Who is responsible for emergency planning?

• School districts, schools, and teachers planning to teach in parks or other outdoor spaces

• Park districts, owners, and property managers for outdoor spaces

• Local emergency services departments and personnel of parks and other outdoor spaces where schools and classes plan to meet.

Presumably, both schools and parks or other property managers already have plans to address emergencies during normal operations. These plans, documents, procedures, and lists of equipment are a great place to start.

Schools 

When moving to an offsite location, you will want to start with your emergency plan for field trips as well as your emergency plan for when you are at school.

Parks and Other Alternative Spaces

You will want to provide the schools with any emergency planning documents that you have for that facility. If none exist, you will want to provide the correct street address and any additional information needed for how emergency services can access the area.

• Answers to the following questions: 

  • When will you hold class?

  • What is the address of your outdoor learning space and/or how would you direct emergency services to your location?

  • What drills are you required to run by the school district?

  • What additional drills do you need to practice that are not required but may be relevant to your site?

  • Where will you go if you need to evacuate?

  • Where will you meet emergency personnel?

• A schedule that is followed each day with all of the locations, a site plan, and photos

• Emergency contacts for:

  • The designated person at the school

  • Any designated emergency contacts for your group

  • Each child attending

• Address and location access description of the offsite location

• Park police emergency and non-emergency numbers if there are park police in your area

• Address, location, and directions to your emergency relocation destination

• Plans for evacuation, weather-related emergencies, accidents, illnesses, missing children

EMERGENCY “GO BAGs”

When you are offsite, you need a well-marked and labeled emergency bag that is separate from supplies. All members of the class, including students, should know what is in the bag and how to access the emergency plan. The bag should contain the following:

• A first aid kit

• A hard copy of the emergency plan 

GET CERTIFIED IN FIRST AID

The Red Cross offers fantastic online certification courses that can be completed in just under 3 hours for a very low cost. Information can be found here.

KEY ISSUES TO KEEP IN MIND

Identify any potential considerations that may impact implementation of solutions.

• Elementary school teachers may want to plan to have a second adult at every session, either another teacher or a parent volunteer. 

• Elementary school classes should practice emergency drills at the outdoor space, just as they would indoors. When students know what to expect, it can keep them calm.

• Middle and high school students may be old enough/responsible enough to participate in the plan.

• The plan should be easy to follow and everyone in the group should know where it is, have access to it, and have practiced it.

• Keep a hard copy of your plan in a well-marked bag with you at all times.

CONTACT LOCAL PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS

In addition to working with your school and school district and the owner of the park or outdoor area to create your emergency plan, you may also want to contact the local police and fire departments for their assistance in preparing for an emergency at your new outdoor location.