1 Crisis Management Planning for Schools Maine Department of Education Department of Health and Human Services Maine Emergency Management Agency June 2006

2 Overview of Presentation and Objective  AWARENESS LEVEL Requirements and logic Concepts Methods/process Resources available

3 TODAY Overview of Presentation and Objective Pandemic Flu: A Scenario for Schools Why Schools Need to Plan: Logic and Law Completed Emergency Plan: Components and Quality Five Steps of Effective Planning Process Tell us - What Resources do you need to Develop Your Plan Questions and Answers

4 Pandemic Flu: A Scenario for Schools Andrew Pelletier, MD, MPH Maine Department of Health and Human Services

5 Why Schools Need to Plan: The Law and Logic Behind the Community Expectation Law –Title 20A Section 1001 (16) –DOE Rule Chapter 125 section –Public Law 634: Construction, Plans and Curriculum

6 Title 20A section 1001 (16) Crisis response plan. They shall annually approve a plan developed by the school unit administration working with local public safety, mental health and law enforcement officials to deal with crisis and potential crisis situations involving violent acts by or against students in each school in the school administrative unit.

7 DOE rule chapter 125 section Emergency Procedures To protect the safety of students and personnel, each school administrative unit shall develop a Crisis Response Plan to deal with crises and potential crisis situations including violent acts by or against students or other persons in each school. The Plan shall include the designation of an adult responsible on site during an emergency. The unit will work with local public safety, mental health, and law enforcement officials in developing this plan, which will be included in the unit’s Comprehensive Education Plan.

8 Public Law Chapter 634:  Requires Generators in New School Construction  Requires Incorporation of Crisis Planning in Public School Curriculum  Requires DOE and MEMA Audit of School Crisis Plans

9 122 nd legislature directions to MEMA = task force to study Maine’s Homeland Security needs –Direct MEMA to evaluate the emergency preparedness or our public school and provide recommendations on how these systems should improve –Incorporate emergency planning into the public curriculum The real world- its happening in communities like yours right now Why Schools Need to Plan: Law and Logic

10 Emergencies Rarely Happen They Don’t Happen in Rural Towns Nothing Major has Happened at My School So I Don’t Need To Plan SCHOOL DISASTER MYTHS

11 School Administrators Will Know What To Do Community Resources Will Respond In A Coordinated And Effective Manner Disasters Develop Slowly So There Will Be Time To Prepare SCHOOL DISASTER MYTHS

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Maine IED INCIDENT RATE 11 of 16 Counties  Androscoggin  Aroostook  Cumberland  Franklin  Hancock  Kennebec  Penobscot  Piscataquis  Somerset  Washington  York One Every Three Days in Maine

14 Completed Emergency Plan: Components and Quality “WHAT IF”

15 School Disaster Planning  Is a Community Effort  Is a Problem Identification and Solving Process  Is a Process Without an End

16 School Disaster Planning Principles School Disaster Planning Recognizes vulnerability to many hazards Involves everyone- fire, police, parents, students, school staff, public works, mental health resources, etc.

17 School Disaster Planning Principles School Disaster Planning Strives To Reduce Risk Through: Changing the physical plant Changing attitudes of staff and students Building practical response procedures

18 School Disaster Planning Principles School Disaster Planning Strives To Reduce Risk Through: Community coordination Training Practice Finding new resources in the community

19 School Violence Planning only for school violence leaves a lot of holes in school preparedness..

20 Components Plan –Diversified community team –Multi hazard analysis –Risk Mitigation Action steps Schedule Commitment of resources and budget

21 Components Preparedness –Resource needs and commitments –Capability development Needs analysis + identification Action steps and schedule –Cycle and schedule for testing, revision and practice

22 Most schools do not have the skills or resource to create good emergency plans by themselves State, county, community emergency Managers regularly plan for emergencies EMERGENCY MANAGERS CAN HELP YOU

23 Five Steps of Effective Planning 1.Risk Analysis 2.Mitigation planning 3.Preparation 4.Response/Recovery 5.Evaluation

24 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 1: Risk Analysis Risk Analysis Do a walk through identify the Risk and Vulnerabilities Risks recorded on walk though Prioritize risks and eliminate

25  Done with Town & County EMA Directors and Fire and Police  All serious risks are evaluated Do a Risk Analysis

26 Process step 1 Risk Analysis Hazard IdentificationVulnerabilityPlanning conclusion Name and source? Impact school? Likelihood of an event occurring? Property impact? People impact? Addressed in plan? Observation – Survey – Research - Discussion

27 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 2: Mitigation Planning  What do we need to change or implement to: Reduce the probability Reduce the severity of the impact

28 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 2: Mitigation Planning (continued)  Action Steps: Capability and Training Facility Modification System Additions and Modifications Cost and resource requests Approvals Completion schedule timeline

29 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 3 Preparation and Readiness  Planning  Resources  Training and Drills

30 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 4 Response/Recovery  Alert and Notify  Direction and Control  Emergency Services  Emergency Public Information  Evacuate

31 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 4 Response/Recovery (continued)  Shelter  Resource Management  Damage Assessment  Recovery Plans and Actions

32 Five Steps of Effective Planning Step 5: Evaluation  Test the Plan  Review and Revise Yearly  Assessment and Upgrade

33 Team Review After Each Test or Event √What did we experience and learn? √What worked well/ not so well? √What was missed? √Identify & list upgrades √New plan review Plan> Do > Check > Act Then Reloop

34 TRAIN TRAIN PRACTICE IMPROVE AND UPGRADE

35 1. Use regular comprehensive planning, hazard proofing of buildings, and disaster drills and exercises to reduce risk. 2. Do nothing to eliminate risk or regularly plan for consequences. 3. Do some planning on an irregular basis with minor involvement of other community resources. 4.Assume that nothing will happen and that if it does everything will turn out okay. Which method does your school use?

36  Be proactive  Guard against apathy  Secure support of top officials  Plan as a community CHALLENGES

37 EFFECTIVE PLANNING  Takes time and time again  Takes resources  Reduces the impact of risk through mitigation

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39 What can we do to help you?

40 Strive For The Ideal - Do what Is Possible

41 RESOURCES DOE

42 RESOURCES Maine Emergency Management Agency MEMA Training opportunities Planning assistance

43 Questions?

44 “IF ONLY”