Educational Facilities Disaster and Crisis Management Guidebook.

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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