The Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ECRM) Technical Assistance Center's newsletter "ERCMExpress" provides comprehensive information on key issues in school emergency management. Many nontraditional schools across the United States, such as storefront schools, rural schools, and alternative education facilities, face challenges…

Effective seizure management in the school setting is a critical issue for students with seizures, as well as their parents, classmates, and school personnel. The unpredictable nature of seizures and the potential outcomes of experiencing a seizure in school are sources of anxiety for students with seizures. The ability to respond appropriately to…

An inadequate or nonexistent disaster recovery plan can have dire results. Fire, power outage, and severe weather all can brin down the best of networks in an instant. This article draws on the experiences of the Charlotte County Public Schools (Port Charlotte, Florida), which were able to lessen the damage caused by Hurricane Charley when it hit…

Competencies required by paraprofessional personnel who are responsible for transportation of severely handicapped students are discussed in terms of behavior management strategies, safety, medical considerations, and five other aspects such as use of a functional radio and a telephone chain for emergencies. (MC)

This issue of ERCMExpress presents "The National Incident Management System" (NIMS) is the United States' uniform system for managing domestic incidents and is suitable for schools to implement in the four phases of their crisis planning: (1) prevention-mitigation; (2) preparedness; (4) recovery. The NIMS is a comprehensive approach to…

A brochure provides a checklist highlighting the important questions and activities that should be addressed and undertaken as part of a school safety and preparedness program for earthquakes. It reminds administrators and other interested parties on what not to forget in preparing schools for earthquakes, such as staff knowledge needs, evacuation…

Recounts the experience of East Carolina University (North Carolina) in responding to the disaster of Hurricane Floyd in 1999. Identifies 10 operational lessons such as ensuring that the institution's emergency response team is prepared for quick decisions and planning with the assumption that all vital utilities will be lost for not less than a…

Describes Stanford University's campus safety plan, asserting that it allows officials to act quickly, preserve lives, protect the institution's intellectual property, and maintain its academic mission. (EV)

Describes principal-initiated process to develop and implement a disaster preparedness plan for a rural elementary school. (PKP)

Disasters happen all the time; yet despite this, many organizations are caught unprepared or make unrealistic assumptions. These factors create environments that will fail during a disaster. Most information technology (IT) curricula do not cover disaster recovery (DR) plans and strategies in depth. The unfortunate result is that most new computer…

In this article, the author, a principal of Buckeye Valley High School, Delaware, Ohio, focuses on how to generate a building readiness plan. He suggests that school administrators should have a readily available notebook of emergency response procedures to ensure students' safety. Among other things, he recommends creation of a building…

The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, prompted federal officials to step up campaigns to make schools safe. After visiting Ground Zero at New York City's World Trade Center, Education Secretary Rodney Paige sent each chief state school officer suggestions for managing school crises. Many states also have school safety plans in place. New…

"Alabama Education News" is published monthly except for June, July, and December by the Alabama Department of Education. This publication, authorized by Section 16-2-4 of the "Code of Alabama", as recompiled in 1975, is a public service of the Alabama Department of Education designed to inform citizens and educators about…

Earthquakes are low-probability, high-consequence events. Though they may occur only once in the life of a school, they can have devastating, irreversible consequences. Moderate earthquakes can cause serious damage to building contents and non-structural building systems, serious injury to students and staff, and disruption of building operations.…

On February 14, a former graduate student at Northern Illinois University (NIU) entered a campus building and shot 21 people, wounding five fatally, before he shot and killed himself. This article presents an interview with Cherilyn G. Murer, the Chair of the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees, on the actions taken by the board and the…