Utilizing Technology to Enhance Emergency Action Plans

Emergency Action Plans (EAPs) have joined the long list of acronyms (actually an initialism) that schools, educators and administrators must deal with on a daily basis. Not only is there an EAP for the actual school day, but one is likely in place for any afterschool activity that occurs in the building as well as any that happens on the school grounds.

Being able to properly and promptly tend to the safety of students, community members, faculty and staff in attendance anywhere on school property at any time is what the EAP must clearly address. And if it were just one person who was responsible for implementing the appropriate plan when needed, it would be much easier to develop and use. However, there is a large group of personnel, in supervisory and staff roles, that need to be aware of the plan, how it provides for everyone’s safety and how to put it into use. Technology can help a school’s EAP be all that it needs to be for everyone who uses it.

Emergency Action Plans need to be living documents that are shared with and accessible by those responsible for their implementation. Having a printed copy in the handbook that the administration or event supervisor has is important, but making sure that the EAP is available online for others to access is critical as well. And as a living document, providing commenting or editing access to your various EAPs is essential.

All decision-makers, facility managers and those responsible for putting the plan in place, should be able to view and at least make suggestions to the EAP. Those suggestions should be reviewed by one or a committee of administrators to put into place should the change be needed. Any time the document is updated and approved in this manner, every user should be notified, the online document should contain those changes and an updated printed copy placed in every handbook.

The proper use of shared online documents such as Google Docs or OneDrive will allow access to the living EAP to be managed so that some can view, some can suggest or comment and some can edit (or approve those suggestions). This streamlines the process of keeping EAPs not only updated but accessible to all who need it, even viewable on a smartphone or tablet.

Besides assisting in maintaining and distributing a school’s EAPs, technology can also be used to support preparing those responsible to use the plan. Everyone responsible for an EAP should be trained on how to put it into play. Making that training effective and efficient is critical to making sure that the EAP does what it is intended to do – ensuring the safety of all involved in the event.

Beyond the use of slide presentations for in-person training sessions, the use of video can take that training to the next level. Being able to view (and review) just how any associated equipment is accessed and utilized goes beyond reading the manual and following the instructions. If available, the use of VR (Virtual Reality) can provide EAP initiators with real hands-on experience with all of the various aspects required in proper implementation. The best EAPs are the ones that everyone knows how to access and how to put into action.

Because EAPs often involve managing a large group of people, communicating instructions and information to these individuals is also a critical component. There are dozens of platforms that can be used to share information instantly to the masses. Everything from the common social media apps to more specific communication apps such as Band or Remind provide your audience, spectators, performers, athletes, coaches and advisors with the information they need to be safe. Some schools have developed their own apps and put into place that, while written for general school communication and sharing, can have an EAP component or capability as well. The use of the wide variety of mapping software and its ability to be embedded into other platforms can provide visual directions for those seeking the right exit, the best way to find needed equipment, where to find their child, and how to get back to the parking lot. Having an alert that recognizes the recipient’s location and displaying a map that shows the best egress is well within the tech capabilities of our time.

As a school or community facility, there are federal, state and local codes on proper exits and related signage. Enforced by OSHA, your facility has all of the proper signs, directional information and lighting. While not necessarily a use of technology, additional signage related to your EAP can be added with many incorporated into the existing signage and lighting. Clear listings of ‘what to do in an emergency’ printed on signs along with signage that identifies emergency exits, assembly points, sites to view or phones to call can support your EAP when the time comes and give attendees assurance that they are safe coming there. The more who know and understand what to do, the better the plan will provide for everyone’s safety.

An EAP is something we all hope never gets used; however, by making sure it accurately represents the best possible plan to ensure everyone’s safety, providing the training so that those responsible can make that happen, and sharing its vital information with those who need to know, a school or facility can make sure that it will work when and if the time comes. Technology is not a replacement for a quality plan, one that matches the facility, the people involved and the potential hazard. But the proper use of technology can support the efforts of all involved to make sure that it works as it should.

Steffen Parker is a retired music educator, event organizer, maple sugar maker, and Information Technology specialist from Vermont who serves as the Performing Arts/Technology representative on the NFHS High School Today Publications Committee. He received the NFHS Citation Award in 2017 and the Ellen McCulloch- Lovell Award in Arts Education in 2021.