Forward

In 2001 the Kentucky Center for School Safety along with the Kentucky Department of Education, local school district personnel, state and local law enforcement and various response agencies developed an emergency management planning guide or template in an effort to assist school districts (along with their schools) to consistently develop their emergency operations plans.  Since 2001 there have been many changes to the school safety and community landscape necessitating us to review and subsequently update this document.  We have again enlisted the expertise of many partnering agencies, local school district personnel and community organizations to guide us in this effort.  The result is a planning document for school districts, schools and school communities that provides a focus on an “all hazards approach” and building the plan upon four distinct principles. 

These principles or Phases of Emergency Management  are Mitigation/Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.  Each phase of this planning process plays a unique role and is designed to provide specific information and skills that are intended to support each of the other phases.  We are calling this document the Emergency Management Resource Guide. This document is not intended to be a school’s plan, rather it is designed to be a template by which a school (and/or district) can pick and choose the areas that are specific to them and customize a plan that is consistent with best practice, while being unique to their particular location. 

The possibility of massive health concerns such as a pandemic, terrorist attacks, requirements under the National Incident Management System (NIMS), National Response Plan (NRP), National Infrastructure Preparedness Program (NIPP), continuity of operations planning and business continuity plans, are all areas that were little known, discussed or incorporated into local school district emergency operations plans in 2001.  Schools must take a much broader view of their role in terms of an emergency and be prepared to act accordingly.  Effective school safety planning is intended to be “pro-active”, developed in collaboration with community partners, school staff and students.   These school specific plans should be reviewed regularly and tested in order to ensure that all affected persons are aware of their role in an emergency.