Table Of ContentU.S. Department of Education
Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center
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Volume 3, Issue 5, 2007
EmErgEncy managEmEnt in nontraditional School SEttingS
Many nontraditional schools across the United
States, such as storefront schools, rural schools,
and alternative education facilities, face challenges
in creating and implementing comprehensive
emergency management plans. Some of these
challenges are limited resources, geographic
location of the school, a local belief that
emergencies will not happen, and a perception
of being overlooked by the community because they reside within the juvenile justice system.
the schools are not viewed as a traditional school Equally important, the potential for emergencies
setting. For most people, the label “traditional to impact nontraditional schools is as great as it
school” conjures images of a brick and mortar is in conventional education settings. In some
building, a conventional daily school schedule, cases, due to geographic locations resulting in
mainstream students, public funding and oversight, longer response time by emergency services,
and an urban or midsize town setting. the unique medical and communication needs
of some students with disabilities, and the
The face of education has changed significantly
independent nature of many nontraditional
in recent years. Virtual classrooms, schools
schools, the impact of an emergency in these
within correctional facilities, classrooms and
schools may be far greater.
independent schools located within business
buildings, home schools, districts with Nontraditional schools often benefit from
significant populations of non-English speaking having highly engaged parents, a strong sense
students, schools for students with special of connection between the school and the
needs, alternative schools, charter schools, and community, and a history of independence that
magnet education programs all challenge the can be effectively channeled toward safety
notion of what “school” means. initiatives. In many nontraditional school
settings, parents have higher expectations
All students have a right to a safe and supportive
regarding the safety of their children. In some
learning environment. School safety and
cases, their children live 24 hours a day on the
emergency management are issues that must
school campus, or the school represents a safe
be prioritized regardless of whether a school
haven from the dangers of crime- and gang-
is viewed as traditional or not. Similarly,
infested neighborhoods. For many others, the
all students have the right to equal access to
decision to place their child in a nontraditional
learning facilities, regardless of their ability,
setting is heavily driven by the perception
their geographic location, the education choices
that such schools are safer than conventional
their parents have made for them, or whether
education settings.
Similarities Between traditional and
nontraditional School Settings
Regardless of the differences in locations
or student populations, all schools need to
take an “all-hazards” approach to emergency
management planning by:
Conducting regular drills and exercises;
Overcoming the challenges of engaging
and communicating with parents regarding
emergency procedures; and
Reaching out to local emergency
achievement or school climate to reach within a
service providers.
three-to-five year period. Many charter school
In many regards, there are more similarities administrators use the safety mandates required
than differences in school safety and of traditional schools for guiding, and sometimes
emergency management issues between exceeding, expectations for emergency planning,
traditional and nontraditional schools: limited conducting required drills, and carrying out
funding, logistical challenges of parent- vulnerability assessments. Todd Ziebarth, senior
student reunification, the need to develop policy analyst of the National Alliance for Public
effective partnerships, and having the ultimate Charter Schools, points out that such schools
responsibility for providing student care. typically receive between 75 and 85 percent
of the funding conventional schools receive.
Unique considerations for Similarly, they receive no direct support for
different types of nontraditional facilities maintenance, nor do they have bonding
School Settings capabilities. As a result, charter schools must use
a greater percentage of their operational budget
Charter Schools
and innovative funding strategies to address hazard
mitigation efforts. Charter schools should:
Most charter schools are held to the same safety
expectations by their governing boards as by
Put particular emphasis on communicating
those in traditional schools.1 Charter schools
about and celebrating any school safety and
often benefit from higher staff-to-student ratios
emergency management issues with parents
and affiliations with foundations and private
because perceptions of enhanced safety are
donors who value early intervention and
often one of the primary reasons parents
prevention programs. These schools typically
enroll their children in charter schools.
have specific benchmarks for academic
Develop resource-sharing Mutual Aid
1 Amy Stuart, et al, Beyond the Rhetoric of Charter School
Agreements with public school districts.
Reform: A Study of Ten California School Districts (Los
Angeles: UCLA Charter School Study, 1998).
2
Recognize that typically there is no central Moreover, many rural areas are also
coordinating office, such as a public school experiencing a net migration loss to urban areas,
district office, and thus they must operate further constraining already tight education
more independently and may have a difficult budgets largely dependent on the local tax base
time engaging emergency response agencies and daily enrollment figures.
in preparedness exercises.
Many rural communities are resistant to
Ensure infectious disease surveillance
adopting national- or state-level safety protocols
procedures are coordinated with the city
or mandates viewed as originally created with
and/or county public health department, as
urban concerns in mind. Putting a local twist
well as with neighboring schools.
on such initiatives and thinking not in terms
of homeland security, but rather hometown
Rural Schools
safety, may create a subtle but important shift
in perception. For those schools that do have
Rural schools often represent the single most
emergency plans in place, many can best be
important community resource. Almost
described as “15-minute” plans because they are
all segments of the local population have a
adopted from larger, more established districts
personal connection to the school whether by
that benefit from much shorter emergency
employment, enrollment of family members,
response times. Chris Utzinger of the Montana
or attendance of events held on campus. In
Safe Schools Center believes that “at the most
essence, the school is the community, and any
basic level, emergency management teams in
emergency in the facility has broad and, in
rural schools must plan around the question: In
many cases, profound long-term impacts on the
what amount of time can we receive what level
emotional well-being of all its members.
of assistance?”
Denying the potential for school emergencies is
Engaging rural emergency service agencies
often the most significant hurdle to overcome
to participate in exercises and drills, and to
in rural communities. While not often
help design and customize school emergency
acknowledged as such, denial is often more of
management plans can be challenging because:
an issue than is a lack of resources. In rural
areas, a common core belief is that communities
Volunteers staff many emergency services in
are safe and immune to acts of violence and
rural areas and often cannot leave their paying
large-scale disasters. School boards typically
jobs to engage in planning with schools; and
reflect local values and reinforce this core
belief, making it difficult for school officials to Many rural police and fire departments have
politically and financially prioritize emergency only a handful of staff, who are obligated to
management initiatives. Compounding this cover vast geographic areas.
fact is that in many cases, federal and state
Another concern for rural schools is that it
funding for such initiatives is being increasingly
is common for significant percentages of the
prioritized toward urban jurisdictions that are
responding agency personnel to have children
perceived to have higher levels of vulnerability.
enrolled in the very schools to which they
3
are responding, and many of them may feel and while rates of gang activity in such
constrained by their emotional proximity to the communities have been declining in the
school population. past 10 years, rates in some small towns
are increasing.2 This is particularly true
Strategies rural schools may consider in
on almost 25 percent of American Indian
designing, implementing, and sustaining Reservations, most of them very rural.3
emergency management efforts include:
The rise is also seen in communities with
increased methamphetamine usage and
Designating an individual to champion
production, and in rural areas surrounding
the cause. Responsibility for emergency
urban cities where gang migration is
management planning often is delegated to
occurring due, in part, to urban law
one person at the district level, typically the
enforcement initiatives.4 In the prevention-
director of student services or the assistant
mitigation phase, schools with emerging
superintendent, who may have difficulty
concerns should initiate anti-gang and
implementing policies at the building level.
graffiti removal programs. Similarly, they
It is critical to find individuals who will
should work with law enforcement agencies
champion the cause at the building level
to determine the level of school vulnerability
because a mere assignment from the district
due to such activity and then develop
superintendent may not be enough to cause
response and reporting procedures in the
momentum. This building designee should
preparedness phase. Finally, as with any
oversee implementing and practicing the plan,
school, it is important to consider whether
as well as training building staff on the plan.
off-site evacuation locations and routes cross
Considering the needs of parents with gang-controlled territory, particularly if
limited English proficiency. Some there are active members of opposing gangs
communities in rural areas tend to have within the school.
large portions of migrant workers with
Creating mechanisms to channel community
limited or no English proficiency. School
support. Rural communities may have
safety officials need to ensure key
an inherent sense of interdependence in
materials are translated and should develop
responding to emergencies, and mobilizing this
communication procedures to reach parents
commitment in the prevention-mitigation and
through employers and/or ensure pre-
approval of students being released to other
2 Arlen Egley and Christina Ritz, “Highlights of the
authorized, supervising adults.
2004 National Youth Gang Survey,” OJJDP Fact
Sheet. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Taking gang activity into account. Some
Programs (April 2006).
rural communities may have significant 3 Aline K. Major, Arlen Egley, James C. Howell, Barbara
gang activity because the isolated Mendenhall, and Troy Armstrong, “Youth Gangs in
Indian Country,” Juvenile Justice Bulletin. U.S.
geographic location may be on major drug
Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs
trafficking and production routes. While (March 2004).
not commonly thought of as a rural issue, 4 Ralph Weisheit and L. Edward Wells, “Youth Gangs in
Rural America,” NIJ Journal 251(2004).
4
preparedness phases is critical to preventing and recovery. Many community members may
disorganization in community assistance view students in alternative schools as threats
during the response and recovery phases. to the integrity and safety of the community,
particularly when such schools have significant
Developing multi-district Memorandums of
percentages of adjudicated youths. For
Understanding. Resources may be limited
example, a critical step in school emergency
in the event of a crisis; rural schools should
management planning involves developing
create multi-district mutual aid agreements
Mutual Aid Agreements with community
or Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) to
partners such as community centers, businesses,
share resources, including support staff, in
and faith-based institutions for off-site
the event of a localized emergency.
evacuation locations and the provision of food
and supplies. Many partners may be reluctant
Alternative Schools
to work with alternative schools that enroll
For many students, enrollment in an alternative students who may be perceived as dangerous.
school is an alternative to expulsion or
Transportation, evacuation, and release
incarceration, and, if not successful, they may
procedures may be particularly challenging
face a series of consequences. In an alternative
for those students who may attend schools in
education setting, students’ activities must be
gang territories, may not have adults at home,
structured, monitored, purposeful, and safe.
have child care issues, or who are highly
Many urban alternative schools for students
independent based on their life circumstances.
with behavior disorders are spread across
Whenever possible, these procedures should
multiple neighborhoods, gang territories, and
be addressed in collaboration with parents
jurisdictional boundaries. They often operate
and legal guardians. As in traditional school
with only a handful of staff, sometimes no more
settings, some parents of students in alternative
than one or two teachers. In this sense, the level
schools are highly engaged in their child’s
of independence that may be required in an
emergency setting is not unlike that in many rural
schools. A critical distinction, however, is that
while such urban schools may have significantly
higher numbers of at-risk students for which
close monitoring is mandated, and while such
schools may operate similarly in particularly
dangerous neighborhoods, the response time of
emergency services is typically only a fraction of
what would be encountered in rural schools.
Dissolving misconceptions in the community
is an important step during each of the four
phases of emergency management for schools:
prevention-mitigation, preparedness, response,
5
academic achievement and in the school’s safety be very proactively engaged with students in
procedures. Others will rarely participate. The alternative schools.
intake procedure provides a key opportunity for
Additional strategies alternative schools may
schools to communicate with parents regarding
use for designing, implementing, and sustaining
release procedures and the school’s emergency
emergency management plans include the
management plan.
following:
Developing and sustaining meaningful,
Create a community outreach plan
trusting connections between students and
that includes activities such as park
teachers is one of the hallmarks of an effective
beautification projects, public murals, music
education institution. This is particularly
festivals, and service learning projects with
true in alternative schools when teachers may
community groups and prominent public
represent one of the few positive role models
figures to counter the negative impressions
for the students. One key to establishing such
some may have of the students.
relationships, according to Joseph Powers of
the Orange County Department of Education in Channel students’ risk-taking behavior
California, is: “Meeting the students where they into leadership roles that may be seen as
are at [in terms of their life circumstances], then supportive during the response phase.
taking them where you need them to be.” Ensure that such positions are clearly visible
(e.g., wearing hats, vests.) to other students,
Close working relationships with law
businesses, and the public.
enforcement agencies that serve to enhance
Establish realistic protocols, reviewed by
emergency management planning in alternative
legal counsel, for relinquishing control
schools is possible because many students’
of students in emergency situations when
attendance and academic progress are closely
parents do not reunite with their children in
monitored by parole officers or other legally
the designated time frame.
appointed case managers. Similarly, alternative
schools for students with behavior problems can
Storefront Schools
provide a critical window into the community
from the perspective of law enforcement.
According to JoAnn Allen, coordinator of
student support services at the Santa Cruz
Teachers in alternative schools continually
(California) County Office of Education,
monitor the behavior of students who live
storefront schools—typically one- to two-room
in dangerous neighborhoods or who may be
schools that meet in storefront space in area
current or former gang members. This constant
business centers—because of their proximity
monitoring, combined with a close, trusting
to public spaces, may be impacted by many
student-teacher relationship, may help provide
more variables beyond their control than a
critical information to first responders and other
traditional, stand-alone school would be. For
professionals to proactively address impending
example, Allen asked, “If a neighboring bank
community violence. Additionally, many
or liquor store is robbed, will the adjacent
law enforcement agencies, particularly those
school be immediately notified to engage
involved in community policing, are willing to
6
lockdown procedures?” If the school has a clothing, additional first aid supplies and
medical emergency or a violent incident occurs, communication devices to augment what the
is there a protocol for building- or district-level school may have.
staff to immediately notify surrounding stores?
Create student projects that benefit
While traditional schools face similar issues, the
neighboring businesses and raise public
frequency, magnitude, and immediate impact of
awareness of the school, and ensure staff are
such events are likely to be greater in storefront
active members of the business community
schools. Many storefront schools operate with
to enhance program visibility.
only one or two staff members, who must be ready
Develop prominent signage to clearly identify
to perform multiple emergency response activities
the school for emergency responders.
and operate independently for an extended period
of time in the event of a large scale disaster. Develop emergency procedures in
collaboration with neighboring businesses
Strategies storefront schools may use for
and mall security personnel and utilize these
designing, implementing, and sustaining
personnel as a resource if possible.
emergency management procedures include
Ensure backup communication
the following:
systems with the district office that
Conduct emergency drills and exercises with do not rely on the leasing businesses’
neighboring businesses, first responders, telecommunications infrastructure.
and the students. These events should be
State- and Regionally Supported Schools for
conducted during periods that minimize
Special Needs Students
down time so as to reduce potential lost
revenues for the businesses.
Another nontraditional educational environment
Ensure that school entrances and exits
that may present unique safety and emergency
take into account the needs of neighboring
management concerns are schools for deaf and
businesses and that the school’s response
blind students. Teachers and administrators
plans include off-site evacuations.
of these schools view their facilities as simply
Recognize that during a large-scale another placement option for students with
disaster, storefront schools may not receive sensory impairments, and indeed, many
assistance from emergency responders in of these students complete a great deal of
a timely fashion. The creation of district their coursework in conventional, and often
mobile emergency response units should neighboring, schools.
be considered. These units should be
Often parents of students in these facilities are
pre-supplied and quickly deployed by
highly engaged with the school and, as partners,
district administrators. These units can be
can support the school in developing emergency
quickly deployed using a school district
procedures, fundraising for additional
vehicle and, in addition to the involvement
emergency management supplies and/or
of staff trained in first aid and/or mental
mitigation activities, and serving as information
health recovery, may include 72-hour kits,
liaisons to the surrounding community.
food, water, warm and/or storm resistant
7
Many schools for deaf and blind students also Work with public safety to place sidewalks
serve as residential facilities; therefore, the with curb cuts and tactile warning strips, and
emergency management plans must develop Braille signage at critical junctions, and to
response procedures for incidents during late establish accessible shelters.
hours, when staffing levels are lower. Diane
Ensure adequate resources such as backup
Moog, principal of the Montana School for Deaf
supplies of medicines, hearing aids and
and Blind, reminds that if off-site evacuations
batteries, and food for guide dogs.
or extended closings of the school occur, the
Maintain ongoing hazard assessments, given
school must have contingency plans for parent
that many facilities for deaf and blind students
reunification and/or student release when families
are outdated or are being used for purposes for
may live across state or several hours away.
which they were not originally designed.
Administrators and staff of these schools should
Utilize students in conducting assessments.
work with partners to develop strategies such as
Plan for securing confidential student
the following:
records during extended emergencies.
Provide training to emergency responders
Virtual Classrooms
and other agencies about communicating
with students who have visual, hearing, and
Most of the school safety concerns associated
mobility impairments.
with emergency management in traditional
Ensure that emergency notification systems
schools are not relevant with regard to virtual
and alarms are designed for both visual and
classrooms. However, it is important that
auditory signals.
administrators of such programs ensure
Involve service providers such as off-site backups of critical student records,
occupational, physical and speech therapists, communicate any district-wide emergency
audiologists, and interpreters in drills and
tabletop exercises so they may share their
expertise and knowledge.
Utilize electronic variable messaging boards,
short message systems (SMS) and/or TTY/
TTD technologies to communicate with
students and staff during evacuations.
Identify both primary and alternative
evacuation routes with full accessibility.
Post signs to alert motorists in the
environment around the school of students’
hearing and vision impairments.
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response policies or response actions to Emergency management
students of virtual classroom programs and their considerations that apply to all
parents, and ensure that they have continuity nontraditional Schools
of operations plans in the event of extended
Conducting a comprehensive needs assessment
network or other infrastructure disruptions.
As is the case in any school emergency
Home Schools
management planning, conducting hazard and
vulnerability assessments is a critical component
Home school parents and teachers are required
of the prevention and mitigation phase. This
by law to learn fire safety and other emergency
process serves as the occasion for many
preparedness skills. While it is unrealistic
schools to make their first connections with
to expect significant levels of collaboration
city and county disaster and emergency service
with emergency response agencies in the
officials. In the case of rural schools, the
development of site-specific safety and
likelihood of severe weather events that damage
emergency response plans, it is incumbent on
school infrastructure, complicate parent-
home schoolers to stay informed of the latest
student reunification, and create exceptionally
recommendations for keeping students safe.
hazardous transportation and communication
Suggestions include:
issues for school bus services is high, and thus
Contacting county disaster and emergency the needs will be significant as well.
service offices to learn of vulnerability
Similarly, in the case of many alternative
assessments that have been completed or
schools in urban settings and storefront
unique hazards relevant to the home school;
schools, assessments must take into
Conducting hazard assessments with age-
account hazards these schools face given
appropriate students;
their immediate proximity to high-crime
Developing family emergency preparedness neighborhoods and adjacent businesses such
plans and emergency kits; as banks, liquor stores, industrial sites, and
vacant warehouses. Ongoing communication
Educating students about Internet safety,
and frank, regularly scheduled discussions
securing network access, and installing
with business owners and county officials are
filter software;
critical if school emergency management plans
Giving students critical emergency
are to realistically reflect unique risks. This
contact information;
latter point is particularly important because
Ensuring communication plans with many business owners are often reluctant to
neighbors and out-of-county friends and share such sensitive information.
family members; and
Finally, the value of having students themselves
Staying informed of public health
trained to conduct limited vulnerability and
information and alerts on infectious disease.
hazard assessments cannot be overstated.
9
Students typically feel empowered and valued in reaching out to neighboring businesses,
when involved in such projects, particularly engaging parents in drills and exercises, and
when they are allowed to present their findings ensuring their place at the table with business
to school administration and school boards. advisory groups, chambers of commerce, and
Such presentations can garner positive media local emergency planning councils.
attention and public support, and often motivate
Aligning emergency plans with the National
the freeing of resources for hazard mitigation
Incident Management System (NIMS) and
initiatives that otherwise may not have been
Incident Command System (ICS)
approved. When allowed, students can often be
the greatest advocates for school safety.
Among its many other benefits, implementation
of the NIMS’ ICS can help rural schools
Collaborating with community partners
maintain critical emergency management
Building and maintaining relationships with functions for an extended period of time as they
key stakeholders represents one of the most wait for emergency services to arrive. As one
vital steps in the emergency management high school principal in a rural Montana school
cycle. Like the cycle itself, this process has observed, ICS allowed him to manage what
is ongoing and requires constant attention. would otherwise have been an overwhelming
This is particularly true in the case of number of responsibilities and decisions while
nontraditional schools, which must be adept at police, fire, and EMS were en route. Once such
leveraging any additional community support services arrive, they are often short-handed
they can. Such schools, which be overlooked to deal with the number of students and staff
in community planning efforts, and their small impacted by the emergency and thus are more
populations may mean they are less likely than willing to operate in a unified command
to receive immediate services in the event structure with school officials.
of a large-scale disaster. It is particularly
As is the case in any school, students can be
incumbent on safety teams and school
very effectively utilized in ICS-supportive roles,
administrators to take a very proactive stance
such as scribes who, under the direction of the
incident commander, complete incident action
plans; spotters who direct emergency services;
runners who relay messages and serve as parent
and student escorts during the reunification
process; those who advise in planning and
logistics considerations, assist with student
accountability, and perform limited first-aid
roles—provided that they have received formal
training and that the implications of performing
such roles have been considered by the school’s
legal counsel.
10
