KIRBY SCHOOL DISTRICT #140
TINLEY PARK, IL
CRISIS PREPAREDNESS PLAN
Heather Boyd
The College of William and Mary
March 2008
EPPL 642 Public Relations
KIRBY SCHOOL DISTRICT #140
CRISIS PREPAREDNESS PLAN
Nothing is more distressing to a school district than the possibility of an emergency situation arising at any moment. It is not a matter of if; it is when. The school district must be prepared for any potential crisis and have an organized plan of action in place to curtail any additional chaos that could emerge as a result of the crisis. There are various areas that could constitute a crisis. It is integral that a district is proactive rather than reactive and has created a course of action for every major emergency that could affect a school.
Kirby School District (KSD) #140 is located in Tinley Park, Illinois. It is a district comprised of five elementary schools and two middle schools. KSD has implemented an organized and well-focused plan in case of any major crises. It consists of a crisis preparedness mission statement and then proceeds to break down potential crises in three major categories. These categories are: natural disasters, technological disasters, and civil disturbances. For each category, specific examples of each are defined and proper steps in case of that particular emergency are listed in detail.
KSD’s crisis preparedness mission statement is a thoughtful declaration about their commitment to keeping their teachers, staff, and students safe at all times. They state,
“KSD 140 realizes the importance of planning for a crisis…so that our students, staff, visitors and members of our community feel safe and secure in an emergency situation…Our district is concerned about the emotional welfare of its people” (Crisis preparedness, 2007).
It is important that the district introduces their plan with this statement so that stakeholders can feel confident that KSD has the welfare of the community as their number one priority. The mission statement also clearly identifies that the superintendent is the facilitator of procedures and will prepare a knowledgeable group to administer the plan in case of an emergency. The district made sure to include that the plan adheres to the appropriate local, state and federal emergency and homeland security guidelines.
The plan then continues on and breaks down emergencies into three major categories. The first category involves natural disasters. Some examples of these disasters include: tornados, harsh weather, very cold or hot weather, and earthquakes. When one thinks of crises, they may not remember that weather is probably the main area that schools deal with on a yearly basis. Other emergencies seem to be a rarity compared to protecting a school from severe weather. Also, this section of a school emergency plan is most likely regional in nature. Because tornados and extreme cold or hot weather are prevalent in Illinois, KSD’s plan would of course highlight these areas first and explain them in the greatest detail. Virginia, which does not see nearly as many tornadoes, may not place this emergency procedure at the top of their list. The plan describes procedures that school officials and students must take in order to protect themselves against “natural” harm. Thunderstorms and tornados are highlighted first in this section. There are twelve specific points that school officials and students must follow to protect themselves in inclement weather. These points even discuss where people should be placed in cases like a tornado and what physical position is best for protection. Another area discussed, which is particularly apropos since it just occurred, is earthquakes. Although some would have laughed this section off considering Illinois has not had many earthquakes historically, the one that just occurred last week had some residual aftershocks during school hours. This proves that a school district must be prepared for anything.
Although natural disasters receive the bulk of the attention in KSD’s plan, they would be remiss if they did not give equal attention to the other two areas where emergencies can occur. The next area that the crisis preparedness plan covers is technological disasters. Some examples of these are: fires, utility and hazardous material emergencies. Although this area of the plan is much smaller, KSD still focuses on the main points that present the most danger to schools. The biggest technological hazard that KSD focuses on is fires and makes eight points related to it. They highlight what administrators and teachers must do in the case of a fire and how to properly escort students to safety and make sure all are accounted for.
The last area of crisis preparedness that KSD 140 focuses on is civil disturbances. This is a fairly recent category, in that, the last ten to fifteen years there has been a rise in school violence and terrorism has become a matter of national interest. Like natural disasters, this area is well detailed to ensure the stakeholders that the district has taken every precaution necessary in order to make personnel and children safe. Some examples of civil disturbances are: building security, bomb threat, and terrorism. A paragraph is devoted to describing how each school building is secure and what measures they have taken to ensure that employees are properly screened before being employed by the district. The area that receives the most attention to detail is terrorism. The plan first points out a great website, that gives families tips from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Prevention on emergency preparedness and response. The plan then describes in great detail (sixteen points) the efforts that administrators and school personnel will take to monitor the building for suspicious activity, review lockdown procedures, and even educate staff on looking for suspicious packages in the mail.
Overall, the crisis preparedness plan is concise and explicit with the appropriate steps to take in a potential crisis. It was easy to find on the school website and written in proper layman’s terms for the stakeholders to understand. There was great emphasis placed on areas of most concern to community members. In addition, the inclusion of the CDC website is another great tip for the community if they want additional clarification for emergency procedures. It seems that Kirby School District #140 takes crisis preparedness very seriously and has left no stone unturned in taking a proactive stance on potential emergency situations. The community in Tinley Park, Illinois can be assured that their school district has the safety and security of the children and employees as the most important focal point of their educational climate.
Kirby School District #140 (2007). Crisis Preparedness. Retrieved on March 15, 2008 from