Emergency Preparedness Tips for Teachers, Staff, and School Volunteers

The average school day has hundreds of moving parts. Students change classrooms throughout the day, buses come and go, and recess comes with its own chaotic challenges. Most days go exactly as planned (or at least close enough). But not every day will.

Whether it's a student who begins choking in the cafeteria or a security threat on campus, preparation allows school staff to respond quickly and confidently in the event of an emergency.

Everyone has a role in school safety

Emergencies don't always happen in the nurse's office or when an administrator is nearby. They happen where students learn, play, eat, and travel. The closest adult will often be the first to respond.

Therefore, emergency preparedness extends well beyond teachers and school nurses. Support staff, coaches, cafeteria workers, school personnel, custodians, bus drivers, substitutes, and school volunteers should all understand the school's emergency plan and know what to do until first responders arrive.

Different parts of the school day come with different risks and types of emergencies. That means staff should be prepared to respond in a variety of settings, including:

• Playgrounds. Falls, broken bones, heat-related illnesses, and head injuries can happen during recess or physical education.
• Transportation. Bus accidents, physical violence, or severe weather can affect students before they even reach campus or on the way home.
• Field trips. Staff may need to respond without immediate access to school resources, making communication, first aid supplies, and emergency contacts especially important.
• Cafeterias. Choking is one of the most time-sensitive emergencies in a school setting, requiring someone nearby to recognize the signs and act immediately.
• Athletic events and after-school activities. Injuries, sudden cardiac arrest, dehydration, and severe weather can occur outside normal school hours when different staff members may be supervising students.

When every adult understands their role before an emergency situation happens, schools are better prepared to protect students wherever learning takes place.

Start with a comprehensive emergency response plan

Every school should have an emergency response plan that prepares staff for a wide range of situations. While no plan can cover every possible scenario, it should provide clear guidance for responding to medical emergencies, severe weather, fires, transportation incidents, security threats (e.g., active shooter situations), and other potential emergencies.

The first step in developing an emergency response plan is conducting a risk assessment that considers the school's layout, student population, local hazards, and available resources.

At a minimum, every school safety plan should clearly identify:

• Roles and responsibilities for each staff member.
• Emergency communication procedures.
• Evacuation and reunification plans.
• Locations of AEDs, emergency kits, and emergency supplies.
• Procedures for students and staff with disabilities or other specific needs.
• Communication channels for notifying staff, families, and emergency services.

Just as importantly, the plan should be reviewed regularly. New staff members join throughout the year, facilities change, and emergency procedures evolve. Keeping the plan current helps ensure everyone is working from the same playbook when an emergency occurs.

Make CPR, AED, and First Aid readiness a priority

Medical emergencies can happen without warning, and the first few minutes are often the most critical. While emergency responders are on the way, school staff are frequently the ones providing immediate care.

CPR, AED, and First Aid training prepare employees to recognize emergencies, respond appropriately, and provide basic medical care until EMS arrives. In practice, that could mean using an AED on someone experiencing sudden cardiac arrest, treating a severe allergic reaction, or controlling life-threatening bleeding.

Practice emergency protocols through regular drills

Even the best emergency plan isn't effective if people don't know how to put it into action. Regular drills help staff and students become familiar with emergency procedures before they're needed, reducing confusion during a real emergency.

Schools should routinely practice:

• Fire evacuation routes and severe weather protocols.
• CPR and First Aid scenarios, including AED retrieval and EMS activation.
• Lockdowns and shelter-in-place drills.
• Reunification and parent notification procedures.

Drills should never become routine exercises that people simply "check off” a box. After each one, take time to evaluate what worked well and identify opportunities for improvement. This commitment to continuous improvement helps schools strengthen their emergency response over time.

Coordinate with community partners

Preparing for emergencies extends beyond school grounds. Building relationships with local law enforcement, fire departments, EMS, and other community organizations before an emergency occurs improves coordination when every minute counts.

These partnerships can also strengthen training opportunities, support recovery after traumatic events, and connect schools with mental health professionals and other resources when they're needed most.

Working together before a crisis helps schools build stronger communication, clearer expectations, and a more coordinated response.

Build preparedness into everyday school culture

Emergency preparedness shouldn't be something that's discussed only during orientation or annual training. It should become part of the school's culture.

That means reviewing emergency procedures with new employees, refreshing CPR and First Aid skills, checking emergency equipment, restocking first aid supplies, and encouraging staff to ask questions or report safety concerns throughout the year.

When preparedness becomes part of everyday operations, everyone — from school administrators and teachers to support staff and volunteers — is better equipped to respond with confidence. Those ongoing efforts help create a safer learning environment and support the well-being of students, staff, and the entire school community.

Need CPR, AED, and First Aid certification before the new school year?

HSI offers multiple ways to get your team trained. Choose our National Training Solution (NTS) for a turnkey training program, build an in-house program by certifying your own CPR Instructors, or connect with an HSI Training Center near you.