Crisis Management: KDE

The Superintendent and the administration acknowledge the necessity of preparation for any crisis which might occur in a school, during a school activity, on a school bus or any other location or event involving district students, their families or district staff members. Crisis situations which might have an impact on the district include but are not limited to: suicide, death, acts of violence, trauma, natural disaster, extreme weather conditions and accidents. In order to be prepared for such events, each school, facility and department in the district shall maintain a crisis management plan which is updated annually. Copies of the crisis management plan shall be distributed to all employees in the school or department and shall be included in school or department handbooks. The crisis management plan shall be reviewed annually in each department or school with all staff members.

Each crisis management plan shall include but not be limited to:

1. Written procedures for taking action in the event of a crisis.
2. Written procedures for communicating with local law enforcement agencies, community emergency services, parents, students and the media in the event of a crisis.
3. A communications plan that designates the person(s) responsible for all communication with the media, emergency officials such as members of the local fire or police department, other agencies of authority, parents or other family members, the community and other members of the district staff.
4. Detailed directions for staff members which provide them specific procedures to use in the case of emergency or crisis.

The crisis coordinator for each school shall be the principal. The crisis coordinator for each department shall be the supervisor or director in charge of that department. For the administration building, the crisis coordinator shall be the Chief Operations Officer or his/her designee.

Training on crisis management strategies and prevention approaches will be coordinated through the Chief Operations Officer in cooperation with the Superintendent.

 

Adopted:  June 28, 1994

Revised:  December 16, 1997

Revised October 10, 2000

Revised February 13, 2014

 

Legal Ref:     C.R.S. 22-32-109.1 (4) (crisis management policy is a required part of the safe schools plan