1. Bureau of Indian Education School Board Training
Emergency Planning
and Continuity of Operations Plan

2. Agenda Welcome Why Plan? School Board Questions for Leadership
Emergency Planning
Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
Questions
Recommended Resource for Presenter: Safe Schools Planning: A Guide for Educators, available on the BIE web site and at
First, welcome to this session. I would like to congratulate you on taking on this responsibility. Being a board member isn’t easy—so thank you for being of service. Your service will make the school stronger.
Today we’ll talk about your role as a school board member in Emergency Planning and Continuity of Operations Planning – called COOP. COOP refers to how a school recovers after emergencies that shut down operations.

3. Why Plan? Teaches life-saving responses.
Reduces chaos at the emergency scene.
Communicates expectations.
Ensures necessary tasks are completed.
Eliminates duplication of effort.
Reduces damage to property.
Restores operations after an incident.
First, let’s discuss the reason for planning.
It saves lives. Sometimes acting quickly saves lives. Split second decisions can have enormous consequences - and training everyone in advance spurs better judgment.
Can anyone give an example of this?
It reduces chaos. It tells everyone where they are supposed to be and what they are supposed to do.
It reduces damage to property. Good decisions can save property from fire or weather damage. Can you think of an example of how this could happen?
It restores operations after an incident. COOP planning, in particular, helps the school recover after emergency that shuts down operations. Does anyone know how?
Are there any other reasons to plan?
What about reducing legal liability? Yes, planning protects you and reduces legal liability after an incident. When something goes wrong, lawsuits may follow and it’s important that you show the leadership to ensure that proper planning is in place.

4. Why Plan? And, it is REQUIRED by law. For a complete reference, read
NIMS COMPLIANCE
Federally funded agencies must implement NIMS, the National Incident Management System (NIMS). A comprehensive national approach to managing a wide variety of emergency incidents, NIMS is designed to improve coordination among public and private entities during emergency incidents. Key components address establishing an incident command structure, managing communications, and managing information and resources.
There is a very detailed guide on Safe Schools Planning available on the BIE web site but also a web site designed to provide resources to BIE-operated and Tribally Controlled schools. The website is
Safe Schools Planning: A Guide for Educators. Show copy of the manual, preferably bound.
For a complete reference, read
Safe Schools Planning: A Guide for Educators
available at

5. Safe Schools Planning: A FRAMEWORK
Physical
Security
Technical Security
Information Technology
Operational Security
EMERGENCY PLANNING IS PART OF A LARGER PICTURE
EMERGENCY PLANNING IS JUST ONE PART OF KEEPING A SCHOOL SAFE AND SECURE. IT IS PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE.
Physical Security: Design elements of a building that affect security.
Building layout
Windows Doors
Parking lots
Fencing
Gates
Technical Security: Equipment used to secure the school and campus.
Access Controls
Surveillance Cameras
Burglary Alarms
Metal Detectors
Panic Alarms
IT Security: Measures that protect computers and networks.
Anti-Virus Software
Firewalls
Off-site backups
Procedures relating to passwords, access to the server room, traveling with laptops, and other measures
Operational Security. Measures designed to manage people. This is our focus today.
These include policies, procedures, plans, and training:
Procedures Governing Day-to-Day Operations
Emergency Management Plan
Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP)
Anti-violence initiatives to address discipline issues and bullying

6. School Board Member Questions for School Leadership
Emergency Planning
When was the last time the Safe Schools Plan was updated?
When were staff trained on it?
Please show us the assigned Roles and Responsibilities of staff in an emergency.
Show us the Communications Plan.
What do you think is the key role of a school board member in emergency planning? Your role is not to develop the plan but to ensure the plan is in place by asking the right questions of leadership. Consider asking the Chief School Officer to make a presentation to the school board on this subject.
Defining roles and responsibilities before an emergency happens helps ensure everything gets done during an emergency. Keeping the emergency plan up to date when staffing changes is essential.
Here are some examples of emergency response roles, taken from the Safe Schools Manual we talked about earlier.
School Commander
The School Commander, typically the Administrator-in-Charge, remains in the Command Center and manages the crisis. He or she coordinates the emergency response effort; gives the order to evacuate or lock down the school; coordinates with police, fire and medical teams; maintains contact with headquarters, and ensures necessary notifications to the OIEP Chain of Command.
School First Aid Responders
School First Responders provide emergency First Aid until medical assistance arrives. These individuals, typically the school nurse, office staff or physical education teachers, should be trained in First Aid and cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and known throughout the school as the first responders before an event happens. In remote areas, training staff in First Aid is particularly critical.
Site Coordinator
The Site Coordinator directs emergency responders such as police, fire, and paramedics to the site emergency and controls access to the affected areas. If necessary, he or she preserves the crime scene until police arrive and assume control. The Site Coordinator may also direct media, parents, and central office personnel to the appropriate locations and cordon off areas, as necessary. The Site Coordinator must know the emergency site map thoroughly and carry it with him or her.
Parent Coordinator
The Parent Coordinator assists parents who come to the school, keeps parents briefed on the situation, and advises parents if their child is, or is not, involved in the emergency, when such information becomes available. A separate waiting area for parents of involved children should be designated.
Crisis Team Leader
The Crisis Team Leader coordinates crisis intervention and counseling services to help students and staff cope with the trauma.
Recorder
The Recorder documents the time and events of a crisis, beginning with when the event started and when changes in the situation occurred. The Recorder records the names of responding units and the support staff, collecting business cards, if available. After the evacuation, the Recorder should visit each teacher and determine if any teachers need assistance in notifying the School Commander, emergency responders, and the Parent Coordinator of children who are missing.
Transportation Coordinator
If necessary, the Transportation Coordinator arranges for any special transportation needs arising from the incident.
Media Coordinator
The Media Coordinator arranges for a media staging area away from the incident area, keeps media away from parents and students and, if time permits, collects business cards from members of the media. As necessary, the Media Coordinator informs the agency’s Public Affairs Office for the Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs of what media is present. Typically, the Media Coordinator does not give interviews to the media.
Teachers
Teachers maintain supervision of their classes and take attendance every time their classes move to a new location. Attendance books must accompany a teacher whenever the classroom is evacuated. A list of missing students should be made any time roll call is taken and the possible locations of students should be noted. Teachers should notify the Principal or designated personnel immediately if any students are missing. Because teachers must stay with their classroom, arrangements should be made in advance to determine how this communication will be made. The Recorder can assist in this process.
Assistants for the Physically Disabled
In the event of an evacuation, pre-designated staff should be assigned to each physically disabled student to assist, as described in the evacuation plan. Staff must be knowledgeable about each student’s special needs, particularly in respect to special equipment and medications. Alternative staff members should be predesignated in case an assigned staff member is absent during an
A Communications Plan should address:
WHAT information should be transmitted?
WHO should receive it?
HOW should it be transmitted?
WHEN should it transmitted?

7. School Board Members Questions for School Leadership
Describe the Chain of Command in an Emergency.
Explain evacuation protocols.
What types of drills are held each year?
When does the Safe Schools Committee meet?
Are emergency responders invited?
Chain of Command
WHO will make decisions?
WHAT if they are not at the school?
WHAT if they are injured?
Where will everyone go?
Where is the designated:
Off-Site Emergency Shelter
Off-Site Command Post
On-Site Command Post
Staging Area for Emergency Responders
Area for the Injured
Area for the Deceased
Area for the Media
Areas for Each Classroom
Safe Schools Committee should:
Create Floor Plans and an Area Map. Some schools turn this into a classroom project.
Map Evacuation Routes
Map Safe Passage Routes
Test the Plan
Post the Routes
Designate Evacuation Roles
Lockdown drills, for when an individual carries a weapon to school, should be held at least once a year.
Other types of drills are evacuations or Shelter in Place for weather emergencies. The Safe School Plans details protocols for many different types of emergencies, from dangerous animals to hazardous chemical spills.

8. School Board Members Questions for School Leadership
What steps have been taken to reduce school violence and bullying?
How do we make sure threats are communicated to leadership?
How do you make sure that discipline is consistently applied from classroom to classroom?
Strong discipline in a school can prevent school violence before a situation becomes an emergency. Many schools adopt a Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports (PBIS), which rewards positive behavior. But it is also important to make sure that there are consequences for negative behavior and that they are imposed consistently across the board.
Question: do you think school board members should get involved in discipline of individual students? (Instructor should lead them to the point that school board members should not be involved in the day-to-day operations of the schools. Their job is to set policy, select the Chief School Officer, and hold him or her accountable for overall results. Board members should never interfere in the discipline of a student. That creates low morale and the perception of favoritism or use of a personal position to advance personal agendas. The exception is if expulsions are approved by the school board – but even then, school board members should rely on the unbiased judgment of the Chief School Administrator.
Gathering intelligence – having a procedure for hearing student threats and communicating them to leadership and law enforcement – and acting on them is critical.

9. School Board Member Questions for School Leadership
Continuity of Operations
What is our plan to restart school operations if an emergency closes the school?
What essential functions will continue during an emergency?
How will school records be protected in a fire or weather emergency?
Have records been scanned?
Is computer information backed up nightly?

10. School Board Member Questions for School Leadership
Continuity of Operations
Do we have a succession plan in place if the Principal is unable to serve for a period of time?
How will we account for and notify families of students, employees, and guests in the event of an emergency?
Where would school be held if operations were shut down for a long time?
Have staff been trained in the plan?

11. Questions?