By Stephanie Osorno, Marketing Copywriter at Alertus Technologies

A big question looms as many educational organizations, including school districts, colleges, and universities, begin to prepare for a transition back to in-person learning: Is it safe? 

While crises and emergencies are unpredictable, being proactive with an emergency preparedness plan designed for a wide range of circumstances — from natural disasters to student violence — is a crucial step in ensuring on-site safety.

Alertus recently teamed up with West Coast University for a webinar focused on a safe and successful return to campus. Webinar presenters Eric Davis-Fernald and Patrick Dennin weigh in on how to build an effective plan for the return below.

Name: Eric Davis-Fernald
Title: Director of Safety
Organization: West Coast University

Name: Patrick Dennin
Title: Director of Education Sales
Organization: Alertus Technologies

Emergency Preparedness

Having an emergency preparedness plan in place is key to acting fast in the event of a potentially-life threatening situation. However, it’s important to first think through all the different scenarios that could occur, including non-traditional emergencies like the COVID-19 crisis. 

“It’s common knowledge that educational organizations need an emergency preparedness plan in place, which should be tested regularly. What’s really important, however, is to take a closer look at what you’re actually preparing for,” Davis-Fernald explained.

“Many educational leaders may only prepare for major emergencies — earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, water main breaks — but this year we’ve added other unexpected situations to the mix such as the pandemic and civil unrest incidents. A more expansive plan will account for major emergencies as well as student health and wellbeing. There needs to be a more precise, location-based approach to develop emergency response plans for unpredictable active shootings, student violence, mental health issues, and more.” 

Risk Assessment

So, how do you go about crafting a more extensive and thorough emergency preparedness plan? Conducting a risk assessment is a great way to better understand your school community’s unique risk factors. 

“When you conduct a risk assessment, you’re looking at any vulnerabilities that are adherent for the operation of the school. Some of those risks may be associated with location. For example, if the school is located in California, you’d have to account for the possibility of frequent earthquakes,” Davis-Fernald said.

In addition to strengthening operational resilience, a risk-based approach helps to both reduce the likelihood of a critical event happening and its impact.

“It’s important to assess not just areas of vulnerabilities, but also the probability of these situations happening and the impact it can have on your organization. Assessment of risk takes into consideration all of those risk aspects,” Davis-Fernald elaborated. 

Mental Health

Mental health should be a top consideration for the development of a suitable emergency preparedness plan— especially in the wake of the pandemic, when many students have been faced with a slew of uncertainties and rapid changes. 

“When I began to look at educational mental health statistics, I was very surprised to see the number of students who are suffering from mental health issues,” Davis-Fernald shared. “Regardless of whether it’s a K-12 or higher education environment, mental health plays a significant factor in mass shooting incidents and other violent acts.” 

According to a survey led by the Journal of Medical Internet Research, 71% of students reported having increased stress and anxiety related to the pandemic. Research from Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of California San Diego also found that the rate for clinical depression among students has doubled since the pandemic began.

“I think it is more important now than ever to be cognizant of students' mental health,” added Dennin. “We all know that mental health is a large issue affecting our youth, and the rise of gun violence over the past several months shows us that mental health and social isolation do not mix.”

School-Wide Communication

A reliable communication system is an integral component of emergency preparedness. As you and your team move forward with on-site learning plans, here are some key questions to think about when it comes to school-wide communication during a crisis:

• Do we have the necessary alerting tools to quickly respond to any circumstance and ensure safety?

• What is our activation process like? Can it be improved or simplified? 

• Is our staff and faculty equipped to activate an emergency notification in the event of an emergency?

“A long time has passed since some educational populations have been in their respective buildings full time. We want to make sure that organizations not only have an infrastructure to give warning about potential threats, but also a way to internally report red flags or signs of students and staff in distress. This will ultimately serve to get individuals the help they need,” said Dennin.

With a comprehensive Mass Notification System (MNS) such as the Alertus System, you can reduce emergency response times, quickly heighten school-wide awareness with actionable information, and minimize operational disruption.

Learn More

For more guidance on preparing for a safe return to campus, catch the on-demand webinar, “Before the Alert Sounds: Returning to School with a Proactive Emergency Preparedness Plan,” replay here.