Collaboration Is Key to Emergency Management
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What does collaboration mean to you? In the context of
emergency management planning, the first step for
creating, maintaining, or improving emergency
operations plans (EOPs) is to form a collaborative
planning team. But collaboration doesn’t end with
Step 1, it is a planning principle that should be woven
into every step of the six-step planning process.
By partnering with a range of stakeholders throughout
the education agency and local community, your
EOP benefits from a diverse range of input and
expertise that can help improve the broader safety,
security, emergency management, and preparedness capacity
of a school or institution of higher education (IHE).
The REMS TA Center has published a NEW series of fact
sheets on collaboration to help school and campus
communities develop high-quality EOPs and work
together to ensure the safety of the whole school
or campus community.
Recognizing that collaboration is essential for preparedness,
the REMS TA Center hosts a Webinar series on the role
of different K-12 staff members and community partners in EOP
development and school safety that schools can incorporate
into the core or ad-hoc planning teams. Our latest Webinars include
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Appreciating School Psychologists During National School Psychology Week
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National School Psychology Week is November
7 – 11, 2022 and is sponsored by the
National
Association of School Psychologists.
During this week,
schools and school districts are invited to
celebrate school psychologists and their
contributions to helping students thrive.
This year’s theme is “Together We Shine.”
School psychologists are uniquely trained
to deliver high-quality, evidence-based mental
and behavioral health services in schools. While their
services are mostly provided to students, they also
collaborate with other members of the school community.
For example, they consult with teachers and administrators
on strategies and interventions for reducing barriers
to learning; educate families about the impact of
toxic stress, adversity, and trauma; and support
teachers, administrators, and other school staff
in building culturally responsive and positive
relationships with staff and students. They also
provide professional learning on Adverse
Childhood Experiences and teach adaptive coping
strategies and resiliency to students and staff.
School psychologists are essential to maintaining
the balance between physical and psychological
safety within school environments by helping
students be safe from the inside out.
Psychological First Aid for Schools (PFA-S) trains
teachers and other staff as a critical link in
promoting resilience, in recognizing the signs of
traumatic stress, and in helping students and their
families regain a sense of normalcy after an
emergency event. The REMS TA Center’s recently
released fact sheet,
Psychological First Aid: How to
Help Students Recover After a Personal, Community, or
School-Based Emergency, explores the goals of PFA models,
outlines when and how schools can implement PFA,
including considerations to keep in mind when implementing,
and describes the type of training school staff need
to use this strategy effectively. Check it out using
the link below and share with the school psychologists,
counselors, mental health coordinators, teachers,
administrators, and others in your education agency
to support the work that they do for schools.
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Preparing for Winter via Alerts, Communications, and Warnings
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We are fast approaching winter, which can bring freezing
rain, extreme cold temperatures, snowfall, blizzards,
and even power failure. Is your school or campus
vulnerable to winter precipitation? If so, your core
planning team may prioritize reviewing and revising
annexes in your EOP that could be activated due to
winter precipitation. One functional annex that is
particularly important is the
Communications and
Warning/Notification Annex, which outlines how
personnel will communicate necessary information to
the whole school or campus community, as well as external
stakeholders, before, during, and after an emergency
incident. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) Weather Radio All Hazards (NWRs) provides 24/7
broadcasting of the latest weather information from
local National Weather Service (NWS) offices. The
information collected through the NWR may be used
to determine which annexes should be activated.
Furthermore, NWRs may be used to receive
information in the event of a power outage, a Wi-Fi
outage, or an overloaded mobile phone network.
The REMS TA Center developed a fact sheet in partnership
with the U.S. Department of Commerce’s NOAA, NWS,
titled “Using NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards (NWR)
to Enhance School and Higher Education Emergency
Preparedness and Response,” for K-12 schools, school
districts, and IHEs to use in preparation for
emergency notifications. Educators, faculty, and
staff may find this fact sheet useful for obtaining
additional information specific to their geographic
area, considering where to station NWR receivers on
their campus, and integrating NWR receivers
into their emergency exercises.
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Frequently Asked Questions: Specialized Training Package
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In 2022, the REMS TA Center released two NEW training
modules on cybersecurity and Crime Prevention
Through Environmental Design. These materials and
presentations are for you to use at your site and/or
on your own in support of training efforts.
Interested in what the Specialized Training Package
is and how it can supplement your training and exercise
program? Review the FAQs the REMS TA Center has
gathered and download a module today.
How should I use it? Download the module(s) you wish
to use from the Training Packages Web page and review
the instructions within. Then use the materials to
deliver a training to your colleagues virtually
or in person. You may also use the materials for
independent learning opportunities. Assemble
all modules together with the
cover page and table
of contents. You may also review and disseminate a
flyer
to learn about and share information
on the materials.
What are the contents? Each module includes
everything you need to conduct trainings onsite or
virtually with your team. Materials include a
presentation with speaker’s notes, instructions,
and a resource list; some modules also include a
tabletop exercise and other handouts.
In total, there are 20 modules and counting.
Which topics are covered? Each module
focuses on an annex or topic related to
EOP development. This includes emergency
management functions such as recovery,
family reunification, continuity of
operations, and bereavement and loss;
hazards and threats like adult sexual
misconduct, infectious disease, and
food contamination; and planning basics
and principles including collaborating
with school resource officers, memoranda
of understanding, educator resilience
and self-care, large events, disabilities
and other access/functional needs,
and the six-step planning process.
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Your Feedback Matters! Share Podcast Topic Ideas, Recommended Experts, and Questions
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The
REMS on the Air podcast
series offers a great opportunity to
highlight key topics and partners in
the field of K-12 and higher ed emergency
management. Our podcast currently
features 10 series of episodes
on the following topics:
- Series #1: A Look at State School Safety Models
- Series #2: Creating, Revising, and Enhancing Emergency Operations Plans to Support Cyber Safety
- Series #3: Opioids, Drug-Related Emergencies, and Substance Abuse Prevention Before, During, and After the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Series #4: Understanding the Link Between Social-Emotional Learning and School Safety
- Series #5: Providing Supports for Students and Families Experiencing Homelessness
- Series #6: Managing Recovery Through Planning and Partnerships
- Series #7: Planning for Reunification in the Event of an Emergency
- Series #8: Managing Evacuation in the Event of an Emergency
- Series #9: Conducting Assessments to Enhance Emergency Management Planning
- Series #10: Using Tip Lines to Prevent Potential Emergencies
We want to hear from you!
- Send us topic ideas that you would like to see featured.
- Propose experts and other key stakeholders in the field to interview.
- Send us follow-up questions and/or comments on information shared within each episode or related to a specific series.
Email
info@remstacenter.org
with
#REMSontheAir
in the subject line; tag
@remstacenter
in a post via Twitter; or call our toll-free phone number at 1-855-781-REMS [7367] to share your ideas, requests, and questions.
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