How to Keep Your School Safe: Emergency Response Plans for Schools
Emergency planning plays an important role in creating a safe school environment. It’s more about just responding to big incidents. Additionally, it involves everyday actions that can prevent emergencies or lessen their impact.
Whether it’s practicing evacuation routes or understanding how to stay calm under pressure, these preparations can make all the difference in a crisis.
In this blog post, we’ll explore practical tips and strategies to help your school stay safe before, during and after the emergency. With the right plan in place, you’ll feel more confident and ready to handle any situation.
Additionally, at Wihkum, we know the unique challenges schools face when it comes to safety. Our innovative emergency response app is designed to help schools implement their school emergency management plan effectively. Our goal is to empower schools with the knowledge and resources necessary to keep their communities safe, no matter what comes their way.
So, let’s explore the essential emergency plans for your school’s safety.
Types of Emergencies You Should Prepare for
An emergency is any situation that requires immediate action to prevent harm or danger.
Unfortunately, schools are not immune to such events. They must be prepared for a wide range of emergencies, as these situations can impact everyone—from students to staff to the entire community. Here are some of the emergencies you should be ready for:
Armed Intruder/Active Shooter: This is one of the most severe threats a school can face, requiring swift and decisive action to protect lives.
Fires: Fires can break out due to electrical issues, kitchen accidents, or other causes. They can cause significant damage to the school and pose serious risks to anyone inside.
Assault on Teachers or Students: Physical assaults can cause serious injuries and create a climate of fear within the school.
Medical Emergencies: Whether it’s a student having a seizure or a staff member suffering a heart attack, medical emergencies require immediate attention and care.
Missing Child: The disappearance of a student is a critical situation that demands prompt action to ensure the child’s safety.
Kidnapping: This rare but serious emergency requires a coordinated response to recover the child and protect others.
Gas Leaks: A gas leak can quickly become a life-threatening situation, making it vital to evacuate the school and address the issue immediately.
Bomb Threats: Whether credible or not, a bomb threat must be taken seriously, requiring evacuation and the involvement of emergency services.
Violence: Violence in schools can take many forms, from student fights and bullying to more extreme cases like shootings. These incidents can have a profound impact on the entire school community.
Natural Disasters: Emergencies like earthquakes, floods, or hurricanes can devastate school buildings and lead to injuries or fatalities, making a disaster management plan essential.
Emergency Measures for Your School’s Safety | 6 Tips for Effective Planning
Are you ready to start creating your school emergency management plan? Here’s how you can effectively prepare your school’s emergency response strategy.
1. Do Pre-Incident Preparation
Getting ready for emergencies involves more than just having a plan on paper. You need to think ahead, identify possible risks, and customise your response plan to fit your school’s specific needs.
Training is a key part of preparation. Everyone; staff and students both needs to be familiar with the emergency procedures. This includes considering the layout of your school buildings and any particular vulnerabilities they can have. But training doesn’t stop with just knowing the plan. It’s about ensuring everyone can act quickly and calmly during an actual emergency. This preparation is crucial, especially for those responsible for health, safety, and security.
To make sure your team is fully prepared, train and educate faculty and staff about all the emergency response procedures. Your staff must know how to carry out the plan and use emergency kits effectively. This training can be done through online courses, in-person workshops, and drills, depending on your school’s needs and resources.
Training helps everyone understand their responsibilities during an emergency. It allows for faster responses, which can save lives. Knowing what to do helps keep panic at bay.
2. Involve Students and Parents
Your emergency response plan should include students and parents. They both can offer insights into what might be risky at school. Working together helps everyone prepare for emergencies more effectively.
It’s not just staff who need to know the plan—students and parents should also be trained on what to do. This way, everyone is on the same page during an emergency.
During an emergency, it’s vital that everyone supports each other. Students and parents can play a key role in helping to maintain calm and ensure the safety of everyone involved.
How to involve them:
Ask for input: Get feedback from students and parents on the emergency response plan.
Practice drills: Hold drills that include students so they know what to do.
Open communication: Regularly discuss concerns with students and parents, ensuring everyone feels prepared.
3. Identify Potential Emergencies / Risk Assessment
The most important step for an effective emergency planning is to identify the potential emergencies that can occur at your school.
Here’s how to go about it:
Consider your school’s location: Your geographical location can determine the types of emergencies you might face. For instance, schools in earthquake-prone areas should prioritize earthquake preparedness.
Review past incidents: Look at emergencies that have happened at your school before. This can give you a good idea of what to prepare for.
Think about age groups: Different age groups will have different needs during an emergency. Younger students might require more assistance during evacuations, for example.
Conduct a safety audit: Perform a school safety audit to identify potential hazards and assess their likelihood and impact. This audit will help you prioritize your planning efforts.
Involve teachers & staff: Get input from teachers, staff, and parents. They can bring up potential issues you hadn’t considered, helping to make your plan more robust.
4. Create an Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)
A key part of your school’s safety strategy is the Emergency Operations Plan (EOP). This document outlines the actions that students, teachers, and staff should take before, during, and after an emergency.
What to include in your EOP?
Emergency Contacts: Make sure you have a list of phone numbers for local authorities, utility companies, property managers, and other key agencies.
Drill Schedules: Keep a schedule of emergency drills and make sure they happen regularly. Record the details of each drill.
Building Maps: Include detailed maps of your school that show key locations like alarm panels, gas shut-off valves, and other important systems.
Evacuation Routes: Plan out safe ways to evacuate the school and update these routes regularly. Be sure to include both on-site and off-site locations.
Roles and Responsibilities: Clearly assign who will do what during an emergency. Give instructions, and manage the reunification of students with their parents.Plus, assign specific tasks to staff members to ensure a coordinated response during an emergency.
Reunification Procedures: Develop a plan for how students will be safely reunited with their parents or guardians after an emergency.
Post-Emergency Actions: Outline what steps need to be taken for crisis response and recovery once the immediate danger has passed.
Emergency Procedures: Write out clear steps for handling each type of emergency, so everyone knows exactly what to do.
Communication Plan: Have a plan for how you will contact emergency responders like Wihkum. Plus, inform parents about the situation.
Parent Reunification: Ensure there’s a clear and organized process for reuniting students with their parents after an incident.
Learn more about: 15 Essential Security Measures To Improve School Security & Safety
5. Keep Emergency Kits Around the Premises
Having emergency kits readily available is an important part of your school’s emergency planning. These kits should contain essential supplies that can help keep everyone safe during an emergency.
Items to include in your emergency kit:
First aid supplies: Bandages, gauze, disinfectant, and other items to treat injuries.
Flashlights and batteries: For navigating in the dark or signaling for help.
Blankets: To keep everyone warm if they need to stay in place for a while.
Whistles: Useful for signaling or gathering people.
Maps: Include maps of the school and surrounding area to help emergency responders.
Water: Enough clean drinking water for all students and staff.
Non-perishable food: Granola bars, canned goods, and other foods that won’t spoil.
Pro tip: Store several emergency kits in different locations around the school, such as classrooms, hallways, and the main office. Make sure everyone knows where the kits are and how to use them.
6. Use Wihkum App for Quick Emergency Response
Wihkum isn’t just about providing a tool; it’s about transforming how schools manage emergencies. Our app is designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing emergency procedures, enhancing communication, response times, and overall safety. Here’s how Wihkum helps schools stay prepared:
Here’s how Wihkum helps:
Silent alerts: Unlike a loud panic button, Wihkum allows for discreet alerts via smartphone. This feature is especially useful in situations where drawing attention could increase danger.
Multi-channel communication: Wihkum can trigger various communication channels depending on the situation:
Voice calls – to school administration for direct communication.
Email notifications – to a monitored school mailbox, providing a documented record of the incident.
Push notifications – to the nearest trained staff member, ensuring a swift response.
Real-Time Updates: We keep everyone informed with the latest information as a situation unfolds.
GPS Tracking/Geofence: Wihkum incorporates GPS tracking and geofencing features to enhance situational awareness. This technology allows schools to monitor the location of staff and students during a lockdown and ensures that all areas are accounted for, adding an extra layer of security.
Customizable Responses: Create and implement specific plans tailored to your school’s unique needs.
Common School Emergency Procedures by Wihkum
- Lockdown | Managing Intruder or Active Shooter Situations
One of the most critical scenarios schools must prepare for is a potential intruder or active shooter on campus.
The Wihkum app streamlines the lockdown procedure, allowing school administrators to quickly lock doors, alert authorities, and communicate with staff and students in real-time. Our app also provides step-by-step emergency action procedures, ensuring everyone knows their role during a lockdown.
Learn more about: Emergency Guidelines for Active Shooter and School Intruder Response
- Emergency Evacuation | Responding to Fires, Structural Damage, and Chemical Spills
In cases of fire, structural damage, or chemical spills, a rapid and organized evacuation is essential.
The Wihkum app aids in executing your emergency evacuation plan for schools by offering real-time updates on safe routes, accounting for all individuals, and providing ongoing communication throughout the evacuation process.
- Medical Emergencies | Immediate Response for Health Crises
Medical emergencies, ranging from allergic reactions to injuries, require immediate attention.
Wihkum’s app supports schools in managing these situations by offering instant access to emergency and critical incident procedures, notifying medical personnel, and ensuring that help is dispatched without delay.
- Managing School Violence | Aggression, Bullying in School
Schools often deal with incidents of violence, aggression, or bullying behaviour.
Wihkum’s app helps manage these situations by providing quick access to appropriate emergency action procedures, notifying security personnel, and ensuring the safety of all involved.
- Handling Harassment, Abuse, and Mental Health Crises
Harassment, abuse, and mental health issues are sensitive but critical areas that require careful handling.
The Wihkum app offers schools the ability to respond to these crises with confidentiality and care, ensuring that students and staff receive the support they need while maintaining a safe environment.
- Custom Emergency Responses | Tailoring Solutions to Your School’s Needs
Every school is different, and so are its needs. Wihkum allows schools to create custom response plans for any unique situation, ensuring that every potential emergency is covered.
Whether it’s a specialised emergency and evacuation plan or a tailored response to a specific threat, our app ensures that your school is prepared for anything.
Learn more about: Security Lockdown Procedures & Policies for Schools
Is your school ready for any emergency?
Enhance Your School’s Emergency Preparedness with Wihkum
Wihkum offers schools an opportunity to revolutionize their emergency procedures and ensure that every member of the community is prepared for any situation. We help schools manage the emergencies effectively and maintain a secure environment for everyone.
Don’t wait until it’s too late—start enhancing your school’s safety today with Wihkum.