News from OSDFS
Webcast Focuses on School Safety
Shortly after the White House Conference on School Safety, the
Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools (OSDFS) hosted a webcast
focused on school safety and emergency planning. The hourlong
discussion is archived and available for viewing online. Joining
Deborah Price and William Modzeleski were presenters Edward
Clarke (formerly with Montgomery County Public Schools in
Maryland), Willie Freeman (Newark Public Schools), and Pegi
McEvoy (Seattle Public Schools) who each spoke of the practices
they implemented as safety and security administrators at various
school districts.
Emergency management, whether in response to school violence
or a natural disaster, requires careful preparation that begins
with collaboration. School administrators are able to generate
more comprehensive and effective plans by working with representatives
from public health, mental health, law enforcement,
public safety, emergency management, and the local government.
Discussion from the webcast focuses on taking an all hazards
approach (one that addresses all types of emergency or crisis) and
one that considers the four phases of emergency management.
Some of the suggestions generated during this discussion include
the following:
Prevention and Mitigation
• Use the environment to help prevent crime or crisis as best you
can. Consider controlled access, lighting, blind spots, and keeping
facilities clean and well maintained.
• Conduct facilities and school climate assessments.
• Make repairs to damaged structures on campus.
• Consider implementing anti-bullying and other wellness programs
to promote a safe social environment.
• Update the school communications plans and procedures.
Preparedness
• Develop community partnerships so school administrators
know the people they will work with during a crisis situation.
• Conduct drills (meetings, tabletops, full-scale exercises).
• Engage parents during the planning process. Let them know
what to expect during an emergency, where their children can be
picked up, and where to find information.
• Develop alternate communications procedures in case the primary
system is not working.
• Establish policy for locating teachers and staff in the case of
events that occur after-hours.
• Establish off-site storage for important data.
Response
• Have both district-level and school-level plans accessible.
• Assess the situation and choose appropriate action quickly.
• Notify public safety, emergency responders, and the school
crisis response team at appropriate times.
• Be prepared to evacuate or lock down the school if necessary.
• Expect to be surprised.
• Allow for flexibilty as the situation develops.
• Keep emergency “go-kits” stocked with supplies, student rosters,
and parent contact information.
• Conduct an after-action debriefing to discuss what happened,
responses, and what improvements could be made.
Recovery
• Restore educational operations as appropriate considering
physical or structural damage; business and fiscal operations;
and psychological and emotional needs.
• Establish family liaisons to share information.
• Reach out to fi rst responders.
• Recognize that recovery takes time and people heal at their own
pace.
• Use an established plan for securing and managing donations.
Think of the emergency management plan as a living document.
Update it, share it, and practice it.
To view the webcast and download the accompanying
PowerPoint presentation, visit http://www.connectlive.com/events/edschoolsafety.
REMS Publishes Helpful Hints
OSDFS and the Readiness and Emergency Management for
Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center created a series of
publications for school districts to improve the emergency management
practices within their school communities. This series,
called Helpful Hints, provides key emergency preparedness
topics to REMS grantees and non-grantee schools. Each brief
document will focus on an issue of interest to school emergency
managers. There are currently six publications in this series, with
topics such as updating emergency response plans, conducting
exercises to test plans, and creating emergency “go-kits.”
To read the full account of this crisis event
and the others in the series called Lessons Learned, visit the REMS Web site at http://www.ed.gov/programs/dvpemergencyresponse/index.html
and click on the Publications link. 
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