NCJ Number
189039
Journal
Campus Safety Journal Volume: 9 Issue: 5 Dated: June 2001 Pages: 12-15
Date Published
June 2001
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This article describes the steps for testing schools' and colleges' crisis management plans before an actual crisis occurs.
Abstract
Once school emergency operations plans have been completed and all personnel have been properly trained, a series of exercises should be used to test the plans. The first step is to contact the local emergency management agency, which can help develop and evaluate exercises that are safe and effective. For complex services, the State emergency management agency may be able to provide valuable expertise. Full-scale exercises should not be attempted until less complex types of exercises, such as drills and "tabletop" exercises have been used. A "tabletop" exercise is a low-cost, low-stress group exercise that simulates a crisis through discussion. "Drills" are typically conducted as a limited single-agency exercise to test a specific function, such as the evacuation of students from a school facility. From drills and tabletop exercises, testing can proceed to "functional" exercises, which are conducted in a highly stressful manner using real-time messaging slips that require immediate action. A "full-scale" exercise is the closest simulation to a real crisis event and involves the actual deployment of people and equipment. A properly designed full-scale exercise will normally require 6 to 12 months of preparation. It is important to have a clear understanding of what is being tested and match the exercise to this testing goal. Twelve tips are offered for conducting safe and realistic full-scale exercises.