Following the Oklahoma City bombing, fifth graders at a nearby elementary school coped with ensuing uncertainty, pain, and loss. They wrote appreciative letters to fire and rescue workers; shared personal stories with classmates; compiled an anthology of poems, prayers, and stories; attended an assembly to honor parents participating in rescue…

Discusses common weather-related hazards (floods, windstorms, and winter storms) and provides some steps administrators can take to protect their schools. Suggests administrators periodically assess their school's commitment to loss control, housekeeping, suitable building construction and reinforcement, sprinkler systems, water supply,…

This article briefly portrays the impact of the September 11 disaster on social work research in New York City and summarizes what lessons can be learned from the experience. Also describes what is known from earlier research on community disasters and offers suggestions for future research informed by the cumulative evidence from disaster…

Uses the 1979 Three Mile Island nuclear plant accident to illustrate the communication problems embedded in a crisis. Describes the reactions created by the stress related to crisis. Suggests business communication strategies for improving communication to the public. (SR)

When crisis strikes, internal audiences at institutions of higher education need accurate information which depends on groundwork laid during good times. Key principles for emergency communication include predicting disasters by reading internal warning signs; preventing a potential crisis from growing; and preparing for smooth communications…

Field trips are troublesome for educators, because normal responsibilities may be exacerbated by supervision and transportation requirements. Forms should be very comprehensive as to field-trip description, objectives, provisions, special instructions to students, and liability-release statements. Emergency preparedness and specific supervision…

Describes the efforts at Boston Public Library to recover from serious flooding that damaged computer equipment. Discusses vendor help in assessing the damage; the loss of installation disks; hiring consultants to help with financial matters; effects on staff; repairing and replacing damaged equipment; insurance issues; and disaster recovery…

Outlines the sequence of events in the Los Angeles civil unrest (riots) and summarizes several of the underlying causes that precipitated the event. Describes the psychological reactions of victims and emergency responders. Discusses crisis interventions used to minimize the emotional aftereffects. Discusses what mental health professionals and…

Disaster recovery planning need not be expensive nor complete to be effective. Systematic planning involves several crucial steps, including outlining the final plan, understanding the nature of a disaster's effects and the stages of disaster recovery, prioritizing appropriately, and learning how to test the plan in a practical way for the…

Describes procedures followed by librarians whose special libraries were destroyed or otherwise affected by the September 11 terrorist attacks. Discusses plans used from Y2K planning; the importance of having a disaster plan in place; moving locations; teamwork; and duplicating data in duplicate locations. Provides a list of pertinent resources.…

In this article, the author recalls a situation he encountered when a 4-year old boy inexplicably collapsed unconscious to the ground in the middle of his preschool classroom. She describes how the school had a detailed emergency and crisis plan in effect and how they utilized it while dealing with this situation. Sections include: (1) A Working…

Natural and man-made disasters represent an ominous threat to the research, instructional and public service missions of colleges and universities. From the bombings in Oklahoma City to the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 to last year's Hurricane Frances, the potential damage to campus buildings, human life and irreplaceable archival resources is a…

In July 2000 the first Emergency Duty Team was established within the Eastern Health & Social Services Board in Northern Ireland, fundamentally changing the way in which out of hours social work services are provided. The other three Boards are now also examining how they might provide for their statutory responsibilities out of hours and are…

Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton declared natural disasters somewhere in the United States on average of about one per week between 1998 and 2005. Despite this frequency, most citizens are unprepared when a natural disaster occurs in their city or neighborhood. In particular, teachers and students can become paralyzed by the overwhelming…