CRISIS MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS

               A friend recently asked me to help him prepare a lecture for a group of college students who are in the education field.  He explained these were all prospective teachers or administrators at a local Christian college and he wanted to present some information about emergency planning or crisis preparation.

               Quite honestly, I thought what a great idea.  I’ve been spending years trying to get schools to listen who are already burdened by lesson plans, daily schedules and low enrollment.  Instead, I should’ve been spending my time training teachers who were still in their training mode; in school.  The following article explains several points I thought he should cover during his presentation.  This is in no way an all inclusive list but is a good start.  Finally, I’ve broken these down into what a teacher should know prior to a crisis, what a teacher should be prepared to do during a crisis and what a teacher can do to mitigate a crisis.

 Prior to a crisis

               Beginning with what a teacher should know prior to a crisis, the first and most important point is to know it can happen to you.  Grasping this concept up front is fighting the urge to be complacent and saying “that’s not going to happen to me”.  No one who has had “it” happen to them ever thought “it” was going to happen to them.  They will, however; all probably agree if they had spent more time planning, it (whatever crisis “it” is) would’ve been a lot less painful.

               Moving more into physical preparation, Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation and basic first aid skills are essential.  This training is free through the Red Cross as well as other organizations and is invaluable during a crisis.

               Knowing your school or church’s crisis plan is critical.  I evaluate organizations where they boast fantastic and well thought out plans that are bound in beautiful binders or saved on high dollar computer systems.  In many cases I find the people who need to know these the most, don’t.  They have trouble recalling the elaborate color coded signals, they don’t know the procedure for passing the all clear signal and they believe if anything really does happen, they will be able to look up the answer in their book.  Phone number logs and supply check lists are fine but waiting until your primary fire escape is blocked and expecting you will be able to look up the alternate route in your fancy book simply isn’t wise.  Every teacher should have a good understanding and working knowledge of the school’s current crisis plan and their role in any procedures.

               In this same thought, each teacher should be proficient with fire evacuation, lock down, tornado warning and bomb threat procedures.  This doesn’t mean you can take your class and exit your room on the second Tuesday of every month when you hold your fire “drill”.  That’s not a drill, it’s a planned event.  Try holding a drill with the lights off, in-between classes, while blocking the primary routes or during a pep rally.  You will find out how difficult accountability is and truly how good you are when you test yourself like this.

               I would like to add a point here.  Everyone should know at least two methods of evacuating the classroom or office they occupy regularly i.e. primary door and a window.  This also holds true for your personal safety at home.  Don’t be afraid to teach your children they can escape out a window if the door to their room is blocked by fire or collapse.  Explain how they can use a chair, baseball bat or anything else adequate to “break and rake” a window in order to flee danger.

               There may be occasion when escape is not the best plan.  In those cases, know at least one method of securing your classroom or office i.e. lock the door, use a door stop or make a furniture barricade.  Many of the facilities I work in are converted Sunday schools and therefore aren’t equipped with hardened doors or even lockable doors.  If that’s the case, and money isn’t falling out of your pockets to upgrade every door on your campus, have your maintenance staff cut triangles out of a seven dollar 2x4.  Then practice jamming these under a closed door to see how effective these can be.

               This next point may seem obvious but I am continuously surprised to find teachers and staff who have worked in a location for years but can’t recall where the nearest fire alarm pull station, fire extinguisher, first aid kit or automated external defibrillator is located.  Understand this, if you have trouble performing tasks under normal conditions, how difficult do you think it will be while in crisis mode?

               Our next point concerns communication.  Leaders or teachers on your campus should have at least two methods of contacting the school office i.e. P.A., radio, landline phone, runner or a cell phone.  Remember some of these will not work while the power is out and it’s likely during a real crisis, the power will be out.

               Finally, in the prior to a crisis category, be aware of your surroundings.  Be aware of any suspicious activity, unusual student or adult actions, people who look out of place and most importantly, don’t be afraid to report it to the proper authorities when you see it.

 During a crisis

               During a crisis is when our training is going to shine.  This is why it is important to make our training as real as possible.  On this point, I discourage the use of noise makers, smoke, surprise attacks, ambushes or anything else that makes your campus look like the set of a horror movie.  This is even more important when dealing with children.  Spilling fake blood all over your hallway benefits no one, especially the poor sole who has to clean that mess up.

               When I say make your training “real”, I mean take it serious.  Don’t walk through the same motions during the same time, every time.  Don’t practice what you’re good at.  Practice what you’re not good at.   Remember you are practicing for the most traumatic thing that has ever happened to you.  Don’t expect this is going to be easy.

               Speaking of expectations, don’t expect help is going to arrive immediately.  You need to plan to be self-sufficient for the initial stages of a crisis.  The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) warns us not to count on first responders to arrive immediately.  In fact, we should be able to self-sustain for up to 72 hours.  Take this into account while storing your supplies and hygiene items.

               This brings us to supplies.  As a church or school, you should already be stocking supplies.  One location will be your large supply closet where you will go to support your surrounding community or congregation.  A smaller store of supplies, or “class-pack”, needs to be kept in each classroom.  This “class-pack” is used to care for or to entertain your children during lengthy periods while awaiting rescue or sheltering in place.  For a list of recommended items, visit www.troasgroup.com.

               I regularly use the phrase calm breeds calm while panic breeds panic.  During a crisis, your teachers, leaders and stakeholders must be calm and reassuring.  This will help everyone else involved stay calm as well.  In the case of injury, an excited or rapid heart rate is bad company.  When dealing with young children, a calm but authoritative voice is going to help them come out of this with the least emotional trauma.  (Joshua 1:9 "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.")

               On the topic of calm and authoritative, encourage or empower your staff to take charge of a situation.  Let them know they are allowed to make decisions without guidance.  As a pastor, headmaster or principal, you trust your staff with the care of the congregation or students every day.  Let them know you trust their judgment during a crisis as well.

 Mitigating a crisis

               If you have heard me teach before, you know I don’t like the word “prevention”.  Instead, I believe in preparation which can also be defined as mitigation.  Mitigating a crisis is not insulating yourself from it but reducing the cost of it when it happens.  You are reducing the chances of a critical event but the goal is not to invest in prevention because it only nets complacency.

               Once we understand mitigation, I want to identify a few steps we can take to reduce the chances and costs of crisis.  First on the list, I can’t say this enough.  Lock your classroom or office when unoccupied or unattended.  On this same point, secure valuables, i.e. purses, wallets, laptops, phones, in a cabinet or drawer.  It may not sound like a crisis but theft can be a serious problem.  Don’t create an environment where you are making yourself vulnerable.

               This point should also remind us to secure our vehicles.  While conducting a vulnerability assessment at a local school, I found several teacher vehicles either unlocked or with windows wide open.  In at least one of these, prescription medication was in plain view while in another cigarettes were setting in a center console waiting to be stolen.  As a matter of personal protection, lock your vehicles while at home as well.  The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has been on a campaign to discourage vehicle burglaries since late 2010.  In a few short months, deputies handing out brochures have discovered thousands of unlocked cars with things like company petty cash, government laptops and even firearms left unattended in unlocked cars.

               I mentioned this before but it fits in the mitigation corner as well.  Be vigilant for unusual student behavior, dark journal entries, drawings, student complaints or any other activity which might warrant concern.  More importantly know what to do or at least, who to report these things to, when they occur.  We can look at any past tragedy and find someplace where someone could’ve or should’ve done something.  Our goal is to learn from these past tragedies instead of re-living them.

               This leads nicely into personal safety, so let’s mention the dangerous habit of working early or late hours alone.  If this is unavoidable, at least have a plan.  Let someone know where you are, when you will be leaving and when you will arrive home.  Keep a phone on your person and follow the above suggestions of locking vehicle and office doors.

               There is a time where locked doors are inappropriate.  Be cautious of activity with students that could be perceived as inappropriate such as private tutoring or “closed door” sessions.  Leaders, when counseling a teacher or parent of the opposite sex, have someone else sit in on the meeting or at least be just outside of an open door.  Non-custodial adults should avoid giving students rides in personal vehicles or off-campus recreation.  Sanctioned events such as retreats or field trips should have an adequate number of chaperones and signed permission letters from parents.

               While considering parents, remember to make them a part of your team.  Enable open communication with your parents.  Seek out their skills and guidance.  Look for parents who have a background in the medical, counseling, law fields, etc…  Granted there are consultants you can pay to help you in these areas but if you have experts in your own family and they are willing to help, use them.

               Finally in the mitigation category, volunteer to be a member of the school’s Safety Committee, Threat Assessment Team, or a Crisis Counselor.  If these teams don’t exist, offer to start one.

               Whether you are just starting your career or are a seasoned veteran of the education system, I encourage you to regularly refresh your crisis management mindset.  Remember the desired approach is a mindset of prepare, mitigate, respond and recover while you fight the urge to become complacent.  Be cautious of the “prevention” word but just as cautious of paranoia and ultimately, trust that God is in charge.

William Byrd is the president and senior security consultant at The Troas Group, Inc.  The Troas Group specializes in crisis management and leadership development for faith based organizations.  For more information, please visit www.troasgroup.com or contact Mr. Byrd at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .