A flu outbreak at Madison Junior High School in Ohio prompted school officials to close the building for two days. At Webber Junior High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, where absenteeism recently hit 20 percent for two bad weeks, educators were forced to slow the pace of schoolwork so sick students did not fall behind. This article reports on…

School safety is a human concern, one that every school and community must take seriously and strive continually to achieve. It is also a legal concern; schools can be held liable if they do not make good-faith efforts to provide a safe and secure school environment. How schools are built and maintained is an integral part of school safety and…

This article features the 14 winners of the 2008 Campus Technology Innovators. This article offers an insider's view of the winners' campus technology initiatives, their project leads, and vendor partners jointly recognized for a unique ability to advance teaching, learning, administration, and operation on North American college and university…

Despite a growing research literature identifying evidence-based prevention strategies, schools often adopt programs lacking evidentiary support (Gottfredson and Gottfredson, 2002; Ringwalt et al., 2002). Further, when evidence-based programs are adopted they often suffer from poor implementation (Gottfredson and Gottfredson, 2002). This gap…

On Wednesday, April 18, 1906, an earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale and lasting 48 seconds, erupted along the San Andreas fault with a flash point originating in the San Francisco Bay area. The force of the earthquake tore apart buildings and roads, causing water and gas mains to twist and break. The resulting effects of the…

This handbook was designed to help educators develop a proactive school-preparedness plan for dealing with a variety of crises, ranging from natural disasters to accidents to acts of violence. The School Emergency Response Plan (SERP) is not a violence-prevention program; rather, it is part of an overall effort to ensure a safe learning…

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The fourth of 10 modules contains 8 chapters: (1) construction and characteristics of rescue rope; (2) knots, bends, and hitches; (3) critical angles; (4) raising systems; (5) rigging; (6) using the brake-bar rack for rope rescue; (7) rope…

This learner manual for rescuers covers the current techniques or practices required in the rescue service. The sixth of 10 modules contains 4 chapters: (1) industrial rescue; (2) rescue from a confined space; (3) extrication from heavy equipment; and (4) rescue operations involving elevators. Key points, an introduction, and conclusion accompany…

This paper reports the effects of Hurricane Hugo on mental health workers and indigenous community members. The response and perceptions of mental health staff from the South Carolina Department of Mental Health (Go Teams) from areas unaffected by the hurricane were compared and contrasted with those of a subsequent Hugo Outreach Support Team…

To determine the media's role in hazard awareness, a study analyzed the content of media coverage of the 1982 Denver, Colorado blizzard, the worst storm in that region in 70 years. Data were collected from the two major daily newspapers and from four television stations. The study period began on December 21, about 48 hours before the first real…

The first of six sections in this manual outlines a series of steps to be followed when an emergency or problem occurs. These procedures are divided into four categories: (1) behavioral emergencies, i.e., bomb threats, building takeover, problem patrons, or thefts; (2) building emergencies, i.e., elevator failure, fire, flooding of building/water…

Emergency Management education seeks to give students basic information about natural and man-made disasters, preparedness procedures, and survival techniques. The intent of this guide is to aid teachers in presenting disaster survival instruction in the junior high school grades. The materials are designed to supplement existing curricula, where…

A brief report traces some important connections between the central choices facing Canada and the three quarters of the world's population that live in the developing regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Specific aspects of Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney's governmental policy are examined. The following topics are considered:…

This student module on structural egress and emergency procedures is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module gives an insight into the kind of structural conditions that must exist for emergency evacuation to be swift and efficient. Following the introduction, eight objectives (each keyed to a page in the text) the…

This pamphlet contains a set of guidelines for community leaders interested in developing preparedness plans for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Included in the guide is a list of the types of officials and agencies which should be involved in planning meetings. A set of suggestions for developing a community communications network and…