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Recent Discussions in the Community of Practice (CoP) | May and June

Introduce Yourself to the Community

Are you a new member of the CoP? Take a moment this month to share details about your role and experience in the field via this forum. You can also get to know other community members by reading descriptions of others who have joined. Access details here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/topics.aspx?ForumID=131.

Do you know a colleague who may benefit from joining the CoP? Forward a copy of this digest and encourage them to join the CoP here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/Account/Register.aspx.

School and Campus Safety Questions of the Month

In 2018, the REMS TA Center launched a new monthly campaign via the CoP in an effort to glean information from the field about key topics in school and higher ed safety and emergency preparedness. Each month, we post a new question for our CoP members representing both K-12 and higher ed audiences. Find a list of the questions posted thus far below:

  • January: What community partners would you turn to if you needed volunteers to support your school or campus during or after an emergency?
  • February: What training do you provide to school bus drivers or campus shuttle bus drivers on responding to emergencies? Do you provide ongoing professional development opportunities for them to learn more about emerging safety, security, and emergency management issues?
  • March: Does your school, school district, or campus receive funding from nongovernmental sources such as philanthropy, foundations, NGOs, and fundraising programs, to support safety and emergency management? What are your other sources of funding support for preparedness (e.g., training and exercises hosted by community partners)?
  • April: What mass notification system does your agency use?
  • May: What systems does your campus use to determine how students and staff were impacted by emergency incidents on campus?
  • June: How does your education agency use social media to inform or enhance situational awareness?

Answer the school safety questions here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/topics.aspx?ForumID=132.

Answer the campus safety questions here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/topics.aspx?ForumID=133.

Understanding Your Situation—Assessments That Work

On May 15, REMS TA Center staff added a new IHE Public forum to host discussions with IHE emergency managers about assessments. Effective planning depends on analysis of the threats and hazards an IHE faces. This is typically performed through a threat and hazard identification, and risk assessment process. We encourage higher ed emergency preparedness practitioners, academics and professionals to visit this forum to discuss types and sources of information critical to an assessment of the threats and hazards your IHE may face. Access details here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/messages.aspx?TopicID=406.

Post-Disaster Reunification Web Chat

On May 23, REMS TA Center staff added a new K-12 Public forum host a Web chat that we conducted to supplement our Reunification After a Community-Wide Disaster: Planning Tools for Schools Webinar. During the Web chat, Webinar presenters answered follow-up questions from participants on topics including supporting the needs of youth and others with special needs and funding resources available to help with supplies/staffing/training for better organizational preparedness. Access details here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/messages.aspx?TopicID=410.

Emergency Evacuations Web Chat

On June 14, REMS TA Center staff added a new K-12 Public forum host a Web chat that we conducted to supplement our Emergency Evacuations: Planning for the Whole School Community Webinar. During the Web chat, Webinar presenters answered follow-up questions from participants on topics including creating individual response plans for students with Individualized Education Plans (IEPs), interfacing contracted bus services with emergency operations plans, and plans for reunification. Access details here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/messages.aspx?TopicID=413.

School Preparedness Leadership Group

REMS TA Center staff created this forum in January to supplement monthly virtual meetings that we host with Federal, state, territorial, and local leaders in school safety and emergency preparedness. Are you a member of the School Preparedness Leadership Group? Share resources that local education agencies can access on key topics. Do you represent a local education agency? Check this forum regularly to access key resources and information from the REMS TA Center and Federal, state, territorial, local leaders, and experts on key school safety and emergency preparedness topics. Access details here: https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/topics.aspx?ForumID=136.

#REMSonTheRoad Trainings by Request

Have you attended a recent training hosted by the REMS TA Center? Log on to the CoP today and add a post to the general #REMSonTheRoad | Share Your Experiences Forum and/or to any of the individual forums we’ve created for your specific training. To find your training, log on to the CoP, click K-12 Public Forums or IHE Public Forums, select the appropriate #REMSonTheRoad training type (K-12 101, Threat Assessments, Resilience Strategies and Earthquake Preparedness), and then search for your related training date and location. Once you’ve located the proper forum, click Add Reply to start sharing! We use your feedback and insight to ensure that our trainings meet your state and local needs. Share feedback, post state-based resources, and ask preliminary and/or follow-up questions about your training there! https://rems.ed.gov/COP/REMSCOPforum/default.aspx

Top Tweets from @remstacenter

  • #DigitalCitizenship is an important lesson to impart to students that helps with planning for cyber safety. Check out our fact sheet on cyber safety for #k12 schools for more information on this and other topics related to cyber safety for students: https://rems.ed.gov/docs/Cyber_Safety_K-12_Fact_Sheet_508C.pdf
     
  • Join us on 6/27 at 2 pm ET for a Webinar on how #schools and districts can better prepare for an evacuation after an emergency. Learn more about the Webinar and presenters here: http://remstacenter.org/webinars/WebinarRegistration.aspx?WebinarID=1090
     
  • #School culture and climate assessments are important to emergency preparedness. View our Web page to learn more about school climate and emergencies and find related resources to help your school or school district: https://rems.ed.gov/K12SchoolClimateAndEmerg.aspx #stopbullying twitter.com/StopBullyingGov
     
  • Support for students with access and functional needs and support for students experiencing bullying are two topics we promote heavily! Find resources to support your emergency planning for both topics here: https://rems.ed.gov/ResourcesToSupportEMP.aspx #StopBullying
     
  • #Schools, @USDAFoodSafety will provide the Summer Meals Food Safety Kit to site operators as an essential tool to help ensure the safety of summer meals. Find out more here: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/06/11/fns-provides-tools-support-safe-summer-meals
     
  • @fema @femaregion2 Thank you so much for the opportunity to share yesterday! Thank you to our speakers! @SafeSchoolsOrg @KoshAnderson @HazCenter @SavetheChildren We look forward to continued collaboration. #REMSontheRoad #SchoolSafety #PrepareAthonforSchools #PrepTalks #YouthPrep
     
  • #REMSonTheRoad is in Johnston, IA with @IADeptofEd training on how districts and #schools can prevent and reduce targeted violence in schools through behavioral threat assessments. Find resources for this topic here: https://rems.ed.gov/Resources_Hazards-Threats_Adversarial_Threats.aspx
     
  • June is #NationalSafetyMonth and this week's theme is emergency preparedness. @remstacenter serves K-12 #schools and #highered with their emergency preparedness, and you'll find publications, webinars, online courses, and more on our website http://www.rems.ed.gov ! #SchoolSafety
     
  • #Schools, check out this helpful course from @NASRO_Info: https://nasro.org/school-cpted-practitioner-certification/ This training for SROs, school & district administrators & facilities staff, architects, & facility planners teaches participants principles of CPTED + how to conduct the CSA. #SchoolSafety
     
  • Schools, alert your IT team now! DHS just issued a warning about a new malware, TYPEFRAME. https://twitter.com/USCERT_gov/status/1007308088695615488
     
  • May is #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth! Does your #school have a Public Health, Mental Health, and Medical Annex for your emergency operations plan? Never heard of one? Check out our Web site to learn more about this crucial section: https://rems.ed.gov/K12PHMandMHAnnex.aspx
     
  • When an emergency happens, a large proportion of recovery efforts must focus on providing & sustaining services for youth. Our Reunification Webinar highlights the role that #schools can play in reunification, one aspect of recovery, after an emergency. https://rems.ed.gov/PostDisasterReunificationWebinar.aspx
     
  • #SchoolSafety is #SchoolPreparedness! Prevention, mitigation, protection, response and recovery are equally important! And, they all share the same goal--a safe school community! #PrepareathonForSchools
     
  • #EdLeaders: Participate in the #RockOneSock campaign to protect and promote awareness about missing kids. The campaign started today and runs through Friday on National Missing Children's Day. https://twitter.com/NetSmartz/status/998589121969897473
     
  • Starting next week, join @MissingKids for the #RockOneSock campaign. Learn more about them and raising awareness for #missingkids by clicking the link below. https://twitter.com/MissingKids/status/996118705330368513
     
  • .@DHSgov has released a new resource, Countering False Information on Social Media in Disasters and Emergencies. It also includes case studies & best practices on countering misinformation w/ people, processes, & technology. https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/SMWG_Countering-False-Info-Social-Media-Disasters-Emergencies_Mar2018-508.pdf
     
  • Download our mobile app #SITEASSESS to support your Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design, site assessment, mitigation & overall emergency preparedness efforts. Learn more here: https://rems.ed.gov/SITEASSESS.aspx. Using #SITEASSESS? Rate it in the Google Play and Apple App stores!
     
  • DYK that students can continue to receive healthy meals when #school is out for the summer? The Summer Food Service Program from @USDA makes that possible. Find out more about the program here: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp/raise-awareness?utm_source=youth.gov&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Nutrition18&utm_campaign=newsletter
     
  • #Schools, learn more about how to prepare and what to do when there is extreme heat from @Readygov. https://www.ready.gov/heat
     
  • We're traveling to several states in May to train on key topics in #schoolsafety and #emergency #preparedness, including threat assessment, resilience strategies for educators, and #earthquake #preparedness. Check out our #REMSonTheRoad Calendar to see if we'll be in your state!