5141.6 - Crisis Response

5141.6(a)

Students

Crisis Response

Crisis Management Plan (Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan)

The Board of Education recognizes that all District staff and students must be prepared to respond quickly and responsibly to emergencies, disasters, and threats of disaster.

The Superintendent or designee shall develop and maintain a disaster preparedness plan which details provisions for handling emergencies and disasters and which shall be included in the District's comprehensive school safety plan.

The Superintendent or designee shall also develop and maintain emergency plans for each school site.

In developing the District and school emergency plans, the Superintendent or designee shall collaborate with local and state emergency responders, including local public health administrators.

The Superintendent or designee shall use state-approved Standardized Emergency Management System guidelines and the National Incident Command System when updating district and sitelevel emergency and disaster preparedness plans.

The Superintendent shall cooperate with the local Emergency Preparedness Response Team as needed.

The Board accepts the responsibility for providing shelter grounds, and equipment to public agencies, including the American Red Cross, for mass care and welfare during disasters or other emergencies affecting the public health and safety. , The Board shall cooperate with such agencies in furnishing and maintaining whatever services they deem necessary to meet the community’s needs.

(cf. 5141.22 – Communicable/Infectious Diseases)

(cf. 6114 – Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness)

(cf. 6114.6 – Emergency Closings)

(cf. 6114.8 – Pandemic/Epidemic Emergencies)

Legal Reference: Connecticut General Statutes

10-154a Professional communications between teacher or nurse and student.

10-207 Duties of medical advisors.

10-209 Records not to be public.

10-210 Notice of disease to be given parent or guardian.

10-221 Boards of education to prescribe rules.

19a-221 Quarantine of certain persons.

52-557b Immunity from liability for emergency medical assistance, first aid or medication by injection. School personnel not required to administer or render.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, (FERPA), 20

U.S.C. 1232g, 45 C.F.R. 99.

Policy adopted: March 28, 2013 WINDSOR LOCKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Windsor Locks, Connecticut

5141.6R(a)

Students

Crisis Response

Crisis Management Plan

The Board of Education and administration acknowledges the necessity to prepare a Crisis Management Plan in the event that a crisis should occur. Our children have a basic need for security and safety. Any event which threatens that feeling of safety and security shall be considered a crisis. There are unlimited possibilities for crisis situations that could impact the district. Those include, but may not be limited to the following situations: suicide, death, acts of violence, trauma, natural disaster, and accident.

It is the intent of the Crisis Management Plan to develop and implement (1) primary prevention to prevent a crisis situation from occurring, (2) secondary prevention to deal with the immediate aftermath, and (3) tertiary prevention which provides long term follow-up for those affected by the crisis. Components of the plan are:

1. Administrative commitment to support by allocating staff time, resources, and leadership.

2. Designation of responsible parties. Appropriate staff must be given the directive and resources to take action. Clear responsibility and reporting lines will be spelled out.

3. Plan for all staff in-service education. It is imperative that all staff, including clerical, food service, and maintenance understand the goal of the plan, and learn prevention strategies.

Leadership

It will be the responsibility of the Superintendent to appoint a district-wide Crisis Management Coordinator.

The Crisis Management Coordinator shall recruit building level teams, coordinate in-services for teams and all staff, and serve as a liaison between central office and staff.

Planning for Crisis Intervention

A checklist will be provided by the Superintendent and the Crisis Management Coordinator. This list shall be widely distributed to employees and other appropriate personnel.

Building Level Teams

The building team will be composed of building staff. Candidates for membership on the team should have an interest in crisis management, be willing to serve, have the time and flexibility to be trained and to respond. (Suggested for membership: school administrators, school counselors, classroom teachers, school psychologists, school social workers, school nurses, clerical staff.)

The coordinator for of the building level team is the building Principal. All team members will be trained to serve as liaisons with specific groups within the school and community. Each team member will be responsible for one or more of the following; law enforcement, medical, students, parents, public information, clergy, mental health agencies, and funeral homes.

Building Level Coordinator (Principal)

General Responsibilities:

1. Plan and support teacher in-service reviewing crisis management.

2. Plan annual presentation on identifying potential crisis situations.

3. Promote close respectful, warm communications between students and staff.

4. Identify and discuss confidentiality issues.

5. Explore ways that a signal or code could alert staff to a crisis.

6. Discuss and plan for effective and immediate ways to let the staff know what has happened, so that they can make a clear, honest and direct statement to students to help dispel rumors and assure students that they are safe.

7. Educate the staff on the principles of psychological first aid and helping students to cope with the initial shock of a crisis.

Building Level Coordinator (Principal)

Crisis Reaction

1. Follow crisis procedure.

2. Identify those students most affected by the crisis and direct or have them escorted to the counselor’s office as soon as the school is secured and safe.

3. Conduct an after school faculty meeting to debrief and tend to emotional needs and clarify events.

4. Follow-up faculty meetings to continue to debrief and review and learn from past events.

5. Coordinate appropriate memorial, remembrance or compassionate assistance to the injured student and staff or surviving family.

Media Liaison

General Responsibilities

1. Clarify building and district policy concerning the media.

2. Educate faculty and students on how to handle the media.

3. Investigate ways to contain the media and discuss whether or not they will be allowed on school grounds and if so in what portions of the building.

4. Identity yourself as the building liaison in this area and have all media contact.

5. Decide under what circumstances media will be allowed to talk with students.

Media Liaison (continued)

Crisis Response

1. Identify those people to be interviewed and set the location and time if possible. Make sure that the interviewer has a few minutes to anticipate questions and rehearse answers. Try to ascertain questions in advance

2. Emphasis on honest, clear, direct, and cooperative interview.

3. Follow-up meeting with public information director and other media liaisons.

4. Follow-up discussions with faculty and students who were approached by the media.

Law Enforcement Liaison

General Responsibilities

1. Evaluate building security and review district policy.

2. Develop relationship with local law enforcement agencies and guidelines for how and when to contact them and what support they need on arrival.

3. Educate personnel on district security policies and what they can look for and who to contact for assistance.

4. Discuss ways to isolate a dangerous individual and cordon off parts of the building if necessary.

Crisis Response

1. Contact significant others (district security, local law enforcement) in accordance with district policy and the severity of the situation.

2. Isolate dangerous or threatening individual.

3. Review past events and analyze ways that improvement can be made.

Media Liaison

General Responsibilities

1. Identify campus personnel who have training in CPR and emergency first aid.

2. Familiarize self with local hospitals and ambulance service.

3. Identify which entrance to the school an ambulance will be directed to stop at.

4. Discuss circumstances under which parents of an injured student will be contacted.

5. Discuss how students under the influence of drugs will be handled and contained. Be alert to possible suicide attempt.

6. Be familiar with suicide detection program and alert to self-inflicted wounds and contact appropriate counselor.

Crisis Response

1. Assess severity of the situation and apply medical skills

2. Contact hospital and family if necessary.

3. Review and analyze crisis event.

4. Follow-up communication with hospital to monitor the medical condition of the ill or injured student or staff member. Provide correct and accurate information as to their condition to crisis coordinator for dissemination to students and faculty.

5. Coordinate cards and letters sent to the hospital.

Funeral Home/Clergy Liaison

General Responsibilities

1. Be familiar with school crisis plan.

Crisis Response

1. Assist school in maintaining confidentiality.

2. Suggest appropriate funeral and memorial services.

Parent Liaison

General Responsibilities

1. Enlist support personnel to answer phone calls and brief them on approach to utilize.

2. Discuss how phone calls will be referred to you and your support personnel.

3. Discuss under what circumstances students will leave school grounds and how parents will be notified.

4. Be prepared to discourage parents from coming to school to pick up their children and if they insist then determine how can this best be accomplished, (controlled, low profile method).

5. Be prepared to directly and honestly tell parents the facts as you know them and assure them that the school is doing all that it can to assure the safety and well-being of students.

6. Discuss under what circumstances a written communication might be sent to parents and how this could be accomplished.

7. Discuss with the Transportation Director how parents and you personally will be notified in the event of a bus accident involving students from your school.

Crisis Response

1. Follow crisis procedures.

2. Provide meeting for parents

3. Review and analyze events with emphasis on improving building response.

4. Follow-up meeting for parents if determined necessary.

Counseling/Psychological Liaison

General Responsibilities

1. Improve ability to detect seriously disturbed and suicidal students.

2. Learn crisis counseling techniques and psychological first aid principles.

3. Assess severity level of suicidal intent and contact parents to gain needed increased supervision and possible hospitalization.

4. Assist in the development of a plan to deal with large groups of students who have experienced a crisis.

5. Read and discuss materials that are shared after a death.

6. Explore ways to assist student liaison to improve communication and trust between students and faculty.

7. Sponsor and promote activities such as SADD and other support groups.

Regulation approved: March 28, 2013 WINDSOR LOCKS PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Windsor Locks, Connecticut