Professional and Legal Responsibilities
For Emergency Preparedness

Adapted from the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA’s) “Multi-Hazard Program for Schools,” (1999)

Responsibility

1.      Schools are a vital community resource.

·        School personnel have a moral and legal responsibility to all students in their care.

·        Your school is responsible for students during day-to-day operations.

·        After a disaster, your school may serve as the gathering place for hundreds of people who live or work nearby.
 

2.      In most cases, teachers and staff members will be required to remain at school until they are released by the principal, superintendent, or incident commander.

·        This responsibility to students in a disaster should be covered in each individual’s employment contract.

·        The school cafeteria should maintain a three day food supply to feed those sheltered at the school.

·        This policy recognizes the school’s obligation to keep students safe.

·        Just as school staff members will rely on other members of the community to open blocked roads, repair utilities, perform rescue work, etc., those members of the community will rely on schools to provide for the children in their care.
 

3.      Staff Members should have a family emergency plan; that plan should anticipate that the school staff member must stay at school.

·        Knowing your family is prepared and can handle the situation will enable you to do your job professionally.

·        Remind your family that if the telephones are not working, you will be unable to call them.

·        If the telephones work, tell them you will wait an hour or two to keep the lines open.

4.      Ideally, the school plan should include a prioritization of which teachers and staff members might be released first (such as those with small children at home).
 

5.      Staff members who live alone or a long distance from school should be encouraged to make special preparations for remaining at school a longer time, such as arranging with a neighbor to check on their home and keeping extra supplies at school.
 

Legal Aspects

·        If you are a school official with decision-making authority and you neglect or avoid taking disaster safety precautions, you may be found personally and financially liable for damages, injuries and deaths at your school.
 

·        Many States now require specific disaster preparedness activities.  In Kentucky, several statutes related to emergency planning and safe schools reporting:

K.R.S. 158.150 – Suspension or expulsion of students

K.R.S. 158.154 – Principal’s duty to report certain acts to local law enforcement

K.R.S. 158.163 – Earthquake and tornado emergency procedures system

K.R.S. 158.164 – Building lockdown procedure -- Practice

K.R.S. 158.165 – Possession and use of personal telecommunications device.

K.R.S. 610.345 – Principal’s duty to share “Disclosure Notices” received from courts.

·        Have your legal counsel check to see that your school or district is in compliance with current laws and standards regarding school safety.