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

Communicating your planDisaster and Emergency Preparedness: Guidance for SchoolsSchool faculty and staff, students, parents, and local community leaders and first respondersall need to be familiar with your plans, in order for them to work effectively. Communitymembers have a great deal to offer the school disaster management process, supporting inrisk reduction activities, participating in school drills, volunteering during response and recovery,and providing response supplies.You may want to hold special meetings with local public safety representatives, and anopen meeting for your entire school community to communicate your plans and invite participationand support. Communicate this information in as many ways as possible (written,audio, visual, demonstration, and through younger students). Translate as necessary to includeeveryone.Staff need to understand your expectations of them. If a disaster occurs, when are theyexpected to report to work? How they will organize shifts? Which individuals may not beable to stay because young children or elderly family members are at home. Open discussionand realistic planning will help. Everyone will want to know what notification systems youwill be using (telephone tree, posted notice on building, radio, automated phone messages,e-mail, school web-page).Parents need to be knowledgeable and involved. It is essential for disaster preparednessthat parents know and trust that their children will be safe and cared for at school, until thedanger has passed or outside help arrives, even for two to three days! Let them know, in advance,all emergency procedures.Clearly explain student release procedures to parents, students and community members.Students will be released only to parent/guardian or other pre-authorized emergencycontact (who should bring photo identification with them). Provide information about alternateevacuation and reunification site, especially if your school grounds are not likely tobe safe because of nearby hazards. Explain that in case of a lockdown, the school will not beable to answer incoming phone calls or make outside calls. Police will provide assistance. Noone, including parents, will be allowed near the school. Students will be kept inside and notpermitted to leave until the lockdown is lifted by the police. After that, parents may come toschool to pick up their children.As part of this communication process, you should ask parents to provide: Emergency contact information: in order to implement student release procedures,be sure that parent and emergency contact information is updated at the beginningof each school year and that parents notify the school of changes during theschool year. Student comfort bags: these hold essential supplies each child in case of emergency(see Section 3.C below).14