School Mobilization Assistance Response Teams
Preparation Checklist for a School Response
Note for allMembers on calls:
Keep manual in your car and always wear your SMART Identification badge
Verify the facts (make sure principal or whoever has been working with the family has verified information and obtained consent to share)
Follow the Response Flow Chart for District Notification
Convene S.M.A.R.T. – plan intervention
Determine Team Lead for the day
Review the facts – who, what, where, when, how, additional information& who needs to know and when
Determine which students and staff are most likely to be impacted (remember bus drivers)
Assess safety & security needs of building (hallway and outside coverage, if needed)
Assess need to bring in additional support staffor TIP students (Note – only team lead calls TIP)
Consider need to cancel classes
Update school district administration
Schedule staff meeting
Determine who should be at staff meeting
Activate school phone tree (determine script)
Insure that family is not called for attendance verification
Notify other schools, district departments as appropriate
Compose announcement and letter to go home to parents/guardians (after talking to family and determine what information can be shared)
No school wide PA announcement
Establish Safe Room(s) (for students and staff, if needed)
Determine a Safe Room lead and have identified escorts for students (TIP or other volunteers)
Have copies of facility maps for SMART & TIP volunteers
May need a room for students more closely associated (e.g. sports teams or clubs)
Have TIP students if applicable
Security/Administration or TIP can roam hallways and escort students to safe room
Have a sign in and sign out – escort students back to class
***If a high impact crisis – determine if a triage system is needed. If so – have 2 or 3 areas with a SMART member at each. Have a SMART member stationed at the door to determine the appropriate area for the student.
Make sure volunteers have food and are time to take care of personal needs
Attendance office – have one or two SMART members available to talk to parents in the event students want to go home (parents need to be made aware of impact and provided with ideas/tools to help their students)
Identify “at-risk” students who may require monitoring/intervention
End of the day meeting for staff
Have SMART (and TIP) share their perceptions about the day
Provide information about Employee Assistance Program
Assess need for services on subsequent days
Plan for 2nd day and try to include people that were there first day – if not needed then you are at least prepared.
Make sure information about memorial services is on district info line (if appropriate)
Consider options for memorial
**If event happens just before a break – plan for after break response.
February 2012