Discusses the need for businesses to have a disaster recovery plan (DRP) to survive any type of disaster that affects an information system; for example natural disasters, inadvertent errors, or deliberate actions. A five-step guideline is suggested for developing and implementing a DRP. (Author/LRW)

Discusses what one university learned about disaster planning when struck with a serious and long-lasting environmental emergency. The inadequacy of backup systems to sustain emergency operations over a prolonged period and the lack of plan flexibility when managing frequently changing conditions are explored. (GR)

For people who are living in North America, the destruction caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has shown them both the humbling power of natural forces and the fragility of man-made structures. The devastation to the Gulf Coast of the United States has left destruction and damage to schools and colleges and the displacement of 372,000 K-12…

What happens when teams from 57 cities building afterschool systems gather to discuss two key system responsibilities--improving afterschool programs and using data for informed decision-making? Lots of rich discussion. This report covers a national afterschool conference held in February 2013. It details what mayors, program providers, system…

A severe form of influenza known as H1N1, commonly being called swine flu, has health officials around the world concerned. In the United States, the outbreak of H1N1 has prompted school closures and cancellation of school-related events. As the flu spreads, the Department of Education encourages school leaders, parents and students to know how to…

This report offers information and advice to assist all levels of government in its work to establish evidence-based policies, programs, and practices across the life cycle of disasters. This report provides examples of effective community efforts with respect to people with disabilities, and evaluates many emergency preparedness, disaster relief,…

Michael G. Wessells, recipient of the International Humanitarian Award, is cited for his pioneering and sustained contributions to the protection of children affected by armed conflict and to the development of international guidelines for the provision of community-based, culturally responsive psychosocial support in emergencies. Wessells has…

"Lessons Learned" is a series of publications that are a brief recounting of actual school emergencies and crises. This "Lessons Learned" issue examines the incidence of student walkout demonstrations and the various ways in which administrators, school staff, law enforcement, and the community at large can help keep youths…

This article discusses one of the best defenses against a violent threat in schools -- practicing emergency and lockdown drills. In some buildings, classroom doors lack locks and exterior doors are old. Other buildings have public announcement systems that do not work well throughout a school building, or that lack speakers in restrooms. Still…

At the intersection of online education and preparedness, Johns Hopkins University's (JHU) Center for Public Health Preparedness provides all-hazards preparedness and response training for public health and public safety professionals. This report comes from Jonathan Links' keynote address to the Sloan Summer Research Workshop in Baltimore,…

For at least the last quarter century, enterprises--including higher education institutions--have increasingly relied on Information Technology Services (ITS) for business functions. As a result, IT organizations have had to develop the discipline of production operations as well as recovery procedures to respond when those operations are…

This article draws from and builds on the experience of schools in San Diego County following the forest fires that wrought havoc on the area last October. Three teachers (Dana Riggs, Marcelina Madueno and Miriam Atlas) provide a moving account of the personal experiences of their students, who lived through the fires. Their recollections…

Sudden cardiac death among athletes continues to take the lives of college students across the nation. Leadership at all levels of higher education has great concern over this phenomenon. However, the processes and procedures related to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) remain poorly understood. Corrado (1998) suggests that sudden cardiac death of…

A key component of comprehensive school and school district emergency management plans is an exercise program that includes the five types of exercises: (1) orientation seminars; (2) drills; (3) tabletop exercises; and (4) functional exercises. Functional exercises are excellent tools for testing the extent to which an existing emergency…