Safety and Emergency Management

Creating and maintaining a safe learning environment is fundamental for every school district.  The following are resources related to school safety, including school safety committees, required safety audits, and school police officers; and emergency management, including multihazard emergency operations plans and emergency equipment and procedures.

Related Policies

Your local school board policy manual contains TASB's (LEGAL) reference policies and board-adopted (LOCAL) policies.  Your district may also have relevant administrative regulations.  For more information on safety and emergency management, see district policy and regulations at the following codes:

CK	Safety Program/Risk Management
CKA	Inspections
CKB	Accident Prevention and Reports
CKC	Emergency Plans
CKD	Emergency Medical Equipment and Procedures
CKE	Security Personnel/Peace Officers
CLA	Security

TASB Resources

• TASB Legal Services' article Guns on School Property—Employees answers numerous questions about legal restrictions and written authorization for carrying firearms on school property.
• TASB Legal Services' Emergency Procedures for School Districts answers frequently asked questions about district operations during emergencies, including operating district facilities as emergency shelters, purchasing procedures, and payment and attendance of personnel.
• TASB Legal Services' article What Does Your District Do in an Emergency provides a brief overview of legal issues that arise when school districts confront emergency situations. 
• TASB has compiled resources and links related to student safety.
• TASB Policy Service provides timely Policy Alerts online behind myTASB for Policy Service contacts.  A Policy Alert called Disaster Pay Alert offers sample policy language districts need to recover employee costs from FEMA in the event of a disaster.
• TASB Risk Management Fund members can access an online library of safety resources, including a Loss Prevention Manual, Loss Prevention Safety Kit, Employee Safety Manual, and a School Safety and Emergency Response Manual.
• TASB HR Services members can access the HR Library, available behind myTASB, for information on required workplace postings under the heading HR Department. 
• TASB HR Services' workplace posters are available for sale in the TASB Store. 
• For information on employee safety, see eSource at Personnel – Employment Conditions.
• For information on Internet safety, see eSource at Business – District Technology.
• For information on planning for pandemic flu, see eSource at Students – Student Health and Welfare.
  

Other Resources

• The Texas Attorney General's Saving Lives When Seconds Count: School Safety for Texas Schools provides several resources addressing school safety, including a School Safety Guide as well as information on security audits, emergency response plans, and safety resources for students.
• The Texas School Safety Center (TxSSC) provides several resources, including those addressing Internet safety, school safety standards, emergency management, safety audits, and preparedness drills.
• The TxSSC Texas Unified School Safety Standards Web Site provides criteria to aid districts developing an emergency management program.
• The TxSSC School District Facility Safety and Security Audits Web Site provides districts a toolkit that can be used to conduct the statutory safety and security audit as well as related training and reporting information.
• The TxSSC Resources Web Site includes information on National Incident Management System Compliance, which requires certain district employees to maintain certification for a district to receive Federal Emergency Management Agency funds.
• The Texas Emergency Management Web Site provides information about the state's emergency management program, such as plans for emergency preparedness and response and training opportunities.
• The U.S. Department of Education (DOE) A Guide to Safe Schools Web Site includes links to to safe schools resources.
• The U.S. DOE Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center Web Site provides districts several emergency management resources.
• The U.S. DOE Office of Safe and Drug-Free Schools Emergency Planning Web Site provides resources to help districts plan to respond to emergencies, such as natural disasters, violent incidents, and terrorist acts.
• The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) ready.gov Web Site provides communities, businesses, and individuals information on emergency preparedness and response.
• The FEMA Web Site provides information about disaster preparedness, declared disasters, and requests for assistance.
• The Texas School District Police Chiefs Association Web Site provides information about district police departments and related forms and sample policies.
• The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Asbestos in Schools Web Site includes information on the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act (AHERA) and related publications published in both English and Spanish.
• The Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Asbestos Program AHERA Web Site provides information about the AHERA and the related inspections.
• The DSHS School Safety Web Site provides information about a variety of health and safety inspections that the department conducts in districts that do not have local health departments and provides lists of local health departments so that a district may determine if the department will be responsible for conducting the inspections.
• The DSHS School Safety School Inspections Web Site addresses health and safety inspections of school buildings and grounds that the department conducts in districts that do not have local health departments.
• The Charles A. Dana Center Texas Safety Standards: Kindergarten through Grade 12 Science Web Site provides an overview of the laws, regulations, and standards for school science safety.
• The University Interscholastic League (UIL) Automated External Defibrillator Information Web Site provides information about the statutory automated external defibrillator (AED) requirements for UIL member campuses, AED protocols and guidance, and answers to frequently asked questions.
• The American Red Cross CPR, First Aid and AED Web Site provides information about AED training.