Evacuation is one of the most recognized vital emergency management functions. Because evacuations often require the sudden navigation of stairwells, doorways, and other physical obstacles, they hold unique challenges, considerations, and barriers for individuals with limited mobility. A comprehensive approach to school emergency management…

Many K-12 schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs) will have students or staff that decide to travel abroad to expand their education. Emergencies can happen in international locations where students and staff are working and studying. Therefore K-12 schools and IHEs need to know how to prepare travelers beforehand, respond to the…

It is the position of the National Association of School Nurses (NASN) that a collaborative, evidence-based, systems-thinking approach to school emergency preparedness is necessary to maintain safe, supportive, and equitable learning environments for all students. The registered professional school nurse (hereinafter referred to as "school…

In the context of school safety, family reunification means to reunite children with verified and authorized family members after a critical and often highly stressful incident (e.g., a fire, a natural disaster, a school bus accident, a situation involving weapons or violence at school, etc.) that disrupts the school day and prompts the need for a…

Comprehensive school emergency management planning requires input and collaboration from multidisciplinary stakeholders that represent the whole school community. The involvement of those who are affected by and help carry out the school emergency operations plan (EOP) can help ensure buy-in and the quality of the plan, as well as build the…

We describe how a modified version of an emergency survival strategy led our team in addressing problems of practice identified in two second grade classrooms. We attended to the urgent needs of students by enacting the curriculum with integrity, doing what was most important and effective, while accommodating their classroom context (LeMahieu,…

As outlined in the "Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide)" (ED571878), multidisciplinary planning teams--composed of school personnel and community partners--can develop a comprehensive school emergency operations plans (EOP) customized to the needs of the students, the staff, and the…

State education agencies (SEAs) play a unique and essential role in supporting schools and school districts as they develop prevention, protection, mitigation, response, and recovery protocols for their emergency operations plans (EOPs). With input from a broad array of stakeholders and experts, SEAs are positioned to aid schools and school…

When designing or updating a K-12 emergency operations plan (EOP), gun violence ranks among the top human-caused threats to be accounted for, regardless of perceived risk. Gun violence incidents have now impacted every school demographic in the United States, and no school is immune to the possibility. Providing a safe, supportive, and welcoming…

Recovery is one of the five National Preparedness System mission areas and is a critical component of an education agency's preparedness. In the context of school emergency management planning, recovery refers to the capabilities necessary to assist schools affected by an event or emergency in restoring the learning environment. Recovery is also…

A risk manager's job is to assess what could go wrong on campus, how likely this is to happen, and what the consequences would be--and then take action to protect the college, its people, and its assets. These steps might include introducing new policies and procedures, training stakeholders, instilling a culture of safety, and making sure the…

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS) has created a list of their own resources on how K-12 schools can create an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). It addresses all threats, hazards, settings, and times. The list includes the following categories: (1) Emergency Operations Plan (EOP) Development…

In collaboration with their local government and community partners, schools can take a proactive approach to crime prevention as a part of developing, implementing, and maintaining school emergency operations plans (EOPs) using the "Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans (School Guide)" [ED571878]. In…

When a major emergency event affects a school, school district, or institution of higher education (IHE), there are various functions that responding organizations have to activate in order to respond and recover effectively. Education agencies are particularly unique because they are entrusted to protect the vulnerable populations they serve and…

Study abroad programs offer students from institutions of higher education (IHEs) and schools--public and nonpublic--a unique opportunity to expand and enrich their education experience, and to develop skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in today's global workforce. Similar to those being educated in the United States, individuals studying…