Emergency Preparedness

The Rhode Island Department of Education is guided by what is in the best interest of students and this includes ensuring that our students have safe and healthy learning environments.

Emergency Preparedness requires collaboration from various stakeholders to maximize the health, safety, and welfare of students and staff when confronted with an emergency situation. To achieve this, district administrators, principals, teachers, students, state officials, and local police and fire departments must work together to effectively execute a school emergency plan.

It is important for LEAs to establish relationships with potential partners before a crisis occurs. While it is not possible to prevent every emergency, proper preparation and collaboration can mitigate harm. When teachers, principals, administrators and first responders collaborate, they maximize the health, safety, and welfare of students and staff when confronted with an emergency situation.

School Crisis Response Plans

Many schools have adopted School Crisis Response Plans that address Preparedness, Response and Recovery in all types of situations. We urge all Rhode Island Schools to adopt a School Crisis Response Plan.

Please visit the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency’s website to request plans.

Model School Safety Plan

In July of 2013, Governor Chafee signed RIGL §16-21-24 into effect. The law requires RIEMA, in coordination with RIDE to develop a template for school districts to work with local police and fire departments to conduct a school safety assessment and create an emergency plan. School committees are now required on an annual basis to update school safety and emergency plans and procedures. By December 31st of each year, the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education must present a safety assessment to the General Assembly and the Governor.

RIEMA, in collaboration with RIDE, the Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities, and Hospitals, the Rhode Island Department of Public Safety, Rhode Island State Police and the Division of the State Fire Marshal, and many other stakeholders developed the Model School Safety Plan in the wake of school incidents. The purpose of this joint initiative is to enhance preparedness and response procedures for school systems and local communities in the State of Rhode Island.

The plan is a 300-page strategic blueprint which incorporates best practices and state requirements into a guide that school districts can adopt or modify to meet their individual needs. The key documents in the new resource include an emergency planning guide and two FEMA publications regarding developing high-quality emergency operations for K-12 and Higher Educational institutions.

Model School Safety Plan Sections (PDFs):

Site Safety Report

The Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency in collaboration with several Local, State and Federal partners have developed this document to provide a standardized approach to conducting school safety assessments. This assessment is meant as a part of a comprehensive approach to school emergency planning. The intent of this document is to bring together school administration, faculty and first responders to collect data that will assist in the development and revision of each facilities emergency plan.

Resources in Response to School Shootings

The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has developed resources to help children, families, educators, and communities navigate what they are seeing and hearing, acknowledge their feelings, and find ways to cope together. 

Psychological First Aid 

The NCTSN also has resources for responders on Psychological First Aid (PFA; En Español). PFA is an early intervention to support children, adolescents, adults, and families impacted by these types of events. PFA Mobile and the PFA Wallet Card (En Español) provide a quick reminder of the core actions. The PFA online training course is also available on the NCTSN Learning Center.

Additional PFA resources for schools include:

From the National Mass Violence and Victimization Resource Center

From the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress at the Uniformed Services University

A disaster event such as this is unexpected and often brings out strong emotions. People can call or text the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline’s toll-free number (1–800–985–5990) and receive immediate counseling. This free, confidential, and multilingual crisis support service is available to anyone experiencing psychological distress as a result of this event. People who call and text are connected to trained and caring professionals from crisis counseling centers in the network. Helpline staff provide confidential counseling, referrals, and other needed support services. 

Mass Violence

  • Mass Violence/Community Violence—This part of the SAMHSA Disaster Behavioral Health Information Series resource collection focuses on incidents of mass violence, community violence, and terrorism and their effects. Resources discuss common reactions to incidents of mass violence, tips for coping, and ways to support children and youth in coping. https://www.samhsa.gov/resource-search/dbhis?rc%5B0%5D=type_of_disaster%3A20549
  • Coping after Mass Violence—Written for parents and families, this National Child Traumatic Stress Network (NCTSN) tip sheet provides information about common reactions to mass violence and self-care tips for those living in communities where an incident of mass violence has taken place. The tip sheet also includes external resources for individuals seeking further support. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/coping-after-mass-violence
  • Improving Community Preparedness to Assist Victims of Mass Violence and Domestic Terrorism: Training and Technical Assistance (ICP TTA) Program—Funded by the Office for Victims of Crime within the U.S. Department of Justice, the ICP TTA program works to equip U.S. communities to respond effectively to incidents of criminal mass violence and domestic terrorism. The program's website features a resources page (https://icptta.com/resources), which offers vetted resources to help emergency managers, victim service professionals, and others make victim services part of emergency operations plans, as well as a trainings page (https://icptta.com/trainings), which includes freely available trainings to help build local capacity. https://icptta.com
  • Parent Guidelines for Helping Youth after the Recent Shooting—In this 3-page tip sheet released shortly after a shooting, the NCTSN describes how such an event may affect children and teens as well as parents and other caregivers. The tip sheet lists reactions common among people of all ages, offers coping tips for caregivers, and suggests ways for caregivers to support children and youth in talking about and managing their reactions. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/parent-guidelines-helping-youth-after-recent-shooting This resource is available in Spanish at https://www.nctsn.org/resources/guia-para-los-padres-para-ayudar-los-jovenes-despues-de-un-tiroteo-reciente.
  • Psychological Impact of the Recent Shooting—This document from the NCTSN lists reactions people may have to a shooting and related experiences (such as loss of loved ones and disruption of routines). It describes grief reactions, depression, and physical reactions, and it highlights ways to cope effectively with reactions to a shooting. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/psychological-impact-recent-shooting  
  • Remembering—National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center (NMVVRC) This web page describes how communities typically respond in grief after an incident of mass violence and offers guidance for community leaders in supporting communities through this process. Information and downloadable resources focus on communities remembering tragic events, incident anniversaries, and memorials.https://www.nmvvrc.org/community-leaders/rebuild-your-community/remembering 
  • Survivors and Witnesses After Traumatic Events—A product of Voices Center for Resilience, a nonprofit formed after the attacks of September 11, 2001, this tip sheet for the public provides basic information about common effects of exposure to acts of violence, civil unrest, or terrorism. It identifies steps disaster-affected individuals can take in the immediate aftermath of crisis, common reactions to disasters, and tips for coping and asking for help. https://voicescenter.org/tip-sheets/trauma/survivors
  • Talking to Children about the Shooting—In this tip sheet, the NCTSN provides suggestions to parents and other caregivers for talking with their children in ways that help them to make sense of and cope with their reactions to a shooting. The tip sheet also identifies reactions common in children and teens to shooting incidents. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/talking-children-about-shooting
  • Tip Sheet for Youth Talking to Journalists After Mass Violence—This NCTSN tip sheet describes how talking with journalists may affect youth who have survived an incident of mass violence. It lists the rights that youth and families have (for example, they have the right to ask what the interview questions will be in advance of agreeing to an interview). It also identifies signs that reporters are doing their job well, so that readers know what to expect. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/tip-sheet-youth-talking-journalists-after-mass-violence 
  • Tips for Parents on Media Coverage—In this tip sheet, the NCTSN explains the effects that media coverage of a violent incident may have on children and teens and suggests ways for parents and other caregivers to help children and teens manage reactions to media coverage and the violent event. The tip sheet also includes tips for families with involvement in a violent incident. https://www.nctsn.org/resources/tips-parents-media-coverage-shooting 
  • Unexpected Challenges for Communities in the Aftermath of a Mass Violence Incident—This tip sheet from the National Mass Violence Victimization Resource Center lists some unexpected issues a community may encounter after experiencing a mass violence incident. The document also provides suggested solutions for managing these challenges and prioritizing a community’s safety and recovery. https://www.nmvvrc.org/media/301cm3if/unexpected-challenges-for-communities.pdf

Resources for Children, Youth, Parents and Other Caregivers, and Schools

General Disaster Response and Recovery Information

The SAMHSA Disaster App allows disaster behavioral health responders to navigate resources related to pre-deployment preparation, on-the-ground assistance, and post-deployment resources.  Users can also share resources from the app via text message or email and quickly identify local mental health and substance use disorder treatment services. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/samhsa-disaster

RELATED RESOURCES