Roles of Different Agencies in School Preparedness
Preparing for emergencies takes a team. The coordination of expertise and commitment of many organizations and their staff is essential for success.
About CDC’s School Preparedness Unit
The School Preparedness Unit (SPU) takes a proactive approach to school preparedness and helps schools and CDC prepare for the next emergency response.
SPU plans to continue learning from the COVID-19 pandemic in preparation for future emergencies. SPU plans to establish partnerships and materials for schools, in addition to developing systems to maintain situational awareness about student participation in in-person learning.
Examples of organizations and their role in school emergency preparedness
School:
School:
- Assigns staff member roles in the Emergency Operation Plan (EOP)
- Communicates emergency plans to parents
- Develops EOPs based on school district/local education agency (LEA) requirements
- Plans for the needs of children with access and functional needs
- Works with local emergency management personnel and other first responders, health departments, and organizations in the testing of the EOP through exercises
- Works with the LEA to ensure relevant staff members receive emergency preparedness and infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings
- Assigns staff member roles in the Emergency Operation Plan (EOP)
- Communicates emergency plans to parents
- Develops EOPs based on school district/local education agency (LEA) requirements
- Plans for the needs of children with access and functional needs
- Works with local emergency management personnel and other first responders, health departments, and organizations in the testing of the EOP through exercises
- Works with the LEA to ensure relevant staff members receive emergency preparedness and infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings
School district or local education agency:
School district or local education agency:
- Develops policies for their schools related to school preparedness
- Establishes relationships with the local health department and emergency personnel
- Implements and enforces state policies related to school preparedness
- Provides or contracts out staff emergency preparedness and IPC trainings
- Raises money to support school preparedness efforts
- Develops policies for their schools related to school preparedness
- Establishes relationships with the local health department and emergency personnel
- Implements and enforces state policies related to school preparedness
- Provides or contracts out staff emergency preparedness and IPC trainings
- Raises money to support school preparedness efforts
Local emergency management agency personnel:
Local emergency management agency personnel:
- Coordinates with local organizations that provide food, shelter, staffing, and volunteers in emergencies
- Leads the local (county) all-hazards EOP and is the point of contact for state and federal emergency funds
- Participates in EOP development to ensure alignment with other local agency EOPs
- Participates in exercises as requested by the school or LEA
- Coordinates with local organizations that provide food, shelter, staffing, and volunteers in emergencies
- Leads the local (county) all-hazards EOP and is the point of contact for state and federal emergency funds
- Participates in EOP development to ensure alignment with other local agency EOPs
- Participates in exercises as requested by the school or LEA
Local law enforcement:
Local law enforcement:
- Enforces state laws on gun violence and threats
- Partners with schools in planning and exercises for active shooter incidents
- Enforces state laws on gun violence and threats
- Partners with schools in planning and exercises for active shooter incidents
Local fire department:
Local fire department:
- Conducts building fire and safety inspections
- Conducts building fire and safety inspections
Local health department:
Local health department:
- Participates in EOP development and exercises as requested by the school or LEA
- Supports case investigation and contact tracing of a health problem or hazard occurring at the local level
- Conducts food inspections
- Supports or requires case reporting from schools
- Participates in EOP development and exercises as requested by the school or LEA
- Supports case investigation and contact tracing of a health problem or hazard occurring at the local level
- Conducts food inspections
- Supports or requires case reporting from schools
State/territorial education agency:
State/territorial education agency:
- Funds LEAs for preparedness activities and supplies
- Provides oversight and guidance to LEAs on preparedness policies and practices
- Funds LEAs for preparedness activities and supplies
- Provides oversight and guidance to LEAs on preparedness policies and practices
State/territorial health department:
State/territorial health department:
- Funds local health departments to support school preparedness activities
- Provides guidance to local health departments on their role in working with schools on preparedness activities
- Supports case investigation and contract tracing of a health problem or hazard occurring across multiple cities or counties
- Serves as liaison between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments, and LEAs for technical assistance as needed
- Funds local health departments to support school preparedness activities
- Provides guidance to local health departments on their role in working with schools on preparedness activities
- Supports case investigation and contract tracing of a health problem or hazard occurring across multiple cities or counties
- Serves as liaison between the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local health departments, and LEAs for technical assistance as needed
The United States has a unique legal and political relationship with federally recognized tribal nations, as described in the Office of Tribal Affairs and Strategic Alliances Factsheet. Additionally, in 1975 the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act, Public Law 93-638 provided federally recognized tribal nations the autonomy to assume the responsibility for programs and services previously administered by federal agencies. Some of these services include education from the Bureau of Indian Education and health services from the Indian Health Service.
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA):
Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA):
- Funds, maintains, repairs, and replaces schools educating American Indian and Alaska Native students
- Funds, maintains, repairs, and replaces schools educating American Indian and Alaska Native students
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE):
Bureau of Indian Education (BIE):
- Administers and oversees BIE-funded schools
- Develops preparedness trainings and guidance for BIE-funded schools
- Provides support and technical assistance to tribally controlled and BIE-operated schools when requested
- Administers and oversees BIE-funded schools
- Develops preparedness trainings and guidance for BIE-funded schools
- Provides support and technical assistance to tribally controlled and BIE-operated schools when requested
Indian Health Service (IHS):
Indian Health Service (IHS):
- Provides a comprehensive health service delivery system (personal and public health services) for federally recognized American Indians and Alaska Natives. Services vary by tribe, IHS facility, and Urban Indian Health Organizations
- Provides a comprehensive health service delivery system (personal and public health services) for federally recognized American Indians and Alaska Natives. Services vary by tribe, IHS facility, and Urban Indian Health Organizations
School with a large student population of American Indian or Alaska Native descent:
School with a large student population of American Indian or Alaska Native descent:
- Coordinates with federally recognized tribal nations representing the students to assess tribal codes/ordinances that impact their student body (for example, student mask policies)
- Coordinates with federally recognized tribal nations representing the students to assess tribal codes/ordinances that impact their student body (for example, student mask policies)
Tribally Run Schools:
Tribally Run Schools:
- Assigns staff member roles in the EOP
- Develops Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs) based on any requirements from the federally recognized tribe
- Ensures coordination of emergency preparedness, response, and infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings that are provided to relevant staff members
- Incorporates any BIE requirements and response plan organizational structures, if receiving funds from BIE
- Partners with the Tribe, emergency management personnel, health department, and/or Indian Health Service and other tribal and non-tribal community organizations in the testing of the EOP through exercises
- Sets up the Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee
- Assigns staff member roles in the EOP
- Develops Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs) based on any requirements from the federally recognized tribe
- Ensures coordination of emergency preparedness, response, and infection prevention and control (IPC) trainings that are provided to relevant staff members
- Incorporates any BIE requirements and response plan organizational structures, if receiving funds from BIE
- Partners with the Tribe, emergency management personnel, health department, and/or Indian Health Service and other tribal and non-tribal community organizations in the testing of the EOP through exercises
- Sets up the Infection Prevention and Control Advisory Committee
BIE-Operated Schools:
BIE-Operated Schools:
- Assesses tribal codes/ordinances that may impact the student body
- Develops Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs) based on any requirements from the federally recognized tribe
- Incorporates all BIE requirements and response plan organizational structures
- Assesses tribal codes/ordinances that may impact the student body
- Develops Emergency Operation Plans (EOPs) based on any requirements from the federally recognized tribe
- Incorporates all BIE requirements and response plan organizational structures
Local and tribal health department (including tribal health not funded by IHS):
Local and tribal health department (including tribal health not funded by IHS):
- Participates in EOP development and exercises, as requested by the tribally controlled school or BIE
- Supports case investigation and contact tracing of a health problem or hazard occurring at the local level
- Supports or requires case reporting from schools
- Participates in EOP development and exercises, as requested by the tribally controlled school or BIE
- Supports case investigation and contact tracing of a health problem or hazard occurring at the local level
- Supports or requires case reporting from schools
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
- Provides information on a variety of health problems and hazards
- Provides communication resources on emergency preparedness, specific emergencies, and resources for emergency health professionals
- Provides technical assistance related to health problems or hazards
- Provides training to public health professionals through a Working with Schools 101 training available on CDC Train
- Supports case investigation and contact tracing of a health problem or hazard when a state requests assistance
- Supports investigations of outbreaks and other declared public health emergencies
- Provides information on a variety of health problems and hazards
- Provides communication resources on emergency preparedness, specific emergencies, and resources for emergency health professionals
- Provides technical assistance related to health problems or hazards
- Provides training to public health professionals through a Working with Schools 101 training available on CDC Train
- Supports case investigation and contact tracing of a health problem or hazard when a state requests assistance
- Supports investigations of outbreaks and other declared public health emergencies
Department of Education:
Department of Education:
Provides support through:
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS TA Center):
- Provides guidance, resources, tools, training, and technical assistance for schools
- Compiles a list of federal school safety grants
- Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV)
- Funding opportunity for local education agencies and institutions of higher education that have a disrupted learning environment due to a significant, traumatic event
Provides support through:
- Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center (REMS TA Center):
- Provides guidance, resources, tools, training, and technical assistance for schools
- Compiles a list of federal school safety grants
- Project School Emergency Response to Violence (Project SERV)
- Funding opportunity for local education agencies and institutions of higher education that have a disrupted learning environment due to a significant, traumatic event
Department of Homeland Security:
Department of Homeland Security:
- Provides information on Ready.gov about emergency preparedness
- Federal Emergency Management Agency:
- Provides resources for preparedness
- Provides support after a state or tribal government declares an emergency and requests support
- Provides interactive tools to help government agencies and other organizations understand the National Preparedness System
- Provides information on Ready.gov about emergency preparedness
- Federal Emergency Management Agency:
- Provides resources for preparedness
- Provides support after a state or tribal government declares an emergency and requests support
- Provides interactive tools to help government agencies and other organizations understand the National Preparedness System
Environmental Protection Agency:
Environmental Protection Agency:
- Provides resources about preparing for natural disasters, as well as information about specific chemicals
- Provides resources about preparing for natural disasters, as well as information about specific chemicals