Recommended Resources for Emergency/Disaster Planning/Management

"Be Prepared..." not just the Boy Scout's marching song, but the necessary mantra of every school administrator these days.

Here's a brief set of useful resources to help educators make sure that they've got plans in place before the crisis happens:

California Safe Schools Task Force. Crisis Response Box: a Guide to Help Every School Assemble the Tools and Resources Needed for a Critical Incident Response. California Department of Education. 2006. < http://www.cde.ca.gov/ls/ss/cp/documents/crisisrespbox.pdf>.

18 page guide outlines steps necessary to assemble an emergency response plan for local school/districts. Includes examples of documents needed to ensure that "school adminstrators will immediately have the information essential for effective management of a major crisis incident."

Department Of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency. **Multi-Hazard Emergency Planning for Schools,* a FEMA Independent Study Course. <http://training.fema.gov/EMIWeb/IS/is362.asp>.

A short, web-based course designed to provide school administrators and first responders with the basic information and tools needed to develop an effective Emergency Operations Plan for their community.

Dorn, Mike, et al. Jane's Safe Schools Planning Guide for All Hazards. 2nd ed. Alexandria, VA: Jane’s Information Group, 2004.

Textbook-sized reference guide for school administrators provides a comprehensive step-by-step approach to the planning, implementation, response, and recovery processes necessary for a safe school.

Edwards Disaster Recovery Directory. Newton, MA: Edwards Information, 2006.

Over 3,000 vendor listings covering 400 critical disaster recovery categories, plus information on how to cope during and after the crisis. Online access to frequently-updated database available with purchase of the book or CD.

Family Readiness Kit: Preparing to Handle Disasters. American Academy of Pediatrics. 2001. <http://www.aap.org/family/frk/frkit.htm>.

Set of PDF pamphlets for parents to read and use to prepare their home and family for various kinds of disasters.

Henderson, Douglas M. "When Disaster Strikes." American School & University 1 December 2005. <http://asumag.com/mag/university_disaster_strikes/>.

Describes how to develop a Continuity of Operation Plan (COOP) to help schools rebound from an emergency situation.

NCEF Resource List: Disaster Preparedness and Response for Schools. National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities. 2006. National Institute of Building Sciences. <http://edfacilities.org/rl/disaster.cfm>. Extensive, annotated list of recommended resources to help school districts develop effective preparedness guidelines, build or retrofit schools to withstand natural disasters or terrorism, and use school buildings as community shelters during emergencies.

Recommended Emergency Supplies for Schools. American Red Cross -- Masters of Disasters. 2001. <http://www.redcross.org/disaster/masters/supply.html>.

Detailed information on how to prepare and store emergency supplies for individual kits, an individual classroom, and for the whole school. Appropriate for center-based providers.

Shafir, Nedda. "Effective Crisis Communications and Emergency Notification." School Business Affairs June 2006. <http://asbointl.org/asbo/files/ccLibraryFiles/FILENAME/000000001489/SBA-June06-Effective-Crisis-Communications.pdf>.

Outlines specific steps and strategies for communicating with response agencies, parents, students and staff members to minimize confusion and misunderstandings during an emergency.

U.s. Department Of Education, Office Of Safe And Drug-Free Schools. Practical Information on Crisis Planning; a Guide for Schools and Communities. May 2003. <http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/safety/emergencyplan/crisisplanning.pdf>.

146 page document first defines the kinds of events and hazards that can affect a school campus, and then explains and provides action plans and resource guides for the four phases of crisis management: Mitigation/Prevention, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery.

Waddell, Debby, and Alex Thomas. Disaster: Helping Children Cope. NASP Center. 1998. National Association of School Psychologists. <http://www.naspcenter.org/crisis_safety/coping.html>.

Advice for parents and teachers on how to help children cope with the emotional effects of a disaster.