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After Action Report Improvement Plan

Operation Sudden School Storm A Tornado Tabletop Exercise

October 12, 2010

Leon County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management

After Action Report / Improvement Plan Operation Sudden School Storm Tabletop Exercise

Disaster Resistant Communities Group LLC – www.drc-group.com 2 | Page

ADMINISTRATIVE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

1. The title of this document is The "Operation Sudden School Storm - A Tornado Tabletop Exercise" After Action Report.

2. The information gathered in this AAR/IP is classified as For Official Use Only (FOUO) and should be handled as sensitive information not to be disclosed. This document should be safeguarded, handled, transmitted, and stored in accordance with appropriate security directives.

3. At a minimum, the attached materials will be disseminated only on a need-to-know basis and when unattended, will be stored in a locked container or area offering sufficient protection against theft, compromise, inadvertent access, and unauthorized disclosure.

4. Points of Contact: County Emergency Management: Richard Smith Leon County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management (Office) 850-488-5921 (E-Mail) [email protected] Exercise Director: Chris Floyd Disaster Resistant Communities Group LLC (Office) 850-241-3565 (E-Mail) [email protected]



CONTENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS ........................................................... 2

CONTENTS .................................................................................................................... 3

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................. 4

SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW ............................................................................. 5

Exercise Details ........................................................................................................... 5

Participant Information ................................................................................................. 5

SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY ............................................................... 8

Exercise Purpose and Design ..................................................................................... 8

Exercise Objectives, Capabilities and Activities ........................................................... 8

Scenario Summary ...................................................................................................... 8

SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF CAPABILITIES ................................................................... 9

SECTION 4: CONCLUSION ......................................................................................... 18

APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN .......................................................................... 19

APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK (3 THUMBS UP – 3 THUMBS DOWN) ..... 20

APPENDIX C: ACRONYMS .......................................................................................... 55



EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Operation Sudden School Storm - A Tornado Tabletop Exercise was designed and facilitated to enhance the disaster protective action / response knowledge of individual school Crisis Response Teams with regards to the Leon County School District’s Emergency Operations Plan. In addition the exercise will increase the level of collaboration between individual schools and the district’s Safety, Security and Emergency Management Department.

The purpose of this report is to analyze exercise results, identify strengths to be maintained and built upon, identify potential areas for further improvement, and support development of corrective actions.

Incorporated in Section 3: Analysis of Capabilities of this After Action Report is a comprehensive listing of each Target Capability with its associated Major Strengths, Primary Areas for Improvement and Improvement Recommendations



SECTION 1: EXERCISE OVERVIEW

Exercise Details

Exercise Name: Operation Sudden School Storm - A Tornado Tabletop Exercise

Type of Exercise: Tabletop

Exercise Start Date: October 12, 2010

Duration: 3 Hours

Location: Leon County Florida

Sponsor: Leon County Sheriff’s Office Division of Emergency Management

Program: The Operation Sudden School Strom Tabletop Exercise enabled employees from various schools to participate in a tabletop exercise experience while allowing them the familiarity of working from their normal base of operations. This exercise is designed to engage them in a significant tornado occurrence requiring on-site protective actions and response activities.

Purpose: To enhance the disaster protective action / response knowledge of individual school Crisis Response Teams with regards to the Leon County School District’s Emergency Operations Plan. In addition the exercise will increase the level of collaboration between individual schools and the district’s Safety, Security and Emergency Management Department.

Mission: To facilitate an internet based tornado protective action / response tabletop exercise for Leon County Schools to assess the operational knowledge of exercise participants regarding their role in responding to a significant weather event in North Florida.

Scenario Type: Tornado

Participant Information

Participant Location

Each Schools / Facilities Crisis Response Team

Adult & Community Education School

Apalachee Elementary School

Astoria Park Elementary School



Bond Elementary School

Buck Lake Elementary School

Canopy Oaks Elementary School

Chairs Elementary School

Chiles High School

Cobb Middle School

Conley Elementary School

Deerlake Middle School

Desoto Trail Elementary School

Everhart School

Fairview Middle School

Ft Braden Elementary / Middle School

Gilchrist Elementary School

Godby High School

Griffin Middle School

Hartsfield Elementary School

Hawks Rise Elementary School

Imagine Charter School at Evening Rose

Kate Sullivan Elementary School

Killearn Lakes Elementary School

Leon High School

Lincoln High School

Lively Technical Center

Montford Middle School

Nims Middle School

Oak Ridge Elementary School



Pace Center for Girls

Pace Secondary School

Pineview Elementary School

Roberts Elementary School

Tuediger Elementary School

Sabal Palm Elementary School

SAIL High School

Sealy Elementary School

Springwood Elementary School

Stars Middle Charter School

Steele – Collins Charter School

Swift Creek Middle School

Virtual School

W T Moore Elementary School

Woodville Elementary School

District Nutritional Services

District Security Center

District Support Centers

District Technology & Information Services

District Transportation Services

Number of Participants 275



SECTION 2: EXERCISE DESIGN SUMMARY

Exercise Purpose and Design

To enhance the disaster protective action / response knowledge of individual school Crisis Response Teams with regards to the Leon County School District’s Emergency Operations Plan. In addition the exercise will increase the level of collaboration between individual schools and the district’s Safety, Security and Emergency Management Department.

Exercise Objectives, Capabilities and Activities

Capabilities-based planning allows for the exercise planning team to develop exercise objectives and observe exercise outcomes through a framework of specific action items that were derived from the Target Capabilities List (TCL). The capabilities listed below form the foundation for the organization of all objectives and observations in this exercise. Additionally, each capability is linked to several corresponding activities and tasks to provide additional detail.

Based upon the identified exercise objectives below, the exercise planning team decided to demonstrate the following capabilities during this exercise:

School Protective Actions / Response Activities

Activity Target Capability

# 1 Direct Evacuation and / or In-Place Protection

# 2 Implement / Coordinate Response Activities

Scenario Summary

It is early February and the severe weather associated with a cold front moving through the region prompts the Tallahassee Forecast Office of the National Weather Services to issue a Tornado Watch for North Florida from 4:55AM until 1:00PM.

At 9:17AM, meteorologists at the National Weather Service notice what appears to be the formation of a tornado on their doppler weather radar. They immediately issue a Tornado Warning.

Over the next several hours, numerous Tornado Warnings are issued throughout the area.



SECTION 3: ANALYSIS OF CAPABILITIES


Performance Target Capability

Strong Activity # 1: Direct Evacuation and / or In-Place Protection

Associated Critical Tasks

Task # 1.1: Ensure students, teachers, staff and visitors are aware of current and potential hazardous conditions via appropriate communications systems.

Strong Evaluator # 1

Observations

The Crisis Response Team seems to have a very robust method of communication regarding current or potential hazards. This includes email, intercom and then personal observation by staff that the message had been received. Teachers can also contact the office from their rooms should they have questions / need guidance

Recommendations None


Observations

The Crisis Response Team was able to alert students, teachers, staff and visitors by announcing and informing them to be prepared as well as discussed developing a specific plan for arriving students.



Observations

The Lincoln High School Crisis Response Plan calls for severe weather monitoring by all available means; NOAA weather radio, cable weather channel, local TV, radio, information from Internet, etc..

Recommendations

For severe weather information that develops in the early morning hours of a school day it may be taken under advisement for selected school employees to monitor a NOAA weather radio at their home that automatically sounds an alarm upon receipt of tornado warning, hazmat accident or other disaster. In this way school management can be contacted



much earlier to begin the decision making process.


Observations Communications systems are in place (hand held radios for

administration and intercom all call for school and class rooms).


Task # 1.2: Make the decision to evacuate or conduct in-place protection.


Observations

The Crisis Response Team has an Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) regarding this decision making process which includes chain of command, pre-assigned tasks for key personnel and delegations of authority.

From my visual observation of the drill, which included having the students and staff undergo their own "Tornado Drill", the teachers and support staff were well trained and the students knew what to do for this type of event.

Recommendations There were some issues with overcrowding in some of the

severe weather shelter areas which the staff will address as part of their corrective actions.


Observations

They would use the public address system telling teachers and staff to move students to the designated severe weather shelter areas.

Using Clear language and sounding the tornado alarm. Visitors would be told to go to the nearest classroom.


Adequate Evaluator # 3

Observations

The decision was made to go to the shelter in place area and to quickly move students, staff and faculty from outlying buildings to central interior hall space. The plan seemed reasonable and well thought out and was the most reasonable thing to do under the circumstances. The Crisis Response Team claimed that this could be done in three minutes or less.

Recommendations Recommend yearly testing of the plan to validate the response

and the three minute timing goal.




Observations Staff appeared to fully understand requirements of

implementing a protective action strategy for inclement weather.


Task # 1.3: Identify evacuation or in-place protection location.


Observations Very well protected school (hurricane screens, etc) and all

occupants of on-site portables were moved to areas of safety in a very timely manner.

Recommendations

Since the occupants of on-site portables had to move across an open space to get to their designated severe weather shelter they need to plan more on how this would be done rapidly during times of severe weather (rain, wind, etc) in the area.


Observations Teachers, staff and students were aware of the school's severe

weather shelter locations.



Observations

Interior hallway space, away from windows, was recommended. Specifically excluded were the forum area and the gymnasium because these were large, open span areas that are historically more vulnerable to roof damage.

Recommendations

Recommend actually testing the plan to verify the number of students that can be safely accommodated in each area.

Specifically include accommodations for handicapped or special needs students.

Teach students the proper protective posture for tornado situations and have them hold that position to see for themselves how long they can be in that posture.


Observations Staff appeared be unsure of the exact location of the Severe

Weather Shelter location in one of the building on campus.

Recommendations Recommend reviewing all Severe Weather Shelter locations



with school administration, District Safety and Security staff and District Engineers to ensure best Severe Weather Shelters are located for all buildings.

Task # 1.4: Implement evacuation or in-place protection decision.


Observations Strong and well trained Crisis Response Team on site who

have taken NIMS and are well versed with their plan (which was recently updated).

Recommendations Make sure that their central office is kept in the loop on all

protective actions they take. This could be accomplished via e-mail to save time but via phone if necessary.


Observations The Crisis Response Team would sweep the campus rapidly,

securing exterior doors and making sure students and staff are protected.



Observations The timing of the decision was immediate upon going from

Tornado Watch to Tornado Warning.



Observations Staff appeared to fully understand requirements of

implementing a protective action strategy for inclement weather.


Task # 1.5: Communicate instructions for evacuation or in-place protection procedures.


Observations

As noted previously the staff and students were obviously drilled on what to do Crisis Response Team seems to have a very robust method of communication regarding current or potential hazards.



Recommendations Continue to perform Tornado Drills and update key personnel

on their roles in these types of events.


Observations Announce on the public address system using clear concise

language that everyone should seek a severe weather shelter location and assume protective positions.



Observations

The decision was communicated via public address system, e-mail and other electronic means.

Discussion also was conducted about an automatic calling machine.

Recommendations Recommend yearly practice for shelter in place drill.


Observations Staff understood process for communicating instructions (hand

held radios and intercom all call).

Recommendations Test this process during the 2011 Statewide Tornado Drill which

is part of the annual Severe Weather Awareness Week.

Task # 1.6: Assist special needs students, teachers, staff and visitors.

Unsure Evaluator # 1

Observations

I did not personally observe this portion of the drill but was told verbally by members of the Crisis Response Team how this would work. These students are housed in one of the hardened buildings and would not have to cross open spaces from what I was told.

Recommendations Continually be aware of students that might need assistance in

evacuation due to temporary injuries or fear.


Observations Each student with special needs has a specialist assigned to

them at all times. This individual will guide them to a severe weather shelter area.





Observations

Special note was taken for handicapped students and students with special medical needs (diabetics, epileptics, asthma sufferers, etc..). A fairly large percentage (over 10%) of the student body has some sort of special medical need or allergy on record with the school and the school maintains a computerized list of the these students and their medical priorities.

In addition to the students with medical needs are the infant children of students who are in the school day care program while their mothers are attending class. These infants need even further protection.

Recommendations

It is worth thought for discussion to place students with special medical needs in one central location so that the school nurse might be able to best attend to those who are statistically most likely to have a medical emergency all located together as opposed to all over the school. The infants could be placed in a separate, but adjoining, room.


Observations Staff noted special needs students have adult instructional

aides assigned to them throughout normal school day and would assist the student in the event of an emergency.


Performance Target Capability

Adequate Activity # 2: Implement / Coordinate Response Activities

Associated Critical Tasks

Task # 2.1: Implement and utilize the appropriate components of the school’s disaster response plan.


Observations All members of the Crisis Response Team were cognizant of

the existing plan and their role within.





Observations The school's Crisis Response Team had their crisis response

plans out and referenced them as needed. The school's Crisis Response Team knew their roles.



Observations Appropriate discussion of the school Crisis Response Plan

were discussed and presented by different functional areas. The principal was well organized and led a good response plan.



Observations

Staff appears to have an understanding of response roles and responsibilities.

However, they stated that post impact activities are not as well known such as working with first responders and what support the school district provide.

Recommendations Need more training and practice in post impact activities.

Task # 2.2: Establish the command structure to manage activities and meet objectives.


Observations

The Crisis Response Team is rather small and well used to working together due to the nature of their normal jobs. Thus, it's relatively easy to quickly form the team to respond to current or potential threats.

Recommendations Cross training for delegations of authority is key as the team is

small it could cause problems should one or more of the team members be absent or incapacitated.


Observations The school's Crisis Response Team had key positions well

identified with each member understanding their role as a team member.





Observations The principal, the School Resource Officer and the other staff

demonstrated a fundamental knowledge of the Incident Command Structure adequate to meet objectives.

Recommendations

Recommend a full scale exercise (could be a shelter in place or a fire scenario) with appropriate Leon County Emergency Responders to evaluate responsiveness, timing and adherence to best practices.

Consider planning for conducting the exercise under the conditions of a simulated power outage such as is a common occurrence in a disaster situation.

Weak Evaluator # 4

Observations

Staff understood that Principal was in charge but showed no awareness of "Incident Command System" and the functional components (Operations Planning, Logistics, Finance and Administration).

Also unsure if school district would / should assume command during an event of this magnitude.

Staff did note that coordination with first responders would be needed and someone is assigned to this task.

Recommendations Conduct Incident Command System Training (I-100 & I-200) for

all staff and help develop School Incident Management Teams.

Task # 2.3: Develop and implement a prioritized Incident Action Plan designed to maximize teachers and staff in meeting the disaster caused needs of individuals.

Non-Existent Evaluator # 1

Observations

When questioned the Crisis Response Team was not sure what an Incident Action Plan (IAP) is or how to use one for this event. They explained that Leon County School District would quickly send out an Incident Command Team to take control of the school should a disaster occur and that they would cede authority to them once they arrived on site.

Recommendations Educating the Crisis Response Team on the Incident Action

Plan (IAP) concept, though I'm not sure if they would actually use one for the length of time that they would be in command.


Observations I felt they had a good handle on designating teachers and staff

to meet the needs of the students.





Observations

The school Crisis Response Plan and staff made an assumption that Emergency Responders would be dispatched immediately and arrive within a few short minutes to take over Incident Command and give assistance at Lincoln High School. While this may be the case in the situation of a single incident (building fire) it probably would not be true in the situation of a county wide or area wide threat with multiple simultaneous tornado touchdowns. The reality of a major disaster would be that EMS response could not keep up with the number of calls for injuries or life threatening situations at nursing homes, shopping strips, other schools, etc. Locations that were impacted would have to expect longer waits for service.

Recommendations

Operating under the probability that help would not be immediately forthcoming from first responders if multiple disasters were in progress around the Tallahassee area, the school should plan for longer response waiting times, requiring additional self sufficiency, including basic lifesaving and first aid training for staff, sufficient first aid supplies for multiple injuries, especially lacerations and broken bones.

Additionally, more backup redundancy (in generators, lighting, communications) is recommended.


Observations Staff identified steps to take immediately after impact to asses

health and safety of students and campus facilitates.

Recommendations An Incident Action Plan process would help.



SECTION 4: CONCLUSION

Exercises such as this one allow personnel to validate training and practice strategic and tactical prevention, protection, response and recovery capabilities in a risk-reduced environment. Exercises are the primary tool for assessing preparedness and identifying areas for improvement, while demonstrating community resolve to prepare for major incidents.

Exercises aim to help entities within the community gain objective assessments of their capabilities so that gaps, deficiencies, and vulnerabilities are addressed prior to a real incident.

Exercises are the most effective (and safer) means to:

Assess and validate policies, plans, procedures, training, equipment, assumptions, and interagency agreements;

Clarify roles and responsibilities; Improve interagency coordination and communications; Identify gaps in resources; Measure performance; and Identify opportunities for improvement.

This exercise succeeded in addressing all of the above as it provided examples of good to excellent participant knowledge, teamwork, communication and use of plans and procedures while pointing out areas in need of improvement and clarification.

Listed below is a summary of the level of performance the Target Capabilities and Tasks evaluated during the exercise. This summary outlines the areas in which Leon County School District is strong as well as identifying areas that the departments should invest future planning, training and exercise funds on.


Activity Target Capability Performance

# 1 Direct Evacuation and / or In-Place Protection Strong

# 2 Implement / Coordinate Response Activities Adequate



APPENDIX A: IMPROVEMENT PLAN

This Improvement Plan has been developed specifically for the Leon County School District based on the results of Operation Sudden School Storm - A Tornado Tabletop Exercise conducted on October 12, 2010. These recommendations draw on both the After Action Report and the After Action Conference.

Capability Observation Recommendation Responsible

Agency Completion

Date

School Protective Actions /

Response Activities

Many schools either did not have NOAA Weather Radios or they did not work.

Provide NOAA Weather Radios to schools that do not have a functioning radio.

Leon County School District

3/1/2011

Schools lacked a viable plan for student / parent reunification in the aftermath of an emergency or disaster.

Develop and exercise a school based student / parent reunification plan.


6/1/2011

None of the district’s schools have Continuity of Operations Plans.

Develop and exercise Continuity of Operations Plans for each of the district’s schools and support centers.


7/1/2011

The focus of the exercise was severe weather protective actions and initial response. Exercise participants wanted to know what the next steps would be after the initial response.

Design and conduct a full response / recovery exercise which all School Crisis Response Teams could participate in.


7/1/2011



APPENDIX B: PARTICIPANT FEEDBACK (3 THUMBS UP – 3 THUMBS DOWN)

Thumbs Up

Our school was well prepared with our Crisis Incident Plan in place.

The response team was well organized in advance.

We worked through all the exercise without any problems.

We were able to answer all the questions / scenarios without any problems, especially since we were not able to participate in the briefings.

More of our school's Crisis Response Team should have taken part of this exercise.

Dissemination of information to staff and teachers went well.

Evacuation of students through campus.

Utilization of off site staging location.

Communication flowed well with our Crisis Response Team.

Everyone knows there assigned roles and there expectations for the exercise was clear.

Good opportunity to preview and make certain that everything is in place for an emergency.

We had to discuss in detail some aspects of an emergency that we hadn't thought of.

We were able to think through emergency process.

The conference call at the beginning was helpful and informative.

The scenario was excellent and it made us think critically through the process.

Identified Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Communication plan went well.

Identified the Crisis Response Team.

Discussed how we would handle each situation as a group.

All Crisis Response Team members now know the location of the Severe Weather Shelter locations and the location of our hand held mobile radios.

Our group communication.



Crisis Response Plan already in place.

Got us thinking about more detailed plans.

Staff easily assembled in the Severe Weather Shelter locations as there were only a few people in the facility.

Staff aware of the roles in the Crisis Response Plan.

Crisis Response Plan was available.

All staff knew their designated roles.

Students and teachers were in Severe Weather Shelter locations when storm hit.

Provided an opportunity for clarification of roles and responsibilities.

Helped us to identify important telephone numbers.

Helped us identify possible problem areas on campus.

Specifying who the Crisis Response Team are along with their assigned duties.

Correspondence with the District Security Center.

Our ability to understand and respond to the questions.

We felt relatively prepared and had discussed previously most of the scenarios that came up during the exercise.

Moving students to secure location.

Accounting for all students, teachers and staff.

Having clear responsibilities for designated personnel.

Good input from our group.

We knew what needed to be addressed.

The exercise identified areas that need to be improved.

The activity allowed us to reevaluate our current Crisis Response Plan for possible improvements.

Gave us the opportunity to walk through an actually event.

Identify Crisis Response Team members responsibilities and roles during an unknown event.

This will help in upgrading our Crisis Response Plan.



Made us more aware of our differences from a school building atmosphere.

That we are moving toward a better plan.

We were prepared and knew what to do.

The questions and situations were clearly described and made you think about the situations.

The weather radio was working normally.

We had the opportunity to discuss a crisis situation without actually having a crisis.

The questions were thought provoking.

Team work and dialog.

Overall knowledge of our Crisis Response Plan.

Brainstorming to meet critical needs.

Preassigned rolls for all on Crisis Response Team members.

We have a Crisis Response Plan in place and materials assembled in a suitcase (for ease of portability) for emergencies. This includes demographic and medical information for students.

We have frequent tornado drills throughout the school year so that teachers and students are prepared.

Staff briefing.

Knowing who is assigned and responsible for certain actions.

Campus Assessment Response by Crisis Response Team.

Conversation among Crisis Response Team members during the exercise.

Lots of knowledge given.

We were able to identify our Severe Weather Shelter locations quickly.

We have a solid communication plan in place with TV, radios and cameras.

The current Crisis Response Plan allowed school officials to react efficiently while keeping safety as our first concern.

Communication among school officials were immediate and consistent with individual roles / duties.

The Crisis Response Plan is designed to keep students / staff safe and immediately



assist those in need.

Our Crisis Response Team was designated prior to emergency and all were aware of their duties.

Placement of students and staff in designated Severe Weather Shelter locations at the time of tornado warning.

On site communication between Crisis Response Team members and staff is in place.

We now have a more detailed plan for evacuation.

Since our school campus consists of all portables, through conversations we developed new ideas for maintaining safety during a tornado.

Identified all responsible persons and their roles.

Defined roles and responsibilities helped in responding quickly.

The planning among the Crisis Response Team members prior to the exercise went well.

Helped us identify problem areas.

Helped us clarify roles and responsibilities.

Helped us identify additional resources.

Crisis Response Team members worked well together and follow our plan.

We practice our drills on a regular basis and therefore were familiar with safety procedures.

We had a Crisis Response Team that came to consensus easily.

We had a Crisis Response Plan in place.

Input from Crisis Response Team members was valuable and the discussions were constructive.

Crisis Response Team roles were discussed and modified.

The exercise caused us to re-examine our Crisis Response Plan.

This exercise made us realize that we need to update certain elements of our Crisis Response Plan.

We had positive and informative dialogue among Crisis Response Team members.

The exercise made us aware of all the possibilities of what can happen and the reasons



for having solid protocols and the practice drills.

We realized what a team effort this really is.

Realization of the aftermath and what to do not just to practice Shelter in Place drills.

The exercise made us aware of all the possibilities of what can happen and the reasons for having solid protocols and the practice drills.

We realized what a team effort this really is.

Realization of the aftermath and what to do not just the practice protective action drills.

We all worked well together as a team.

The Crisis Response Team had a a clear understanding of roles, responsibilities and procedures involving a crisis.

The Crisis Response Plan covered all areas of assessment.

Having a plan in place.

Team collaboration.

Utilizing CRT team members in crisis response plan.

Evacuating the students that are housed in our portables to Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Our alert system (weather radio and tornado siren) is in place and our students and staff knows how to respond to it.

The physical assessment of the plant and the assessment of injuries were efficiently completed.

Walkie-talkies in everyone's hand in each building and extra personnel with designated duties in each building.

Knowing primary and secondary Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Procedure for student sign-out by parents at Deerlake Middle School.

All team members participated.

All were knowledgeable of the Crisis Response Plan and our assigned duties.

Crisis Response Team members responded in a timely manner to scenarios.

We have a NOAA weather radio that is in working condition.

We have a written Crisis Response Plan in place.



Most Crisis Response Team members were aware of their duties.

Good communication among Crisis Response Team members.

We were able to look at the scenario and identify information to add to the Crisis Response Plan. For example, we added a step for teachers in portables to contact the front office after they were at their designated Severe Weather Shelter location in the building.

Having the actual photograph and map of our school was very effective in making the exercise realistic.

We knew the location of our NOAA weather radio and whose responsible for making sure it works properly.

The Crisis Response Team was able to provide feedback.

New Crisis Response Team members were made aware of their roles.

Our ability to communicate with Crisis Response Team members to implement the Crisis Response Plan.

We were able to apply our Crisis Response Plan to the specifics of the simulated tornado drill.

The exercise gave us the opportunity to analyze the effectiveness of our Crisis Response Plan.

We had a Crisis Response Plan in place.

Our Crisis Response Team discussion went really well.

Great communication within Crisis Response Team.

Good focus on priorities - used our Crisis Response Plan to guide our decision making process and to facilitate discussion among the Crisis Response Team members.

Clear chain of command and attention to duties for the crisis.

We felt we had a good Crisis Response Plan to refer to.

Some future disaster preparedness and response planning ideas were brought out.

Our Crisis Response Team members were well trained and worked together well

Staff and students did excellent job during activation of their tornado drill.

Crisis Response Team was taking the exercise very seriously and discussed several ways that they could improve.



Everyone participating in the exercise came to consensus on all issues.

Knowledgeable about what needed to be done.

Our Crisis Response Team had assigned roles and were aware of their responsibilities.

Up to date Crisis Response Plan and tornado procedure are in place. Drills are carried out periodically so exercise went smoothly.

Medical suitcase with prepared student medical history cards was complete and in place.

Promoted discussion of what if's. Got us thinking about what our role would be, possible scenarios, reaction to various situations.

Pointed out weaknesses in our resources, communication and preparation / planning.

Encouragement of Crisis Response Team members responses.

We were able to notify the entire school within two minutes.

Everyone understands their roles and responsibilities and feel very confident to execute them if the need arise.

We realize that we are better prepared than we thought we were.

The scenario was realistic and informative.


Everyone understands their roles and responsibilities and feel very confident to execute them if the need arises.

We realized that we were better prepared than we thought we were.

Great input from Crisis Response Team members.

The exercise provided additional insight as to where students, faculty and staff should go in the event of a disaster.

Agreement that a better Crisis Response Plan needs to be in place.

This exercise allowed us to think through the entire emergency process.

We are better able to identify the Crisis Response Team.

Every member of the Crisis Response Team was present.

A lot of discussion was held on each scenario.

Everyone was prepared.



Our Crisis Response Team had assigned roles.

The Crisis Response Team had all been briefed as to what our roles would be prior to this exercise.

We were prepared with student contact information in our emergency suitcase.

Communication was good.

We had a plan of action.

Our Crisis Response Plan seemed to have worked.

We seemed to have a Crisis Response Plan in place already.

Everyone on the Crisis Response Team communicated well.

We were able to work efficiently and effectively to solve the problems that arose.

Had great response from each Crisis Response Team member. All gave excellent input on procedures set forth.

Great presentation of exercise and was very well coordinated. Very detailed.

Made us aware of things we need to improve on.

Many minor response details were hashed out and clarified.

It brought awareness to some issues we had not considered when dealing with special populations such as students in wheelchairs and with other physical disabilities.

The Crisis Response Team members were made aware of the significance of their duties.

Everything was easily executed and we were able to answer the questions, without any problems.

The exercise allowed for review and assessment of current Crisis Response Plan.

Real time dialog of Crisis Response Team members about responses was helpful in determining role assignments.

Practice with real unplanned event that we did not have prior knowledge to allowed for focused thought on plans.

We had great team participation.

The exercise was very well coordinated.

Brought attention to the parts of our Crisis Response Plan that we need to improve.




Everyone understands their roles and responsibilities and feel very confident to execute them if the need arise.

We realize that we are better prepared than we thought we were.


All Crisis Response Team members understands their roles and responsibilities and feel very confident to execute them if the need arise.

The exercise was very to the point and specific, but made you think about each situation you were engaged in.

I liked the way all schools / facilities could work at their own pace.

Working together was a great aspect!! Everyone and I mean the majority of everyone worked tremendously well together and that is very very important in an exercise / situation like this.

The Crisis Response Team members worked together very well, responding to the tornado.

The organizational strategy worked out well.

The duties involved were assigned to various individuals by there capable job function.

Getting our students / teachers in our portables to a Severe Weather Shelter location very quickly.

All radio equipment is in range and in good working order and everyone knows how to use them.

Plant was assessed quickly regarding injuries, safe and unsafe areas.

Evacuating our portables to a Severe Weather Shelter location.

Alert system (weather radio and tornado siren) is in place and our students and staff know how to respond to it.

The physical assessment of plant and determination of injuries was completed efficiently.

All Crisis Response Team members participated in the exercise.

Crisis Response Team members were knowledgeable of the school's Crisis Response Plan and their duties and responsibilities.

The Crisis Response Team responded to the situations in a timely manner.



That we had pre-assigned roles as part of the Crisis Response Team.

The exercise provided the opportunity to discuss our individual roles as one of the Crisis Response Team members.

The exercise showed how important tornado drills are for our school. If the kids and teachers know what to do everyone will be safer.

We identified the Severe Weather Shelter locations quickly.

We had a solid communication plan in place that included TV, radio, cameras, e-mail and phones.

All of us were in the brainstorming mode to create an action plan that will work in this emergency situation.

We had a pre-planned emergency jobs list that helped us plan ahead.

Everyone was open to hear everyone's responses and willing to modify our answers.

Good group communication.

Good planning techniques.

Establishing an action plan.

Organization and cooperation of our Crisis Response Team.

The ability to really think through how our Crisis Response Team would handle a tornado striking our school.

All Crisis Response Team members were in attendance for the exercise.

All Crisis Response Team members delivered input that was applicable and useful.

All Crisis Response Team members felt comfortable with the roles given and the information disseminated.

All Crisis Response Team members understood their role during a tornado.

Helped us to see that we need more radios on campus to facilitate communication if phone lines, electricity and the internet is out.

Walking through a situation step by step to see the process.

Evacuating our portables to identified Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Alert system (weather radio and tornado siren) is in place and our students and staff know how to respond to it.



We were able to review our Crisis Response Plan.

We had open dialog in reference to applying and modifying our Crisis Response Plan to meet our school's needs.

We prepared an action plan based on identified needs.

All Crisis Response Team members were made aware of their responsibilities and the responsibilities of the others around them.

We identified all necessary equipment at our site in the case of an emergency.

We have a very good Crisis Response Plan in place.

We were all able to look at the situation and change our actions accordingly. We did a very nice job of that. Having a picture of the school really made it hit home for all of us and made it feel more real.

We were able to talk through scenarios that helped us make a few tweaks to our Crisis Response Plan.

Gave the Crisis Response Team the opportunity to to think though emergency process.

Better identify Crisis Response Team and their responsibilities.

I do believe this would be a great tool for each school year. I sure benefited from it.

Having all Crisis Response Team members present and the Crisis Response Plan made it quite easy to follow and respond to each situation.


We were able to apply our Crisis Response Plan to the specifics of the simulated drill.

Analyze the effectiveness of the Crisis Response Plan.

Our Crisis Response Team worked well together.

I feel that our Crisis Response Team has a good understanding of what we need to do in cases of emergency.

Our Crisis Response Plan covered all of the positions that are needed during this type of crisis situation.

Evacuating the students in our portables to a Severe Weather Shelter location.

Communications with our Crisis Response Team members.

Being able to apply our school Crisis Response Plan to the specifics of the scenario



presented.

Being able to analyze the effectiveness of our school Crisis Response Plan.

Well coordinated detailed Crisis Response Plan spearheaded by our school's Principal.

Delegation of assigned duties of Crisis Response Team members.

Discussion of the function of the command post.

Crisis Response Team members worked well together.

Ideas were suggested for assisting with enhancing the current Crisis Response Plan.

Great review of the Crisis Response Plan that is already in place.

There was a collaborative effort among all of the Crisis Response Team members from the very start of the exercise.

Every member of the Crisis Response Team was concerned about doing what was best for the students and staff and therefore shared their knowledge and expertise in a professional manner.always focusing on the best possible solution!

The critical aspect of the situation was not taken lightly and therefore the solutions were thought through as thoroughly as possible given the time frame.

Information sent before the exercise was very informative.

Great exercise and we learn our strengths and weakness in a moment of crisis!!

We worked very well together as members of the Crisis Response Team.

We communicated among ourselves effectively.

We identified problems with the Crisis Response Plan we had previously developed.

Assigned roles and responsibilities are in place.

Crisis Response Plan is in place.

Health Cards can be found in the emergency kit.

All the members of the Crisis Response Team worked well together in the planning for and execution of the exercise.

The Crisis Response Team members were familiar with their assignments and duties during emergency situations.

The members of the Crisis Response Team were unified in their direction and actions. This could be due to similar real life situations that have occurred at the school in the



past few years.

Moving students to Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Each student, faculty and staff member was accounted for.

Having clear responsibilities for all designated members of the Crisis Response Team.

Knowing who our school Crisis Response Team members were.

Knowing the duties of Crisis Response Team members.

Having a Crisis Response Plan in place for the movement of studnets to designated Severe Weather Shelter locations was an important aspect of the exercise.

Having the students contact information on smart phones will make it easier to notify parents of the current status of their children.

Having a procedure for parents to pick up their children after the emergency.

Knowing how to evacuate children out of portables to a Severe Weather Shelter location.

We have an alert system in place and the students and staff know how to properly respond to it.

Determination of injuries and a physical assessment of plant was completed efficiently.

Good communications between Crisis Response Team members.

The members of the Crisis Response Team understood the needs and goals of working together in such an event as a tornado.

The Crisis Response Team worked well together.

Areas of the Crisis Response Plant that needed to be enhanced where identified.

Assignments were given to the appropriate Crisis Response Team members.

Dialogue between Crisis Response Team that allowed greater depth of knowledge on how to respond to certain situations that develop during a weather crisis.

Depth of knowledge that is already established between Crisis Response Team, teachers and Sheriff's Office.

Security that currently exists for a building and location the size of our facility. Despite the size, it is still well equipped to handle weather disasters and maintain safety and security.

Crisis Response Team coordination.



Organization of duties.

Problem solving.

Crisis Response Team worked well together.

Communication.

Teamwork and having a chance to discuss issues.

Knowledge of our own Crisis Response Plan.

Brainstorming among Crisis Response Team member to meet critical needs.


We were able to review and update portions of our Crisis Response Plan.


Very open discussion among the members of our Crisis Response Team.

Crisis Response Team members worked well together.

The Crisis Response Team was able to brainstorm critical needs.

We had a Crisis Response Plan in place and already.

We were exposed to scenarios that will help us identify areas we could improve upon. For example, we added to our Crisis Response Plan that teachers in portables will need to contact the front office once they have completed moving their students to a Severe Weather Shelter location.

Having an actual picture of our school as one of the graphics brought home what could actually happen and made the impact of where it was hitting even more real.

We have a school Crisis Response Plan already in place that is very detailed and user friendly. This exercise showed us how well we are organized in case of such an event.

Our Crisis Response Team is very cohesive and work well together.

Our school is small and our staff knows each other very well and we all know the students very well.

Assigned roles of the various members of the Crisis Response Team are in place.

Crisis Response Plan is in place.



All the members of the Crisis Response Team were in attendance and worked well as a group.

The exercise was individualized to our school which was helpful.

The availability of materials and information before the drill.

The scenario were realistic.

It was great to sit around the table and discuss issues with my fellow Crisis Response Team members.

The Crisis Response Team was well-versed in their respective assigned roles.

The emergency procedures for students regarding a tornado are rehearsed throughout the year.

Medical / contact information is readily accessible in a portable container.

The Crisis Response Team worked well together as a group. It was helpful to use our Crisis Response Plan to guide our decisions.

The Crisis Response Team easily established consensus.

The exercise allowed us to think of additional procedures we need to put in place.

The exercise was a great opportunity to work together with the schools Crisis Response Team and gain a clearer understanding of the Crisis Response Plan.

We were able to identify information that needs to be added to our Crisis Response Plan to make it a more in-depth document.

Having an actual photo of our school certainly added to the urgency and realistic nature of the exercise.

I think the exercise got us thinking on how we should handle situations so that we can be ready to respond quickly.

During the exercise, a few ideas came to the table, that we hadn't discussed, and prompted us to think about and discuss further.

Made sure that everyone was on the same page with how the school's Crisis Response Plan should be followed.

We had a Critical Response Plan in place that made the exercise flow very smoothly. We were quickly able to identify staff roles and responsibilities.

We work very well together as members of the Crisis Response Team.

Because of the size and dynamics of our school our staff are familiar with all of the



students in our school and that makes these types of situations run smoother.

Our school has a Crisis Response Plan in place to respond to a significant weather events such as a tornado.

All Crisis Response Team members knew their specific responsibility.

A parent communication center was in place to reunite students with their parents.

We all took this very seriously.

We had a working knowledge of our Crisis Response Plan.

Our Crisis Response Team worked well together and everyone had a chance to present their views speak.

This was an excellent learning exercise.

This gave us an opportunity and time to sit as members of the Crisis Response Team to discuss and tweak our Crisis Response Plan before a crisis situation actually occurs.

The questions/ situations were thought provoking and allowed us to have informative discussions.

All of the members of the Crisis Response Team were on the same page regarding several facets of our Crisis Response Plan.

Our Crisis Response Team worked well together and had good conversations throughout the exercise.

The exercise gave our Crisis Response Team the ability to apply our Crisis Response Plan to a simulated tornado.


We found out that we had a good Crisis Response Plan in place that needed a few changes. We had great communication among Crisis Response Team members in the group about how to handle the situations as they were presented during the exercise.

We were able to review each scenario and adjust our Crisis Response Plan as needed. We verified phone numbers, update Severe Weather Shelter locations and added other relevant information as it was identified.

As a result of this exercise, we will have a refresher course for staff members on emergency procedures in general after we update the Crisis Response Plan.

Enthusiastic brainstorming among the members of the Crisis Response Team.

We took the exercise seriously.



We noted where we have to tighten up on our procedures.

I was able to be in my classroom during the exercise.

We were able to work through potential problems.

Some response issues were resolved rapidly.

The students and staff in our portables were safely evacuated to designated Severe Weather Shelter locations.

A weather radio alerts us to threatening conditions. We have an effective alert system in place and our students and staff have practiced responding to various alerts.

We had a prompt and efficient assessment of structural damage to the facility, as well as to the medical needs of children and adults.

Members of Crisis Response Team were aware of their duties and responded well.

Communication among Crisis Response Team members was outstanding.

We were able to quickly verify that all students had been moved to Severe Weather Shelter locations.

All Crisis Response Team members new their job assignments.

This exercise provided us a forum to discuss our Crisis Response Plan and update any areas that needed an adjustment.

Brainstorming among the members of our Crisis Response Team.

Working together as members of our Crisis Response Team to solve problems.

Working out problems as they came up.

Our Crisis Response Team was well organized.

All the staff and teachers who would be involved in an emergency were there.

We were fairly knowledgeable about how to handle this particular emergency.

Our evacuation of students from the portables to Severe Weather Shelter locations went well.

Our alert system worked (siren) and teachers and students knew how to respond. Also our NOAA weather radio worked and staff knew how to use it.

Our Building Maintenance Supervisor and Nurse responded well with the physical assessment of our school (plant) and the assessment of injuries.



Having a challenge for our Crisis Response Team and having them meet it in this exercise.

Gathering members of Crisis Response Team together to review our Crisis Response Plan and bring concerns to the attention of the administrators and the School Resource Officer.

Watching leadership development among the Crisis Response Team members.

Everyone on our Crisis Response Team cooperated with one another.

All ideas were accepted.

We had a multidisciplinary Crisis Response Team.

Working together as a Crisis Response Team to streamline our responses.

Having the chance to explore a disaster situation.

Detailing jobs and areas that are primary to the crisis.

Discussions of the crisis and pointing out other primary situations.

Our Crisis Response Team leader encouraged discussion about specifics in case of an emergency.

The scenario was wonderful and truly caused us to think critically about how we would respond is such a situation.

Being able to collaborate with co-workers helped us all be involved in thinking through the scenario as well as planning how we could better respond in case of a real emergency.

We identified Severe Weather Shelter locations quickly.

We already had a Crisis Response Plan in place.

We worked well as a members of our school's Crisis Response Team.

Our group provided good feedback.

Getting students to a designated Severe Weather Shelter location.

Accounting for all students, teachers and staff.

Giving clear responsibilities for designated personnel.

We all had assigned roles prior to the drill.

Our Crisis Response Plan has been reviewed many times so we were all familiar with it.



We have a suitcase already packed with all the emergency information, equipment, and First Aid items that we may need. Its located in our front office.

We all worked well together to decide an appropriate course of action during the disaster.

The principal took charge and assigned duties to every member of the Crisis Response Team.

Most of the questions were very easy to answer because we had a Crisis Response Plan already in place.

Our Crisis Response Team was very well organized.

Realizing that we needed a more comprehensive Crisis Response Plan for our teachers.

Developing a keen awareness of how serious this could really be if it actually happened in our school.

The Crisis Response Team members worked well together throughout the exercise.

The questions were relevant to the activity and provide real emergency situations.

The activity allowed the Crisis Response Team members to look at our Crisis Response Plan and to make necessary changes appropriate.

Teamwork and open dialogue among the Crisis Response Team members.

Knowledge of our overall Crisis Response Plan.

Brainstorming as members of the Crisis Response Team to meet needs.

Our school had our Crisis Response Plan and assigned personnel.

All questions and situations were well defined creating a real life situation causing you think through critical issues.

The NOAA weather radio worked.

Thumbs Down

The timing of this activity. With middle school starting at 9:30 am and disseminating 1,150 students at the same time this exercise needed to happen

Preparedness for a disaster.

Consistently reviewing the Crisis Response Plans.

Making sure that everyone knows there exact responsibilities as they tend to change.



Better response for students will disabilities.

Better evacuation plans for buildings with large exterior glass windows / doors.

Dismissal of kids.

Crowd control.

Identification of injuries.

Emergency plans seem to have a school focus and not necessarily an administrative office view.

Need an updated the district's Crisis Response / Quick Reference Guide. Ours is dated 2004.

Will the District Security Center handle all other notifications for emergency needs (building damage, electrical, water)?

Parent / student pick-up procedures.

Need more information about phone numbers for security office.

Unsure what should and should not be said to the media in this situation.

How to dismiss personnel from site once it is secured. There are no students at our location.

All contact numbers for District Security Center need to be readily available.

The map on file with District Security Center, did not include addition of new cafeteria and media center. This was the area hit during this exercise.

Need larger Severe Weather Shelter locations.

We need more radios.

We need an indoor school. Our school is open and not suitable for Crisis Response Team members to circulate without putting them in danger.

We need to be briefed on the Howell Building's site plan.

Alternative plan if cell phone, email and electricity go out. What other method of communication would we use?

We need a weather radio. We don't have one.

Maybe have more people available to respond, although as a staff we have discussed various situations and the need for everyone to be prepared to jump in as needed.



Communications without electricity.

Reassure parents that everyone is OK.

Controlling media.

We need a better Crisis Response Plan.

We need a better means of communication.

We need better defined roles and responsibilities.

We need a weather radio.

Identify needed adjustments in our Crisis Response Plan in conjunction with the District Safety and Security Office.

Prepare recorded statements for the phone system to answer parent and community calls during a crisis.

The need for communication equipment upgrades.

The need for drills and more training.

The aging portables are unsafe.

We need to make adjustments to our Crisis Response Team.

Coming up with locations where parents could go in an emergency and wait for information regarding their children.

Finding a way to make sure that everyone has information on what to do in a crisis so there is not mass panic.

We need to update our parent pick-up site.

We need to let others know their defined Incident Command roles.

We need to document our Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Description of key roles.

Need for increased communication capabilities.

Plan for dismissal and communicating with parents.

We need additional personnel to assist with ESE and Pre-K students in an emergency.

We need more hand held radios to ensure quick communication for all.

We need a current, modern, working NOAA weather radio.



Locations on campus for Severe Weather Shelter locations that will accommodate our entire student body

Campus communications without phones.

Off campus sites that may be safe to transport students to that may be open to the public

We need additional radios.

We need to better identify our Severe Weather Shelter locations.

How will parents pick up their students along with how are student dismissed.

Crowd control.

How to identify who is injured.

To determine when or if the utilities should be turned off campus wide.

Clarification for schools as to when to sound tornado alarm.

Crisis Response Team back up roles due to absence.

Initial procedures communicating with fire, police and EMS immediately after tornado passed.

Parent pick up of students along with communication between parents and school staff.

After loss of power, a communication system between Crisis Response Team and classrooms / buildings needs to be in place.

Making sure that each Crisis Response Team member has a radio to communicate in-case the intercom is not working.

Parent support liaison will have a contact list ready in case of evacuation and a daily attendance sheet.

Communications with the district's Transportation Services to develop a plan for obtaining a bus for evacuation.

We could have improved our response time. This includes distractions, being called out to deal with school bases incidents during the exercise.

I would like to do an exercise with all of the Crisis Response Team members present. We feel this would have a greater impact on future response. We were limited in our ability to get coverage for all staff members who serve on the Crisis Response Team.

More clarity on individual roles and the order of importance.



Need to identify additional Severe Weather Shelter locations - our entire school could be in danger.

Need more radios. Too much reliance on electricity and internet.

We need to make minor revisions of current plans and procedures.

We need to define our Severe Weather Shelter locations better.

We need to figure out a way to share the information we received today with staff and parents.

Update the emergency bag and weather radio, making sure batteries etc. are are in place.

Everyone is not aware of their roles and responsibilities.

Train all personnel in proper use and transmission on radios during emergency situations.

We need to make sure that everyone who has a role in our Crisis Response Plan clearly understands their roles and duties.

We need to up-date our Crisis Response Plan.

We don't get good reception on the county provided weather radio. The weather radio reports need to be timely not after the fact.

Knowing how the district would provide assistance and what assistance they would provide. When help arrives should the person in charge relinquish their command duties to the experts? Or relinquish what level of control?

Communication with the county office when all phones, cell towers and other communication access is blocked.

Make sure hallway captains are informed of the importance of their positions in a crisis response.

Conduct a re-assessment of communication needs and equipment that would be used during a crisis response.

Having a weather radio.

Having an automated dialing system.

Streamlining emergency contact information during power outage.

We need to identify additional Severe Weather Shelter locations for evacuation of portables.



Being able to accurately identify student attendance.

Communication among staff members.

NOAA weather radio needs to be in working condition.

Ensure everyone knows which alternative routes are to be used for evacuating students.

Ensure front office, special area and custodial staff know specific roles and responsibilities.

Clarify designated Severe Weather Shelter locations with all faculty and staff.

Clarification of chain of command once emergency responders have arrived.

Look at the plan for using various radio channels for carrying out assigned tasks during an incident.

Review and up-date the emergency bag that we have.

Train all school personnel of their duties should an event arise.

We will have a refresher Crisis Response Team meeting for those members who were not able to attend the exercise.

We will up-date our Crisis Response Plan to include list of contact numbers for district, verify phone numbers for Crisis Response Team members and locate directions for NOAA weather radio.

Hold a "called" meeting with faculty and staff to review all safety procedures.

We need to review our emergency kits to ensure that we have appropriate items in case of a true emergency.

All members of our Crisis Response Team need to be made aware of their roles.

We should review our Crisis Response Plan frequently throughout the year.

We were unclear on when to move students from the music room because it has a high roof and many windows and is apart from the main building.

We need to ensure that all members of the Crisis Response Team are familiar with their individual roles in the plan.

We need to ensure that we have monthly Crisis Response Plan meetings with the Crisis Response Team.

Knowledge of procedures to be checked - when to turn off gas and electrical in severe weather events.



Need to develop a list of students with medical needs and have that list installed on cell phone memory cards for easy access.

Plan for attending to our infants that are present at our day care.

Our Crisis Response Plan could use some fine tuning as far as personnel assignments.

More NOAA weather radios around the building might be helpful

Parent communication prior to, during and after an event.

More planning for evacuating the portables during severe weather.

Obtaining a Standard Operation Procedures from the district on how to handle media after such an event.

We need to know where our Severe Weather Shelter locations are.

Better understand the chain of command when emergency responders arrive at our school.

We do not have enough radios and this caused a problem with communication between Crisis Ream Team members. We would like to have one radio for each Crisis Response Team member that they keep in their assigned location but we do not.

Our NOAA weather radio is not working. The volume knob is broken and the information fades in and out. We rely on an antique radio for information.

Need more resources such radios.

Need for practicing drills and responses for various emergencies.

Need for more planning for emergency responses.

Making sure that the students information is updated / current. Having parents return emergency contact forms after repeated attempts to get them.

Making sure that the School Nurse and the Crisis Response Team have the AED with them to use if needed.

We realize that we need more working radios within the school.

Making sure that the students information is updated / current. Having parents return emergency information sheets.

Making sure that the School Nurse and the Crisis Response Team members have the AED with them to use if needed.

We realized that we need more working radios within the school.



Need a better Crisis Response Plan.

Need additional communications resources.

Improvement on knowing how to transport pre-schoolers and infants, as well as adult students, off campus to a safe location for parents to make contact

The need to have a better response for students with disabilities.

How to better plan our school's evacuation plan for buildings with large areas of exposed glass.

Make sure everyone involves knows exactly where to go and what to do.

We do not have a NOAA weather radio. We have an old NOAA weather radio that does not always work.

We need more radios for the Crisis Response Team members to use so we can stay in contact.

We are short staffed when it comes to taking care of disabled students.

We saw several aspects of our Crisis Response Plan that needs to be improved upon for the future.

As a Crisis Response Team, we need to discuss areas not thought about prior to this excerise.

Would like more excerises of this nature for other critical situations such as chemical threats, bomb threats and hostage situations.

Agreement on Severe Weather Shelter locations for certain populations of students.

Designated staff to cover specific buildings in a crisis situation.

Knowledge of the appropriate chain of command when outside entities are involved a crisis situation. For example what actions should take place with first responders arrive.

Placement of NOAA weather radios.

Coordinate current Crisis Response Plan with updated district safety and securing plans as far as response times and incident control.

Establishment of preplanned messages for parents in crisis situations.

We discovered parts of our Crisis Response Plan that we need to improve on.

Making sure that the students information is updated / current. Having parents return emergency contact forms after repeated attempts to get them.



Making sure the School Nurse and the Crisis Response Team members have the AED with them to use if needed.

We realize that we need more working radios within the school.

Making sure we all have all of the means to communicate with each other.

Making sure we can account for all students present that day.

Finding additional Severe Weather Shelter locations for students and teachers in our portables.

Need additional Severe Weather Shelter locations for evacuation of students in portables.



Clarify the locations of Severe Weather Shelters all buildings on campus.

Clarification of the chain of command once emergency responders arrive.

Communication would be an issue. There is not enough radios for the Crisis Response Team members to carry one daily.

Our NOAA weather radio is not in good repair.

There is not enough staff to cover needy classes (Pre-K / ESE / Medical Needy) in case evacuation is needed.

Our plan for how to handle student pick-up by parents in the event of an emergency that causes us to cancel school after students have already arrived.

Crowd control.

Create a plan for better communication before, during and after an emergency.

We recognized that we need to purchase additional radios to facilitate quick response to administration regarding the status of the students, staff and visitors directly after a tornado.

Knowing how much public safety officers will help with after an incident, and how quickly their response may be, will help us to plan accordingly.

Working to enhance our current Crisis Response Plan.

Parent pick up of students in the aftermath of a tornado or other disaster.

Recovery plans.



Clarification on the Chain of Command after the Emergency Responders arrive on the scene.

This exercise was extremely important to help us realize the many facets of need during such an emergency situation. Thanks for having the foresight to facilitate the exercise.

Clarify the locations of Severe Weather Shelter with all the faculty and staff.

Communication system for emergencies. We discussed having more radios in so that we would not depend entirely on the public address system and / or phone lines to communicate.

Need for us to have all of the cell phone numbers of staff on internal phone tree.

There is a need for a First Aid kit for each pod. Right now we have band-aids.



Our Crisis Response Plan needs minor updating.

Review necessary equipment and assign someone to make sure that all is kept up to date (ie. batteries, etc.).

Train all personnel in the proper use of the radio equipment during an emergency situation (ie. keep the airways clear for emergency transmissions only).

Notify all personnel of their roles during an emergency of this type.

The district's phone numbers listing needs to be updated and as well as phone numbers for the current Crisis Response Team members.

There is a need to have a meeting with all staff members on emergency / safety procedures. It is one thing to have a written plan and another to actually run through the actual scenarios.

A refresher class / training for the Crisis Response Team member that may have missed the pre-planning session.

Better response for students with disabilities.

Plans for buildings with large glass windows or doors.

Giving the school's floor plan so that we could really look at the area hit by storm .

We were unclear of when to move students from the music room because of the high roof.

We need to ensure that all members of the Crisis Response Team are familiar with their



individual roles in the Crisis Response Plan.

We need to ensure that we have monthly Crisis Response Plann meeting with the Crisis Response Team.

Making sure that the hallway captains understand how important their positions are.

It is going to be hard for me as the Principal to stay at the command post - I will need to rely on my Assistant Principal's to be my eyes and ears to the outside.

Communication equipment - making sure that hallway captains have this equipment and that it is ready to go.

Determination of exactly when to evacuate students from our music room, which is a stand alone building with a somewhat elevated roof.

Make sure that all members of our Crisis Response Team are familiar with their individual roles.

Begin conducting monthly meetings with our school Crisis Response Team, in order to stay abreast of our roles, expectations and readiness level.

Shut-off procedures for electrical and other utilities needs to be be tighten up..

Additional discussion needs to take place on what to do if we lose all methods of communication.

More detailed plan on releasing 18 year old students after situation has stabilized.

Communication during an actual disaster could be difficult with the lack of communication devices that the school has. Not enough radios to communicate with all locations on campus if the phones are down or if you are unable to get to a part of the school due to debris.

Greater focus on detailed aspects of who would be designated to performed specific tasks.

Would like to have more exercises with varied situations that would allow school staff to become more conscious of the possible problems and issues that could arise from these emergencies. As a result, this would give administration an opportunity to better plan and implement strategies that would best address the situation should the need ever arise.

If the district would provide possible generic solutions for communication to the public and parents, the schools could take and tweak these suggestions for their individual use. This would be helpful, understanding that the suggestions are not a "fit all" solution.

We need to find additional time to work through variations of our keys roles and responsibilities.



We need to increase the membership of our Crisis Response Team to include a maintenance worker and a secretary.

We need to work with improving cross training on the different roles so that in someone's absence we have the next "go to" person.

Communication was limited due to lack of radios

Do not have enough personnel to move ESE students to Severe Weather Shelter locations.

Do not have enough personnel to move Pre-K students to Sever Weather Shelter locations.

Need to ascertain at what point in time or if the Crisis Response Team release control to emergency personnel.

Communication without power.

Reassure parents that everyone is safe.

Control of the Media.

What to do after the situation has passed and there are injuries.

How to maintain communication with teachers in classrooms with no power therefore no intercom / phone system.

Communication with parents after the situation has been cleared.

There needs to be a more solidified procedure on the turning off of gas to the campus.

The procedures for information staff, teachers and students needs to be reexamined and fine tuned.

Additional Severe Weather Shelter locations need to be identified for students in portables to be evacuated to.


Prepare additional information on at needs students with medical issues.

Communication between school and community after a crisis occurs on campus, particularly if phone and power lines are impacted.

Some specific details of crisis prevention, such as specific procedures for smaller groups of students and faculty on campus.

Having records of students with medical issues on hand and readily available in an emergency situation.



Making key players aware of specific roles.

Written list of Severe Weather Shelter locations for Crisis Team Members.

Change the location of off-campus parent meeting point (former location was torn down) in our Crisis Response Plan.

Need to review Crisis Response Plan with all staff and teachers.

Preparing a plan for after disaster happens.

Parent pickup point and notification after disaster.

The Head Custodian needs to be on the our Crisis Response Team.


Need for increased communication options and dissemination of information.

There needs to be a plan for dismissal and parent communication.

We need to ensure that we have monthly meetings with the Crisis Response Team members.

We need to ensure that all members of the Crisis Response Team are familiar with their individual roles and responsibilities.

Additional means of communicating.

Need to have a refresher Crisis Response Team meeting for those who were not able to attend the one during pre-planning.

Need to update Crisis Response Plan with relevant district phone numbers and Crisis Response Team member cell phone numbers.

Need to hold a faculty meeting to share information with entire school staff.

Identifying the lead person in each building so they can contact command post for status of occupants in their building. Making sure that lead person knows they are responsible for this job.

Let people who are in lead positions know that they need cell phones / walkie talkies on them in this type of situation so command post can keep in contact with them.

First Aid Kits need to be in every building in case there are injuries.

Communication was limited due to lack of radios.

The NOAA weather radio not working properly, you have to fiddle with the volume to hear it.



Need a new NOAA weather radio for the school.

We identified areas that we need to tweak in our Crisis Response Plan.

Not enough radios for faculty and staff.

The NOAA weather radio does not work properly and needs to be replaced.

There is not enough support staff to help with disabled and preschool students.

Fine tune our existing Crisis Response Plan.

Revise our Crisis Response Plan based on what was learned.

It was realized that there needs to be a refresher Crisis Response Team meeting for those members who missed the exercise.

Our district emergency phone numbers need to be updated as well as add phone numbers of the entire Crisis Response Team.

We need to have a faculty meeting to share the Crisis Response Plan and make sure all teachers are aware of the various safety procedures.

Communication between teachers and the Crisis Response Team members. How are we going to communicate effectively.

How would we handle student dismissal and parent communication?

We need to identify a lead person in each Severe Weather Shelter location listed in our Crisis Response Plan.

Personnel cell phones should be obtained for all staff and teachers so that communications can be maintained during emergencies.

Each department should have a more extensive First Aid Kit than the one they currently have.

Although the Crisis Response Team has a Crisis Response Plan in place in dealing with our various member responsibilities, we need to work on our plan in regards to interfacing with various city and county emergency responders.

Although we have a parent communication station in place, we need to write specific details in how the children are connected with their parents.

We need to work on our Crisis Response Plan if the school is totally without power and we are unable to communicate with individual buildings and / or staff members.

We need a better description of our key roles and responsibilities.

We need to have a improved communication plan.



We need a plan for controlling the surge of parents who would be showing up at the school.

We need to update our Crisis Response Plan to reflect a new parent gathering site.

We need to place in writing and more clearly define, the roles and responsibilities of each Crisis Response Team member along with their assigned locations / duties.

We need to disseminate the revised Crisis Response Plan to all staff and teachers.

Need to ensure all members of Crisis Response Team are familiar with their individual roles.

Need to schedule regular Crisis Response Team meetings.

We will need to update our Crisis Response Plan to include a list of district phone numbers so that all numbers can be found in one document.

We will need to schedule the refresher meeting "called meeting" at our next faculty meeting and sound the alarms so that teachers will hear the difference in the alarm sounds and review drill procedures with them.

Need a better plan for communicating what should be done to everyone.

While ESE teachers were considered however their aides were not. They need an assignment as part of our Crisis Response Plan.

We don't have a good plan for identifying students who might be traumatized physically / emotionally after the "danger" passed.

We need to determine additional Severe Weather Shelter locations for students and teachers in our portables.

We need a strong system in place to accurately identify student attendance. Several members of the Crisis Response Team need immediate access to class rolls, along with the day's absences.

We need a strong, effective method in place for communication among staff members, including contingency plans for power outage.

Communication after the loss of telephones.

Not enough radios to communicate with staff. We only had enough working radios for administration an a few members of the Crisis Response Team.

We need a new NOAA weather radio, ours does not work.

Making sure that everyone has a backup plan if our escape route is not safe and we need to go in a different direction.



Office staff are the ones trained in First Aid / CPR / AED and we were assigned in the office fielding calls and there was only two / three people that could help with injuries.

Organizational structure.

Who is in charge of each aspect of our Crisis Response Plan

Having more disaster planning meetings.

Having more exercises.

Better communication.

We will do better when we thoroughly know our Crisis Response Team position job responsibilities.

We need to identify additional Severe Weather Shelter locations to take students to.

We need to be able to better identify our student attendance quickly in the emergency situation.

Communication among staff members when the power goes out.

Periodic checks to keep all members of the Crisis Response Team familiar with their roles in case of an emergency.

Updating the Crisis Response Plan.

Describe roles and responsibilities of Crisis Response Team members better.

The National Weather Service will need to be faster on our reports from what we have had in the past. We have had tornadoes in the area and their report was an hour after the fact.

We need our district office to come provide input and set-up for the NOAA weather radio they provided.

We need input on where emergency vehicles would park if trees are down blocking roads into the school.

How will parents pick up their students.

How will we dismiss students after an event such as a tornado.

We need more details in our Crisis Response Plan.

Communication without electricity.

Reassuring parents that everything is okay.



Controlling the Media.

We definitely need more radios.

We need effective radios. It was too difficult to hear what was being said. Everything was scratchy.

We do not have enough personnel to move all of our ESE students and Pre-K students to ensure their safety.

We need to inform all employees of what to do in the event of and emergency and / or a complete school location evacuation.

Making the entire faculty aware of the seriousness of such and event. For example: Training the special area teachers in CPR and making sure that everyone with a radio knows the area to report to at the onset of such an event.

Assigning more people to the Crisis Response Team.

Working with the school nurse and exceptional student teachers to insure that students who are handicapped have access to rapid evacuation routes.


There is a need for increased communication resources.

We need a plan for dismissal in the event of an emergency and a plan for parent communications.

We will make adjustments to our Crisis Response Plan based on gaps identified during the exercise.

We need to have location where parents could go in an emergency to wait for further information. We had one site for students identified, but not one for parents.

Schedule periodic reviews of the Crisis Response Plan to make sure everyone has updated crisis information.



APPENDIX C: ACRONYMS

Acronym Meaning

COMM Communications

CONOPS Concept of Operations

EOC Emergency Operations Center

ESF Emergency Support Function

IAP Incident Action Plan

IC Incident Command

ICS Incident Command System

IMT Incident Management Team

JIC Joint Information Center

LOFR Liaison Officer

MOA Memorandum of Agreement

MOU Memorandum of Understanding

NIMS National Incident Management System

OPS Operations

PIO Public Information Officer

SERT State Emergency Response Team

SitRep Situation Report

SOG Standard Operating Guideline

SOP Standard Operating Procedure

UC Unified Command

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