Crisis and Emergency Response Protocol

Crisis and Emergency Response Protocol

Overview

Crisis and emergency response protocols are built around the physical and psychological best practices for anyone who communicates on behalf of a school in response to a public health emergency. Emergencies can affect a community in a number of ways from natural disasters, to lockdowns, or a death of a student or faculty member.

Contacts

Rhett Larsen

School Safety Center Coordinator
Phone: (801) 538-7997 |  E-mail

 Michelle  Knight

Prevention Specialist
Phone: (801) 538-7962 |  E-mail

 Melissa Muhlestein

Executive Secretary
Phone: (385) 295-7931 |  E-mail

 

Mental Health Response

Utah State Board of Education (USBE)

The Mental Health Response Team provides Utah LEAs with resources, tools, consultation, and/or direct response support to districts. The Mental Health Response Team supports Utah school districts in crisis prevention, preparedness, intervention, and response. The team responds with a specific focus on balancing physical and psychological safety for school communities.

The team can provide on-site crisis support that includes leading the response, practical help such as covering classrooms or duty for teachers, responding to media inquiries, and more. We can provide digital resources that can be sent directly to your LEA, answer questions, and consult for technical support. Relative professional development training is also available, upon request.

We provide as much or as little support as needed.

Healing Our Schools After a Loss Toolkit

The Healing Our Schools After a Loss Toolkit assists Local Education Agencies (LEAs) in implementing a coordinated response to the death of a student, staff, or community member. The toolkit includes information and resources to help the school community cope and reduce further risk.

Highlights within the toolkit include:

  • Information regarding memorialization, milestones, and anniversaries of the event
  • A comprehensive day to day checklist for response
  • Templates for releasing notification letters to students, parents, and fellow educators

This toolkit has an accompanying Canvas course that will be available soon. For more information, contact Cathy Davis at  cathy.davis@schools.utah.gov or Michelle Knight at  michelle.knight@schools.utah.gov.

Crisis Response Model School Policy
(Coming Soon)

Prevention Pamphlet
(Coming Soon)

Suicide Prevention Page

Community Partners

SafeUT

Crisis Management and Referral (Univ. of Utah)

Office of Substance Use and Mental Health

Stabilization and Mobile Response
(Coming Soon)

National Alliance of School Crisis Responders

 

 

Emergency Response

Natural Disasters

Types of Drills:

  • Lockdown is followed by "locks, lights, out of sight" and is the protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep students quiet and in place.
  • Lockout is followed by the Directive: "Get Inside. Lock outside doors" and is the protocol used to safeguard students and staff within the building.
  • Evacuate is always followed by a location and is used to move students and staff from one location to a different location in or out of the building.
  • Shelter in Place is always followed by a type and a method and is the protocol for group and self protection.
  • Parent/Student Re-unification processes following an evacuation should have a pre-determined location and delegated school staff with school roles to help coordinate with parents and re-unification site, and the school site.

Resources

Be Ready Utah
State of Utah

K-12 School Security Guide (2nd Edition) and School Security Survey
United States Department of Homeland Security

Risk Training | Utah Schools Critical Incident Commission
Utah Division of Risk Management 

The Role of Districts in Preparing Emergency Response Plans: A Companion to the School Guide
Readiness an Emergency Management for Schools (REMS) Technical Assistance Center

Welcome to the Tool Box
Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools (REMS)