It is essential to understand and be prepared for a
range of situations from school-based events such as
an allergic reaction to community-wide disasters
such as tornados. The chart below illustrates
different levels of emergencies, and the following
page describes in greater detail the possible impact
of community-level disasters on individual schools.
School LevelEmergencies
Situations in which the
scope is limited to school settings &
school-based personnel, & no assistance is
needed (such as an allergic reaction and use of
“epi-pen”)
District Level Emergencies
These are events where
support and involvement is required from school
district personnel or members of the District
Support Team. Events may include an unexpected
death, suicide threats, water or power failure,
trespasser, etc. While these events may require
help from non-school employees, they do not
reach the scope and gravity of community-level
disasters needing community-wide support.
Community Level Emergencies
These include large-scale
events during which coordination of services
from school, district and local community
response agencies is warranted. Such events
include tornado damage to buildings, flooding,
fires or explosions, chemical spills requiring
evacuation, death of multiple staff or students
(as in a bus accident) and/or ahostage situation. In many of these
situations the school’s role is to implement
protocols until appropriate community agencies
respond and assume responsibility (such as
police, fire and rescue). However, schools must
be prepared to rely on their own resources until
help arrives.
