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Do you have school safety plans in place for students, staff, and visitors with special needs? What about individuals with short-term disabilities and physical conditions like pregnancy or a broken ankle? When developing your emergency operations plan, you need to think about every individual the school is obligated to protect.
Especially Safe, the latest program from Safe and Sound Schools, is designed to help school safety planning teams create a culture of safety and security for everyone in the school community. Below are seven key considerations for schools to contemplate as they create these plans. Michele Gay, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Safe and Sound Schools, shared these recommendations in a Raptor-hosted webinar.
How Can Schools Create Plans for Individuals with Special Needs and Disabilities?
Students and other individuals within the school community who have special needs or disabilities are often forgotten about during school safety planning. Especially Safe urges schools to move the safety of these individuals from afterthought to the forefront of planning and preparation. Schools can do this by:
- Asking the Experts
Make sure to partner with industry experts and organizations, as well as speak directly with students, staff, and guardians who have special needs or disabilities. Collaborate with the teachers and other professionals who are responsible for these students. By doing this, Michele says, “[schools] can really get down to the specifics and make sure everyone feels comfortable and safe.”
2. Planning Ahead
“When it comes to individuals with special needs, we often put a one-size-fits-all plan in place, and it’ll be up to the adult in charge to wing it in the moment,” depending on who they’re assisting, Michele says. This can lead to dangerous and perhaps deadly consequences. Schools and everyone inside of them must be prepared to respond to any emergency, and that requires robust planning ahead of time.
3. Considering Individual People and Their Needs
Schools must identify everyone who has support needs. You can do this by looking at your Special Education and English Language Learning program participants, as well as surveying students, parents, staff, school counselors, and nurses for their input. The school should then collaborate with anyone who lists a special need to ensure the right plans are in place for their unique circumstances.
4. Remembering That Needs Change
Things are going to change throughout the year, and it’s critical that the safety plans reflect those changes. A prime example of this is when a student breaks a leg and becomes temporarily confined to a wheelchair. Schools need plans for both short- and long-term disabilities that can obstruct an individual’s ability to quickly get to safety.
5. Training and Equipping Staff
“The plan is only as good as the level of preparation and level of familiarity that we give to the people who are in charge of carrying out the plan,” Michele explains. Using the same example as above, being in a wheelchair will change how the student can safely evacuate and be transported to the reunification site if there is an emergency. The student and all staff members must understand the updated process so they can keep this student safe.
6. Keeping Adults in Charge
Schools should not make students responsible for other people’s safety. An example of this is the common “buddy system” that pairs students together during drills or emergencies. Although well-intended, when it comes to crisis planning, Michele explains that it is unfair to burden a child with the responsibility of another child’s safety. This responsibility can lead to trauma, guilt, or shame related to not being able to save or help another student.
7. Providing Equal Opportunity and Access for All
“Equal opportunity and equal access equals safety for all,” Michele begins. Schools need to think about equity in safety as well. Everyone in the school community needs access to safety and safety training.
With these seven considerations in mind, schools can start the planning process.
Proud Partners of Safe and Sound Schools
Raptor is proud to be a partner of Safe and Sound Schools, working together to deliver on our shared mission to protect every child, every school, every day. Trusted by over 35,000 K-12 schools nationwide, the Raptor School Safety Suite integrates visitor, volunteer, and emergency management software to help schools manage every aspect of safety.
To learn more about Raptor and to schedule a personalized demo, contact us today.
