Preparedness Programs and Resources for School Administrators (Child Care, K-12, Higher Education)
Each school day, our nation’s schools are entrusted to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for approximately 55 million elementary and secondary school students in public and nonpublic schools. Families and communities expect schools to keep our children and youths safe from threats and hazards. In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take steps to plan for these potential emergencies through the creation of a school Emergency Operations Plan. Below are programs and resources that will assist school administrations to develop their emergency plans.
California Child Care Disaster Plan: Developed by the University of California, San Francisco's CA Childcare Health Program (CCHP) and funded by the California Department of Education, this plan was developed with input from stakeholders representing more than 22 state, local, and national agencies. The California Child Care Disaster Plan is an Annex to the State of California Emergency Plan. It provides guidance for communication and coordination of key state agencies in the event of a disaster that affects the child care infrastructure. The California Child Care Disaster Plan, the Step-by-Step Guide, and the Emergency Plan Library can be downloaded and are available in English and Spanish.
California Department of Education's School Disaster and Emergency Management page: This webpage contains guidance, grants, training, and resources for local educational agencies (LEAs) related to the management of natural disasters and emergency hazards.
***Coming Soon! Cal OES School Emergency Response: Using SEMS at Districts and Sites - These guidelines have been developed to help you develop an emergency plan that complies with the California Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and organize your emergency response procedures.
Crisis Response Box Program: (PDF) This program is a joint effort of the California Attorney General’s Crime and Violence Prevention Center and the California Department of Education’s Safe Schools and Violence Prevention Office. This guide is designed to help every school assemble the tools and resources needed for a critical incident response at a school.
Emergency First Aid Guidelines for California Schools: (PDF) These guidelines developed by the CA Emergency Medical Services Authority provide recommended procedures for school staff in responding to medical emergencies when
the school nurse is not available and until emergency medical services responders arrive on scene.
Listen, Protect, and Connect Psychological First Aid System: The Listen, Protect and Connect® psychological first aid system is designed for families, neighbors, co-workers and first responders. One version is an “all ages” family-to-family, neighbor-to-neighbor version and two are specifically for supporting children. One for parents and one just for teachers and schools to use. The Listen, Protect, and Connect approach to psychological suggests ways we all can support each other’s resilience and coping before, during and after emergencies. LPC psychological first aid builds on strengths and practices that families and community already use and offer additional ideas and tools to call upon in times of disaster or terrorism.
Disaster Planning Self-Assessment Guide for Child Care Centers: This guide by the California Care Licensing Division of the California Department of Social Services serves as a planning tool for Family Child Care Homes and Child Care Centers and provides basic disaster preparedness and emergency planning information that can be customized to fit the size and population of your facility.
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center: The REMS TA Center supports schools, school districts, and institutions of higher education (IHEs), with their community partners, in the development of high-quality emergency operations plans (EOPs) and comprehensive emergency management planning efforts. Established in October 2004 and administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s (ED) Office of Safe and Healthy Students (OSHS), the REMS TA Center provides a hub of information, resources, training, and services in the field of school and higher education emergency operations planning.
Emergency Supply List: (PDF) The REMS TA Center has developed a suggested supply list for schools to use when determining what emergency supplies to have on hand.
U.S. Department of Education Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans: (PDF) This guide was developed to give schools a useful resource with developing emergency operations plans.
U.S. Department of Education Guide for Districts in Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans: (PDF) This document is a companion to the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans.
U.S. Department of Education Guide for Developing High-Quality Emergency Operations Plans for Institutions of Higher Education: (PDF) This guide was developed to give higher education institutions a useful resource in the field of emergency management.
Safer, Stronger, Smarter: A Guide to Improving School Natural Hazard Safety (2017): This FEMA Guide provides up-to-date, authoritative information and guidance that schools can use to develop a comprehensive strategy for addressing natural hazards. It is intended to be used by administrators, facilities managers, emergency managers, emergency planning committees, and teachers and staff at K through 12 schools. It can also be valuable for state officials, district administrators, school boards, teacher union leaders, and others that play a role in providing safe and disaster-resistant schools for all. Parents, caregivers, and students can also use this Guide to learn about ways to advocate for safe schools in their communities.
FEMA’s Guide to Building a Disaster Resistant University: Building a Disaster-Resistant University is both a how-to guide and a distillation of the experiences of six universities and colleges that have been working to become more disaster-resistant. This guide provides basic information designed for institutions just getting started, as well as concrete ideas, suggestions, and practical experiences for institutions that have already begun to take steps to becoming more disaster-resistant.
FEMA’s Emergency Management Institute (EMI) and Independent Study (IS) Courses: EMI offers school officials courses supporting the implementation of the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as well as general courses aimed at building school emergency management capacity. The
EMI School Program website details required courses for individuals or organizations to be considered NIMS compliant as well as additional recommended courses for independent study and a 4-day, no cost, course for school district teams on the EMI campus in Emmitsburg, Maryland. Additionally the
EMI Emergency Management Higher Education Program website promotes college-based emergency management education for future emergency managers and other interested personnel.
Preparing Your Institution for a Catastrophic Event:: Preparing for a potential terrorism incident is the same as preparing for an earthquake, fire, flood and other major crisis or disasters. Hurricane Katrina Lessons Learned information from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation is intended to provide school districts and site administrators with general guidelines regarding what measures can be taken to prepare for an emergency or disaster, including an incident related to terrorism.
The California Community College Chancellor's Office: The Chancellor’s Office is dedicated in keeping districts, campuses, staff and students safe. The Chancellor’s Office, in consultation with the Office of Emergency Services, developed emergency preparedness standards and guidelines to assist districts and campuses in the event of a natural disaster, hazardous conditions, or terrorist activity. This page has links and resources that should assist districts in locating information for preparing an emergency preparedness plan.