Planning for Emergencies Skill Station School nurses have a key role in developing a comprehensive management plan for school emergencies. Although most schools have a basic plan for handling emergencies, these plans are often poorly documented, and their inadequacies are typically discovered only when a severe injury or illness occurs. Development of a school emergency plan is a team effort. It begins with an assessment of the school’s current capabilities and the community’s response mechanisms. It also requires collaboration among all involved in the emergency care of children, including school administrators, teachers, support staff, the school medical advisory group, community EMS agencies and local public health departments. An essential participant in this planning process is a parent/caregiver representative in order to ensure that their perspective/needs are addressed. The plan should emphasize the need for parent/caregiver contact in an emergency event. School policy and protocols, communication, documentation, data collection, and followup are all key components of the emergency care program. In addition, the plan should include the need for a post-event debriefing and evaluation. This will support a thorough evaluation of emergency procedures to determine what components of the plan went well and which components need to be modified. The plan should then be revised accordingly.  

COMMUNICATION How do you access 911 and set your emergency plan into action? Who is designated to contact 911? How do you as the school nurse communicate and notify others in the school in the event of an emergency (e.g. Walkie-Talkie, cell phone)? How will you communicate with parents/families? Key questions in identifying Communication needs in your plan are: How do you access EMS (911) and set your emergency plan into action? Who is designated to contact EMS (911)? How do you as the school nurse communicate and notify others in the school in the event of an emergency (i.e. Walkie-Talkie, cell phone)? How will you communicate with parents/families?

COMMUNICATION Consider communication/language barriers Hearing impaired Ethnic groups Developmentally delayed. What information do you need to provide to EMS: What is the emergency? Where is the emergency located (inside or outside the building)? What door should EMS enter? Are your entrances numbered or somehow clearly designated? Consider communication/language barriers, eg. hearing impaired, ethnic groups, developmentally delayed. What information do you need to provide to EMS? What is the emergency? Where is the emergency located (inside or outside the building)? What door should EMS enter? Are your entrances numbered or somehow clearly designated?

PERSONNEL Who are your designated emergency personnel in the building? Are their responsibilities clearly defined with specific tasks for the school nurse, principal, secretary and other key individuals? (i.e. the secretary would be responsible for making a copy of the student emergency information form) How do you contact these individuals? Who will meet EMS at the entrance? Questions to discuss regarding personnel in a disaster event include: Who are your designated emergency personnel in the building? Are their responsibilities clearly defined with specific tasks for the school nurse, principal, secretary and other key individuals (ie the secretary would be responsible for making a copy of the student emergency information form)? How do you contact these individuals? Who will meet EMS at the entrance?

PERSONNEL Who will watch/supervise the students in the health office while you attend to the emergency? Who will remove and then supervise the other students who are in the classroom/activity where the emergency has occurred? If the school nurse is not on-site, who coordinates and assumes the role as the emergency responder, e.g. who has first aid/CPR and leadership skills? Who will watch/supervise the students in the health office while you attend to the emergency? Who will remove and then oversee the other students who are in the classroom/activity where the emergency has occurred? If the school nurse is not on-site, who coordinates and assumes the role as the emergency responder, eg. who has first aid/CPR training and leadership skills?

PERSONNEL Who is the logistics leader for the emergency (principal or dean’s office) to : Coordinate crowd control Clear the halls Notify key individuals Remove students from classrooms as appropriate Assign a media representative Consider development of a school district safety team Who is the logistics leader for the emergency (ie principal or dean’s office) to coordinate crowd control, clear the halls, notify key individuals, remove students from classrooms as appropriate, assign a media representative? Consider development of a school district safety team.

PLANNING/FOLLOW-UP Develop a plan that will address the unique needs of emergencies based on: Where they occur In the nurses office In the school building Outside the school building Potential number of victims One student involved in incident Emergency that results in multiple victims/mass casualty Planning and Follow-up questions to consider include: Develop a plan that will address the unique needs of emergencies based on where they occur (in the nurses office, in the school building, outside the school building) and based on the potential number of victims (one student involved in incident versus an emergency that results in multiple victims/mass casualty).

PLANNING/FOLLOW-UP Evaluate all documents/forms associated with an emergency plan to assure appropriate tools for the data collection and evaluation process Inservice school personnel regarding their roles/responsibility in an emergency situation. Conduct mock drills with staff and local EMS Conduct a post-event review to evaluate how well the plan works in a real situation and determine the need for modification of the plan. If the plan is modified, appropriate inservicing of staff is necessary to assure awareness of changes. Evaluate all documents/forms associated with an emergency plan to assure appropriate tools for use in the data collection and evaluation process. Inservice school personnel appropriately regarding their roles/responsibility in an emergency situation and conduct mock drills with staff and local EMS. Conduct a post event review to evaluate how well the plan works in a real situation and determine the need for modification of the plan. If the plan is modified, appropriate inservicing of staff is necessary to assure awareness of the changes.

PLANNING/FOLLOW-UP Work closely with school administration and staff to identify problem areas that may contribute to emergencies, i.e. playground safety Review incident statistics/demographics to identify problem areas and trends Work closely with school administration and staff to identify problem areas that may contribute to emergencies, ie playground safety. Review incident statistics/demographics to identify problem areas and trends.

QUESTIONS? Lets discuss a few scenarios to see how you and your school would respond during an emergency event. Does anyone have any questions?