While schools may be more prepared to respond to short-term crises on campus, it’s also important to implement Critical Incident Planning to address situations when a crisis becomes a critical incident. In many cases, critical incidents can impact the day-to-day operations of a school, but can have devastating impacts on students and staff including intense emotional responses that can be difficult to cope with.

NCPCV’s Critical Incident Planning strategies help schools understand how to effectively determine the difference between a crisis and a critical incident, and will help them create plans to respond accordingly.

Some of the topics that may be addressed in a Critical Incident Plan include:

• Prevention, preparedness, and mitigation strategies and training
• Creating an emergency operations plan
• Working together with local law enforcement
• Utilizing community resources and organizations
• Setting up a command center
• Effective mass communications
• Recovery and reunification
• On-site emergency kits
• Lockdowns
• Evacuations and re-entry
• Shelter-in-place

NCPCV’s Critical Incident Planning will also help schools better understand the various roles community public safety officials, organizations, and other key stakeholders play in an effective Critical Incident Plan.