4. A written K-12 plan that addresses multiple hazards including evacuation, shelter-in-place, and lockdown situations. Fire drill and tornado drills alone do not meet this standard.

The final element we’ll examine in the Save the Children report is a K-12 multiple hazard plan. We talked earlier about the importance (and often absence) of an evacuation plan. But evacuation is only one element in an EOP that comes from an all hazards perspective. FEMA recommends that EOPs contain specific response protocols for evacuation, reverse evacuation, lockdown, shelter-in-place (for technological, chemical, and biological hazards), and severe weather. The June 2013 FEMA publication, Guide for Developing High Quality School Emergency Operations Plans is a comprehensive, free resource for schools to use in developing, reviewing, and revising their EOPs for an all hazards perspective. This document is available in the resources section of www.eschoolsafety.org.

We’ve discussed the need to revise and enhance school lockdown procedures in previous entries. Given the new FEMA guidelines issues in June 2013 regarding lockdown, it is quite likely that your school’s lockdown procedures need to be re-examined.