1. Parent-Student Reunification: What’s In Your Plan?
Arizona Department of Education
Safe School Conference
December 5, 2015

2. Presenters: James Dorer Jim Lee Chief Security Officer
Scottsdale Unified School District
Scottsdale Police Department
Sergeant--Retired
Jim Lee
Emergency Preparedness Advisor
Arizona Department of Education
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Paradise Valley Unified School District

3. Workshop Outcomes: Understand the “essentials” of a reunification plan
Identify the necessary places for both on- and off-site reunification locations
Identify the people involved in reunification
Identify what supplies may be needed before the event
Understand the process of reunification

4. What Is Reunification? On site (staying at the school) or
…the “controlled” release of students to their parents due to an abnormal circumstance at school
Reunification may need to be completed:
On site (staying at the school) or
Off-site (going somewhere else)
For the purpose of this presentation, reunification is the controlled release of students to their parents due to an abnormal circumstance at school.
On Site means staying at the school where there is a problem.
Off Site means evacuating the students from the problem school to another location. This move may be on foot or by bus.

5. What May Cause Reunification?
Shootings
Fires
Gas leak, chemistry lab spill
Building collapse, accident
Power failure (what… no Air Conditioning?)
Any number of emergencies…
There are many different reasons why you may have to do reunification. It could be as simple as having a power outage in the summer. It doesn’t have to be something as significant as a shooting.

6. We want to give the kids back!
Why Do We Need A Plan?
No matter what the emergency is…
We want to give the kids back!
Every emergency most likely has a reunification component. Taking care of the students is something that schools are responsible for – not the first responders. Therefore, schools must have a reunification plan and should practice it.

7. Safety & Accountability
Reunification plans must:
Focus on the safety of students and staff
Ensure accountability of students and staff at all times
Allow for an orderly and managed return of students to their parents/guardians

8. “One Plan Does Not Fit All”
Your plan should be…
Customized to fit your district/school
Based on your district/school response capabilities and support personnel
What works for one district/school may not work for another district/school

9. Be Prepared To Improvise
Plans are only a blueprint…
Make appropriate changes based on the circumstances on that day
For example…

11. Tell Us—What’s In Your Plan?
How many of you…
Do not have a written reunification plan? Be honest!
Have a basic framework but know it needs improvement?
Have a robust plan?
Have completed reunification exercises?

12. What Are The Basics Concepts of Reunifications?

13. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Key points of reunification
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

14. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Use a secure facility
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Having a secure facility is critical to keep the students secure and away from parents until release procedures can be followed. It is anticipated that parents will try to get access to their children if an emergency has occurred. If parents are able to remove their students without the schools knowing, the school will not be able to account for them.
Track
Bus lane

15. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Set up an area to house the students
Student Care
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

16. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Set up a place where parents ask for their student
Request Gate
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

17. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Set up a separate place to release the students
Release Gate
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

18. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Parents arrive at the Request Gate and complete the forms
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

19. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Confirm they are authorized
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

20. Parent / Student Reunification Process
A runner takes the paperwork and locates the student
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

21. Parent / Student Reunification Process
A runner escorts the student to the Release Gate
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

22. Parent / Student Reunification Process
The Release Gate matches the student to the parent
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

23. What Should Plans Include?
Places
People
Supplies
Process

24. Places On-site (staying at the school) Off-site (going somewhere else)
Where will reunification take place?
On-site (staying at the school)
Off-site (going somewhere else)
District Site?
Non-District Site?
On-site means you are having parents come to the school where the situation is occurring to pick up their students.
Off-site means you are going to transport the students away from the campus to be reunified at a different location
When doing an off-site reunification, you must decide what location will work best. It may be district owned property, such as another school, or it may be privately owned, like a church. If using another school district’s facility or private facility, do you have a memorandum of understanding or IGA in place?

25. Places Off-site considerations: How far away is it?
Far enough to avoid first responder traffic
Close enough for parent familiarity
If there is a significant problem at a school, such as a shooting, first responders will need to block traffic routes coming in and out. Police and fire vehicles will line the streets. We do not want to add parent traffic to this problem, so the reunification center should be far enough away to avoid this.
By comparison, parents tend to be familiar with areas near the school. If you locate the reunification center across town, parents may not know how to get there. Further, if you have a student population that uses public transportation, the parents may not be able to get transportation to get to a far away location in a timely manner.

26. Places Off-site considerations: Is it large enough? Students & staff
Traffic & parking
Lines of worried parents
Separation between areas
Enough restrooms
When establishing request and release gate areas, ensure there adequate distance between these two points to accommodate parent traffic and walking pathways from the request gate to the release gate. Work with law enforcement on traffic flow and parking. Ensure the off-site facility allows for parent ingress/egress and adequate parking?

27. Places Off-site considerations: Can it be secured?
Fencing around entire location
Securable gates
If at another school, will it disrupt that school’s normal operations?
Using another school facility has benefits, but one drawback is that it may interrupt the normal operations of that location. Students at the school may have to shelter in place throughout the day in order to avoid conflicts with the reunification process.

28. Places Off-site considerations: Can you bring in food & water?
Is there Wi-Fi available?
Can you pre-stage supplies?
Does the facility have wireless capacity for your request gate personnel to access online emergency contact information? This is required to confirm that persons picking up students are permitted to do so based on information contained in the student’s emergency card. Telephone access? If wireless capacity is not available, does your district provide hot spot devices to request gate personnel so that they can access student information? Do you have a parent-student release form preprinted for use during a possible relocation and reunification? Clipboards, pens, other supplies necessary?

29. Places District Site More school staff Access to all rooms (keys)
Supplies stored on site
Familiar with facility
Wireless access
Easier distribution of food, snacks and water
Non-District Site
Possibly larger assembly areas
Possibility for better ingress/egress
Potential for more parking
Will not interfere with another school

30. Places Plans Should Predetermine: Student care or assembly areas
Request gate location
Release gate location
Medical / First Aid
Command post

31. Places Plans Should Predetermine: Parent parking Parent walking routes
Appropriate areas for special needs students
Grief / counseling rooms
Employee staging or check-in area

32. Places
You can create a list of locations or build maps.

33. You can create a list of locations or build maps.

34. Sample Reunification Map
Request Gate
Release Gate
Student Care
You can create a list of locations or build maps.

35. Places
You can create a list of locations or build maps.

36. People Plans Should Predetermine: Who does what?
School staffing assignments
Primary & backup

37. People School’s ICS Team
Every school must have a group of employees that are part of the Incident Command System team. This group must receive training on Incident Command as well as specific training on their roles in reunification.
School’s ICS Team

38. People Plans Should Predetermine: District support roles
Manage student data?
Communicate with parents?
Bring extra supplies?
Bring extra personnel?
Each District is different. Make your plans based on your District’s capabilities.

39. People District Support
This is an example of District support for SUSD.
District Support

40. People Plans Should Predetermine: Other needed resources Police Fire
Grief counselors
Police will be required to assist with traffic and crowd control. The Fire Department may be able to help care for parents, especially in extreme weather conditions.

41. People Plans Should Predetermine: Who’s in charge…
Evacuation school staff?
Reunification school staff?
District staff?
When numerous school and/or District administrators are at the same location, it may be confusing as to who is in charge.

42. People Plans Should Predetermine: Who’s in charge
The person wearing the vest!
Consider using Incident Command vests to help identify who is doing what role. This helps to eliminate confusion.

43. People Incident Command - White Safety Officer – Black
Operations Chief - Red
Request Team Leader - Red
Release Team Leader - Red
Student Care Leader - Red
Medical Team Leader - Pink
SIMAR – Tan
Table helpers – Lime
Runners – Orange

44. Supplies What supplies are necessary for reunification?
Student Release Form
Enough for your biggest school population

45. Supplies
11501
Example of SUSD’s form.

46. Supplies What other supplies are necessary for reunification?
Pens & clipboards
A to Z file folders (alphabetizers)
Laptop computers
Extension cords, power strips
Build your supply list based on your District’s needs.

47. Supplies What other supplies are necessary for reunification?
Signage and duct tape
Cones, barricades, stanchions
Loud speaker or bullhorns
Batteries
Build your supply list based on your District’s needs.

48. Supplies What other supplies are necessary for reunification?
Radios for communication
ICS Vests
Tables & chairs
Pop-up tents for shade
Tent weights / paperweights
Build your supply list based on your District’s needs.

49. Supplies That’s a lot of stuff…
Most Districts are not able to purchase everything at one time. Consider budgeting for this over several years.

50. Supplies Stored at every school site?
Where do you keep your supplies?
Stored at every school site?
Stored at predetermined reunification sites?
Stored at the District and delivered when necessary?

51. Supplies Maybe a combination of all three
Where do you keep your supplies?
Maybe a combination of all three

52. Supplies School site “Go Bags” Student information Student Medication
Each school site should be prepared to take the essentials in case of evacuation. This should include the student’s medication.

53. Supplies School site “Go Bags” Student information Student Medication
Example of an evacuation bag for SUSD nurses.

54. Supplies School site “Go Bags” Student information Student Medication
Example of an evacuation bag for SUSD nurses.

55. Supplies Predetermined reunification sites
Example of a reunification kit at PVUSD.

56. Supplies Predetermined reunification sites
Example of a reunification kit at SUSD.

57. Supplies District response
Example of radio communication equipment for PVUSD.

58. Example of supplies being delivered by District personnel at SUSD.

59. Example of supplies being delivered by District personnel at SUSD.

60. Example of supplies being delivered by District personnel at SUSD.

61. Supplies
Whatever works for your District! Consider sharing resources with neighboring Districts?
The Trust has built an Intergovernmental Agreement that all schools can utilize in order to share resources.

62. Process

63. Process Plans Should Predetermine: Start-up actions Communications
Flow of parents & students
Paperwork trail

64. Process Start-up actions Initial notifications Facility set-up
Evacuating school
Reunification location
Facility set-up

65. Process
Example of set up at a Request Gate. Notice the tables and chairs, signs, stanchions, barricades, etc.

66. Process Communications Transportation District staff to assist
Outside partners (police, fire, etc)
And of course… PARENTS

67. Process Communications Parents (How?) Automated phone system Website
Media (PIO)
Social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc)

68. Process Communications Parents (What?) Where to go (Request Gate)
What to bring (Identification)
What to expect (letter to hand out)

69. Process Communications Parents (training prior to event)
Example of what PVUSD uses to help educate parents. They have a video on their website that explains their emergency procedures.

70. Process Flow of parents & students Employee staging procedures
Request Gate procedures
Student Care procedures
Release Gate procedures

71. Process Flow of parents & students
Example of instruction documents for SUSD. Each reunification school has individualized plans, and each location has a specific booklet with job aides.

72. Process Flow of parents & students
Example of a reunification job aide for SUSD.

73. Operations Section Chief
Parents Start Here
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
Parent
SIMAR
SIMAR
SIMAR
SIMAR
SIMAR
Problem Solver/Security
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant
Assistant
Operations Section Chief
Request Gate Leader
Assistants & Runners
Medical Team Leader
Student Care
Leader
Example of the flow of reunification for SUSD.
Assistants & Runners
Parents End Here
Release Gate Leader

74. Process Paperwork trail
Example of SUSD reunification form. Notice that it is a four-part NCR form.

75. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Parents arrive at the Request Gate and complete the forms
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

76. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Confirm they are authorized
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

77. Parent / Student Reunification Process
A runner takes the paperwork and locates the student
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

78. Parent / Student Reunification Process
A runner escorts the student to the Release Gate
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

79. Parent / Student Reunification Process
The Release Gate matches the student to the parent
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

80. Exercise Your Plan

81. …from the Sending School

82. …to the Receiving School or Site

83. Questions? James Dorer Jim Lee Chief Security Officer
Scottsdale Unified School District
Scottsdale Police Department
Sergeant--Retired
Jim Lee
Emergency Preparedness Advisor
Arizona Department of Education
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Paradise Valley Unified School District

84. Process
Paperwork trail in detail

85. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Parents arrive at the Request Gate and complete the Student Release Form
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

86. Parents complete the top portion
11501
Parents complete the top portion

87. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Confirm they are authorized
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

88. 11501
Request Gate personnel verify the person’s photo identification. If the person does not have ID, we will not release the student unless an employee personally knows the person and vouches for them. That employee signs “verified by”
James Dorer

89. 11501
Request Gate personnel check the name in Synergy to ensure the person is listed as parent/guardian or emergency contact. Circle the correct answer.
James Dorer

90. 11501
If the person is not listed in Synergy, we will not release the student to them.
James Dorer

91. 11501
The parent receives the “Goldenrod” as their receipt. The Request Gate keeps the “Pink” copy. The “White” and “Yellow” copies go with a runner to Student Care
James Dorer

92. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Once authorized, send the parent with the “Goldenrod” to the Release Gate
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

93. Parent / Student Reunification Process
A runner takes the “White” & “Yellow” copies to Student Care
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

94. Parent / Student Reunification Process
Student Care locates the student and prepares them for release
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

95. Student Care completes their section based on the following:
11501
Student Care completes their section based on the following:
James Dorer

96. If the student is located, circle “Sent to Release”
11501
If the student is located, circle “Sent to Release”
James Dorer

97. 11501
If the student was absent all day from school or checked out early, circle “Absent” Write comments as appropriate.
James Dorer

98. 11501
If the student is known to be receiving first aid or medical attention, circle “First Aid” Write comments as appropriate.
James Dorer

99. 11501
If the student’s location is unknown, circle “Missing” Write comments as appropriate.
James Dorer

100. Student Care completes the “Master List”
Cross off those students that are released.
Highlight those with issues.
Missing
Absent
9/18/2018
Engage, Educate and Empower Every Student, Every Day

101. 11501
Student Care keeps the “Yellow” copy. The “White” copy is sent with a runner to the Release Gate.
James Dorer

102. Parent / Student Reunification Process
A runner escorts the student and “White” copy to the Release Gate
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

103. Parent / Student Reunification Process
The Release Gate matches the student to the parent
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

104. 11501
The Release Gate verifies the parent’s ID and initials for the release.
James Dorer RJ

105. 11501
The parent signs for their student. The Release Gate keeps the signed “White” copy.
James Dorer
Mary Jones
Nov 21st, 2014
12:21 pm

106. Parent / Student Reunification Process
The student is released to the parent.
Bus lane
Main
Building
Parking
Parking
Track
Bus lane

107. Thank You! James Dorer Jim Lee Chief Security Officer
Scottsdale Unified School District
Scottsdale Police Department
Sergeant--Retired
Jim Lee
Emergency Preparedness Advisor
Arizona Department of Education
Emergency Preparedness & Response
Paradise Valley Unified School District