The document discusses the importance of schools having a Crisis Action Plan (CAP) to address various safety and security threats. The CAP incorporates all aspects of school safety and evaluates specific vulnerabilities and threats each year. The Crisis Manager implements plans to prepare for or prevent threats and coordinates training with staff and local agencies. A proper CAP also considers threats to a school's reputation from issues like bullying, inappropriate relationships, cheating, and natural disasters. It aims to reassure stakeholders like parents, teachers, and taxpayers that the school takes all threats to learning seriously.

1. Crisis Action Planning November 8, 2014
Safety & Security
A Crisis Action Plan (CAP) incorporates all aspects of school
safety and security. Each year threats are evaluated for specific
areas of vulnerability and are ranked in accordance with their
likelihood of occurrence. The Crisis Manager (CM) carefully
considers each threat utilizing expert advice from local Law
Enforcement, Bomb Squads, Emergency Management offices,
Fire Departments and Intelligence Agencies. The CM
implements plans to prepare for and/or prevent each threat. The
CM will coordinate with staff and local agencies for training and
evaluation. Each staff member and each classroom will receive
personalized instruction to meet the needs of every person. %
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School Violence
From July 2010, through June
2011, there were 31 school-
associated violent deaths in the
United States. Violent
victimization rates at school were
34 per 1,000 students. From
January 1990 to February 2002
the U.S. ATF recorded 1,055
incidents of bombs being placed
in school premises. 1
Terrorism
Al-Qaeda has publicly asserted
the "right" to kill 2,000,000
American children, and
"operations are in stages of
preparation" now.2 Floor plans for
half a dozen schools in Virginia,
Texas and New Jersey have been
recovered from terrorist hands in
Iraq. Terrorists in Beslan Russia
took control of a school
wounding 700 people, killing
338, including 172 children.4
Other Disasters
There are an average of 5,690
structure fires in educational
properties, annually. These fires
caused 85 civilian fire injuries and
$92 million in damage annually.5
WHY YOUR SCHOOL NEEDS A
CRISIS ACTION PLAN
Safety | Reputation | Stakeholders

2. Crisis Action Planning November 8, 2014
School Reputation
A proper Crisis Action Plan does not stop at safety and security
threats as mentioned above. It also takes into consideration the
threats posed to the schools reputation. There are an
indeterminate number of crises that a school or community can
face. Bullying, Cheating, inappropriate teacher/student
relationships, and natural disasters are only some of the areas that
affect the schools reputation and a students ability to learn. Being
prepared means taking into account every possible liability to
success and preparing ways to prevent their occurrence. A CAP
also designates a trained spokesperson with pre-written
statements to help handle media relations during a crisis. %
Stakeholder Interest
A school has many stakeholders; parents, teachers, staff, students,
elected officials, and tax-payers all have a vested interest in how
the school performs. It is important to demonstrate to all these
stakeholders that their
time and money are
going to a school that
takes every threat to
learning seriously. This
plan should give
people peace of mind
and a sense of pride
that they are prepared
for whatever the future
might hold.
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Is Your School
Prepared for any Type
of Crisis?
Schools face an indeterminate
number of crisis each year in
addition to the ever present
threats of school violence:
• Bullying - In 2011, about 28
percent of students ages 12–18
reported being bullied at
school
• Teacher/Student Relationships-
A study by the American
Association of University
Women claims that 10% of
students are sexually abused to
some extent during their
school career.6
• Cheating - The Atlanta Public
School cheating scandal is only
one of many in the last several
years that demonstrates that
cheating occurs on many
levels.3
• Natural Disasters - Natural
disasters including tornados,
floods, severe summer or
winter storms can affect schools
and communities.
• Monetary Constraints - rising
energy costs and shrinking
budgets can leave schools with
a fiscal crisis if not managed
properly.
References:%
1. Newman, G. R. (2005). Bomb threats in schools. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Justice, Office of
Community Oriented Policing Services.%
2.Al Qaeda's Condolences. (n.d.). The Majalla MagazineAl Qaedas Condolences Comments. Retrieved April
10, 2014, from http://www.majalla.com/eng/2010/03/article5527505%
3. School test cheating thrives while investigations languish. (n.d.). Atlanta News, Sports,Atlanta Weather,
Business News. Retrieved April 10, 2014, from http://www.ajc.com/news/news/education/school-test%
4. Baray, M. (2007, January 1). The Threat of Terrorism to U.S. Schools...Fact or Fiction?. . Retrieved
May 4, 2014, from http://libcat.post.ca.gov/dbtw-wpd/documents/cc/41-baray.pdf%
5. School fires. (n.d.). School fires. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/
for-consumers/occupancies/school-fires%
!6. Foderaro, L. (2007, June 19). Between Teacher and Student: The Suspicions Are Growing. The New
York Times. Retrieved July 1, 2014, from http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/20/nyregion/20molest.html?
pagewanted=all&_r=0%
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