Communication During an Emergency

Communication is a critical part of emergency management.  School staff and students must be told what is happening and what to do.  Parents of students and families of staff members must be informed about the situation, including the status of their child or family member.  Timely contact with law enforcement and other emergency services is necessary for effective response.  School Board members must be kept informed and updated. Information must be transmitted to Central Office and to other affected schools.  And finally, the media must be informed and kept updated.

After an Emergency
The principal will need to notify staff of an event or emergency and keep them informed as additional information becomes available and as plans for management of the situation evolve.

The Telephone Tree
A telephone tree is a simple, widely used system for notifying staff of an emergency event when they are not at school.  Set up a telephone tree by listing the first in Building Chain of Command (Principal or Incident Commander).  Then link him/her to several on the Emergency Management Response Team; then link to different staff groupings (teachers, support staff, etc.).  In practice, the first person on the list calls several people who in turn call others, etc., until everyone on the list has been notified of the situation.  A carefully crafted statement, specifying what is and is not yet known, and what steps may need to be taken, should be drafted before the telephone tree is activated.

The Morning Faculty Meeting
An early, brief faculty meeting provides the opportunity to give accurate, updated information about an emergency event/situation itself and to review with staff procedures for the day, including the availability of intervention resources.

The End-of-Day-One Faculty/Staff Meeting
A brief end-of-day-one meeting provides the opportunity to review day one of an emergency, to update information, and plan for day two.  Misinformation or rumors can be addressed before staff members go home or into the community where they are likely to be asked about the situation.