This Information Technology Specialist Resource List provides resources on understanding the role of information technology specialists in supporting school safety before, during, and after an emergency. Resources are organized into the following categories: (1) Cybersecurity and Cyber Safety Considerations for Schools and Districts; (2)…

Emergency preparedness in schools is a process designed to protect students and staff from harm, minimize disruption, ensure the continuity of education for students, and develop and maintain a culture of safety. Utilizing their expertise in assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation, school nurses provide valuable insights for the four…

The Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS) has created a list of resources on the role of mental health professionals in school safety efforts. The list includes the following categories: (1) Before an Emergency; (2) During an Emergency; (3) After an Emergency; and (4) Emergency Operations Plan (EOP)…

This document provides an annotated list of Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance (TA) Center resources and federal partner resources. The resources are directed toward public health officials and K-12 planning teams on emergency operations plan development and preparing schools for before, during, and after an…

The decision on how to protect the children and youth while at schools is a serious conversation with varying agreements on the best practices. Some feel that school personnel should not be trained nor expected to be able to react to an armed person while others believe that training of school personnel and allowing them to be armed will deter…

In almost every state, a state agency or organization is charged with playing a little known but important role in keeping schools safe. In some states, there are organizations whose entire responsibility is related to school safety. These are typically referred to as state school safety centers (SSSC). In other states, staff within state agencies…

Multiple incidents of postsecondary school shooting violence have occurred in American society--prompting concern about safety on college campuses, administrators' roles in prevention, and proactive and responsible bystander actions. Active shooter plans have become more established in educational environments, with efforts are directed…

A freak blizzard, a mentally ill and armed student, a record-breaking flood. No matter how idyllic a campus may feel, no matter how cocooned the ivory tower, disaster can strike. If a campus is unprepared, it comes like a sucker punch, potentially turning a crisis into a tragedy of unimagined proportions--and causing reverberations that will be…

In this article, Irwin Redlener, director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness describes disasters in relation to five phases that may serve as a helpful framework for planning disaster response: (1) before the disaster (pre-disaster); (2) during the disaster (intra-disaster); (3) immediately after the disaster (immediate…

The 2004 Vermont School Crisis Guide has been revised to improve its use by School Crisis Teams and Public Safety Committees. The Guide is now organized by roles so users can quickly locate their responsibilities in a crisis. The Crisis Guide pages can be used to document pertinent information (time, witnesses) immediately after an emergency…