Ready / Respond / Recover

The following outlines the steps that Minneapolis Public Schools has or will take in the event of an emergency:

READY - Preparing for and preventing emergencies are the first steps.  

Action steps for prevention include mitigating potential hazards:

• Knowing the physical layout of the building you are in
• Having clear lines of communication
• Promoting anti-bullying and positive behavior in schools and in your work environment
• Knowing and establishing relationships within the community and neighborhood

Action steps for preparedness focus on developing:

• Site and department emergency plans
• All staff should have the awareness on how to respond to these key procedures:  Lockdown, Evacuation, Shelter-in-Place
• All staff are responsible for understanding policies and protocols
• Understand and follow Incident Command Systems (PDF)
• Trainings, exercises and full staff participation required on State of Minnesota mandated drills for potential emergencies

RESPOND - Response means taking action to effectively contain and resolve the crisis.

Action steps for response include:

• Activate the Emergency Management Plan
• Activate your Site Emergency Plan
• Activate the Site Emergency Team (SET) within your building
• Follow direction from the person in charge; the Incident Commander
• Maintain constant, accurate communication with staff, students and families
• Triage injuries to those who need it

RECOVER - The recovery phase assists students, staff and the families in the healing process after a crisis, and restores educational operations in schools.

Action steps to recovery include:

• Access the District Recovery Team by calling Jackie Vertigan at 612.668.0188
• Return to the "business of learning" as quickly as possible
• Assess long- and short-term emotional needs
• Conduct daily briefings to keep staff, students and families informed