The time to plan is now. If you do not have a crisis plan for your school in place, develop one. If you do have a plan in place, review, update and practice that plan regularly.
Schools and school districts need to be ready to handle crises, large and small, to keep children and staff out of harm's way and ready to learn and teach. Refer to these resources to begin or continue your planning efforts. In addition to planning guidelines, you'll find curriculum resources designed to bring the preparedness message to your students.
Involving staff, parents and students reminds us that preparedness is a team sport.
Planning and preparedness resources
Websites
- www.ed.gov – U.S. Department of Education
- www.ready.gov – Ready.gov
- www.cdc.gov – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- www.redcross.org – American Red Cross
- www.rems.ed.gov – Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools
Documents
- Steps for Developing a School Emergency Management Plan
- : An Action Guide
- Helping Children Cope in Unsettling Times
Curriculum and classroom aids
- Red Cross Youth – American Red Cross
- Ready Kids – Ready.gov
- Disaster Preparedness Coloring Book – FEMA
- Earthquakes for Kids – United States Geological Survey (USGS)
- Beat the Quake – Earthquake Country Alliance