Visit the REMS TA Center Calendar to find trainings, web chats, conferences, and other stakeholder activities and events for K-12 and higher ed practitioners on comprehensive school safety topics. All events featured are FREE to participate in and range from virtual to in-person opportunities for engagement and professional development.

This October marks the 21st year of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, an event that joins partners from the public and private sectors and tribal communities to raise awareness and increase implementation of trusted cybersecurity practices. In keeping with the theme, “Secure Our World,” the National Cybersecurity Alliance created a social media toolkit with language to share resources and concepts with your organization. As cyber threats such as malware, ransomware, data breaches, social engineering, and third-party exposure increasingly affect our schools and institutions of higher education (IHEs), it is important to have every member of your planning team on the same page regarding cybersecurity preparedness.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office and its Privacy Technical Assistance Center will offer a 1-hour “Fireside Chat” webinar on cybersecurity-related issues. Register here to join experts from the field on Monday, October 21, 2-3 p.m. ET, as they discuss topics ranging from basic cybersecurity considerations to vendor protection evaluations. Additionally, you can visit the Data Security Best Practices Page for guidance and resources to enhance your information system security.

The REMS TA Center also offers resources and trainings to support the following K-12 cybersecurity efforts:

• The Ransomware Attacks and the Importance of Collaboration in District-Level Cybersecurity Risk Management Fact Sheet guides administrators, educators, support staff, and information technology (IT) staff through all stages of ransomware incidents.
• The live and virtual training, Cybersecurity Planning for Schools, provides instruction on managing school computer network vulnerabilities.
• The Collaborative Planning Teams at K-12 Schools and School Districts Page provides information and available resources on the role of IT specialists in cyber protection efforts.

Visit the Cybersecurity Preparedness for K-12 Schools and Institutions of Higher Education Web Page for additional information and materials to improve your education agency’s cybersecurity posture.

Emergency exercises are a great way to practice and improve emergency operations plans (EOPs), including drills aimed at improving preparedness for natural hazards. The Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills, for example, are an annual opportunity for K-12 and higher ed communities to learn what to do before, during, and after an earthquake; practice earthquake safety; and strengthen the Earthquake Annex in an EOP. This month, consider participating in International ShakeOut Day on October 17 by taking these steps:

• Find your ShakeOut region online;
• Register online to participate;
• Plan your ShakeOut drill;
• Communicate with the school community about earthquake preparedness;
• Provide training on earthquake response protocols (i.e., “Drop, Cover, and Hold On”); and
• Review and revise the Earthquake Annex of your EOP after the drill concludes by integrating lessons learned from the drill.

The REMS TA Center also offers an Earthquake Sample Annex, which serves as an example of the format of an Earthquake Annex and a reference tool for K-12 schools creating their own Earthquake Annex before or after the ShakeOut drill. While millions of people will participate in International ShakeOut Day on October 17, you can register your ShakeOut drill for any day of the year and drill at a time of your choice.

Communities often seek to show their support when schools and IHEs are impacted by emergencies. This can come in the form of donations and volunteers during and after emergency events. To support education agencies in making the most of these resources, the REMS TA Center is excited to share a NEW fact sheet on Donations and Volunteers: Managing Resources for Emergencies at Education Agencies.

Many different types of hazards and threats can cause emergencies that result in the need for and an influx of donations and volunteers, and managing this influx is an important part of short-term physical and structural recovery. This fact sheet offers operational aspects and key partnerships to consider when deciding how to manage donations and volunteers. It also discusses considerations for developing a comprehensive Donations and Volunteers Management Annex in the EOP that addresses what should happen before, during, and after an emergency.

The REMS TA Center invites you to explore this fact sheet. For more information about how donations and volunteers intersect with the recovery process, check out our Recovery Support Page.

Since 1963, storm surges have been responsible for almost half of all direct fatalities from hurricanes or typhoons, claiming 49 percent of lives lost during these powerful storms. This staggering figure emphasizes the critical need to understand the impact of these natural disasters, especially in coastal areas vulnerable to their effects. To ensure the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and facilities, it’s essential to develop comprehensive EOPs that address hazards to which the education agency is most vulnerable. We can begin by understanding emergency management planning basics through the School EOP Planning 101 Webinar, which outlines the role of hazard-specific annexes within a broader EOP.

When conducting a risk assessment of potential threats and hazards in your area, determine the likelihood and impact of hurricanes or typhoons and evaluate how such an emergency could affect your facilities, staff, and students. It is important to collaborate with local emergency services to align your EOP with community efforts and incorporate local hazard mitigation strategies. Regular training and drills for staff are crucial, along with periodic reviews and updates of your Hurricane/Typhoon Annex based on feedback and changes in infrastructure.

Did you know that the topics featured in the REMS TA Center’s webinars, podcasts, and other resources are informed by direct feedback from the field? To continually tailor our resources to the evolving needs of K-12 and higher ed practitioners, we collect feedback through a variety of sources. These include training evaluations, online feedback forms, listening sessions, subject matter experts, and direct emails from practitioners like you.

If you have an idea for a webinar or podcast topic, we’re eager to hear from you!

• What emergency management topics have you been wanting bite-sized resources on?
• Are there specific threats or hazards impacting your school community that could be covered in a webinar or podcast?
• What roles on your collaborative planning team would you like to see explored live or in a self-paced format?

Click the button below to email us your “topic wish list” to be considered for upcoming webinars and podcasts and thank you for contributing!