Norwalk Public Schools Teachers, Police & Fire Dept Discuss School Safety during Table Top Exercise

     This short video discusses the benefits of our City wide collaboration between Norwalk Public Schools, First Responders, and other city services in responding to a serious school incident on April 10, 2014. 

     Highlighted in the video are Norwalk Fire Chief (and Director of Emergency Management) Denis McCarthy and Deputy Chief David Wrinn discussing the All Hazard approach Norwalk is taking in regards to school preparedness (safety, security, and school climate). The Active Shooter Table Top Exercise focused on the three C's: Communication, Cooperation, and Collaboration. All 19 public schools with their School Incident Response Teams participated as well as Central Office's School Incident Support Team which is a coordinating entity to support the incident school(s) response, coordinate with Norwalk's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and emplace the Recovery enablers as soon as possible.  
     The Table Top Exercise is an invaluable education and training tool to help clarify for the participants the difference between enthusiasm and capability.

Anniversary of July 22, 2011 Norwegian Massacre

Young Survivors of 2011 Norwegian Shooting Massacre
(Click on the Above Link) to see some of the survivors...

On July 22, 2011, a car bomb killed eight people at the executive government building in Oslo, Norway. Shortly thereafter, Anders Behring Breivik, responsible for the bombing in Oslo, opened fire at a summer youth camp for members of the Labor Party on the isolated island of Utøya, Norway killing 69 (mostly young) people and wounding (209) many more; 500 people survived.

15 Year Old Norwegian Survivor

Comment: This was a psychopathic act of violence from a madman who was captured and is in jail. The survivors of these violence acts against these youth will result in recovery for many years, and more than likely the rest of their lives. Not to mention, the impact these incidents have had on their families, friends, and loved ones will need to recover as well. 

Our focus always has to be on PREVENTION of these tragedies, if you SEE SOMETHING, HEAR SOMETHING, YOU NEED TO SAY SOMETHING. If only someone in Anders Behring Breivik's life was concerned about his extremist beliefs and purchases of weapons & bomb making materials; or if someone had stumbled upon his violent cyber postings this perhaps could have been prevented...? 

From a Response standpoint, in the most extreme cases of rampage shootings knowing how to RUN, HIDE, and as a last resort FIGHT (Protect Yourself and Others). Unfortunately in today's world this is a LIFE SKILL that can make us all more resilient.

It is about PREPARATION, not PARANOIA....

5 Simple Steps To Make Your School Safer and More Secure

5 Simple Steps to Take To Make Your School Safer and More Secure

Click on the link above to view the document. 

STEP 1: Instill, and Maintain, a School Preparedness Mindset.  

·         “See Something, Hear Something, Say Something”  campaign that is all inclusive

STEP 2: Form a School Preparedness Committee

STEP 3: Learn About School Preparedness (Free FEMA EMI Online Courses)

STEP 4:  Find, Review, and Refine your School Preparedness Plan

STEP 5: Conduct School Preparedness Drills and grow capability. 

Student Drownings Generate Safety Standards Review

Student Drownings Generate Review of Safety Standards

Click on the Link Above for the story and the video link below for a remembrance ceremony.

A number of student drowning deaths have generated a review of school safety standards affiliated with students conducting swimming or swim training.

IF THE COMPLETE AND THOROUGH REVIEW OF A STUDENT INJURY OR GOD FORBID DEATH HELPS PREVENT FUTURE INJURY OR DEATHS, THEN THAT UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT HAS A POSITIVE MEANING TOWARDS THE FUTURE. 

Westhill HS Students Arrested After Setting Off Homemade Explosives (June 2011)

Response to Student Homemade ChemBombs in Maryland 2008

STUDENTS WILL ON OCCASION WILL BRING

HOMEMADE EXPLOSIVE DEVICES TO SCHOOL

On July 2011, in Stamford, Connecticut, two city high school students face felony charges after setting off two small homemade bombs containing household chemicals on a friday morning at Westhill High School. A Westhill employee told police he would seek medical attention after inhaling fumes from one of the exploded devices, which were set off in trash bins. No other injuries were reported.

 

The bombs, contained in plastic bottles, produced loud explosions around 9:45 a.m. in two cafeterias at the Roxbury Road high school, said Stamford Police Sgt. Joseph Kennedy. The noise from the device caused "sheer panic" in the cafeteria, where a school resource police officer was posted.

 

The devices did not cause a fire, but one trash bin began smoking in the Raynor cafeteria, Kennedy said. An unidentified teacher or administrator went to the trash bin and inhaled chemical fumes and planned to seek medical attention. The exact contents of the homemade chemical bombs were unknown, but Kennedy said the two students filled plastic bottles with household cleaning solutions and mixed them with aluminum foil to cause a chemical reaction. The chemical reaction generate enough overpressure to cause the plastic containers to explode and release chemical liquid and vapors nearby.

 

Police officers and school administrators used surveillance video footage to identify the two 16-year-olds who set off the devices. They were arrested about 45 minutes after the explosions, Kennedy said. The students were charged with felony counts of second-degree assault, risk of injury to a minor, first-degree reckless endangerment and manufacturing bombs. They are being held at the juvenile detention facility at Bridgeport. Their names are being withheld because they are juveniles.

 

Kennedy said it is unclear whether the 16-year-olds were involved in a Wednesday incident at Westhill in which students threw water balloons filled with bleach at each other. School officials wouldn't disclose how the students will be disciplined. "Unfortunately, student privacy laws don't allow me to share the specific details of the disciplinary actions that will be taken," said Sarah Arnold, a spokeswoman for the district. "But the administration is going to pursue the maximum penalties."

 

According to the district's student behavior policy, students in possession of "explosive materials in school, or ignition of any flammable material in school" can be considered for removal from class, in-school suspension, out-of-school suspension and expulsion. Shannon O'Connor, a 16-year-old junior at Westhill, said she was sitting in the cafeteria several feet from the trash bin when one of the teens threw the small homemade device into it. The loud explosion startled everyone in the cafeteria, but the panic quickly subsided. "Everyone just screamed and jumped," she said Friday afternoon. "It scared me and I wasn't even near it."

Points for Consideration:

• It is a fact of life that teenagers left unsupervised and armed with a little information will try or experiment with chemicals and incendiary devices creating dangerous situations. The phrase "...it is all fun and games until someone loses an eye!" becomes deadly serious when kids can be injured. Many things that start out as a prank or something that seems cool turn out deadly and legally serious for the adolescent participants.
• Taken to a nefarious extreme, the Columbine incident was planned as a large two phased bombing attack to be followed by a shooting spree to kill the remaining survivors. Bombs (in duffel bags) were placed in the cafeteria during the busiest lunch period, but failed to detonate.
• Google search how to make a homemade device and you will be taken to YouTube where you can watch short films that will show you how. What is more disconcerting is to watch those short films made by kids who are demonstrating how to do this or that and even the film footage is an accident waiting to happen. Young kids playing with mixing interactive chemicals without any idea of the danger at close range.
• Parents / Guardians, Teachers, and students need to be tuned to that special frequency that if they "see something or hear something, they need to say something" to an authority figure so immediate action can be taken.
• The proper placement of cameras can be invaluable in finding out who was involved in an incident and what actually occurred.
• The reaction of students, school workers, and faculty to an explosion is often overlooked to include the unintended response (heart attack, anxiety attack, asthma attack, etc.) can turn a prank into a more serious affair (serious injury or death).

CHEMISTRY OUTSIDE  OF CHEMISTRY CLASS IS DANGEROUS

for STUDENTS



 

Follow Up To Yale Student's Death In Lab: OSHA Findings

On a previous School Preparedness Blog entry in April 2011, I posted information about student Michele Dufault's death from strangulation from a lab machine (a lathe) during late night work by herself in a Yale lab. The US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently completed its investigation. Yale University was not fined for this accidental student death by OSHA since it (OSHA) only has jurisdiction over worker safety, not student safety. OSHA released its finding from its review of the student's fatal accident. A synopsis of the OSHA finding are as follows:

• The lathe was built in 1962 which had no emergency stop button or safety guard on its lead screw (chuck) which the graduating senior's long hair was caught.
• No warning signs or safety rules posted in the laboratory's machine shop.
• The student who was killed should have been monitored by a second person.
• Her hair was not pulled back which contributed to her accidental death.
• The university failed to monitor the student's work and adherence to safety regulations which she was briefed upon.

Yale University's response to the accident / OSHA assessment: Stated it provided the student extensive machine tool training and personal protective equipment (PPE) and student's were instructed not to use machinery without anyone else present. Yale University states "...unfortunately, OSHAs assessment contains a number of significant inaccuracies." Since the accident, Yale stepped up its safety training program and limited the access to the machine shop to certain hours where monitors are present.

Points for Consideration:

• As stated in our past related blog, a TWO PERSON RULE should always be in place when machine are used especially by students. Moving parts, electricity, fuel, and fumes can all individually or collectively injure and kill people so be careful.
• Often times when we inherit equipment or renuvate facilities, we are pleased to economize or are satisfied we have equipment which still works which is good. However, educational leadership always has to ASSESS the HAZARDS that may occur or exist because something may not be up to present day safety codes and regulations.
• Your school can have the greatest safety policies, and education and training program; but if your school does not ENFORCE safety through SUPERVISION then human mistakes creep into the occassion as will accidents and possibly death. As we say in the military when it comes to leadership, "SUPERVISION is the most important part of leading others."
• Policies without supervised enforcement hold little weight in the real world.
• Investigations and lawsuits due to liability will follow soon after, this is where PREVENTION should always be the focus.
• It is always better for a educational institution to catch a safety violater and counsel or fine them prior to an accident vice having the institution having to defend why a student was accidentally killed with their equipment on your school's grounds.
• For accidents to occur their is a link between a number of factors (natural and manmade) that link together and form a consequence chain which lead to injuries and sometimes even death.

Part of teaching our students and reminding our educators to be successful in life is to remain SAFE and SECURE, these are enduring Life skills.

11 YEAR OLD STUDENT KILLED DURING A SCHOOL FIELD TRIP

On June 3rd, 2011 at approx. 1230 pm, in Wildwood New Jersey a tragic event took place where a 11 year old student fell to her death from over a 100 feet from the top of a Ferris Wheel ride during a school sponsored trip. It appears the deceased was the only passenger in that particular Ferris wheel car at the time and fell while it was in motion. The Morey's Mariner's Landing Pier sponsored its annual EDUCATION EXTRAVAGANZA as a day where the park invited students and teachers. The Ferris Wheel had been recently inspected for safety with no previous findings. The loss of life, especially a student, that a parent or guardian entrusted to the child's safety to their school is especially tragic. The park was closed for a day and reopened a day later. She was treated at the scene, but was announced deceased at the hospital 45 minutes later.

Points for Discussion:

• The serious injury, abduction, or death of a student during any school sponsored activity (school day, sporting event, or trip) is perhaps the most unsettling and tragic incident that could occur for a school, but it can unfortunately happen. 
• The reaction of most educators to a tragic incident is "why did this happen?"..."how did this happen?"..."how could we have prevented this from happening?"
• Following a tragic incident there will be an investigation and then undoubtedly there will be lawsuits. While everyone knows "hindsight is 20/20" especially when assigning blame or culpability for an injury or death of a student.
• What were the school district's policies or procedures for school trips?
• Were they sufficient to ensure the safety and security of students and school personnel?
• Did the school event planners, executors, and supervisors follow the spirit and letter of the school district policies and procedures for the school trip?
• Did unusual circumstances occur that were not covered by the school district policies and procedures, and what decisions and action did they take to ensure the safety and security of the students? 
• The school will need to RECOVER from the incident which starts as they RESPOND to an incident. 
• Individual students and staff members will require crisis counseling taking an individual approach. 
• The school will need small group counseling taking a collective approach. 

BAD THINGS CAN HAPPEN TO GOOD PEOPLE, AND WHEN THEY DO GOOD PEOPLE NEED TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS.  

Va Tech Fined $55K for Delayed Notification of a Potential threat on Campus

VA TECH FINED FOR VIOLATING FEDERAL LAW REQUIRING TIMELY NOTIFICATION OF A THREAT TO SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

US Department of Education fined Virginia Tech University for their failure to notify their school community about a potentially ongoing threat to campus safety. On April 16, 2007, when they failed to alert the campus after the discovery of two murdered students at 7:30 am. The 911 call occurred at 7:15 am and the police (Va Tech PD & Blacksburg PD) confirmed the murdered students in a dormitory. Classes start at 8:00 am daily. At 8:52 am, the University President (Stenger) had his office put into a lockdown and off campus PD (Blacksburg PD) placed their public schools into lockdown. Between, 9:05 and 9:15 am the shooter (Seung-Hui Cho) walked into Norton Hall and chained the doors shut. It wasn't until 9:26 am that President Stenger chose to notify the campus by sending out an email to campus staff, faculty, and students about a shooting incident in a dormitory (concerning the 2 murdered students). The campus was not placed in a lockdown nor told that a potential threat and gunmen still existed because they made an assumption that the 7:15 murder was an isolated incident. (In a crisis situation you can never assume away the potential or realization of a threat) At 9:42 am Cho's Norris Hall shooting rampage started and lasted 9 minutes and at the end of the day 33 people were killed.

Points for Consideration:

• Analyzing past and more recent school shootings is key for school leaders and communities to determine how to best prevent, mitigate, respond, and recover from a horrific act of violence.
• If the potential for violence, (let alone if a violent act has occurred) you must make decisions based upon worst case scenario and err on the side of caution.
• President Stenger (ready or not, prepared or not, trained or not) waited entirely too long to put the campus into a lockdown. Two hours after a confirmed double murder on campus did not result in a campus lockdown even after two hours...? Unacceptable. 
• Educational Leaders (Superintendents, University and College Presidents, Principals) need to ensure they have thought through and "done their homework" to prepare for all hazards, especially acts of violence. 
• School Leaders will have to make decisions in a crisis with incomplete information, and if an assumption is made it is in preparing and responding to a worst case scenario vice HOPING everything will work out OR encounter the "paralysis of analysis: by trying to come up with the perfect decision vice a good enough decision that protects LIVES first.  
• School Leaders need to take educate, train, and exercise their organizations and themselves to make good decisions.
• Taking free online courses from FEMA's Emergency Management Institute (EMI) on:
• Courses on: Emergency Management Planning for Schools, Emergency Management Planning for Universities, Active Shooter Response, Workplace Violence, and Incident Command Posts  

DELAWARE GOVERNOR STANDARDIZING SCHOOL SAFETY PLANS

Governor Jack Markell made a promise in his State of the State to make Delaware's schools safer. "It is often the response during the first critical minutes that will determine the outcome," says state Secretary of Safety & Homeland Security Lewis D. Schiliro (a former FBI Director in NYC). He's tasked with creating a model plan for public schools to follow in the event of an emergency of any kind. "It's really designed to work whether it's a fire, a chemical spill, some kind of intruder, and we're gonna do our best to plan for all those kinds of things," says Gov. Markell. With Delaware students spending more than a third of their time within an educational setting it is imperative that school safety be a priority, Governor Markell said.

Having public safety experts create a model plan for schools to utilize is the first step toward better preparing for any type of emergency. The first responders are often school administrators, teachers, and students so it is important that each school be aware of potential threats and be prepared to manage them should they occur.” Markell says they'll be trained by State Police School Resource Officers (SROs). "Here's how you deal with this kind of emergency, with this kind of intruder; very specific, step by step, which will then be used to help train the staff in the school, to help train the kids, to make sure everybody's kept safe," said Governor Markell.

“The model will be prepared as a standardized resource for school administrators to use in creating their comprehensive emergency plans. It will contain a scalable and flexible set of checklists that can be customized by administrators to address all-hazards preparedness. It will enhance multiagency coordination between the schools, stakeholders and first responder community to foster an integrated approach to emergency management and incident response,” said Secretary Schiliro.

Who is Watching The Kids? Toddler Assaulted at Sea World by Family Friend.

STUDENT / CHILD PHYSICAL SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE PREPAREDNESS GOAL.

Orlando, Florida. — A 26-year-old man is alleged to have raped a 2-year-old girl at SeaWorld Orlando and saved pictures of the crime on his cell phone.  Michael Grzybowicz has been held without bail in the Brevard County Jail. He is accused of raping the child on Feb. 17 after her mother had asked him to briefly watch the toddler inside the theme park. Pictures of the alleged rape were found on Grzybowicz’ phone and sent to his e-mail account. Records state that four photographs in the phone's memory chip showed the violation of the youngster wearing a diaper and a yellow sun dress while she rode in a dark blue stroller.  Grzybowicz told investigators that he didn't know how the photos got onto his cell phone.  The victim’s mother said the only time she left her daughter with Grzybowicz was when she and her boyfriend went on an amusement ride. The four had spent the day at the amusement park. A warrant indicates Grzybowicz faces charges of sexual battery and lascivious molestation on a child younger than 12.

While this horrific story is about failed parental supervision resulting in a predator's abuse of a child, there are numerous points for consideration for student safety and security. THIS WAS NOT A SCHOOL TRIP.

Points for Consideration:

• As a parent, do you know the adults that come in contact with your child?
• As a teacher or educational leader, do you know the adults who come in contact with your students throughout the course of the school day and extracurricular activities?
• Schools which have Child Development Centers, have special considerations about child safety & security.
• Volunteers for school trips must be vetted. Just because you think you  "know" someone (as the mother in this story did) doesn't mean that you truly know who they are. 
• If students see, hear, or expereince something they feel or know is inappropriate do they know who and how to report it?
• If a student has a drastic change in behavior, what resources do you have available to try to determine if there is a problem?

Sea World issued a statement and takes active steps to protect the safety of all visitors to their park. Ultimately, parents are responsible for the safety and security of their children. Parents and Educational leaders must take a team approach to this critical school preparedness goal.

Student Safety Committee, Get the Students On Board

DON'T FORGET STUDENTS ARE STAKEHOLDERS IN YOUR SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS NETWORK...THEY ARE VITAL TO THE PROCESS.

At the school where I work, we have a School Safety Committee which has a cross representation of all different  adult stakeholders from the building: Principal, Housemasters, School Resource Officer, School Security, Union Rep, Teachers, Main Office Secretarial Rep, School Psychologist, Facilities Manager, etc. We focus on an all hazard approach to safety and security in accordance with a NIMs approach. We meet monthly with a monthly theme and have a templated process. We came to the realization that we had no direct student input in the process, so we are developing a Student School Safety Committee. I will be the group mentor / facilitator but it will be a student led effort and the outputs from their meeting will be inputs to the School Safety Committee that meets monthly and vice versa. It is interesting in that a student's perspective on safety, security, and preparedness offer some unique perspectives. More to follow, but it is a a concept other schools that do not directly include students in their process to look at.

SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS DONE "TO" THE STUDENTS TO KEEP THEM SAFE AND SECURE, THEY ARE KEY MEMBERS OF THAT PROCESS AND OFTEN ARE THE FIRST LINE OF SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS. 

  

Risk Management & the Injured Cheerleader's Lawsuit

YOU CAN'T MANAGE RISK IF YOU DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN YOUR SCHOOL OR DURING SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITIES...???

 

Background. In Feb 2011 at Bridgeport, CT, the family of a 12 year old Wilton girl who suffered permanent injuries in March 2009 during cheerleading practice has filed a negligence suit against her coach and a youth football league. The lawsuit alleges that the cheerleading coach and the Wilton Youth Football league permitted her and her teammates to engage in a manuever beyond their capabilities. While their is no present indication the lawsuit is being filed against the school or school district, it none-the-less brings up natural questions for school leadership, athletic directors, coaches, after school club supervisors, and anyone affiliated with extra-curricular activities.

 

 

 

Discussion.  Quality Supervision, Safety Awareness, and Technical Competence are dangerous capabilities for school leaders and parents to ASSUME. Even with the best of intentions on the part of school leaders and parents who are part of the supervisory process and the adults who teach, coach, or mentor these extracurricular activities, activity risk management (RM) must be a part of the process. Using the military template of Operational Risk Management (ORM) provides a quick template.

1. Identify the Risks in the Activities That Take Place.
2. Rate the Risks (Low, Medium, High)
3. Identify the Steps To Take to Mitigate the Risks

Points for Consideration:

• Many school leaders do not know what activities are taking place at their school on a daily basis?
• The don't possess a tool (detailed school calendar with activities & events) to manage the information.
• This tool allows them to prioritize their supervisory focus for selected activities.
• Many school leaders and extracurricular adult supervisors have not analyzed the RISKs associated with the school or school sponsored activities that they will be held liable for.
• If they haven't analyzed the Activity RISKs then they haven't synthesized steps to MITIGATE those RISKs. 
• If you think your school has a handle on managing RISK, here are a few sample questions you may wan't to ask:
• Who specifically checks to ensure the sports physicals and or health risk screening forms are complete and read by coaches, and medical professionals?
• Just because a student has a sports physical doesn't mean the coaches know what is on it in the way of possible medical issues.
• Is there a list of the daily medications required to be taken by the students in your school?
• Who is tracking to ensure these medications are being taken?
• Who tracks the weather during football summer workouts at the school, before school starts?
• What are the guidelines for duration of practice and cooling off players during hot weather workouts?
• What is the concussion policy in regards to sports? Are coaches, players, and parents educated about this?
• Does your band Color Guard or JROTC spin or throw and catch drill rifles?
• Has their been an act of violence at the school you are visiting for a sporting event?
• Are their cheerleading or dance team manuevers which are not recommended? 
• Who is monitoring the weight room during off season and season workouts?
• Does your school have an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) available?

YOU "MAKE YOUR LUCK" BY BEING CONCERNED ABOUT SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY, BEING AWARE OF WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE ASSOCIATED RISKS AT SCHOOL, AND CREATING A MINDSET IN EVERYONE (School Leaders, Athletic Directors, School Nurse, Parents, Students, Coaches, and Club Supervisors) TO MITIGATE THOSE RISKS.

School Janitor Fatally Shoots Elementary Principal in North California

On Feb 2, 2011, a janitor fatally shot an elementary school principal in Placerville, Calif.The shooting occurred at about 10:30 a.m. (Pacific Time) in the principal's office at Schnell Elementary School. The janitor, identified as John Luebbers, 43, fled the scene on foot to his home, where he was arrested. Principal Sam LaCara, 50, died at Marshall Hospital from a single gunshot wound to the torso. The motive for the shooting remained unclear but the two apparently had a dispute. Some parents described Luebbers as "grumpy" and "rude" toward some students.




Janitor John Leubbers

No one else was hurt or threatened with violence in the incident, but the shooting prompted a security lockdown at the school that lasted for at least two hours. Buses eventually arrived at the school to transport students to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, where they will be reunited with parents.
Parents said LaCara did a good job at the school. LaCara was the married father of three daughters and a respected school administrator known for his sense of humor and love of sports. He lived near Carmichael. "It's a tragedy for Placerville and our entire society," said at an afternoon news conference. The El Dorado County office of Education said Thursday classes at all three Placerville district schools are canceled.

Points for Consideration:

• Workplace violence between adults or between adults and students is a reality. Not all violence that takes place at schools is between students.
• In times of budget cuts and job layoffs, sometime educational leaders can be put in situations where they have to eliminate positions, programs, or terminate personnel because of poor performance. 
• Employers who have to terminate employees need to plan for worst case scenario because an untrained individual reacting to an emotionally distraught individual or an irate and potentially violent individual can easily lose control of the situation.
• Having the School Resource Officer or School Security aware of the termination meeting is a prudent measure.
• Employees can be experiencing stress in their lives or be in crisis, and educational leaders and co-workers may not be aware of this or the volatility that can occur. There is such a focus on the right of privacy that folks forget about public safety or workplace safety. 
• How do school administrators become aware of employees who may have a mental disorder or who may be developing one?
• In reduced budgetary times, educational leaders are often having to task employees to do more with less help or resources. This can generate stress in the workforce and must be a consideration in managing organizational morale.

PREPAREDNESS, NOT PARANOIA

When Tragedy Strikes A Community, Young Students Are Effected

WHEN TRAGEDY STRIKES OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL, WHO IS THINKING ABOUT THE EFFECT ON OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL?

TRAGIC EVENT: In Erie, Pennsylvania, a 29 yr old man shot and killed a 27 yr old woman and their two daughters (ages 4 and 7) in his home before killing himself.

Who in Erie County has considered the effects of these deaths upon their fellow school children? Who in a community coordinates with schools when a tragedy outside of school occurs? What about the students who know the young girls that were killed? Reacting to a community tragedy and determining the impact upon your student population immediately puts a school leadership team into the RECOVERY PHASE of the Emergency Management Process.

Post Tragedy Intervention For a School /School District:

• Designate someone to track incidents which occur that could effect our young students.
• Have that designee discuss the incident with school leadership and the guidance department and school psychologist to develop a strategy for crisis counseling.
• Identify and solicit for students effected by the tragedy to determine the scale and scope
• Review the resources available for counseling those students designated as requiring counseling.
• Develop counseling courses of action:
• Individual student counseling 
• Group or class counseling 
• Class Discussion with scripted counseling points
• School Announcement or Assembly
• Memorial Service

Someone needs to be looking out for the students when tragedy (fires, violence, accidents, crimes, etc.)  occurs in our communities. What are we doing for them when they come to school?

 

EDUCATIONAL LEADER'S CRITICAL INFORMATIONAL REQUIREMENTS

DETERMINING WHAT INFO YOU NEED TO KNOW & ENSURING THE PEOPLE IN YOUR SCHOOL KNOW TO KEEP YOU INFORMED IS CRITICAL TO RUNNING A SAFE & PREPARED SCHOOL.

AS AN EDUCATIONAL LEADER (PRESIDENT OF A COLLEGE, SUPERINTENDENT, PRINCIPAL), When it comes to Critical Information these are some key questions you may want to ask yourself:

• WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW?
• WHO KNOWS IT?
• HAVE THEY TOLD YOU YET?

CRITICAL INFORMATION CATEGORIES:

• Death, Injury, Accident, Threat, Crime or Harassment, Bullying of a Student or School Employee
• Dangerous or Poor Weather (Wind, Rain, Storm, Lightening, Ice, Snow, Heat, Tornado, Hurricane)
• Information about the School Facility / Plant (Loss of Heat, A/C, Electricity, Water, Sewage, Air Quality, Virus/MRSA, etc.)

Situation: PRINCIPAL IN THE DARK: A Principal returned to school after a weekend and started his typical Monday morning. Over the weekend a number of things had occurred that the Principal was unaware. A number of individuals within the school community were aware of the negative events which occurred but had not shared with the Principal. A well known & beloved out-in-town after-school community program counselor (who had helped generations of students) had died of a heart attack and a former student had been stabbed out in town by a member of a different racial group. The injured student was dating another student in school as well.

• Some teachers were aware of the student's attack and the community counselor's death, but did not discuss with school leadership. They assumed they knew about it.
• School Resource Officer was on vacation as was not made aware of the act of violence and the police did not communicate this with the school leadership. Principal assumed the police would keep her informed if an act of violence pertaining to a student occurred even if it was out in town. 

The Principal discovered this when the Guidance Department reported a large volume of despondent students reporting to see their guidance counselors about the community counselor's death. The girlfriend of the attacked student was generating drama about what had happened and there were some discussions about concerns about the possibility about retribution. This all made for a tense and frustrating Monday morning leaving the Principal feeling like he was the last one to know about what was going on.

As the Educational Leader of your institution to not be kept informed of important information will cause you to REACT to events instead of PREVENT or be able to shape and influence incidents that ocur and the negative information associated with it.

Animal Threats in the School Community (Natural Threats)

BEAR ATTACKS BOY WALKING TO ALASKA BUS STOP AND DEER CHARGES THRU  SCHOOL WINDOW

Whether it is a freak occurrence like a deer charging a reflection or a human OR a bear which is startled or hungry accidents and attacks can occur to affect our school community.

ALASKA BEAR ATTACK AT SCHOOL BUS STOP:  A 12 year old boy walking alone to his school bus stop in the Kenai Peninsula Borough School District in Seward, Alaska was attacked by a female brown bear, but escaped serious injuries. It was dark, and the student saw the bear approaching with cubs and turned to leave, but the bear caught up with him and knocked him to the ground. The boy knew to cover up and his backpack bore the brunt of the attack. The bear lost interest and departed. He was taken to Providence Seward Hospital and was released. 

Lesson Learned:

• Parents are urged to stay with their children while waiting for the school bus to arrive
• Garbage left in the area is a draw for bears as a food source.

DEER JUMPS THRU OHIO SCHOOL WINDOW:  A big antlered buck deer charged through a glass window pane and into a student union at an Ohio Denison University before it was killed. The deer was locked inside the room before it was killed. It is believed the deer saw his reflection in the glass and mistook it for another male deer and charged the image through the glass.

DEER CRASHES THRU WINDOW AT DESALES UNIVERSITY (PA) BEFORE CLASS: On November 3, at 8:54 a.m., a 6-point, 300 pound dressing weight buck slammed through a first floor window a few minutes before a History and Philosophy of Sport class was about to begin. About 6 students were in the classroom at the time. The buck was chasing a doe up to the window. After crashing through the window, the buck began to thrash, kicking over desks and backpacks and scattering papers throughout the classroom. The commotion caused student Harry Getty ’13, to exit through the window. “I didn’t see anything until I heard a thud against the wall and then a huge crash, a black thing landed right next to me …. I saw its legs start kicking and knocking over bags and when I saw the antlers I knew what it was so I tried to jump through the bottom window, but since the blind was still down I banged my head on a metal bar before I landed outside. In hindsight, I probably should have gone through the big hole the deer had just made, because I cut my hands up on the glass that fell on the counter,” said Getty.

Getty sustained cuts on his hands, forehead and thigh, but was immediately treated by EMS and was taken to the hospital. 2 members of Campus Police arrived at the scene after receiving multiple emergency calls.   “When we arrived on the scene we found an injured buck in the classroom with one of its rear legs broken to the extent where it could not make the leap back out of the classroom,” said Officer Tempinski. Because of the deer’s injuries and out of concern for student welfare, Tempinski decided to put the deer down and two shots were fired from to do so.  The classroom was cleaned extensively and was in use the next day.

Points for Discussion:

• CAN HAPPEN ANYWHERE: Not every school is located in an urban environment and even so, sometimes nature invades even heavily populated areas due to overpopulation. For example, in some suburban areas of New Jersey their have been an over population of bears and increased opportunity for bear-human interaction.
• SURVIVAL KNOWLEDGE: The boy who was attacked by the brown bear had been taught to play dead in order to survive. This knowledge may have saved his life.
• SEASONAL ANIMAL THREATS: Various animals behavior changes during various seasons and can as discussed above, can affect our school communities.
• RECOVERY PHASE of EM PROCESS: Post incident part of an incident requires tasks in the RECOVERY PHASE such as counseling (kids afraid of waiting at bus stops, terror of a 300 lb buck jumping thru their class window) and class room clean up and repair.

REMEMBER, SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS IS AN ALL HAZARD MINDSET.

High Wind Gusts can create Natural Hazards that can Kill or Injure

HIGH WINDS CAN INJURE AN KILL, NOT JUST HURRICANES AND TORNADOES!!!!

High wind gusts knock over hydraulic lift and kill a student taping a college football practice.
A 20 yr old college student (Declan Sullivan) who was videotaping a Notre Dame football practice was killed when high winds knocked over the hydraulic scissor lift he was standing upon. The lift was used as a platform to provide an overhead vantage point to film the practice. According to sources, the directions that came with the lift warned against its use during high winds. The wind gusts caused towels and a Gatorade cooler to fly into the air as well as the netting on the goal post to bend. Sullivan even tweeted that it was "terrifying" during the 51 mph wind gusts before he was killed. Sullivan died en route to the hospital in South Bend Indiana.

Strong winds knock over a 10 foot high brick wall at a school killing a construction worker.
In July 2010, a storm in the small town of Edgerton, Ohio destroyed a small town and damaged homes. In August 2010, a construction worker was killed at a northwest Ohio school construction site when a brick wall fell on him following some strong winds that blew through the area. It was undetermined if the previous storm weakened the wall or if it was strong winds that day caused it to collapse.


 Commentary:

• Unless we receive a dangerous weather warning, we typically don't pay much heed to bad weather. It is important for all school personnel to develop an ALL HAZARD MINDSET to identify what CAN or MIGHT cause injury, damage, or death to people in our school community. While not being paranoid, it is important to THINK and PLAN WORST CASE SCENARIO when it comes to school preparedness. 
• Hope for the best, PLAN for the Worst, and you will be READY for anything in between.
• Following the storm in Ohio, was their a structural safety assessment conducted at the school / construction site to identify hazards? 
• The RECOVERY PHASE of an incident (June storm) can often get overlooked, but the inability to recover from an incident can create conditions for another hazardous incident.
• The GIFT of FEAR: Imagine if Declan Sullivan listened to his inner voice that caused him to tweet he was terrified and he got down from the hydraulic lift instead of tweeting his concern. Often times we can only lessen the hazards (seen and unseen) by degrees, but that might make all of the difference. In the preparedness business, it is often said, "you make your luck" .

WEATHER CAN KILL, IF YOU DON'T PAY ATTENTION TO IT.

Middletown CT Middle School Evacuated due to Fire

Points To Consider:

• Plans are important, but Drills build capability and can save lives.
• Smoke kills more people than fire.
• Thinking about a full school evacuation to a fire on a Friday morning is the last thing you would expect.
• Incidents occur when you least expect them 
• Did an evacuation relocation plan for student reunification with parents exist?
• How were student relocated to the reunification site? Walk? Bus?

• How would have this evacuation and relocation have been different if it was in February?  

What happend: An electrical room fire which generated smoke forced the evacuation and closure of Woodrow Wilson Middle School. Two custodians were sent to the hospital with minor smoke inhalation. The fire started at 8:15 am Friday morning which sent smoke throughout the building.The school staff and around 700 students evacuated the building without incident. The school remained closed for the remainder of the day while officials evaluated damage (smoke damage). The fire was limited to the electrical room and is under investigation.

FIRE DRILLS ARE NO JOKE, AND CONTINUE TO ENSURE OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE PREPARED FOR A NO-NOTICE LIFE THREATENING INCIDENT.

Small Plane Crashes Into Arizona High School, Four People Killed

(June 2010)  A small Cessna plane crashed into Round Valley High School in Eager, a small eastern Arizona town. The Cessna plane circled the area two or three times before it suddenly nosedived into the main building at Round Valley High School at about 2 p.m. and exploded. There were no reports of injuries on the ground and the blaze was contained to the main school building. Two hours later, flames were still erupting 20 to 30 feet above the roof of the two-story school. Fortunately, classes were out for the summer so no students or school personnel were injured. The school serves about 500 students in Eager and nearby Springerville and is about 200 miles east of Phoenix.

Four witnesses tried to get into the school building, but the doors were locked. As they were leaving, the plane exploded. Fire crews from nearly a dozen small towns in the region raced to battle the flames which occurred overnight and into the next day. Officials evacuated homes in neighborhoods east and north of the school. Authorities found four bodies in the plane wreckage pending further identification and a National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation.

Some Things To Consider:

• Any incident is possible in regards to school preparedness. Who would ever imagine a small plane would crash into your school? Accident? Suicide or Attack? It is important to always ask yourself, "What If ...?" What would you do?
• When wargaming for natural or man-made incidents affecting your school, it is all about preparedness / prevention, NOT PARANOIA. (Al Qaeda attacking your school is considerably less likely than a disgruntled parent coming to take their child from school during a custody battle.)
• How many Fire departments (full time, volunteer, or combination of both) are prepared for a no-notice aviation (small or large plane or helo) crash in a residential area, let alone a school?
• Had that plane crash occurred during a school day, what would the School Evacuation, Mass Casualty, and Student Reunification Plan be????
• How would you conduct student and employee accountability?
• School Facility Recovery Phase: Post Fire Cleanup, School Facility Damage (Fire, Smoke, Water, Structural) Assessment, NSTB Investigation Scene, Insurance Investigation, Possible Crime Scene Site?, Post Incident Facility Safety and Security considerations.
• School COOP (Continuity of Operations):
• Were there summer classes or events scheduled? 
• What school critical functions have been affected by the plane crash?
• What is the level of damage to these school critical functions?
• How and When will these damages be fixed? 
• Will this timeline conflict with the full or partial opening of the school's opening?

RECOVERY PHASE BEGINS AS SOON AS THE RESPONSE PHASE TO THE INCIDENT OCCURS.

School Preparedness and the Emergency Management Process

Fundamental to a school community developing a culture of preparedness is the understanding the Emergency Management Process to provide a template for planning, preparation, and execution. This process is a cycle in which steps don’t only happen sequentially, but can happen simultaneously as well. The phases of this process (Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery) provide a holistic framework for a school preparedness network.

MITIGATION / PREVENTION: actions that can prevent, alleviate, or diminish the potential effects of all-hazard situations on a school community.

• School Mitigation examples: school all-hazard surveys; school district / school preparedness working groups and committees; public education; grant / budget and resource allocations; crime prevention design (CPTED) and disaster-resistant construction; public information programs; hazard-reduction programs; and incident planning, etc.

PREPAREDNESS: actions that enhance school and community emergency response capabilities for all-hazards.

• School Preparedness examples: Incident Command System (ICS), District and School Emergency Operation Plans (EOP); All-Hazard Incident Action Plans (IAPs) with associated public affairs guidance; FEMA education and training; and HSEEP (Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program) drills and exercises.

RESPONSE: time-sensitive actions to save lives and property, reduce the possibility of secondary damage, and speed recovery operations for the school community.

• School Response examples: Mobilizing emergency response personnel and equipment; accountability of personnel; conduct search and rescue; alerting the public; school evacuation and student reunification; mass casualty treatment and tracking, etc.

RECOVERY: actions that restore the school community to pre-incident conditions and status.

• School Recovery examples: facility inspection and damage assessment; crime scene processing; crime scene bio-hazard clean-up; crisis counseling; memorial services; long-term medical assistance; reconstruction; post-incident investigation and litigation; rehabilitation; school continuity of operations (resiliency); etc.

Bottom Line: YOU NEED TO KNOW THE EM PROCESS IF YOU WANT TO HAVE AN EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS TEAM.