Fire safety in schools, long recognized as a serious problem by both public officials and lay citizens, is concerned with preventing personal injury or death and property damage or destruction. The responsibility for this prevention is lodged in many hands, but school officials having jurisdiction in the matter are usually charged with developing…

This article discusses how to teach children about fire prevention and what to do if a fire breaks out. Steps that schools should take to prepare for fire emergencies are outlined, as are fire prevention measures for the home. (PP)

Examined problems in communicating emergency information to multi-ethnic communities using a sample of flood warning recipients in a town with a large Mexican American segment. Results showed Mexican Americans were more skeptical, were less likely to evacuate and were less likely to interpret messages as indicating personal danger. (RC)

Defining the nature and extent of risk associated with adventure education, this article notes the riskiest activities and delineates three main causes of accidents: unsafe conditions; unsafe acts; and judgmental errors. Careful program organization, staff selection, routine safety inspections, and emergency plans are also addressed. (SB)

Focuses on developing media relations, emergency policies, and handling press communications during crises at camps. Uses numerous anecdotes to describe good press relations and methods of working with news reporters. Emphasizes importance of emergency planning and establishing press coordinator. Describes crisis monitoring and follow-up…

College and university public relations professionals offer advice on coping with campus crises. Suggestions include responding quickly, telling the truth to the media early, trading on relationships within the campus community, capitalizing on institutional credibility with the media, remembering internal audiences, understanding legal…

Asserts that how people respond to risk is determined by how they perceive risk. Four-hundred and seven secondary school students answered questions concerning different dimensions of natural hazards (most likely to occur, loss of life, and others). Although the students possessed a high level of awareness much of their information was inaccurate.…

A survey of 169 dental hygiene training programs investigated the curriculum content and instruction concerning medical emergency treatment, related clinical practice, and program policy. Several trends are noted: increased curriculum hours devoted to emergency care; shift in course content to more than life-support care; and increased emergency…

Examines the impact of Hurricane Andrew on the Miami-Dade Public Library System (MDPLS). Topics discussed include the community's response to the sudden lack of library services; the use of library branches as emergency relief centers and communications centers; library disaster policies; and visions for MDPLS under a new director. (LRW)

A survey of 51 dental schools found that 39% offered a separate course for medical emergency instruction, findings similar to those of a 1983 survey. Most schools provide at least 10 hours of instruction in medical emergencies, more than were found in the earlier study. Related policy is better delineated, but routine measurement of vital signs…

In a campus crisis, while administrators address immediate needs, trustees must find a balance between involvement and oversight. Trustees should respond by developing a worst-case strategy; establishing early warning systems; defining "due diligence"; emphasizing candor and honesty; picking one spokesperson; protecting institutional privacy;…

Examines the variability of Israeli schools' emergency preparedness and response to the Gulf War and the association of school culture with school effectiveness during this emergency. Policy guidelines should include recommendations for diagnosing and identifying dimensions of school culture (including religious beliefs and school ideology) that…

Two camp directors were interviewed about evacuations from their camps due to forest fires. Topics covered include descriptions of the events; actions taken; aspects of advance planning that proved helpful; unexpected portions of the experience and resultant changes made in plans; relations with outside agencies, the media, and parents; working…

The 27 institutions damaged by hurricanes Katrina or Rita--there were 14 in Mississippi, 12 in Louisiana and one in Alabama--estimate their combined physical damages at $1.4 billion. But rather than providing aid, the Louisiana Legislature was forced to call for $77 million in cuts in November, leading to a wrenching gut-check on many campuses.…

The article presents an approach to emergency response training that combines simulation of hazardous environmental factors with extensive registration of the activities in a training scenario. Simulation enhances realism by exposing the trainees to representations of hazards without putting them at risk. Registration generates data that describe…