School Crisis Toolkit
The first priority of educators nationwide is to provide a healthy and safe school environment for all students and staff. ACSA has taken a proactive role in school safety with the creation of the School Crisis Toolkit. Leveraging student advocates, federal agencies, thought-leaders, and stakeholders, this toolkit is designed to provide resources that save lives.
As an additional resource, watch a webinar covering best practices around drills and staff training and providing templates for communication and crisis management
Before an Incident
Before an Incident
Before an Incident Checklist:
- Use an anonymous reporting system or tip line.
- Establish a district and school safety committee comprised of a myriad of key stakeholders.
- Update safety plan regularly and train all staff on its contents.
- Review sample scenarios.
- Develop relationships with local first responders.
- Conduct lockdown drills, at least once annually, that include all staff. Empower all staff to call a lockdown.
- Implement research-based social emotional learning programs that foster positive campus climate.
- Create a crisis communication plan that includes specific roles, guidelines, and messaging.
- Conduct regular security assessments of your school facilities.
- Establish several possible reunification locations and coordinate with those entities; develop a procedure for reunifying students and families after an emergency.
- Ensure students have access to mental health professionals.
- Create a crisis response box that includes maps, keys, student and staff emergency cards, and medical information.
- Identify a crisis command center.
During an Incident
During an Incident
During an Incident Checklist:
- Call a lockdown.
- Call 911.
- Establish incident command center.
- Communicate with families, media, and other stakeholders.
- Identify a relocation site, and communicate information to families.
- Implement reunification plan.
- Contact local and regional partners, including mental health providers.
After an Incident
After an Incident
After an Incident Checklist:
- Continue crisis communications with all stakeholders.
- Conduct meeting as promptly as possible with all staff.
- Deploy mental health and bereavement professionals, and social workers.
- Provide Human Resources support.
- Immediately after the incident, consider whether to repair, relocate or rebuild the facility.
- Engage counsel to prepare for legal issues that may arise.
- Debrief the event with key decision-makers on lessons learned, utilizing an after action report.
- Identify relief resources.
- Conduct school community follow up meetings.
- Schedule events to honor tragedies and those who passed.
- Scrutinize vendors offering free services.
.