Weighing in at 567 pages, including 107 pages of footnotes, the 9/11 Commission Report is a metaphor for the primitive and often dysfunctional state of risk management in large organizations such as colleges and universities. President Clinton's national security adviser, Sandy Berger, told the commission that government decisions "were made from…

This issue of the Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center's "ERCMExpress" introduces the National Clearinghouse for Educational Facilities (NCEF), a free public service that provides information on planning, designing, funding, building, improving and maintaining safe, healthy, high-performance schools. NCEF is…

This issue of the Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ERCM) Technical Assistance Center's "ERCMExpress" promotes emergency exercises as an effective way to validate school safety plans. Simulations of emergency situations, or emergency exercises, are integral to a sound school safety plan. They offer opportunities for district and schools to…

This guide presents a brief summary of the research on violence prevention and intervention and crisis response in schools. It tells school communities: (1) what to look for--the early warning signs that relate to violence and other troubling student behavior; and (2) what to do--the action steps that school communities can take to prevent…

This document reports on two studies by the Bridges to Inclusion project concerning issues surrounding runaway and/or homeless youth with disabilities. The first study surveyed emergency adolescent shelter providers funded by the Family and Youth Service Bureau. Findings addressed types of disabilities frequently identified or suspected in…

One of the changes experienced during the past decade has been the occurrence of human-caused disasters. With the rise in the number of such complex events, the Center for Mental Health Services has updated this training manual to assist mental health administrators and workers in developing the training components of crisis counseling. This…

Argues for anticipatory intervention in schools in order to enhance better coping behavior in times of crisis and emergency. It is argued that children and teachers will benefit from certain modes of behavior, given training and practice before a crisis occurs. Specific instructional units for use in classrooms are developed. (Author)

Addresses responding to a child with special health care needs with a life-threatening medical emergency, including an equipment malfunction, when it occurs in community settings. Collaborative development of portable individualized emergency response plans is discussed, and illustrative care scenarios, a sample plan, and policy recommendations…

Emergency department charts of 186 suspected preadolescent victims of sexual abuse (SSA) were compared with 623 patients evaluated for upper limb fracture. Hospital costs of SSA patients were more often and to a greater degree underwritten by the hospital itself because of lower reimbursement and a higher percentage of uninsured and publicly…

The best-prepared college crisis managers go beyond planning and networking to compiling information on what the campus does to avoid and cope with problems, including (1) keeping lists of key campus individuals and establishing rapid access to media; (2) cultivating campus connections; (3) gathering information on contingencies; and (4)…

Safe schools require the collaboration and support of students, staff, parents, and the community. Lists 10 important steps school leaders can take. Contains a safe school quiz developed by the National School Safety Center to help gauge the situation at individual schools. (MLF)

This discussion of library preservation practices for information and cultural materials of value focuses on digital technology. Discusses controlled environments, reformatting, and emergency-preparedness strategies. A sidebar describes the Library of Congress's "American Memory" project to convert information in traditional media to an…

Describes the various components of an effective campus security program, including the master plan/needs assessment, law enforcement staffing, security technology, access control, closed circuit television systems, and emergency planning. (EV)

Presents a crisis plan for schools to enact in emergencies, from the first 30 minutes after the incident to several weeks afterward. Includes: (1) recruiting the entire school staff in the plan's conception; (2) appointing a leader and a group of people responsible for carrying out specific tasks; (3) conducting a full-facility review to address…

State leaders have just begun counting the billions of dollars it will take for schools in the Gulf Coast region to recover from Hurricane Katrina. Schools around the country, meanwhile, continue to welcome the estimated 300,000-plus students displaced by the storm--some 50,000 of whom were learning that their home schools would likely be closed…