A. INTENT AND DEFINITION OF CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Intent - Crisis Management is a central component of comprehensive School Safety. The most important consideration in both Crisis Management and Safe Schools efforts is the health, safety and welfare of the students and staff. A comprehensive Safe Schools Plan places a strong emphasis on prevention using strategies, which range from building design to discipline policies and programs, which improve school climate.
Definition - Crisis Management is that part of a school division�s
approach to school safety which focuses more narrowly on a time-limited,
problem-focused intervention to identify, confront and resolve the crisis,
restore equilibrium, and support appropriate adaptive responses.
B. SCHOOL BOARD POLICY STATEMENT
This School Crisis Management Plan operates within the framework of
the Lee County School Board policy.
C. CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLANNING
Definitions
1. �Crises� shall include but not be limited to situations
involving the death of a student, staff member, or a member of a student�s
immediate family by suicide, substance abuse, illness,
or accident. The principals/designees shall have the authority to determine
what is a crisis incident and to convene the Crisis
Management Team.
2. �Critical incidents� shall include situations involving
threats of harm to students, personnel, or facilities. Critical incidents
include but are not limited to natural
disasters, fire, use of weapons/explosives, and the taking of hostages.
Such incidents require an interagency response involving law enforcement
and/or emergency services agencies.
3. The individual school �Crisis Management Plan� shall
be a written plan with explicit intent to protect and sustain life, reduce
emotional trauma, assist in emotional recovery from trauma, and minimize
personal injury and/or damage to the facility.
Crisis Management Team
An Individual School Crisis Management Team shall be established at
each school to meet the demands of crisis incidents.
1. Membership: The crisis team shall consist of an immediately
accessible core group who have the knowledge and skills to act in any emergency
and may include the principal, assistant principal, one or more guidance
counselors, school psychologist, school social worker, one or more selected
teachers, and a person to record events/minutes
of meetings. Additionally, the Police Department (school resource officer,
D.A.R.E. officer, or other person designated by the Police Chief), Mental
Health Services, Fire Department, and County Emergency Rescue Services
may be asked to consult with the school team. A roster of team members
will be posted in each school administration office.
2. Purposes: The Crisis Team shall implement and adapt appropriate
action from the Crisis Management Plan to address the specific events of
the crisis. Roles and responsibilities of team members and consultants
will be established in the school�s written Crisis Management Plan.
Crisis Management Plan
Each school Crisis Management Plan will include provisions for Pre-planning,
Intervention/Response, and Post-emergency activities, including the establishment
or designation of the following:
1. Explicit procedures for each crisis incident.
2. Crisis headquarters and command post outside the school facility
in the vent evacuation is necessary.
3. Chain of command in the event a key administrator is not available.
4. Spokesperson to the media. This person will be the superintendent
or designee and is responsible for gathering and confirming all pertinent
information about the incident
and for informing the school division�s superintendent�s officer prior
to any media release. The spokesperson will also designate a media reception
area when deemed appropriate.
5. Network of key communicators. It is the responsibility of these
key individuals to convey approved information to others. This network
may include phone trees
to notify staff of emergency incidents and special meetings which may occur
before or after school hours, and various counselors designated to support
groups such as students, faculty, and parents.
6. Communication plan within the school and to the community. The best
means of communication may vary with the crisis. However, the plan must
provide for communicating with
teachers as soon as possible. When appropriate, well-informed representatives
should be ready to go into classrooms. Avoid giving news
via assembly or public address systems, as results can be unpredictable
when giving shocking news to large groups of students. To ensure accuracy
and avoid rumor, information to students
must come directly from internal memoranda or statements written specifically
for that purpose and approved by the principal.
News is best given to students in class so they can ask questions of a
person they know. Questions from parents should also be addressed from
pre-approved fact sheet.
7. Critical Incident Management. Critical incident response will be
in accordance with the Memoranda of Understanding executed between the
Lee County Public Schools and
the Departments of Police, of Fire, and of Emergency Services.
8. Arrangement for support services. One individual from the Crisis
Management Team will be designated to contact the school board office and
to contact, as needed, other
community resources such as Mental Health Crisis Services. The school board
office will arrange for assistance as needed from school
psychologists, school social workers, and other guidance counselors and
to contact Mental Health Crisis Services. School arrangements should
include the designation of meeting
spaces, provisions to request on-call services to meet unexpected demand,
and provision of long-term follow-up.
9. Bring closure to the crisis. This activity will vary depending on
the crisis. But it is imperative to recognize officially the end of the
crisis and the beginning of the
healing process.
10. Evaluation of the crisis plan. Response to each crisis incident
will be reviewed and evaluated at the conclusion of each crisis. Crisis
Management Team annually will
evaluate the plan and its effectiveness and make modifications as needed.
Crisis Management Inservice
The Crisis Management Plan shall be reviewed annually with the full
school staff and shared with all transient staff, secretaries, cafeteria
staff, custodians, and bus drivers. Schools are encouraged to provide
inservice on specific crisis related topics such as substance abuse code
violations, neglect and abuse, and suicide prevention.