The ability to communicate quickly and effectively often is central to a successful response to an active shooter incident. (DeVos et al., 2018). Thus, communication among school personnel and other professionals is essential (Langman, 2012).

 

Purpose

Communication serves multiple roles in a crisis situation:

• Preventing a Crisis

  • Identifying and responding to “red flag” behavior

• Mitigating a Crisis

  • Mitigating a crisis by quickly alert[ing] staff, students, and other members of the community (DeVos et al., 2018)

•  Responding to a Crisis

  • Initiat[ing] a lock down, evacuation, or other appropriate action (DeVos et al., 2018)

  • Initiat[ing] law enforcement response (DeVos et al., 2018)

  • Collaborating and disseminating information among stakeholders

  • Ability for law enforcement to communicate among themselves and with the school as necessary during a response (DeVos et al., 2018)

 

Key Stakeholders in an Emergency

• School Staff

• Students

• Law Enforcement

• Families

• Community Members

 

Common Practices

• Create a School Crisis Team & Crisis Plan:

  • Crisis team creates a crisis plan that outlines how communication will occur in order to effectively prevent, mitigate, and respond to emergencies.

• Practice Emergency Procedures:

  • Schools practices emergency procedures (e.g., code red drills, lockdown drills, fire drills, etc.) so expected behavior is communicated to all school personnel.

• Contacting Law Enforcement:

  • In the event of an emergency:

    • Calls to 911 typically occur two to three minutes after the start of an attack (DeVos et al., 2018)

    • Calls are often indirect calls (e.g., made by parents of students who had called their parents rather than law enforcement) (DeVos et al., 2018)

 

Technology

• Communication technology used during a crisis tends to consist of:

  • Emergency Communication Systems (ECS)

    • Public Address (PA) systems, call buttons, intercom systems, loudspeakers, alarms, SMS text alert system, strobes, sirens, etc.)

    • Smartphone Apps (e.g.,to initiate a lockdown)

    • Radio coverage (e.g., to communicate with law enforcement)

    • Phones

 

Communication Barriers

• Communication during a crisis can be thwarted due to:

  • Ongoing, suspicious behavior going unrecognized due to a lack of communication among stakeholders (Langman, 2012).

  • Outdated or insufficient communication equipment (e.g., radios or phones that do not receive signals inside school buildings) (DeVos et al., 2018)

  • Lack of training on existing communication equipment or protocols (DeVos et al., 2018)

  • Lack of interoperability between the communication equipment possessed by first responder organizations and the school. (DeVos et al., 2018)

 

Best Practice in Communication

• Procedures

  • Collaboration and communication with other education, mental health, and law enforcement agencies is essential to an effective process (NASP, 2015).

  • Crisis teams should maintain communication among all relevant staff at officially designated locations and establish what information needs to be communicated to staff, students, families, and the community (U.S. Department of Education, 2016).

  • Crisis teams and crisis plans should be culturally competent when communicating before, during, and after a crisis (NASP, 2004).

  • Schools should implement mechanically simple means of notification that contact the 911 center directly (DeVos et al., 2018)

• Technology

  • All classrooms shall have two way communications with the administrative office. (Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, 2015).

  • Emergency Communication Systems (ECS) and/or alarm systems shall have redundant means to notify first responders, supporting agencies, public safety officials and others of an event to allow for effective response and incident management (Sandy Hook Advisory Commission, 2015).

  • Example: Georgia legislature provided funding for schools that many are using to acquire “better communication within the school building so when law enforcement rides up, the radios work in the building.” (DeVos et al., 2018)

 

Resources:

• The following are resources that outline best practices for crisis communication:

  • National School Public Relations Association (NSPRA) Crisis Communication Management Manual

  • National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) PREPaRE Curriculum

 

 

 

 

References

DeVos, B., Nielsen, K. M., & Azar, A. M. (2018). Final Report of the Federal Commission on School Safety. Presented to

     the President of the United States. U.S Department of Education.

Langman, P. (2012). School Shooters: The Warning Signs. Forensic Digest.

National Association of School Psychologists. (2004). Culturally Competent Crisis Response. Bethesda, MD: Author.

National Association of School Psychologists. (2015). School violence prevention: Guidelines for administrators and

    crisis teams. [handout]. Bethesda, MD: Author.

Sandy Hook Advisory Commission. (2015). Final report of the Sandy Hook advisory commission. State of Connecticut.

U.S. Department of Education. (2016). Practical Information on Crisis Planning. [brochure].

 

https://www.nspra.org/crisis

https://www.nasponline.org/professional-development/prepare-training-curriculum