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Richfield Public Schools

802 Policy: Crisis Management Policy

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802 Policy: Crisis Management Policy

I. INTRODUCTION    

This policy is pursuant to Minn. Statute § 121A.035, which requires school boards to approve a Crisis Management Policy. 

II. PURPOSE

Policy 802 and the Emergency Procedures are intended to serve as a guide for Richfield Public Schools district and building administrators, school employees, students and community, and are designed to address a wide range of potential crisis situations.  

III. THE PLAN

This policy is to be used when developing a building-specific Emergency Plan to coordinate protective actions prior to, during, and after any emergency or potential crisis situation.  The superintendent shall be responsible for developing and annually updating Emergency Procedures to accommodate the District’s needs. The superintendent works in conjunction with district and building administrators to update site specific procedures, connect with and update committee resources, and to train staff.

IV. ELEMENTS OF A SCHOOL’S CRISIS MANAGEMENT PLAN

The superintendent shall develop district-wide and building-specific Emergency Procedures that shall include A) Crisis Management Checklist, B) Emergency Procedures, and C) Postvention Manual. 

The school’s plan shall be created in consultation with experts in the field and other appropriate individuals and groups likely to be involved in assisting with a school emergency. 

A. District Crisis Protocols

The Emergency Procedures shall include:

  • Evacuation Procedures
  • Sheltering/Lockdown Procedures
  • Other Crisis Response

These elements will include both district wide and building specific procedures.

1. Communication Procedures

Information about emergencies must be communicated to the Superintendent’s Office immediately. All media inquiries will be referred to the Director of Communications. Richfield Public Schools, in coordination with assisting agencies, assumes responsibility for issuing public statements during an emergency.

School Closure Procedures – The superintendent shall make decisions about closing a school or any District building. Such decisions will be made as early in the day as possible using news sources, websites, and an automated messaging system.

2. Evacuation Procedures

Evacuation procedures are used when conditions are safer outside the building than inside the building. Evacuation routes should be specified according to the type of emergency.

These emergency procedures include:

  • Fire
  • Flooding
  • Hazardous Materials
  • Student Release/Reunification

3. Sheltering/Lockdown Procedures

Sheltering-in-place is used when evacuation would put people at risk. Sheltering-in-place provides refuge for students, staff and the public inside the school building during emergencies.

Lockdown procedures are used to protect building occupants from potential dangers in the building or external threats that may enter the building.

These emergency procedures include:

  • From Outside to Inside (Reverse Evacuation)
  • Blizzard/Winter Storms
  • Bomb Threat
  • Demonstration/Protest
  • Hostage
  • Intruder
  • Shelter-in-Place
  • Shooting
  • Tornado/Severe Thunderstorm
  • Weapons

B. Other Crisis Response

Crisis-specific procedures shall consider the potential crisis situations that may occur during the school day or at school-sponsored events and functions. 

These are district-wide procedures designed so that school administrators can tailor response procedures when creating building-specific Emergency Procedures.

The emergency procedures include:

  • Abduction
  • Assault
  • Bus Accident
  • Communicable Disease/Pandemic
  • Fight/Disturbance
  • Medical Emergency
  • Suicide Threat/Attempt
  • Suspicious Package/Mail or Chemical/Biological Threat
  • Terrorism
  • Threat

C. Postvention Response

The Postvention Manual outlines steps to debrief, provide support and reduce additional risk in the situation of a crisis response, including a death of a student or staff member

D. Facility Diagrams and Site Plans

The Facilities Department shall provide school buildings with a facility diagram and site plan including:

  • exits, AED, and fire extinguisher locations
  • location of primary and secondary evacuation routes
  • designated safe areas inside and outside the building
  • relocation sites
  • lockdown and evacuation procedures

The facility diagrams and site plans shall be available in the office of the building administrator and in other appropriate areas and shall be kept on file at the facilities office.

E. Emergency Telephone Numbers

School buildings shall have an Emergency Log with a current list of emergency telephone numbers and the names and addresses of local and county personnel who are likely to be involved in resolving a crisis situation.  The list will include numbers for agencies such as: police, fire, ambulance, hospital, Poison Control Center, local, county and state emergency management agencies, local public works departments, local utility companies, public health nurse, mental health/suicide hotlines, and the county welfare agency.

F. Building Response Teams

Each school building shall have a Building Response Team. The school administrator or designee shall serve as the leader of the Building Response Team and the primary contact for emergency response officials.

1. The leader shall select and train the Building Response Team to respond to all emergencies.

2. The leader shall assume the resource role when emergency response personnel are available to take command and control of the situation.

3. The leader shall maintain a drill log for compliance with state statute.

4. The superintendent shall maintain a current copy of the RPS Emergency Log of the Building Response Teams and members.

G. District Employees 

Teachers generally have the most direct contact with students on a day-to-day basis.  As a result, they should be aware of their role in responding to crisis situations.  This also applies to non-teaching school personnel who have direct contact with students.  All staff shall be aware of the Crisis Management Policy and their school’s Emergency Plan. 

 

Legal References:   

Minn. Stat. §121A.06 (Reports of dangerous weapon in school zones)

Minn. Stat. §121A.035 (Crisis management policy)

Minn. Stat. §299F.011 (Uniform fire code; adoption)

Minn. Stat. §299F.30 (Fire drill in school; doors and exits)

Minn. Stat. §299F.391 (Healthcare, education, or lodging       facility)

                                  

RATIFIED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION:  February 3, 2003

REVISED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION:   September 5, 2006, October 3, 2016; September 5, 2023

REVIEWED AND REAFFIRMED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION:  August 4, 2008, November 16, 2020; August 16, 2021; September 6, 2022