3. Develop your plan

Build your incident response plan based on what you learn from your risk assessment, and make sure it addresses these critical areas:

Communication plans. Establish clear protocols for how you will notify and communicate with authorities, parents, and the broader community during and after an incident. This might include setting up an emergency notification system and designating spokespeople.
Evacuation and shelter-in-place procedures. Outline procedures for evacuating the building and safely moving students and staff to designated rally points. Also, provide instructions for situations where sheltering in place is necessary, such as during severe weather or hazardous material spills.
Lockdown and multi-option security measures. Describe procedures for implementing lockdowns and securing the building during exterior security threats. For interior security threats, such as an active shooter situation, —including procedures on how to evacuate, lockdown and barricade, and use counter in contact with threats.
Medical response. Describe how medical emergencies will be handled, including first aid procedures, the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), and coordination with local medical facilities.
Notification Center. Establish a safe location to begin the immediate recovery process. This includes notifying parents of injured or deceased students, reunification of students with parents or guardians, police interviews, initial mental health services, and medical treatment areas for people who evacuated who were injured.
Continuity of education. Develop plans for continuing education during and after an emergency. This may include online learning options or temporary relocation of classes. This also includes providing mental health resources for students and staff.

4. Practice your plan

Your work is not done once you have a plan in place. Schedule regular training sessions and emergency drills to ensure that all staff and students are familiar with the response procedures. This helps improve readiness and the effectiveness of your response.

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Here are the 5 essentials in an incident response plan

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