A few weeks ago I began to discuss the significance of the new guidelines issued in the June 2013 publication Guide for Developing High Quality School Emergency Operations Plans. In this series of postings, I’ll look more closely at some of the significant changes that result from this publication.

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Let’s start with a self-assessment: according to FEMA’s newest guidelines for crisis planning in schools, these are three critical responsibilities of ALL school staff members. Have you had the appropriate training to answer yes to all three statements?

1. I can recognize the signs of a potentially volatile situation and I have been trained in ways to prevent escalation of the incident.

Note here that it is not enough to be able to recognize when things are getting out of hand – it is crucial to have the capacity to prevent and/or mitigate the incident.

2. I know the best steps for survival when faced with an active shooter situation.

This is a tricky question – you most likely know what used to be recommended – hide out and wait for law enforcement – but do you know what is currently recommended as of June 2013?

3. I know what to do to assist in a tactical law enforcement response.

Note this is not just staying out of the way, but rather working WITH law enforcement.

So how did you do? If you do not have the capabilities described above, then there is obviously a need for training in your school. Lockdown enhancement and violence prevention training is crucial for anyone working in a school.

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