In this article, the author discusses the importance of Homeland Security in community colleges as a counter terrorism solution. Homeland Security, a phrase born after September 11, 2001, has entered the nation's vocabulary and is now becoming part of the curriculum at hundreds of colleges and universities. No sector of higher education is…

School preparedness includes the possibility of a natural disaster, but recent events also confirm a need for preparedness and prevention efforts for intentional mass casualty incidents (MCIs). This survey examined the preparedness for the prevention and response for MCIs at public schools in Arkansas. This survey demonstrated that most school…

Simulations currently play a key role in facilitating competency training for incident commanders of the emergency services. The article briefly reviews current practice in incident command training and considers the effectiveness of simulation usage and practice for crisis management more generally.

There are close to 1,200 community colleges in the United States, and their level of crisis preparation ranges from very thorough to not prepared at all. A survey of American Association of Community Colleges membership found a number of community colleges that not only had good crisis plans but were proud of the work that had gone into them and…

Schools across the nation have increasingly coordinated crisis intervention programs to minimize the impact felt by students as the result of a crisis, such as national events and school violence. Through the development of response plans and crisis teams, as well as the instrumental work of school counselors in promoting intervention plans and…

In the aftermath of several tragic incidents of school violence, school administrators began focusing more directly on crisis management. Those who actually had to activate their plans often discovered that communication--with the media and with the general community--was one of the most challenging tasks they faced. In an effort to determine if…

Media coverage of the worldwide outbreak of avian flu and the potential for a pandemic has resulted in anxiety and consternation among members of the US public. The US President George W. Bush has released the federal pandemic-preparedness plan that calls on communities to coordinate plans with local and state health departments and other…

A year and a half after the launch of the "INEE Minimum Standards" in December 2004, a small baseline study suggested that awareness of the existence of the handbook among educational stakeholders in Uganda was low; in addition, the study found no instance of utilization of the handbook. The present report contains the findings of a…

At the request of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools, the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF) has conducted "a literature search and review to identify best practices in [school] building design for accommodating the evacuation and sheltering needs of individuals with special needs or…

This curriculum was first published in June 1998 to be used by qualified health and safety trainers to fulfill part of the learning needs and licensing requirements of child care providers (Health and Safety Code, Section 1596.866) in California. This second and updated edition of Module 2, Prevention of Injuries, covers the content of the…

Emotional competency is defined as developed ability and skills in the areas of self-awareness, self-regulation, social awareness, and relationship management. These skills are nurtured, developed, and practiced until they become competencies and serve as a resource when a tragic event occurs. They are relatively undeveloped in very young children…

The EDUCAUSE Current Issues Committee, whose members review and recommend the set of IT issues to be presented each year, conducted a Web-based survey in December 2006 to identify the five of thirty-one IT issues in each of four areas: (1) issues that are critical for strategic success; (2) issues that are expected to increase in significance; (3)…

"Education in emergencies" refers to a broad range of education activities, both formal and non-formal, which are life saving and sustaining. They are critical for children, youth and their families in times of crisis. Programmes for emergency education are often designed according to a specific environmental context and sometimes as temporary…

An influenza (flu) pandemic is a global outbreak of disease that occurs when a new flu virus appears that can spread easily from person to person. Although it is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be, effects can be lessened if preparations are made ahead of time. The illness rates for both…

On Monday, August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina and the floodwaters from the breeched levees destroyed all 14 schools in Louisiana's St. Bernard Parish. Although most residents had been evacuated before the hurricane hit, 1,500 men, women, and children rode out the storm in Chalmette High School. The district superintendent and the school leadership…