Crisis preparedness at the start of a school term

Under Pressure 30 August 2024

Crisis preparedness at the start of a school term

For many parts of the world the end of August and start of September means the beginning of a new school year. In recent times schools have been involved in many emergencies and crisis situations so being prepared is more critical now then at any point in the past.

This means not just having emergency plans but in testing them regularly and above all ensuring that parents and pupils understand what to do in a range of critical situations. I know many will dislike this position where schools have to test lockdowns but it is essential. The details of the events in Robb Elementary School, Uvalde on May 24, 2022 will stay with anyone who has read the Critical Incident Review of the response. If you want to know what to avoid and what not to do in public information terms I recommend reading the report’s chapter. (Find the report here.)

It is interesting to see government officials in America mark the return to school with a reminder to parents and young people to be aware of emergency response plans and to know what to do in a range of situations. I found one example here of Rice County in Minnesota where emergency preparedness is part of the back to school message. (Check it out here.)

This emergency preparedness needs to become just part of our lives and perhaps young people who grow up with this understanding will be more resilient as adults. There is a lot for us to do. Only this week there were reports that a school bus accident in the Virgin Islands highlighted issues in the communication that prompted criticism from parents. The demand in the aftermath of the incident was to ensure that parents were informed quickly. Read more here. Also a US report raised the need for better management across education campuses after it found 50 per cent of school safety incidents happened outside the classroom. Find out more here.

If you work in education then take a quick check on what plans you have, whether they are still fit for purpose and if there are any gaps. If you are a parent then ensure you and your children understand the plans and ask for clarification if it is needed.

Resilience when travelling

The recent wildfires in Greece highlighted a significant issue that often gets overlooked, which is the importance of being crisis prepared when travelling. The UK Foreign Office was urging holidaymakers to sign up to safety alerts before they travelled. (Read more here.) This needs to be part of our holiday preparations along with ensuring we have the right documentation and currency.

Emergency Services Show

Amanda will be the host of the Police Stage at the Emergency Services Show in Birmingham on 18 and 19 September. If you are around or planning to visit pop across and say hello between the sessions. In a busy two days there will be sessions on knife crime, the Olympics policing, preventing violence against women and girls, and ethics in policing. Find out more about the show here.

CIPR Member Drop In

Amanda is helping to run an open session for anyone working in PR and communication who may have been feeling under pressure. The sessions on 2nd September at 12noon and 5 September at 6.30pm are part of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations North West region group’s work to support members. Find out more about the sessions or to join by clicking on the dates and times above.

In Brief:

• More funding is being provided to emergency management in British Columbia to improve planning for emergency evacuations and public notification. Find out more here .

• Elon Musk has said the Starlink system will be able to beam wireless emergency alerts to everyone around the world. It will be subject to approval from governments before it can be used. Find out more here.

• The UNDRR PreventionWeb includes details of how artificial intelligence is being used in disaster preparedness in Peru. They recently launched the “Central Informativa”, an information centre which uses AI to gather and sort through colossal amounts of data from official public sources on a daily basis. Find out more here.

• The Business Continuity Institute has provided an overview of the impact of the recent UK riots on businesses. Find out what was said here.

• A recent conference in Malaysia focused on how customer care, communication and proactivity were key when something happened. Find out more here.

• Apple has introduced new emergency safety features for the iphone and iwatch. Find out what they are here.

• The UK Victim Commissioner has published a report taken from a survey of victims of crime looking at their experiences. There is a lot within the report including comments that victims are frustrated with police inaction and delays, as well as that they felt they were left guessing about the progress of cases. Find out more here.

• A study featured in Nature looks at the crisis of trust in experts that happens on social media in China. They make a number of conclusions linked to public reactions and views. Find out more here.

Diary Dates:

• Anyone attending Comms Unplugged on 12 and 13 September will be able to connect with Amanda who is supporting two sessions. The first is on Thursday 12 and is a chat about her career and the ups and downs of 30 years in communication. The second is a crisis communication session on Friday 13th. Find out more here.

• Amanda will be running the popular half day session on Developing a Communication Strategy for the PRCA on Tuesday 17 September. To find out more about the session click here.

• A 90 minute crisis management webinar from Amanda will take place on Tuesday 17 September. The session provided through the PRCA looks at preparing, responding and recovering from challenging situations. Find out more here.