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CRISIS MANAGEMENT TOOL KIT
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In addition to the natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes, schools are also faced with potential terrorist assaults involving explosive devices as well as biological, chemical, nuclear, and radiological weapons. School administrators are encouraged to review emergency plans in light of the many new threats that have emerged in the post-9/11 world. Although the risk of a crisis precipitated by these newer threats is generally low, no school can afford to be unprepared to deal with such a crisis.
While the state and local governments may and should assist Catholic schools to prepare for a crisis or pandemic, individual action and responsibility are necessary for the success of any measures.
Practical Steps for Schools to Follow
- Consult local and state governments for additional information. The federal government provides updated information at http://www.ready.gov/america/makeaplan/work_school.html
- Consult with local fire, police, hospitals and other first responders to see if their plans take note of your schools – make sure you are included.
- Contact schools, colleges and universities, nonprofits, and businesses in your area about coordinating response plans.
- Develop a crisis management plan that will guide planning and implementation activities should they become necessary.
Develop a Crisis Management Plan
Each diocese and each individual school should develop its own crisis management plans and school emergency guidelines. While many resources are available for adoption, a simple "cut and paste" approach using other school emergency plans may not lead to the most appropriate crisis plan for each school. However, schools can develop their own preparedness plans by following one of the many templates available on-line.
Each school should create an emergency preparedness team to develop/revise its emergency plan and coordinate the school’s response activities to pandemic/avian flu, terrorist, chemical, biological, nuclear, and natural threats and disasters.
Content of Crisis Plans
A workable crisis management plan should include practical steps to address these topics:
- Mitigation and prevention activities designed to decrease the probability that a crisis will occur
- Preparedness activities to facilitate a rapid, coordinated, effective response when a crisis occurs
- Response activities to use the crisis plan effectively
- Recovery activities to restore the educational program after the crisis.
Pandemic Flu Planning
The U.S. Department of Education is currently focusing on planning for potential pandemic flu outbreaks. World Health Organization experts and others in the medical community believe that a deadly influenza pandemic is approaching with the spread of the avian flu virus around the world. Should a pandemic outbreak occur, it will likely simultaneously affect hundreds or even thousands of communities across the country and could come in a series of waves, each lasting six to eight weeks at a time.
Not all flu outbreaks are the same:
- Seasonal (common) flu is a respiratory illness that can be transmitted person to person. Most people have some immunity, and a vaccine is available.
- Avian (bird) flu is caused by viruses that occur among wild birds. The H5N1 strain, a possible forerunner of a pandemic, can be transmitted from birds to humans. There is no human immunity and no vaccine is available.
- Pandemic flu is virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak of serious illness. A vaccine cannot be produced until a new pandemic influenza virus emerges and is identified. Currently, there is no pandemic flu and limited experimental vaccines are being developed.
Children are expected to have higher rates of infection and are more likely than adults to spread it. Consequently, a pandemic flu epidemic may cause major disruptions to school operations, forcing massive closures for long periods of time. Schools also must be ready to deal with possible school closings, staff and student absences, medical care for children, possible emergency medical use of school facilities. A collaborative relationship with local public health agencies will be essential in protecting the health and welfare of students, staff and families if a pandemic occurs.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed checklists to assist in developing and/or improving school plans to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. Among their recommended activities are these:
Plan for the impact of a pandemic on the school
Educate students, staff, families and persons in the community
- Find up-to-date, reliable pandemic information and other public health advisories from state and local health departments, emergency management agencies, and CDC and advise staff, members, and persons in the communities you serve to follow information provided.
Plan for Continuity of Student Learning and Core Operations
- Plan for staff absences during a pandemic due to personal and/or family illnesses, quarantines and school, business, and public transportation closures.
- Develop alternative procedures to assure continuity of instruction.
Set up policies to follow during a pandemic
- Establish policies and procedures for students and staff sick leave absences.
- Set procedures for activating the school’s response plan when a pandemic is declared by public health authorities and alter operations accordingly.
Develop a Communications Plan
- Establish and maintain up-to-date communications contacts of key public health and education stakeholders and use the network to provide regular updates as the influenza pandemic unfolds.
Planning Resources
These resources, which will be updated regularly, may help schools update crisis plans to address preparing for the possibility of pandemic flu, terrorist threats, and natural disasters.
The U.S. Department of Education of Education has comprehensive resources for dealing with different disasters. Click here to access their guidebook.
The U.S. Department of Education website has resources concerning children and post-disaster trauma. Click here to access these resources.
The Department of Health and Human Services website provides A School District Pandemic Influenza Planning tool kit that may serve as a helpful tool to begin or update crisis plans. Click here to access their checklist, as well as the most current information on influenza pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control prepared a PowerPoint presentation dealing with aspects of pandemic/avian flu. Click here to access the presentation .
The Department of Homeland Security provides a document dealing with national strategies pertaining to combating pandemic flu. Click here to access this resource.
Legal and Risk Management guidelines prepared for the Association of Independent Schools in New England by Ropes, Gray & Marsh, a risk management-insurance company, has helpful resources dealing with risk management in areas of general liability, workers compensation, pollution, and property. Click here to access this document.
Temporary Closure/Distance learning resources: the European Council of International Schools’ (ECIS) 2006 Annual Conference featured a session on avian flu preparedness. ECIS’s session on avian flu featured a presentation that included suggestions and resources related to school closings and alternative instruction. Click here to access this document.
Sample Catholic school crisis management plans are available from NCEA’s National Association of Boards, Commissions and Councils of Catholic Education (NABCCCE). Click here to access these plans.
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