Information in this section was taken from the Office of Safety and Security Emergency Planning and Procedures Guide for Schools. These materials are intended for use by schools to help them develop emergency procedures and crisis management policies. This information should be used in conjunction with the 2005 edition of the Minnesota Department of Education’s Model Crisis-Management Policy. While the information contained in this section is administrator-specific and more extensive than the emergency procedures found in the Staff section of this web site, the procedures are consistent.

How to Use This Information

These materials are general guidelines; they need to be customized for each school building and coordinated with district policy and community emergency response plans.

Specific procedures are arranged loosely in chronological order. Some procedures may be handled simultaneously by different groups or people working as a team. Building and district response systems, advance planning and assigned responsibilities will dictate the order of procedures in each school building.

Emergency Planning

State, counties and communities create response plans for all types of emergencies. Our schools are an integral part of a coordinated response plan.

Emergency response planning should be done at the school district level by forming multi-disciplinary teams to develop crisis management plans. Individual school buildings should also have plans developed cooperatively with community emergency response experts.

To ensure effective and timely execution of school emergency plans, staff must be trained in emergency response procedures. Drills and exercises are essential parts of emergency planning. They provide a real test of staff and student awareness and the plan’s effectiveness. Exercises are more effective if they are varied throughout the year. Try changing the times and blocking the routes for fire drill evacuation. Include a hazardous material scenario in a fire drill or host a community emergency response drill using a school emergency scenario. Plans, procedures and training should be updated annually based on the results of these drills.

Communications

In an emergency, external communication is crucial to a successful response and to community relations. This issue is addressed in the Media Procedures and Emergency Phone Numbers section.

Internal communication among buildings and district offices is even more critical. Emergency communications plans need built-in redundancies. This guide includes instructions for paths of communication among administrators, staff, teachers, district officials and community emergency responders. Linking people through multiple means of communication is the key to a quick and accurate response.

You can find more information on school emergency response planning in the resource section of the Model Crisis Management Policy document on the Web at www.education.state.mn.us.