Considering record-setting natural disasters throughout the U.S., the continued prevalence of active shooter events on school grounds, and the growing threat of cyberattacks, school emergency response plans are more critical than ever. While most districts and schools have emergency management plans, many aren’t regularly practiced, coordinated with community resources, or updated frequently. As a result, when schools and districts face emergencies—whether physical or cyber—they are often left unprepared.

Emergencies of all types occur in schools daily and can have lasting physical, emotional, and educational ramifications. Cyber emergencies, such as ransomware attacks or data breaches, can disrupt school operations, compromise sensitive information, and cause financial loss. Use this guidance to ensure your emergency response plan includes both physical and digital threats, outlining the essential phases involved in its development and implementation.

Phases of an Effective School Emergency Plan

Mitigation & Prevention

This phase involves proactive measures school officials and districts can take to eliminate or reduce the impact of potential emergencies. Steps to include in this phase include:

• Risk Assessment & Physical Security: Identify potential threats, including natural disasters, man-made incidents and cyber risks. Secure hazardous areas, enhance building security, and maintain fire safety systems.
• Cybersecurity Measures: Protect school networks with firewalls and encryption, regularly update software, and establish a response plan for cyberattacks.
• Health & Safety Protocols: Enforce food safety, anti-bullying programs, and pandemic preparedness, ensuring student and staff well-being.
• Collaboration with First Responders: Build relationships with local emergency services, conduct regular safety drills, and ensure clear communication systems for emergencies.
• Documentation & Communication: Develop a comprehensive Emergency Action Plan, designate leadership roles, and keep all stakeholders informed during crises.
• Employee Training: Educate staff to appropriately respond to threats like cyber attacks and active shooter events.

Preparedness

This phase is designed to ensure the school community is ready to respond effectively to potential emergencies. This phase involves developing protocols and policies, creating incident command systems and conducting formal training and exercises.  Ensure your preparedness includes:

• Emergency Protocols & Training: Develop clear procedures for various crises, including natural disasters, active shooters, and cyber incidents. Train staff, students, and first responders through regular drills.
• Communication Plans: Establish reliable communication channels for informing staff, students, families, and emergency services during an incident.
• Resource Allocation: Ensure access to emergency supplies, maps, facility information, and backup systems for key functions like payroll and registration.
• Roles & Responsibilities: Clearly define roles for staff and first responders in managing emergencies, ensuring everyone knows their duties.
• Stakeholder Involvement: Engage key stakeholders—teachers, parents, and local authorities—in the planning process to cover all perspectives.

Response

During an emergency, swift and coordinated action is essential to mitigate harm and ensure the safety of students and staff. This phase should include:

• Immediate Action: Quickly assess the situation and determine whether to evacuate, lock down, or follow other safety protocols.
• Communication: Notify first responders, staff, and students immediately, and provide accurate information throughout the incident.
• First Aid & Resources: Provide emergency medical care, organize supplies, and ensure access to designated evacuation or shelter areas.
• Third-Party Assistance: Involve IT professionals or external cybersecurity experts to manage the situation and secure systems.
• Student Release: Implement a clear system for releasing students to their families safely and efficiently.
• Flexibility & Documentation: Stay adaptable to changing circumstances, and document all actions for post-crisis review and improvement.
• Restoration Protocols: Implement predefined recovery procedures to bring critical systems back online in a prioritized order.

Recovery

This phase focuses on restoring normalcy and supporting the emotional and physical well-being of the school community. This involves repairing infrastructure, providing counseling services, and resuming educational activities. Specific actions may include:

• Emotional Support: Provide counseling and mental health services for students and staff affected by the emergency.
• Infrastructure Repair: Quickly restore damaged facilities and ensure they are safe for use.
• Communication: Keep families, staff and the media informed about recovery efforts and timelines.
• Debrief & Adjust: Conduct debriefings with staff and responders, and update emergency plans based on lessons learned.
• Return to Normal Operations: Resume educational activities as soon as possible while allowing flexibility for ongoing recovery needs.
• Data Recovery: Restore data from backups after a cyberattack, ensuring minimal disruption to school operations.
• Policy Revisions: Revise cybersecurity policies based on the lessons learned from the incident to prevent future attacks.

Goal of an Emergency Response Plan

If an emergency management program is created and executed correctly, it should hopefully achieve the following objectives:

• Address the four phases of emergency management listed above.
• Take an “all hazards” approach. This means that the plan addresses the following perils:
  • Natural disasters – (e.g., earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, other natural disasters)
  • Technological - (e.g., power outages)
  • Infrastructure – (e.g., roads, bridges, utilities)
  • Nonstructural - (e.g., portable room dividers, bookshelves, suspended ceilings, light fixtures)
  • Man-made – (e.g., hazardous materials release, acts of terrorism)
  • Biological - (e.g., flu pandemic, contaminated food)
  • Physical well-being – (e.g., broken bones from playing too rough, suicide)
  • Student culture & climate – (e.g., bullying, drugs, violent behavior on the premises)

We're Here to Help Schools Create an Effective Emergency Response Plan

Take the appropriate measures to make your school and district a safer place to learn and work for everyone. Engaging the local government, law enforcement, your employees, the students, families and the school district in these emergency response efforts will help every aspect of your business. If you need additional risk and insurance solutions or help creating an emergency response plan, connect with a member of our team.