do not write in 

Date____________ Storm Name_________________ Campus_____________ shaded areas 

Building/Area Name ________________________________ 

Staff Name________________________________________ [Electronic photo required for all damage] 

Walls-Windows-Doors 

Exterior wall collapsed/destroyed ___ N ___ S ___ E ___ W 

Exterior wall damaged - N ___’ x ___’ S ___’ x ___’ E ___’ x ___’ W ___’ x ___’ 

Exterior awning damaged - N ___’ x ___’ S ___’ x ___’ E ___’ x ___’ W ___’ x ___’ 

Exterior sunscreen damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Exterior screen/fencing damaged ___’ x ___’ 

Exterior wall mounted equipment damaged ______________________ 

Window/Frame destroyed - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Window/Frame broken/damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Door/Frame destroyed - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Door/Frame broken/damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Wall-mounted exterior lights damaged N ___ S___ E___ W___ 

Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Building Roof 

Entire roof destroyed (Flat Tar & Gravel/Flat Modified Bitumen/Sloped metal/______) 

Roof structurally damaged ____ % ___’ x ___’ 

Roof overhang damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Metal rf fascia/gutter/dripedge destroyed N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Metal roof fascia/gutter/dripedge damaged -N __’ x __’ S __ x __’ E __’ x __ W __’ x __’ 

Roof parapet wall damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Flat Tar &Gravel/ModBit roof flooded 

Flat Tar &Gravel/ModBit roof standing water ___’ x ___’ 

Flat Tar &Gravel/ModBit roof damaged/leaking ___’ x ___’ 

Flat Tar &Gravel/ModBit roof bubbled ___’ x ___’ 

Sloped metal roof damaged/leaking ___’ x ___’ 

Sloped shingle roof damaged/destroyed ___’ x ___’ 

Sloped barrel tile roof damaged/destroyed ___’ x ___’ 

Rooftop equipment Fans/Vents/Ductwork/HVAC damaged 

Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Covered Walkway/Building Covered Overhang 

Entire walkway roof destroyed (Flat Tar &Gravel/Flat Modified Bitumen/Metal) 

Walkway roof damaged ___’ x ___’ 

Walkway metal rf fascia/gutter/dripedge dmged N __’ x __’ S __ x __’ E __’ x __ W __’ x __’ 

Underside Paraline ceiling damaged ___’ x ___’ 

Underside Stucco ceiling damaged ___’ x ___’ 

Underside walkway lights damaged ___ lights 

Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________ 

GSF_____________ 

NSF_____________ 

187

FORM 3B 

GROUNDS DAMAGE ASSESSMENT 

Electronic photo required for all damage 

(Circle appropriate item) 

Exterior Furniture - Bleachers - Flag Pole - Playground Equipment 

Damaged/Destroyed Description of damage 

______________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________ 

Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Fence 

Type_______________ Length/Quantity____________ Size/Height______________ 



Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Lighting 

Parking Lot Lights 

Decorative Lights 

Damaged/Destroyed Number of lights _____________________ 

Damaged/Destroyed Number of lights _____________________ 

Other Lights Damaged/Destroyed Number of lights _____________________ 

Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Signs/Sign Post 

Damaged/Destroyed Type_______________ Size/Height__________ Number_____ 



Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Parking Lot/Roadways 

Damage Description _____________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________ 

Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

Trees/Shrubs 




Notes_________________________________________________________________ 

VEHICLES/EQUIPMENT 

Vehicle # - Equipment type 

Damage Description 

188

FORM 4 

ROOM NUMBER SHEET 

ADMINISTRATION 

ST 

AD101 – 1 Floor 

Date_______________________ 

Event Name ________________ 

Staff Name _________________ 

IF INTERIOR DAMAGE NOTED: COMPLETE FORM 5A & 5B. 

Room 

Number 

AD109 

AD110 

AD110.1 

AD111 

AD111.1 

AD112 

AD113 

AD113.1 

AU114 

AD114.1 

AD115 

AD116 

AD117 

AD118 

AD118.1 

AD119 

Room 

Description 

INFO CENTER 

ADMISSIONS 

DATA/TELECOM 

SECRETARY 

OFFICE 

ELECTRICAL 

W. RESTROOM 

VESTIBULE 

M. RESTROOM 

VESTIBULE 

CUSTODIAL 

ELEVATOR 

CENTRAL RECEIV 

MECHANICAL 

ELEV. EQUIP RM 

WAITING RM 

Damage 

Occurred? Photo Initial when Complete 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

Yes 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

No 

189

190

FORM 5A 

INTERIOR DAMAGE ASSESSMENT 


Date____________ Storm Name_________________ Campus____________ shaded areas 

Building/Area Name ______________________________ 

Staff Name______________________________________ 

Area/Room #_____________________ 

[Electronic photo required for all damage] 

Ceiling 

Entire ceiling collapsed/destroyed 

2x2 lay-in ceiling tiles water damaged - N ___S ___ E ___W ___ Center___x tiles 

2x4 lay-in ceiling tiles water damaged - N ___S ___ E ___W ___ Center___x tiles 

Drywall ceiling water damaged - N ___S ___ E ___W ___ Center___x sections 

Ceiling lights damaged ___ lights (2x4 lay-in Fluorescent/Incandescent) 

Equipment above ceiling is exposed and appears to be damaged 

Notes_______________________________________________________________ 

Walls-Windows-Doors 

Drywall wet/damaged ceiling down - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Drywall wet/damaged floor up - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Drywall wet/damaged below window - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Window/Frame destroyed - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Window/Frame broken/damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Door/Frame destroyed - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Door/Frame broken/damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Notes_______________________________________________________________ 

Flooring 

Carpet wet/damaged at door ___’ x ___’ 

Carpet wet/damaged below window - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Carpet wet/damaged at room interior ___’ x ___’ 

Vinyl tile wet/damaged - N __’ x __’ S ___ x __’ E __’ x ___ W __’ x __’ 

Notes_______________________________________________________________ 

Comments 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

_________________________________________________________________ 

Width: _____________ Length: ______________ Height: _______________ 

Offset: _____________ Closet: ______________ Other: _______________ 

191

FORM 5B 

CONTENT DAMAGE ASSESSMENT 

[Description & electronic photo of damage required] 


shaded areas 

Office Use Only 

Item / Description Qty Cost Total 

192

FORM 6 

Palm Beach Community College 

Date___________________________ 

Gardens Campus 

Event Name 

Building Damage 

Repair/Replacement and Occupancy 

Assessment 

Occupancy may be denied until damage is repaired by an outside contractor 

Bldg # Building Name Description of Damage OCCUPANCY Est. Cost 

YES NO 

AD101 ADMINISTRATION 

AA102 

MB103 

LL104 

BR106 

LC107 

AU108 

GH110 

BB111 

EC115 

MD253 

MD254 

CN 

Grounds 

CLASSROOM BLDG AA 

MECHANICAL BUILDING 

LIBRARY RESOUCE CTR 

BURT REYNOLDS 

PHILLIP D. LEWIS CTR 

EISSEY CAMPUS THEATRE 

GREEN HOUSE 

CLASSROOM BLDG BB 

EARLY LEARNING CTR 

MODULAR-STORAGE 

MODULAR -PHY. PLANT 

CONSESSION STAND 

Aqua Zone 

Blue Zone 

Copper Zone 

Rose Zone 

Roadways 

Total Estimated Cost 

193

194

Date____________ Campus_____________________________ 

Employee Name__________________________________________ 

Event___________________________________________________ 

FORM 7 

Facilities Work Assignment Form 

Building/Rm# Work Completed Materials Used Work Hours 

Order # 

195

196

197

198

July 31, 2000 

STATEWIDE MUTUAL AID AGREEMENT 

This agreement between the DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS, State of Florida 

(the “Department”), and all the local governments signing this Agreement (the “Participating Parties”) 

is based on the existence of the following conditions: 

A. The State of Florida is vulnerable to a wide range of disasters that are likely to cause the 

disruption of essential services and the destruction of the infrastructure needed to deliver those 

services. 

B. Such disasters are likely to exceed the capability of any one local government to cope with 

the disaster with existing resources. 

C. Such disasters may also give rise to unusual technical needs that the local government may 

be able unable to meet with existing resources, but that other local governments may be able to offer. 

D. The Emergency Management Act, as amended, gives the local governments of the State 

the authority to make agreements for mutual assistance in emergencies, and through such agreements 

to ensure the timely reimbursement of cost incurred by the local governments which render such 

assistance. 

E. Under the act the Department, through its Division of Emergency Management (the 

“Division”), has authority to coordinate assistance between local governments during emergencies 

and to concentrate available resources where needed. 

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July 31, 2000 

F. The existence in the State of Florida of special districts, educational districts, and other 

regional and local governmental entities with special functions may make additional resources 

available for use in emergencies. 

Based on the existence of the forgoing conditions, the parties agree to the following: 

ARTICLE 1. Definitions. As used in this Agreement, the following expressions shall have 

the following meanings: 

A. The “Agreement” is this Agreement, which also may be called the Statewide 

Mutual Aid Agreement. 

B. The “Participating Parties” to this Agreement are the Department and any and all 

special districts, educational districts, and other local and regional governments signing this 

Agreement. 

C. The “Department” is the Department of Community Affairs, State of Florida. 

D. The “Division” is the Division of Emergency Management of the Department. 

E. The “Requesting Parties” to this Agreement are Participating Parties who request 

assistance in a disaster. 

F. The “Assisting Parties” to this Agreement are Participating Parties who render 

assistance in a disaster to a Requesting Party. 

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July 31, 2000 

G. The “State Emergency Operations Center” is the facility designated by the State 

Coordinating Officer for use as his or her headquarters during a disaster. 

H. The “Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan” is the biennial Plan issued 

by the Division in accordance with § 252.35(2)(a), Fla. Stat. (1999). 

I. The “State Coordinating Officer” is the official whom the Governor designates by 

Executive Order to act for the Governor in responding to a disaster, and to exercise the 

powers of the Governor in accordance with the Executive Order and the Comprehensive 

Emergency Management Plan. 

J. The “Period of Assistance” is the time during which any Assisting Party renders 

assistance to any Requesting Party in a disaster, and shall include both the time necessary for 

the resources and personnel of the Assisting Party to travel to the place specified by the 

Requesting Party and the time nescessary to return them to their place of origin or to the 

headquarters of the Assisting Party. 

K. A “special district” is any local or regional governmental entity which is an independent 

special district within the meaning of § 189.403(1), Fla. Stat. (1999), regardless 

of whether established by local, special, or general act, or by rule, ordinance, resolution, or 

interlocal agreement. 

L. An “educational district” is any School District within the meaning of § 230.01, 

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July 31, 2000 

Fla. Stat. (1999), or any Community College District within the meaning of § 240.313(1), 

Fla. Stat. (1999). 

M. An “interlocal agreement” is any agreement between local governments within 

the meaning of § 163.01(3)(a), Fla. Stat. (1999). 

N. A “local government” is any educational district and any entity that is a “local 

governmental entity” within the meaning of § 11.45(1)(d), Fla. Stat. (1999). 

O. Any expression not assigned definitions elsewhere in this Agreement shall have 

the definitions assigned them by the Emergency Management Act, as amended. 

ARTICLE II. Applicability of the Agreement. A Participating Party may request assistance 

under this Agreement only for a major or catastrophic disaster. In the Participating Party has no other 

mutual aid agreement that covers a minor disaster, it may also invoke assistance under this Agreement 

for a minor disaster. 

ARTICLE III. Invocation of the Agreement. In the event of a disaster or threatened disaster, 

a Participating Party may invoke assistance under this Agreement by requesting it from any other 

Participating Party or from the Department if, in the judgement of the Requesting Party, its own 

resources are inadequate to meet the disaster. 

A. Any request for assistance under this Agreement may be oral, but within five (5) 

days must be confirmed in writing by the Director of Emergency Management for the County 

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July 31, 2000 

of the Requesting Party, unless the State Emergency Operations Center has been activated 

in response to the disaster for which assistance is requested. 

B. All request for assistance under this Agreement shall be transmitted by the 

Director of Emergency Management for the County of the Requesting Party to either the Division 

or to another Participating Party. If the Requesting Party transmits its request for 

Assistance directly to a Participating Party other than the Department, the Requesting Party 

and Assisting Party shall keep the Division advised of their activities. 

C. If any request for assistance under this Agreement are submitted to the Division, 

the Division shall relay the request to such other Participating Parties as it may deem appropriate, 

and shall coordinate the activities of the Assisting Parties so as to ensure timely 

assistance to the Requesting Party. All such activities shall be carried out in accordance with 

the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. 

D. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere in this Agreement, nothing 

in this Agreement shall be construed to allocate liability for the cost of personnel, equipment, 

supplies, services and any other resources that are staged by the Department or by other 

agencies of the State of Florida for use in responding to a disaster pending the assignment 

of such personnel, equipment, supplies, services and other resources to a mission. The documentattion, 

payment, repayment, and reimbursement of all such cost shall be rendered in 

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July 31, 2000 

accordance with the Comprehensive Emergency Management Plan. 

ARTICLE IV. Responsibilities of Requesting Parties. To the extent practicable, all Requesting 

Parties seeking assistance under this Agreement shall provide the following information 

to the Division and any other Participating Parties. In providing such information, the Requesting 

Party may use Form B attached to this Agreement, and the completion of Form B by the Requesting 

Party shall be deemed sufficient to meet the requirements of this Article: 

A. A description of the damage sustained or threatened; 

B. An identification of the specific Emergency Support Function or Functions for 

which such assistance is needed; 

C. A description of the specific type of assistance needed within each Emergency 

Support Function; 

D. A description of the types of personnel, equipment, services, and supplies needed 

for each specific type of assistance, with an estimate of the time each will be needed; 

E. A description of any public infrastructure for which assistance will be needed; 

F. A description of any sites or structures outside the territorial jurisdiction of the 

Requesting Party needed as centers to stage incoming personnel, equipment, supplies, 

services, or other resources; 

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July 31, 2000 

G. The place, date, and time for personnel of the Requesting Party to meet and 

receive the personnel and equipment of the Assisting Party; and 

H. A technical description of any communications or telecommunications equipment 

needed to ensure timely communications between the Requesting Party and any Assisting 

Parties. 

ARTICLE V. Responsibilities of Assisting Parties. Each Participating Party shall render 

assistance under this Agreement to any Requesting Party to the extent practicable given its personnel, 

equipment, resources and capabilities. If a Participating Party which has received a request for 

assistance under this Agreement determines that it has the capacity to render some or all of such 

assistance, it shall provide the following information to the Requesting Party and shall transmit it 

without delay to the Requesting Party and the Division. In providing such information, the Assisting 

Party may use Form C attached to this Agreement, and the completion of Form C by the Assisting 

Party shall be deemed sufficient to meet the requirements of this Article: 

A. A description of the personnel, equipment, supplies and services it has available, 

together with a description of the qualifications of any skilled personnel; 

B. An estimate of the time such personnel, equipment, supplies and services will 

continue to be available; 

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July 31, 2000 

C. An estimate of the time it will take to deliver such personnel, equipment, supplies 

and services at the date, time and place specified by the Requesting Party; 

D. A technical description of any communications and telecommunications equipment 

available for timely communications with the Requesting Party and other Assisting 

Parties; and 

E. The names of all personnel whom the Assisting Party designates as Supervisors. 

ARTICLE VI. Rendition of Assistance. After the Assisting Party has delivered personnel, 

equipment, supplies, services, or other resources to the place specified by the Requesting Party, the 

Requesting Party shall give specific assignments to the Supervisors of the Assisting Party, who shall 

be responsible for directing the performance of these assignments. The Assisting Party shall have 

authority to direct the manner in which the assignments are performed. In the event of an emergency 

that affects the Assisting Party, all personnel, equipment, supplies, services, and other resources of 

the Assisting Party shall be subject to recall by the Assisting Party upon not less than five (5) days 

notice or, if such notice is impracticable, as much notice as is practicable under the circumstances. 

A. For operations at the scene of catastrophic and major disasters, the Assisting Party 

shall to the fullest extent practicable give its personnel and other resources sufficient equipment 

and supplies to make them self-sufficient for food, shelter, and operations unless the 

Requesting Party has specified the contrary. For minor disasters, the Requesting Party shall 

206

July 31, 2000 

be responsible to provide food and shelter for the personnel of the Assisting Party unless the 

Requesting Party has specified the contrary. In its request for assistance the Requesting Party 

may specify that Assisting Parties send only self-sufficient personnel or self-sufficient 

resources. 

B. Unless the Requesting Party has specified the contrary, the Requesting Party shall 

to the fullest extent practicable coordinate all communications between its personnel and 

those of any Assisting Parties, and shall determine all frequencies and other technical specifications 

for all communications and telecommunications equipment to be used. 

C. Personnel of the Assisting Party who render assistance under this Agreement shall 

receive their usual wages, salaries and other compensation, and shall have all the duties, responsibilities, 

immunities, rights, interest and privileges incident to their usual employment. 

ARTICLE VII. Procedures for Reimbursement. Unless the Department or the Assisting 

Party, as the case may be, state the contrary in writing, the ultimate responsibility for the reimbursement 

of cost incurred under this Agreement shall rest with the Requesting Party, subject to the 

following conditions and exceptions: 

A. The Department shall pay the cost incurred by an Assisting Party in responding 

to a request that the Department initiates on its own, and not for another Requesting Party, 

upon being billed by that Assisting Party in accordance with this Agreement. 

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July 31, 2000 

B. An assisting Party shall bill the Department or other Requesting Party as soon as 

practicable, but not later than thirty (30) days after the Period of Assistance has closed. Upon 

the request of any of the concerned Participating Parties, the State Coordinating Officer may 

extend this deadline for cause. 

C. If the Department or the Requesting Party, as the case may be, protests any bill or 

item on a bill from an Assisting Party, it shall do so in writing as soon as practicable, but in 

no event later than thirty (30) days after the bill is received. Failure to protest any bill or 

billed item in writing within thirty (30) days shall constitute agreement to the bill and the 

items on the bill. 

D. If the Department protest any bill or item on a bill from an Assisting Party, the 

Assisting Party shall have thirty (30) days from the date of protest to present the bill or item 

to the original Requesting Party for payment, subject to any protest by the Requesting Party. 

E. If the Assisting Party cannot agree with the Department or the Assisting Party, as 

the case may be, to the settlement of any protested bill or billed item, the Department, the 

Assisting Part, or the Requesting Party may elect binding arbitration to determine its liability 

for the protested bill or billed item in accordance with Section F of this article. 

F. If the Department or a Participating Party elects binding arbitration, it may select 

as an arbitrator any elected official of another Participating Party or any other official of an- 

208

July 31, 2000 

other Participating Party whose normal duties include emergency management, and the other 

Participating Party shall also elect such an official as an arbitrator, and the arbitrator thus 

chosen shall select another such official as a third arbitrator. 

G. The three (3) arbitrators shall convene by teleconference or videoconference within 

thirty (30) days to consider any documents and any statement or arguments by the Department, 

the Requesting Party, or the Assisting Party concerning the protest, and shall render 

a decision in writing not later than ten (10) days after the close of the hearing. The decision 

of a majority of the arbitrators shall bind the parties, and shall be final. 

H. If the Requesting Party has not forwarded a request through the Department, or 

if an Assisting Party has rendered assistance without being requested to do so by the Department, 

the Department shall not be liable for the costs of any such assistance. All requests 

to the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the reimbursement of costs incurred by 

any Participating Party shall be made by and through the Department. 

I. If the Federal Emergency Management Agency denies any request for reimbursement 

of costs which the Department has already advanced to an Assisting Party, the Assisting 

Party shall repay such cost to the Department, but the Department may waive such repayment 

for cause. 

209

July 31, 2000 

ARTICLE VIII. Cost Eligible for Reimbursement. The costs incurred by the Assisting Party 

under this Agreement shall be reimbursed as needed to make the Assisting Party whole to the fullest 

extent prracticable. 

A. Employees of the Assisting Party who render assistance under this Agreement 

shall be entitled to receive from the Assisting Party all the usual wages, salaries, and any and 

all other compensation for mobilization, hours worked, and demobilization. Such 

compensation shall include any and all contributions for insurance and retirement, and such 

employees shall continue to accumulate seniority at the usual rate. As between the employees 

and the Assisting Party, the employees shall have all the duties, responsibilities, immunities, 

rights, interest and privileges incident to their usual employment. The Requesting 

Party shall reimburse the Assisting Party for these cost of employment. 

B. The cost of equipment supplied by the Assisting Party shall be reimbursed at the 

rental rate established for like equipment by the regulations of the Federal Emergency Management 

Agency, or at any other rental rate agreed to by the Requesting Party. The Assisting 

Party shall pay for fuels, other consumable supplies, and repairs to its equipment as needed 

to keep the equipment in a state of operational readiness. Rent for the equipment shall be 

deemed to include the cost of fuel and other consumable supplies, maintenance, service, 

repairs, and ordinary wear and tear. With the consent of the Assisting Party, the Requesting 

210

July 31, 2000 

Party may provide fuels, consumable supplies, maintenance, and repair services for such 

equipment at the site. In the event, the Requesting Party may deduct the actual cost of such 

fules, consumable supplies, maintenance, and services from the total cost otherwise payable 

to the Assisting Party. If the equipment is damaged while in use under this Agreement and 

the Assisting Party receives payment for such damage under any contract of insurance, the 

Requesting Party may deduct such payment from any item or items billed by the Assisting 

Party for any of the costs for such damage that may otherwise be payable. 

C. The Requesting Party shall pay the total cost for the use and consumption of any 

and all consumable supplies delivered by the Assisting Party for the Requesting Party under 

this Agreement. In the case of perishable supplies, consumption shall be deemed to include 

normal deterioration, spoilage and damage notwithstanding the exercise of reasonable care 

in its storage and use. Supplies remaining unused shall be returned to the Assisting Party in 

usable condition upon the close of the Period of Assistance, and the Requesting Party may 

deduct the cost of such returned supplies from the total costs billed by the Assisting Party for 

such supplies. If the Assisting Party agrees, the Requesting Party may also replace any and 

all used consumable supplies with like supplies in usable condition and of like grade, quality 

and quantity within the time allowed for reimbursement under this Agreement. 

211

July 31, 2000 

D. The Assisting Party shall keep records to document all assistance rendered under 

this agreement. Such records shall present information sufficient to meet the audit requirements 

specified in the regulations of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and 

applicable circulars issued by the Office of Management and Budget. Upon reasonable 

notice, the Assisting Party shall make its records available to the Department and the Requesting 

Party for inspection or duplication between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on all weekdays 

other than official holidays. 

ARTICLE IX. Insurance. Each Participating Party shall determine for itself what insurance 

to procure, if any. With the exceptions in this Article, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed 

to require any Participating Party to procure insurance. 

A. Each Participating Party shall procure employers’ insurance meeting the requirements 

of the Workers’ Compensation Act, as amended, affording coverage for any of its employees 

who may be injured while performing any activities under the authority of this 

Agreement, and shall file with the Division a certificate issued by the insurer attesting to such 

coverage. 

B. Any Participating Party that elects additional insurance affording liability coverage 

for any activities that may be performed under the authority of this Agreement shall file 

with the Division a certificate issued by the insurer attesting to such coverage. 

212

July 31, 2000 

C. Any Participating Party that is self-insured with respect to any line or lines of insurance 

shall file with the Division copies of all resolutions in current effect reflecting its 

determination to act as a self-insurer. 

D. Subject to the limits of such liability insurance as any Participating Party may elect 

to procure, nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to waive, in whole or in part, any 

immunity any Participating Party may have in any judicial or quasi-judicial proceeding. 

E. Each Participating Party which renders assistance under this Agreement shall be 

deemed to stand in the relation of an independent contractor to all other Participating Parties, 

and shall not be deemed to be the agent of any other Participating Party. 

F. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to relieve any Participating Party of 

liability for its own conduct and that of its employees. 

G. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to obligate any Participating Party 

to indemnify any other Participating Party from liability to third parties. 

ARTICLE X. General Requirements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary elsewhere in 

this Agreement, all Participating Parties shall be subject to the following requirements in the performance 

of this Agreement. 

A. To the extent that assistance under this Agreement is funded by State funds, the 

obligation of any statewide instrumentality of the State of Florida to reimburse any Assisting 

213

July 31, 2000 

Party under this Agreement is contingent upon an annual appropriation by the Legislature. 

B. All bills for reimbursement under this Agreement from State funds shall be submitted 

in detail sufficient for a proper preaudit and post audit thereof. To the extent that such 

bills represent cost incurred for travel, such bills shall be submitted in accordance with 

applicable requirements for the reimbursement of state employees for travel cost. 

C. All Participating Parties shall allow public access to all documents, papers, letters 

or other materials subject to the requirements of the Public Records Act, as amended, and 

made or received by any Participating Party in conjunction with this Agreement. 

D. No Participating Party may hire employees in violation of the employment restrictions 

in the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. 

E. No costs reimbursed under this Agreement may be used directly or indirectly to 

influence legislation or any other official action by the Legislature of the State of Florida or 

any of its agencies. 

F. Any communications to the Department or the Division under this Agreement shall 

be sent to the Director, Division of Emergency Management, Department of Community 

Affairs, Sadowski Building, 2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard, Tallahassee, Florida 32399- 

2100. Any communication to any other Participating Party shall be sent to the official or 

officials specified by the Participating Party on Form A attached to this Agreement. For the 

214

July 31, 2000 

purpose of this Section, and such communication may be sent by the U.S. Mail, may be sent 

by the InterNet, or may be faxed. 

ARTICLE XI. Effect of Agreement. Upon its execution by a Participating Party, this Agreement 

shall have the following effect with respect to the Participating Party: 

A. The execution of this Agreement by any Participating Party which is a signatory 

to the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement of 1994 shall terminate the rights, interest, duties, 

and responsibilities and obligations of that Participating Party under that agreement, but such 

termination shall not affect the liability of the Participating Party for the reimbursement of 

any cost due under that agreement, regardless of whether billed or unbilled. 

B. The execution of this Agreement by any Participating Party which is a signatory 

to the Public Works Mutual Aid Agreement shall terminate the rights, interest, duties, 

responsibilities and obligations of that Participating Party under that agreement, but such 

termination shall not affect the liability of the Participating Party for the reimbursement of 

any cost due under the agreement, regardless of whether billed or unbilled. 

C. Upon the activation of this Agreement by the Requesting Party, this Agreement 

shall supersede any other existing agreement between it and any Assisting Party to the extent 

that the former may be inconsistent with the latter. 

215

July 31, 2000 

D. Unless superseded by the execution of this Agreement in accordance with Section 

A of this Article, the Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement of 1994 shall terminate and cease to 

have legal existence after June 30, 2001. 

E. Upon its execution by any Participating Party, this Agreement will continue in 

effect for one (1) year from its date of execution by that Participating Party, and it shall be 

automatically renewed one (1) year after its execution unless within sixty (60) days before 

that date the Participating Party notifies the Department in writing of its intent to withdraw 

from the Agreement. 

F. The Department shall transmit any amendment to this Agreement by sending the 

amendment to all Participating Parties not later than five (5) days after its execution by the 

Department. Such amendment shall take effect not later than sixty (60) days after the date 

of its execution by the Department, and shall then be binding on all Participating Parties. 

Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, any Participating Party who objects to the amendment 

may withdraw from the Agreement by notifying the Department in writing of its intent 

to do so within that time in accordance with Section E of this Article. 

ARTICLE XII. Interpretation and Application of Agreement. The interpretation and application 

of this Agreement shall be governed by the following conditions: 

A. The obligations and conditions resting upon the Participating Parties under this 

216

July 31, 2000 

Agreement are not independent, but dependent. 

B. Time shall be of the essence of this Agreement, and of the performance of all 

conditions, obligations, duties, responsibilities and promises under it. 

C. This Agreement states all the conditions, obligations, duties, responsibilities and 

promises of the Participating Parties with respect to the subject of this Agreement, and there 

are no conditions, obligations, duties, responsibilities or promises other than those expressed 

in this Agreement. 

D. If any sentence, clause, phrase, or other portion of this Agreement is ruled unenforceable 

or invalid, every other sentence, clause, phrase or other portion of the Agreement 

shall remain in full force and effect, it being the intent of the Department and the other Participating 

Parties that every portion of the Agreement shall be severable from every other 

portion to the fullest extent practicable. 

E. The waiver of any obligation or condition in this Agreement in any instance by a 

Participating Party shall not be construed as a waiver of that obligation or condition in the 

same instance, or of any other obligation or condition in that or any other instance. 

217

July 31, 2000 

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Participating Parties have duly executed this Agreement on 

the date specified below: 

DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY AFFAIRS 

STATE OF FLORIDA 

By:___________________________________ 

Director 

Date:_______________________________ 

ATTEST: 

CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT 

BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONER 

OF _______________________ COUNTY 


By: ___________________________________ 

Deputy Clerk 

By: ________________________________ 

Chairman 

Date:_______________________________ 

Approved as to Form: 

By:_______________________________ 

County Attorney 

218

July 31, 2000 




By:___________________________________ 

Director 

Date:_______________________________ 

ATTEST: _____________________________ 

CITY CLERK 

By: ___________________________________ 

Title: __________________________________ 

CITY OF ___________________________ 


By: ________________________________ 

Title:_______________________________ 

Date:_______________________________ 


By:_______________________________ 

City Attorney 

219

July 31, 2000 




By:___________________________________ 

Director 

Date:_______________________________ 

______________________________________ 

________________________________ District, 


By: ___________________________________ 

Title: __________________________________ 

By: ________________________________ 

Title:_______________________________ 

Date:_______________________________ 


By:_______________________________ 

Attorney for District 

220

July 31, 2000 

Date: ____________________________ 


FORM A 

Name of Government: ___________________________________________________________ 

Mailing Address: _______________________________________________________________ 

City, State, Zip: ________________________________________________________________ 

Authorized Representatives to Contact for Emergency Assistance: 

Primary Representative 

Name: __________________________________________________________________ 

Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 

Address: ________________________________________________________________ 

Day Phone: _______________________ Night Phone: _________________________ 

Telecopier: _______________________ Internet: _____________________________ 

First Alternate Representative 

Name: __________________________________________________________________ 

Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 

Address: ________________________________________________________________ 



Second Alternate Representative 

Name: __________________________________________________________________ 

Title: ___________________________________________________________________ 

Address: ________________________________________________________________ 



PLEASE UPDATE AS ELECTIONS OR APPOINTMENTS OCCUR 

Return to: Department of Community Affairs-Division of Emergency Management 

2555 Shumard Oak Boulevard - Tallahassee, Florida 32399-2100 

221

July 31, 2000 


FORM B 

Date: ____________________________ 

Name of Requesting Party: _______________________________________________________ 

Contact Official for Requesting Party: 

Name: 

Telephone: 

Internet: 

__________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________ 

1. Description of Damage: ________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

2. Emergency Support Functions: __________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

3. Type of Assistance Needed: _____________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

222

July 31, 2000 


FORM B 

8. Time, Place and Date to Deliver Resources: ________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

9. Names of Supervisors for Requesting Party: ________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

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July 31, 2000 


FORM C 

Date: ____________________________ 

Name of Assisting Party: _______________________________________________________ 

Contact Official for Assisting Party: 

Name: 

Telephone: 

Internet: 

__________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________ 

1. Description of Resources: ______________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

2. Estimated Time Resources Available: _____________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

224

July 31, 2000 


FORM C 

3. Estimated Time and Date to Deliver Resources: _____________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

4. Description of Telecommunications Resources: _____________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

______________________________________________________________________________ 

5. Names of Supervisors for Assisting Party: 

__________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________ 

__________________________________________________ 

225

226

Helpful Web Sites 

American Red Cross 

http://www.arc.org 

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 

http://www.fema.gov 

Florida Department of Community Affairs - Statewide Mutual Aid Agreement 

http://www.floridadisaster.org/bpr/Response/Operations/EMAC/EMACindex.htm 

Florida Public Assistance Forms 

http://www.floridapa.org/applicant/forms.cfm 

Florida Public Assistance Online Portal 

http://www.floridapa.org/ 

Hazard Mitigation Grant Program 

http://www.floridadisaster.org/brm/hmgp.htm 

Public Assistance Applicant Handbook 

http://www.ohsep.louisiana.gov/disrecovery/PublicAssistanceApplicantHnbk.pdf 

Public Assistance Guide, FEMA-322/October 1999 

http://www.fema.gov/pdf/government/grant/pa/pagdoc.pdf 

Public Assistance Policy Digest, FEMA-321/October 2001 

http://www.oes.ca.gov/Operational/OESHome.nsf/PDF/d101-FEMA- 

PAPolicy/$file/FEMA-PAPolicyDigest.pdf 

State Requirements for Educational Facilities (SREF) and 

Florida Building Code 

http://www.firn.edu/doe/edfacil/sref.htm 

Incident Command System 

http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/etools/ics/index.html 

227

Educational Facilities Disaster and Crisis Management Guidebook.

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