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COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TEAMS AT K-12 SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL DISTRICTS

High-quality emergency operations plans (EOPs) are developed, updated, and implemented by a multidisciplinary planning team. Members of the team represent school staff, the whole school community, and community partners. They bring diverse expertise to the planning process, which helps ensure that the EOP can meet the diverse needs of the school or school district. The formation of core planning teams is completed in Step 1 of the six-step planning process recommended by the Guide for Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans and The Role of Districts in Developing High-Quality School Emergency Operations Plans. This page outlines potential roles to consider inviting to join your planning team and relevant resources from the REMS TA Center that can support planning teams in this important work.

School and School District Staff

It is especially important to involve employees within schools and school districts on the core planning team. Each staff member offers their own unique perspective from their discipline, as well as contributes knowledge about the resources that already exist within the school or school district. Below are a list of school and school district staff that play a role in school safety and related resources.

Administrators

When school and district administrators participate in EOP development, it demonstrates that emergency management is a high priority at every school system level, administrative department, and school building. Administrators can play an important leadership role in school emergency management planning and can help inspire engagement among other district- and school-based staff.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of School Administrators in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)
Collaborating With K-12 Administrators: Engaging Leadership in School Emergency Operations Plans (Fact Sheet)
The Role of Principals in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)
The Role of Superintendents in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Teachers

Teachers have a strong understanding of their students' needs and age-appropriate preparedness activities. They are trusted adults and act as main points of contact for students in the classroom, which contributes to a positive school climate and helps connect students to resources they may need before, during, or after an emergency. Teachers can also educate students about the importance of emergency readiness by embedding it into classroom curriculums.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of Teachers in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Special Educators

Special educators can advocate for their students to help ensure that the EOP considers members of the school community with access and functional needs, including neurodivergent students and staff. Special educators can incorporate sensory and communication considerations in the EOP, help plan additional training opportunities and practice sessions focused on supporting neurodivergent community members, and connect planning teams to neurodivergent students and their families who can directly share their experiences.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of Special Educators in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Athletic Directors

Athletic directors can provide unique perspectives on athletic activities that take place before, during, and after school hours, as well as during academic breaks. They can help plan for emergencies that occur during athletic events held on school grounds and off-campus events that require students and staff to travel.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of Athletic Directors in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Facility Managers

Facility managers have extensive knowledge about building structure and campus layout, security systems, heating, ventilation, air conditioning systems, and more. They can provide floor plans and building access information to first responders, oversee emergency shut-off instructions, lead site assessment teams, and manage facility improvement plans.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of School Facility Managers in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Nutrition Directors

Nutrition directors are responsible for overseeing nutrition programs and food service, delivery, and distribution, and they understand potential threats and hazards related to food safety and food defense. Nutrition directors can also contribute to planning for continuity of feeding and food distribution during and after emergency events, including during periods of prolonged school closure.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of School Nutrition Directors in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Transportation Directors

Transportation directors have expertise in transportation routes to and from school as well as travel for off-campus events and activities. School buses may also serve as an important resource before, during, and after an emergency to transport students and staff to an off-campus evacuation site or to continue operations by delivering food, mobile hot spots, and supplies.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of K-12 Transportation Directors in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Information Technology Specialists

Information technology (IT) specialists have important expertise in IT infrastructure and cyber safety and cybersecurity threats that can impact school operations. Cybersecurity considerations can evolve quickly, making it important for IT specialists to be regularly involved with emergency management planning. They can also provide insight on continuity of teaching and learning using online systems.

REMS TA Center Resources

Understanding the Role of Information Technology Specialists in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency (Webinar)

Mental Health Professionals

Mental health professionals can provide insight into meeting mental health needs of the whole school community before, during, and after an emergency and can help ensure that trauma-informed practices are reflected throughout the EOP. They can provide group or individual counseling, conduct mental health screenings, and connect the planning team to mental health providers in the wider community.

REMS TA Center Resources

School Nurses

School nurses can play a vital role in school health services, the provision of emergency health care, health education and training, and the maintenance of public health supplies, such as personal protection equipment. They can help enhance the recovery capacity of schools following an emergency event and prepare for a range of infectious diseases.

REMS TA Center Resources

Understanding the Role of School Nurses in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency (Webinar)

Community Engagement Specialists

Community engagement specialists help connect the school or district with the wider community through activities like outreach, community events, memoranda of understanding, and relationship building with community partners. Community engagement specialists can help ensure that EOPs represent the diverse needs of the whole school community, including parents and families, and accurately represent the capacity of community partners to support schools or districts before, during, and after an emergency.

REMS TA Center Resources

Understanding the Role of Community Engagement Specialists in Supporting School Safety Before, During, and After an Emergency (Webinar)

School Community Members

Students and families visit the school each day and provide a unique perspective on school safety that complements that of employees. Students can teach their families about preparedness, and both students and families can build their own emergency preparedness capacity. The core planning team for EOP development should include a student representative and a family representative. Below is more information on the role that students and families play in school safety and related resources.

Students

Students make up a large portion of the school community, which is why it is important that all students have the opportunity to provide input on school safety through culture and climate assessments and anonymous tip lines. Student representatives who serve as members of the core planning team also have the opportunity to provide feedback. Students also benefit from opportunities to learn about preparedness and engage in youth preparedness activities that teach the skills necessary to engage in everyday safety efforts at school, at home, and in their local community.

REMS TA Center Resources

K-12 Students as Partners in School Emergency Management (Fact Sheet)
The Role of Students in School Safety Efforts (Webinar)

Families

Parents, guardians, caregivers, and family members (also known as families from here forward) are experts in the needs, health, and well-being of their students. When families are involved in school safety, it helps create buy-in for school and school district emergency management planning. Families should participate in activities like the culture and climate assessment to provide their input in school safety, and they need to receive communication from the school about what to do in case of an emergency.

REMS TA Center Resources

Community Partners

Community partners can serve as members of the school core planning team or ad hoc planning team. It is important to involve community partners in EOP development and implementation because they are often the first on the scene of school emergencies and are called on to serve key roles in response and recovery. Their collaboration also helps to ensure that the school EOP is coordinated with other EOPs in their locality. Below are some community partners that play a role in school safety and related resources.

School Resource Officers

School resource officers (SROs) play a central role in preparedness activities by fostering positive relationships with students, teachers, staff, and other community partners; serving as a liaison between the school/district and the local police department; and developing and implementing strategies to prevent or reduce crimes committed on campus.

REMS TA Center Resources

Understanding the Roles of School Resource Officers (SROs) (Specialized Training Package)
A Discussion on the Role of School Resource Officers in School Safety and a Review of the Averted School Violence Database (Webinar)

Public Health Officials

As ad hoc members of the planning team, local, state, and federal-level public health officials can share relevant and timely public health information with schools and school districts and offer input on preparing for public health emergencies like infectious disease outbreaks or hazardous material spills. They can also partner with schools and school districts to provide clinical services, such as testing or vaccination clinics, and can help acquire and distribute medical materials, as needed.

REMS TA Center Resources

The Role of Public Health Officials in School Safety Efforts as Community Partners (Webinar)

Media Representatives

Local media representatives report on the status of emergencies that affect schools and the community. Building strong relationships with the media can assist schools and school districts in coordinating and disseminating timely information before, during, and after an emergency. It can also provide opportunities to highlight the schools' ongoing safety efforts to the local community at large. While media representatives would not serve on the ad hoc planning team, their collaboration and engagement would be outlined in the EOP and a memoranda of understanding.

REMS TA Center Resources

Collaborating With the Media: Establishing Strategic Partnerships for Emergency Operations Plans (Fact Sheet)

Youth-Serving Organization Staff

Youth-serving organizations can help reinforce preparedness for students in nonschool settings. Representatives from youth-serving organizations can often provide unique insights into issues impacting students outside the classroom and may be able to offer successful strategies for engaging students in emergency preparedness. They may also be able to offer resources to be used before, during, and after an emergency.

REMS TA Center Resources

Collaborating With Youth-Serving Organizations to Enhance School Emergency Operations Plans (Fact Sheet)

Faith-Based Organization Staff

Faith-based organizations provide volunteers and off-campus reunification sites, offer counseling and social work services, and serve as important communication channels. Representatives from faith-based organizations can also provide insight into community needs and the culture and practices of some students and families within the school community.

REMS TA Center Resources

Collaborating With Faith-Based Organizations to Enhance School Emergency Operations Plans (Fact Sheet)