Disaster and Emergency Preparedness: Guidance for ... - INEE Toolkit

vention awareness in the school community. It is particularly important for the committeeto remember that students of all ages can and should be involved, as much as possible andas appropriate, in all aspects of school disaster prevention. This learning experience willcontribute to a culture of safety for future generations. Students can be involved as rotatingclassroom representatives, student government volunteers, scout volunteers, and throughextra-curricular activities.A School Disaster Plan is always a work-in-progress, and never a finished document.Successful plans emphasize planning as a process, rather than a neatly bounddocument. In the course of the steps below, you will generate and re-generate live documentationthat will constitute your “plan.” What is of crucial importance is having everyoneparticipate in the planning, and learning and continuing to develop the planthrough practice.Assess risks, hazards, vulnerabilities and capacitiesRisks are assessed by considering potentialhazards (whether these are natural,man-made, or combined), in relationshipto a community’s vulnerability characteristics(i.e., the circumstances that makeit susceptible to damaging effects of ahazard. Vulnerabilities apply to groups ofpeople and to individuals, to the built environmentand infrastructure, and to thenatural environment. For example, youngchildren, older adults, people with disabilities,poor people, minority languagegroups, recent immigrants, and illiteratepeople tend to be more vulnerable. Buildingsnot constructed to withstand hazardsare vulnerable. Coastlines unprotected bycoral reefs and mangrove forests are vulnerableto high winds. Marine life is vulnerable to oil spills, and so on.The steps below will guide you to document the hazards you face, the vulnerabilitycharacteristics of people and places, and the resulting risks. Constructing your own risk matrixcan help to see the larger picture, and focus and prioritize your efforts to reduce vulnerabilitiesand risks. This should be approached through research and dialogue.School Disaster Management7