1. Things to Do During a
School Crisis Situation
By
Melissa Winfield
2. Assess the Crisis
• One of the initial things that
should be done at the onset of
a crisis situation is to
adequately and quickly assess
the crisis situation. Take a
mental gauge of the level of
severity of the threat. Then
make a logical, coherent
decision as to how you will
initiate intervention. If a
member of the school crisis
team is readily available,
assess the situation together
and come up with a plan of
action that will help to ensure
the safety of the all members
of the building.
3. Call for Assistance
• After assessing the
situation, if needed
assistance (ex: police, fire
department, etc…) should
be called immediately to
facilitate in the
containment of the
perceived threat. The
sooner this action is
done, the better. Having
the proper personnel
available can help to
contain a crisis situation
and prevent it from being
more problematic.
4. Implement an Emergency Plan
• After the proper authorities
have been called, the building
should implement an
appropriate emergency plan
(ex: lockdown). It is essential
that all members of the
building be aware that the
building is compromised and
take appropriate action to
secure all staff and students
from any potential threats.
Once this all call has been
made, all members of the
building can take precaution
against this threat.
5. Utilize Trained Staff
• During a crisis situation it
is also important to utilize
trained staff. Schools
should have crisis teams
that are readily available
to deal with these
situations. Members of a
crisis team could include
social workers, guidance
counselors, the school
nurse, security guards,
school monitors and other
specialized personnel.
6. Remain Calm
• One of the most important
things to remember during a
crisis situation is to try to
remain calm. Remaining calm
and staying focused will
enable you to make more
rational decisions during a
crisis situation. Being calm
can also be contagious. If you
are able to remain calm, your
students and other staff
members will often follow suit.
Remaining calm is a key
component of safety and
security.
7. Clear Communication Network
• It is also important to
have a clear
communication network
established in the
building. Preferably, this
system should be in place
on a regular basis, so that
during a crisis situation all
parties have clear access
to information. Examples
of communication could
be the utilization of
walkie-talkies, phone
trees, intercoms, codes,
video surveillance, etc…
