Content area
Full Text
THE word "terrorism" has become commonplace in our headlines, workplaces, and homes since September 11, 2001. In the past, school crisis plans commonly addressed how to evacuate in the event of a gas leak or fire. Today, schools must be prepared to address biological, chemical, and radiological attacks, as well as car bombings, suicide attacks, and armed intruders. Here we explore the practical and legal requirements of school safety planning in this post-September 11 era.
Many school districts are required by either federal or state law to create crisis management plans. The federal Safe and Drug Free Schools and Communities Act (1994) requires districts that receive funding under the act to give assurances to the state that they have adopted crisis management plans. In addition, many states require schools to develop crisis management plans. However, federal and state funding for planning tends to be scarce.
States may or may not provide funding, and many districts have exhausted their federal funding. Nevertheless, lack of funding does not negate the necessity of preparing for a crisis situation.
In May 2003, the U.S. Department of Education released the model document Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities. This guide can help create and implement crisis management plans for individual schools. The department strongly suggests that each school district address safety planning in four phases: prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.
Further, the department encourages districts to develop separate plans for each school building in their district. Principals play a key role in safety planning particularly if that planning is being done on a building-by-building basis because they are the people who know the most about their buildings.
Phase I: Prevention and mitigation. During phase I, schools conduct safety assessments of each building. Such assessments include a survey of school grounds and lighting to identify hazards; a review of past safety audits or plans; coordination of crisis plans with local businesses, emergency personnel, and parents; a review of policies for all potential school visitors, including people making deliveries; and a review of traffic patterns to and from the school to ensure that routes are secure and can be closed if needed. Some state boards of education have created safety assessment audit documents to guide...