Emergency Preparedness & Response

Schools utilize a comprehensive emergency operations plan (EOP) to address various potential threats and emergencies. A proactive approach, involving risk assessment, an emergency response team, and clear communication, is key to minimizing harm and ensuring a safe learning environment. The school emergency approach includes:

• All-Hazards:  We have adopted an all-hazards approach, preparing for a wide range of potential emergencies, from natural disasters to security threats, rather than focusing on specific scenarios.
• Risk Assessment:  We have identified potential threats and hazards specific to the school and its location, such as transportation accidents, power failures, severe weather, or potential security breaches.
• Emergency Response Team (ERT):  We have established an ERT with designated roles (e.g., Incident Commander, Safety Officer) is essential for effective coordination during an emergency.
• Action Plans:  We have developed specific action plans for different emergency scenarios, including clear instructions and designated roles for all staff and students.
• Communication:  We have established multiple communication channels (e.g., public address system, two-way radios, phone trees, email, text messaging) for disseminating information quickly and effectively.
• Regular Drills and Training:  We conduct regular drills, including evacuation, lockdown, and shelter-in-place exercises, helps familiarize everyone with procedures and identify areas for improvement.
• Integration with Community:  We coordinate with local emergency responders and other community partners to ensure a unified and effective response.

The EOP may be activated when events occur that affect staff, students, or families in the District. The following list are examples of the types of incidents that may activate the EOP:

• Violent incident on school property or at a school sponsored event
• Impending or threatened incident
• Deadly or life-threatening accident
• Vehicular accident
• Athletic accident
• Suicide (or serious attempt)
• Drug-related death
• Sudden, unexplained death
• Murder (of staff/student/family-member)
• Highly visible family tragedy
• Media publicized disaster (e.g. airplane crash, civil disaster, bombing)
• Reports of infectious disease or environmental contamination: Rumor control

State of Michigan House Bill 4713 was signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder on February 25, 2014.  The legislation updated Michigan’s school safety drill requirements to ensure students are better prepared in times of emergency.  The bill updates the types of drills schools must conduct and school districts are required to post documentation of completed safety drills on their websites within 30 days of completion.  The documentation must remain online for at least three years.

Required by Michigan law (MCL 29.19)

• Five (5) fire drills
  • Held to ensure that students and staff know how to exit the building safely in the event of a fire.
  • Three (3) of the drills must be completed by December 1 of each year.
  • Two (2) drills conducted during the balance of the year at reasonable intervals.
• Two (2) tornado drills
  • Held to practice how to seek shelter and stay safe during severe weather and/or tornadoes.
  • One (1) of the drills must be conducted during March of each year.
• Three (3) safety/security drills
  • Held to help prepare for potential threats within or near the school. These are conducted in a way that minimizes fear and anxiety.
  • One (1) drill shall be appropriate to an emergency, such as the release of a hazardous material.
  • One (1) drill shall include security measures for a potentially dangerous individual on or near school premises.
  • At least one (1) drill must be before December 1, AND at least one (1) drill must be after January 1.
• Additional Requirements:
  • At least one (1) of the drills must be conducted outside of a typical classroom setting, such as during lunch, recess, or passing time. 
  • Schools must also have plans for sheltering in place during severe weather and securing the building in lockdown situations.

When an Emergency Starts:

• The emergency operations plan will be implemented, and the District/school emergency teams will respond.
• All appropriate emergency response agencies will be dispatched to the school.
• Depending on the situation, students and employees will be secured within the building or relocated to a Reunification Site.
• Families will be informed about the situation in as much detail as possible. The first and official way for us to contact you in an emergency is using our automated phone calling system.  Please only rely on these official communications.
• In an emergency situation, phones are needed to manage the situation, and lines must remain open. Calling could also put students and employees at risk in an intruder situation. For example, if they did not have time to turn down their ring volume, your call could give away their hiding spot.
• You will not be allowed on school grounds during an emergency. Emergency personnel responding to the situation need the area clear to do their job. After emergency responders determine that a safe student release is possible, arrangements will be made to reunite students with their families. This will occur at a reunification site.
• Students cannot take their property (coat, backpack, etc.) in an emergency.

After an Emergency has been controlled:

• You may be directed to a reunification site, where you must show photo identification.
  • Students will only be released to a parent, guardian, or other adult listed as a verified emergency contact, which you designated at the beginning of the school year. This procedure is designed for your student’s protection and for your peace of mind.
  • Please be aware that reunification can be time-consuming, and we appreciate your patience.
• It is important to remain calm as their family’s well-being greatly influences students. At the same time, families need to be compassionate listeners when their student speaks of an emergency. Please seek help from the school, district, or community resources if you/your student have concerns.

Eaton RESA is dedicated to student and school safety. School safety is a critical priority and fundamental value. As part of this commitment, Eaton RESA takes very seriously threats made to a student, staff member, or a school. A safe learning environment allows for the critical mission of teaching, learning, and student achievement.

Please know that the threat assessment protocol is confidential to those involved, and while we will not be able to share specific information, we will share what we can to ensure all students and staff are safe. We will not hesitate to take action, which may include emergency removal of a student and closing of a school if the threat contains specific information.

We look to our students and families to partner with us when they learn of a statement, social media post, or other information that threatens our school community. When district staff learn of a threat, immediate action is taken following the Threat Assessment flowchart.

Eaton RESA works closely with local law enforcement. Local law enforcement will be contacted and a police report will be made. It is highly likely that law enforcement will begin their own investigation of the threat. It is a felony under Michigan Law to make a threat to schools - http://legislature.mi.gov/doc.aspx?mcl-750-235b .

We ask the community of students and parents to work with us to partner in creating a school culture of safety. Jokes of threats, emails, social media posts, statements made in anger, or figures of speech without intent to harm will be revealed through the threat assessment process, but we urge students to think before they make these kinds of threats because they will be taken seriously and fully investigated.

The pathway to violence is a framework describing the stages a person may go through before engaging in targeted violence. It's not a strict checklist, but rather a model that highlights the progression of thought and actions leading to a violent act.

Grievance: This initial stage involves experiencing a significant feeling of injustice, being wronged, or having a strong sense of resentment.

Violent Ideation: In this stage, the individual begins to consider violent actions as a potential solution to the grievance.

Research and Planning: This involves the person seeking information about their target, researching potential methods, and developing a plan for the attack.

Preparation: This stage focuses on gathering the necessary tools, weapons, or resources needed for the attack.

Probing and Breaching: This involves testing the target's reactions, finding vulnerabilities, and making an attempt to enter the situation.

Attack: This is the final stage where the planned violence is carried out. 

Important Considerations

• The pathway to violence is not a linear process. Individuals may skip stages, revisit earlier stages, or diverge from the typical sequence. 
• This framework is a valuable tool for understanding and potentially preventing targeted violence. 
• Recognizing the warning signs and behaviors associated with each stage can help individuals intervene and potentially prevent a violent act, according to the CISA.

Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Resources

• Video "Pathway to Violence"
• Fact Sheet "Pathway to Violence: Warning Signs and What You Can Do"

The following is a non-exhaustive list of situations in which a threat assessment team should consider conducting a full threat assessment:

• When an individual is arrested for weapons possession, assault, menacing or harassment, at school or in the community.
• When an individual brings or has a weapon at school.
• When you receive information that an individual may be planning to attack one or more students or staff members at school.
• When an individual has directly threatened another student or staff member or has a targeted list.
• When a physical attack by an individual did or could have resulted in serious injury to another student or staff member.
• When an individual displays an escalating pattern of aggressive/violent behavior
• When students or staff members report being fearful of a particular individual.
• When an individual displays a high level of anger clearly inappropriate to a given provocation or event.
• When an individual expresses violent ideation in verbal speech or writing
• When an individual justifies the use of their own aggression or violence to solve a problem.
• When an individual exhibits a significant change in behavior, especially following a significant personal loss such as:
  1. Exposed to a physical threat.
  2. Something valued is lost or destroyed (relationships and possessions).
  3. Self-esteem and identity are threatened.
  4. Injustice is experienced (many people are very sensitive to inconsistent application of boundaries and rules).
  5. Frustrated and confused.
  6. Experiencing uncomfortable physical states (e.g.: tiredness, hunger, headaches, withdrawal).