Given the nature of a crisis, it can hit anywhere and at any time. Institutions have placed a formulated School Emergency Management guide within easy access to the faculty and staff members. There are three phases to any crisis intervention plan.
Phase one starts from the principal of the elementary school. It is the principal's responsibility to verify the crisis and to notify the appropriate personnel. The decision to maintain regular operation or to execute an evacuation rests with the principal. The principal communicates the details of the event and the actions undertaken to the media and the community.
Once the principal has made his decision, it would be the communicator's responsibility to oversee the policy for the students leaving the premises of the school. Normally, elementary schools have a policy that prohibits students leaving the premises of the school without parents or guardians designated by the parents.
The teachers are responsible for escorting and evacuating the students to safe areas. The goal here is to lead the students to properly marked safety areas, keep a head count of all the students and keep the panic to a minimum.
To facilitate the process and flow of a crisis intervention plan is the responsibility of the support personnel and staff. These individuals make sure that all the students are evacuated; they also inform teachers and counselors if they find a student who is traumatized.
In phase two, counseling and monitoring occurs. The counselors refer students with serious trauma to agencies; the guidance office constantly monitors students showing signs of distress and tries to restore their sense of equilibrium.
In phase three, the crisis response unit will evaluate their performance in an attempt to find areas of improvement. At the beginning of every year, conducting refresher courses with a prime focus on crisis day procedures and the referral process ensures versatility for those concerned with the intervention process.
Complications arise when emergency plans are not considered a fundamental part of the school's daily operations. Even with the best intentions, there may be limitations or oversights that render a plan inefficient or useless. The plan set in place should reflect the architecture of the campus and the diversity of those involved. Exits may be marked on the plan but may not be as efficient as planned due to construction or other changes. Focusing on detail is essential to have an effective and efficient plan.
Drills or simulations are essential in identifying flaws or room for improvement in any plan. Simulated crisis scenarios give the administration and the crisis response teams a test drive of the plan. These scenarios are also the best way to practice for a real-time event. Conducting drills and simulations at least bi-annually allows school authorities to fine-tune and revise the plan so that it becomes perfect or as close to perfect as possible. Actions and responses during a crisis should be automatic; students and teams get an opportunity to practice and prepare through these drills and simulations for events that may take lives.