Emergency Response/Crisis Management  

Jamie Nixon, safety coordinator

District Services Building
737 Osseo Avenue South
St. Cloud, MN 5630

Phone: (320) 253-9370, x-1405
Fax: (320) 529-4341

Department of Education, Office of Safe and Drug Free Schools

Homeland Security, NIMS Fact Sheet

Emergency Response and Crisis Management Technical Assistance

Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities

Threat Assessment in Schools: A Guide to Managing Threatening Situations and to Creating Safe School Climates

Overview

The St. Cloud Area School District 742 recognizes the imperative need for a comprehensive, coordinated, and consistent approach to dealing with emergency and/or crisis situations. To achieve this, the school district will partner with the St. Cloud Police Department, City of St. Cloud, Stearns County Emergency Management, Stearns County Public Health, and the Central Minnesota Mental Health Center to implement a comprehensive approach to revise and update the emergency response plans including a recovery plan and communication plan. In addition, the school district will integrate the school communication system into the Allied Radio Matrix for Emergency Response statewide system, which provides communication between all responding agencies in the event of an emergency/crisis.

Program Goals

The goals of the ER/CM Project are:

• All schools will complete an assessment to identify the hazards in and around their schools that are both preventable and non-preventable and develop procedures designed to prevent and/or mitigate them.
• Each school and the District as a whole will have a revised/updated Emergency/Crisis Management Plan in place that is consistent among buildings and coordinated with outside agencies (incorporating NIMS), but also unique to the needs of the individual building.
• Each school building will be able to effectively and efficiently communicate in all areas of the building and with all responding agencies.
• Each school building and the District as a whole will be able to provide both an immediate response and long-term recovery process for a variety of emergency/crisis events.

Components of the Program

Building Crisis Planning Teams: Each site will establish a crisis planning team with key decision makers, key maintenance and security personnel, nurses, counselors and others with previous emergency response training.

Advisory Board: This team is the appointed "task force" with representatives from all elements of the school community—board members, district employees (administration, licensed, non-licensed), students, parents, law enforcement, emergency management, public health, mental health, government and business leaders, media, and local residents. In addition two subcommittees will be formed: Safety Communications Committee and Recovery Team to focus specifically on those areas and develop plans to integrate in the Emergency Response Plans.

Safety Communications Committee: The Safety Communications Committee will include representatives from the district and school sites as well as representation from local project partners and special needs groups including ELL and students with physical and mental disabilities. This committee will prepare a communication plan that will provide the necessary information about communicating in the aftermath of an emergency or crisis.

Recovery Planning Team: A Recovery Team will be established with representation from mental health facilitators, social workers, counselors, psychologists, and other community agencies.  This team will prepare a recovery plan for both short term and long-term needs of the district and school in the event of a crisis.

National Incident Management System (NIMS): NIMS establishes standardized incident management processes, protocols, and procedures that all responders—Federal, state, tribal, and local—will use to coordinate and conduct response actions.  Training will be provided by the St. Cloud Technical College.  Dates: To be announced.

Timeline

Coming Soon!

Meet the Partners

St. Cloud Area School District 742: St. Cloud has been a leader for a number of years in committing resources to ensure a safe and healthy environment for its students. The district has received regional and state recognition as a leader in indoor air quality. The commitment to student safety is also evident in the district’s long-standing partnership with the St. Cloud Police Department to provide school liaison officers. The district has placed an emphasis on student assistance team development including developing resources for fostering the resilience and positive mental health of district students. District 742 has also been very active in developing and implementing proactive early childhood programs in collaboration with other community agencies. The district’s commitment to this project is evident by the collaborative and innovative programs currently being provided. Contact: Jamie Nixon, 320-253-9370, ext. 1405.

City of St. Cloud: The City of St. Cloud places this safety and well being of all residents as an utmost priority. The City Information Technology Department is the region leader for implementing the ARMER statewide radio network.  The City of St. Cloud will work with District 742 to integrate the school radios/ communication system into the ARMER system.

St. Cloud Police Department:  The St. Cloud Police Department has been utilizing community oriented policing for a number of years. They have been collaborating with the school district for eighteen years in the provision of school liaison officers to provide prevention and intervention on school grounds. There are six full time officers, one each for the high schools, junior high schools, and Area Learning Center. The St. Cloud Police Department has made an effort to develop positive relationships with area youth through the placement of these officers in the schools, periodic non-emergency visits to area elementary schools, and an active Police Athletic League.  Contact: Sgt. Mark Moline.

Stearns County Emergency Management: Stearns County Emergency Management will be an invaluable partner and resource for the Emergency Response/Crisis Management project. In March 2005, Stearns County adopted a resolution designating the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as the basis for all incident management in Stearns County. This expertise will guide the District as it begins the NIMS implementation process. The Emergency Management Department also works closely with the State of Minnesota Homeland Security and will be the school district’s liaison to this office. Contact: Marvin Klug.

Stearns County Public Health: Stearns County Public Health is the primary source for training in emergencies and or crises related to Bio terrorism, food-borne illnesses, and communicable diseases. They will be a critical partner in helping the District prepare a written plan for pandemic influenza and coordinating the plan with the state health department. Depending on the type of emergency or disaster, Public Health will work with the County Office of Environmental Safety to provide services as needed. They currently use several of the school sites to provide mass dispensing if needed. Public Health will provide training and consultation services to the ER/CM project and serve as a regular member of the Advisory Board. 

Central Minnesota Mental Health Center (CMMHC): CMMHC serves a four county area in central Minnesota and is the community-based mental health provider for the region. Currently, the center places a co-located, mental health practitioner who provides services to the District’s growing population of homeless youth and helps provide emergency mental health assessment and treatment options. They are committed to providing resources to helping the District create and implement a long-term recovery plan. Contact: David Baraga.

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Page updated December 3, 2007 3:34 PM
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