School District Consortiums for Emergency Response Planning

Protocols and recommended guidelines for developing and implementing emergency response plans are essential for individual schools and districts. District and school personnel typically need assistance in the development of their plans. Community partners assisting in the development of these plans such as local emergency management, law enforcement, fire and county health is always a good place to start. However, we have discovered in central Arizona that locally organized school emergency response consortiums are very productive and helpful to school districts relative to the planning process. I participated in the organization of an ERP school consortium nearly three years ago that started with the coordinators for emergency response planning from five school districts in attendance. The consortium has grown to 25 districts and agencies today and is now spreading in concept to the northern and southern parts of the state. In essence, the consortium allows member districts to discuss best practices and share emergency response planning materials and activities within the group. We meet with the understanding that we are there to help one another in any way possible. Members attending the quarterly consortium meetings share ideas, problem areas and success stories regarding emergency response planning for schools. Learning, networking with neighboring districts, and sharing the wealth of information available is an outstanding experience. This in itself makes me support the concept of a national task force addressing emergency preparedness for schools.