Emergency and Critical Incident Management Planning

Policy

All government schools are required to develop and maintain an Emergency Management Plan (EMP) that complies with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) registration and the department’s emergency management planning requirements.

Additional specific planning requirements for schools considered at risk of bushfire or grassfire (listed on the Bushfire At-Risk Register or the Category 4 list) are detailed in the Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness policy.

Summary

Schools must:

• develop and maintain an up-to-date EMP that outlines their emergency and critical incident planning and management arrangements, using the Online EMP Portal (staff login required)
• follow this policy to comply with legislative and registration requirements for planning for emergencies and critical incidents and take all reasonable steps to safeguard the health and safety of their school community
• fully assess, plan for and mitigate risks, hazards and threats unique to their school site
• ensure the principal reviews and approves the EMP at least once per year (by 1 September) and after any significant incident
• plan for the impact of incidents and emergencies on students, staff and families, and how to communicate with the school community during an emergency, including any relocation or closure arrangements
• inform the school community about relevant emergency management arrangements including response procedures and communication arrangements
• test emergency response procedures by conducting drills at least once every term
• ensure new or visiting staff receive induction and all staff receive regular training (through drills) on the emergency procedures in the EMP.

Details

Emergency Management Plans

Schools must have a current, site-specific Emergency Management Plan (EMP) that meets VRQA requirements. The department’s emergency management planning arrangements have also been developed to align with Australian Standards for Emergency Management Planning in facilities (Australian Standard 3745-2010). Using the department’s EMP Portal to create this plan will ensure compliance with all requirements and standards, provided that the EMP is completed to ensure it is site specific and includes:

• local threats, hazards and corresponding response procedures
• emergency and critical incidents, including:
  • circumstances that post a critical risk to the health, safety or wellbeing of one or more students or staff
  • incidents requiring school closure, lockdown, or reduction of number of students or staff attending
  • death or serious injury of a student or staff member at school or another location authorised by the school.

The EMP Portal contains guidance text to support schools to include this required content.

The plan must outline what do before, during and after an emergency. The EMP is designed to protect the safety and wellbeing of students, staff and others, including during offsite activities such as camps and excursions. For information about planning for excursion and camps, including specific risk assessment and emergency management planning requirements, refer to the Excursions policy.

Emergency management planning must consider the needs of students and staff who may require additional assistance during an emergency.

The EMP must be developed and maintained by an Emergency Planning Committee using the Online EMP Portal (staff login required), refer to the Guidance tab of this policy.

The EMP must be reviewed and approved by the principal at least annually by 1 September of each year and after any significant incident.

A school’s EMP must include:

• a risk assessment undertaken in accordance with the department’s Risk Management – Schools policy. Mandatory risks are specified in the Guidance tab
• planning for termly drills including dates and completion records
• an Emergency Control Organisation (formerly called an Incident Management Team) to lead and manage the response to an emergency or critical incident. The plan must detail the responsibilities of ECO members before, during and after an emergency. Refer to the Guidance tab for additional information on the ECO including roles and responsibilities
• core and specific response procedures to respond to the site-specific risks and that detail required actions, including ECO tasks
• an area map, and evacuation diagrams which conforms with Australian Standard 3745-2010 to support evacuation procedures. Refer to the Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance policy for more details for Essential safety measure information regarding evacuation diagrams
• contacts and communication arrangements
• business continuity planning to ensure the safe continuity of education.

Schools on the Bushfire At-Risk Register and Category 4 List must complete additional planning activities including developing closure and/or relocation plans, refer to the Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness policy for more information.

For detailed guidance on developing and maintaining an EMP, refer to the Guidance tab.

If a school is operating (as the service provider) an out-of-school-hours care (OSHC) or school holiday program, the school will also need to adhere to Emergency management requirements for early childhood services.

Planning for offsite emergencies (camps and excursions)

Schools must also consider emergency risks and warnings and monitor for changes to weather conditions and fire danger ratings when taking students offsite for excursions, overseas trips and camps.

Planning for all offsite activities must be undertaken in accordance with the requirements of the Excursions policy and guidelines.

Schools must use the Student Activity Locator (SAL) (staff login required) to record offsite activities at least five business days prior to the excursion date (and onsite activities outside of normal school hours). In the event of an emergency, the SAL enables swift notification of student locations to first responder agencies.

Mitigation and controls

Schools must implement actions and treatments to manage identified risks at their school, refer to the Risk Management – Schools policy.

A set of templated risk assessments that include mitigation measures and controls for mandatory and recommended risks are available on the EMP portal. Information about emergency management risk assessment requirements is provided in the Guidance tab.

As part of bushfire preparedness activities, all schools must ensure they safely store flammable materials and have a schedule for monitoring and removal of materials that may ignite. Schools must also ensure egress and emergency vehicle access to the site is maintained. Schools should refer to the following policies for guidance on these activities:

• Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance policy
• Chemical Management policy
• Tree and Vegetation Management policy
• Workplace Safety Inspections policy.

Drills

All schools must conduct emergency response exercises, also known as drills, at least once every term.

A drill schedule must be included in the school’s EMP. This scheduling ensures that all core response procedures are regularly practiced.

Schools must document their drill, undertake a post-drill debrief, identify any learnings from the drill and update their emergency plan as required. The department strongly recommends that a drill observer is identified and uses the drill observers and debrief template to complete these tasks.

Drills for schools on the Bushfire At-Risk Register

Schools on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) must conduct evacuation drills in Term 1 and Term 4 (during the high-risk weather season). Bushfire evacuation drills involve students and staff either moving to a nominated on-site ‘shelter-in-place’ or to an off-site evacuation point.

Inform your community

All schools must communicate key information about their emergency preparedness and response arrangements to staff, students, parents/carers and the broader school community. This includes information about the types of emergencies the school plans for, the emergency response procedures used by the school (such as evacuation, lockdown and shelter-in-place) and how the school will communicate with families during an emergency. Communication templates are available in the Resources tab of this policy to support schools with this activity.

Schools must not publicly publish their full emergency management plan (for example on their website) as it contains personal information such as contact numbers. Refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF) for further guidance on informing the school community about the school EMP.

Bushfire At-Risk Register schools must also communicate their bushfire preparedness arrangements including the triggers for enacting relocation and/or closure plans to the school community. Refer to the Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness policy and the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Activating the EMP

In the case of an emergency or incident, all school principals (or their delegates including the Chief Warden) are authorised to enact their EMP.

Schools must receive approval from a delegate of the Minister of Education to temporarily close their school site as a result of an emergency. This power has been delegated to the Secretary, the Deputy Secretary, Schools and Regional Services, and regional directors. Please refer to the Managing and Reporting School incidents (including Emergencies): School evacuation and temporary closures guidance.

Closures or relocations that are undertaken by Bushfire-At-Risk Register schools or Category 4 schools as part of pre-emptive action in Bushfire and Grassfire preparedness policy do not require a separate approval for each activation. Refer to the Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness policy for information on pre-emptive planning requirements and approvals processes.

Following an incident or emergency, consider the potential impact of the event on staff and students and provide wellbeing support where necessary. The Managing trauma guide (PDF) includes recovery tools, practical resources to help schools to act following an event, to minimise trauma for students, staff and the school community. Staff can also access the resources available through the Employee Wellbeing Support Services program.

After-action reviews

Schools may conduct an after-action review for any incident. This activity was previously called a ‘debrief’. The department recommends that an after-action review is undertaken for significant or critical incidents. Refer to the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy for incident review requirements.

The After-action review facilitator guide (DOCX) can be used to plan, conduct and document the review activity. When undertaking an after- action review, schools must document outcomes and lessons identified during the review, and incorporate any required changes into their EMP through the Emergency Planning Committee. It is recommended that after-action reviews are held as soon as practicable after the incident has been resolved.

Definitions

Emergency
As defined in section 3 of the Emergency Management Act 2013 (Vic.), an emergency is:

The actual or imminent occurrence of an event which in any way endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person in Victoria or which destroys or damages, or threatens to destroy or damage, any property in Victoria or endangers or threatens to endanger the environment or an element of the environment in Victoria including, without limiting the generality of the foregoing:

• an earthquake, flood, wind-storm or other natural event
• a fire
• an explosion
• a road accident or any other accident
• a plague or an epidemic or contamination
• a warlike act or act of terrorism, whether directed at Victoria or a part of Victoria or at any other State or Territory of the Commonwealth
• a hi-jack, siege or riot
• a disruption to an essential service.

These events ordinarily require a coordinated whole of school response.

Emergency Control Organisation
The Emergency Control Organisation is the team responsible for implementing emergency response procedures within the school. This was previously called an Incident Management Team (IMT). A school ECO must include a Chief Warden.

Emergency Planning Committee
The Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) is responsible for developing and maintaining the school’s Emergency Management Plan. The EPC must have at least 2 members

Incident
Refer to the Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies) policy for incident types and definitions.

Related policies

• Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness
• Chemical Management
• Crime Prevention in Schools
• Excursions
• Occupational Health, Safety and Wellbeing Management in Schools
• Physical Security
• PROTECT Child Safe Standards
• Reporting and Managing School Incidents (including emergencies)
• Risk Management – Schools
• Supervision of Students
• Workplace Safety Inspections

Related legislation

• Education and Training Reform Act 2006 (Vic)
• Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (Cth)
• Emergency Management Act 1986 (Vic)
• Emergency Management Act 2013 (Vic)
• Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 (Vic)

Contacts

For general queries or feedback about this policy, contact the Security and Emergency Management Division by emailing: emergency.management@education.vic.gov.au.

For support in developing or updating an EMP, refer to the Guidance tab.

To report an incident, refer to Managing and Reporting School Incidents (Including Emergencies).

For incidents assessed as High or Extreme, the principal (or delegate) must call the Incident Support and Operations Centre (ISOC) on 1800 126 126.

Guidance

This guidance contains the following chapters:

• Developing and updating an EMP
• Emergency planning committees
• Emergency control organisation
• Risk assessment
• Core and specific response procedures
• Communication
• Conducting drills
• Planning for international students
• Business continuity
• Planning for recovery
• Joint emergency management planning for shared sites

Developing and updating an EMP

Schools must develop and maintain their Emergency Management Plan (EMP) using the Online EMP Portal (staff login required) and the plan must be reviewed and approved by the principal at least annually by 1 September of each year and after a significant incident.

When developing an EMP, schools need to consider the full emergency management cycle. This helps make sure the school has the information it needs to prepare for, respond to and recover from an emergency.

The 4 stages of the cycle are:

• Mitigate: Reduce or eliminate the impacts of future emergencies or incidents.
• Prepare: Make arrangements ahead of time to be ready for an emergency or incident.
• Respond: Protect physical and psychological health. Prioritise safety in an emergency.
• Recover: Rebuild and support well-being following an emergency.

Guides

For step-by-step instructions on how to develop or update an EMP, refer to the:

• Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF)
• After action review facilitator guide (DOCX)
• Guide to developing your emergency management plan for early childhood services and non-government schools (DOCX)
• Joint emergency management planning for shared sites.

Other supports

Schools seeking further support to develop their EMP, including using the Online EMP Portal (staff login required) may contact their regional Manager, Operations and Emergency Management or Emergency Management Support Officer.

Questions about emergency management arrangements and advice from the department may be directed to emergency.management@education.vic.gov.au

Questions about school business continuity and advice from the department may be directed to business.continuity@education.vic.gov.au

Other useful resources can be found on the Resources tab of this policy.

Emergency planning committees

Schools must establish an Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) to develop and maintain their Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

The EPC must have at least 2 members. This may include members of the school leadership team or the Emergency Control Organisation (ECO).

The EMP must meet at least once a year as part of the EMP review processes. Schools are encouraged to consider opportunities to incorporate EPC meeting requirements into existing meeting groups such as leadership or OHS meetings. Meeting records must be maintained.

The Emergency Planning Committee’s responsibilities include:

• identifying hazards and threats that could affect the school and assessing their level of risk
• developing and maintaining the school’s EMP
• deciding how many evacuation diagrams are needed and where they should be placed in each building, see the evacuation diagram checklist provided on the Resources tab
• making sure the EMP is accessible to the people who need it
• establishing the Emergency Control Organisation (formerly the IMT)
• making sure new staff, visitors and contractors understand the school’s emergency procedures.

The committee is also responsible for planning how the EMP will be put into practice. This includes:

• sharing information about the EMP and its procedures with staff, students and the school community where appropriate
• making sure ECO members understand their roles
• testing the EMP through drills or exercises
• updating the EMP when needed
• reviewing the EMP at least once each year
• keeping records of emergencies, meetings and reviews, including after-action reviews and drill debriefs.

For guidance on completing the Emergency Planning Committee section in the online EMP, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Emergency control organisation

Schools must establish an Emergency Control Organisation (ECO). This was previously called the Incident Management Team. The ECO is responsible for implementing emergency response procedures within the school. The size of a school’s ECO can be scaled according to the school’s size and risk profile.

All schools must have at a minimum a chief warden. The chief warden is responsible for:

• taking initial control of the incident
• assessing the situation and activating the EMP
• directing all ECO personnel
• liaising with emergency services on arrival and providing a briefing
• making critical decisions to ensure safety.

Australian Standard 3745-2010 also recommends the appointment of a:

• communications officer
• floor or area warden(s)
• wardens.

The department also recommends including a:

• first aid officer – to support immediate physical health needs
• recovery officer – to support immediate psychosocial needs.

Templated roles and responsibilities statements have been pre-populated into the Online EMP Portal (staff login required).

For detailed guidance on establishing an Emergency Control Organisation and the ECO member’s roles and responsibilities, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Risk assessment

Schools must complete a risk assessment that clearly identifies the specific threats and hazards relevant to them.

A risk assessment enables schools to:

• identify the school’s unique threats and hazards
• assess and review any risk mitigation measures that are currently in place
• identify any further actions that can be taken to reduce the risk
• delegate roles and responsibilities to manage risks.

Factors such as the local natural and built environments are likely to be a source of risk. Schools also need to consider risks deriving from human behaviour such as arson, hostile intruders and cyber-attacks.

The department recommends schools consult local authorities to better understand their local hazards. Risk information about a range of hazards is available on the VicEmergency Prepare and get ready page or from your local council. Records of any consultations with emergency services about local risks should be recorded in the ‘Distribution and Consultation’ tab in the Online EMP Portal (staff login required).

Schools must include, at a minimum, the hazards applicable to their school as detailed below.

Mandatory – all schools

The following hazards and corresponding response procedures are mandatory for all schools:

• offsite emergencies (such as excursion or RTO activities), including risk of bushfire in the (excursion) activity locations
• building fire
• intruder – for more information refer to the Physical Security policy
• loss of essential services
• heat (extreme) – for more information refer to the Managing Extreme Heat policy
• child abuse – for more information refer to the Child Safe Standards policy
• information security – for more information refer to the Information Security policy
• medical emergency – for more information refer to the First Aid for Students and Staff and Health Care Needs policies
• mental stress – for more information refer to the Self-Harm and Attempted Suicide Response policy
• missing person – school or school camp/excursion
• traumatic death/serious injury
• violence, aggression and/or harassment – for more information refer to the Physical Security policy
• infectious diseases (including flu, COVID-19 and other communicable disease – for more information refer to the Infectious Diseases policy.

Mandatory – for specific schools

The following hazards and corresponding response procedures are required for specific schools:

• bushfire/grassfire – required for BARR and Category 4 schools (refer to the the Bushfire and Grassfire Preparedness policy); recommended for schools that reference bushfire preparedness requirements in their AIMS ESM maintenance schedule (staff login required)
• gas leak or major chemical spill (on-site) – required if at risk of gas leak or if chemical hazards are identified (for more information refer to the Workplace Safety Inspections and Chemical Management policies)
• minor chemical spill (on-site) – required if chemical hazards are identified (for more information refer to the Workplace Safety Inspections and Chemical Management policies)
• bus/vehicle emergencies during off-site activities – if undertaking off-site activities requiring transport
• School Bus Program (SBP) Emergencies – SBP Client Schools – required for client schools using the School Bus Program
• School Bus Program Emergencies – SBP Coordinating Schools and Student Disability Transport Program (SDTP) schools – required for coordinating schools using the School Bus Program or Students with Disabilities Transport Program
• disruption to international student homestay – required for ISP accredited schools (refer to International Student Program (ISP): 6. Supporting students – safety).

Recommended

The following hazards and corresponding response procedures are recommended:

• severe weather event – recommended for all schools
• major external emission/spills – if at risk due to school site location
• smoke – recommended for all schools (for further information refer to the Air Quality – Impact of Smoke on Health policy)
• flood – if at risk due to school site location
• snakes – if at risk due to school site location
• industrial fire/chemical emissions incident – if at risk due to school site location
• mosquito-borne disease – if at risk due to school site location.

For detailed guidance on completing the risk assessment table in the online EMP, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Core and specific response procedures

All school emergency management plans must contain detailed response procedures for:

• on-site evacuation
• off-site evacuation
• shelter-in-place
• lock-down
• lock-out.

These 5 procedures are referred to as the 'core emergency response procedures' and form the foundation for all other, more specific response procedures. Most emergencies or critical incidents can be effectively managed by implementing the appropriate core response procedure. The core response procedures are supported by evacuation diagrams and area maps to assist with egress and evacuation activities.

Schools must also develop specific response procedures to respond to their individual risks. Specific response procedures should clearly identify whether a core response procedure will be used, outline any deviations from standard procedures and specify additional actions required to manage the particular incident type.

For detailed guidance on developing response procedures in the online EMP, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Communication

Communication is essential during emergencies. Schools must have plans in place to communicate within their school and with the school community before, during and after an emergency. Refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF) for further guidance on informing the school community about the school EMP. Communication templates are available in the Resources tab of this policy.

Schools need to consider response communication arrangements in their EMP. This includes:

• communication within the ECO
• activation of different response procedures
• communicating with parents/ guardians and school community
• communicating with other site users or co-located services.

Some schools may have communication equipment or alarms which may need to be considered as part of planning the school’s communication arrangements. Refer to the Buildings and Grounds Maintenance and Compliance policy.

Communication actions must be detailed in the school's response procedures. The school’s communication tree diagram needs to depict these communication arrangements.

Communicating the activation of response procedures

Schools are encouraged to use plain language when communicating the activation of response procedures within the school. This ensures that all staff and visitors can understand what actions are required and immediately act to protect the safety of students, other staff and themselves.

Due to their individual context or being co-located with other facilities, some schools may have specific communication requirements.

The following provides guidance if the school is considering alarms or using colour codes:

• If using alarms to signal different emergencies, it is important that all staff can recognise each alarm, understand what it means, and know what actions they are required to take when the alarm is activated.
• If schools choose to use a ‘colour code’ system, schools must use the colours in Australian Standard 3745-2010 to minimise confusion for staff moving between schools.

For detailed guidance on communication activities in the online EMP, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Conducting drills

All schools must conduct termly emergency drills. Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR) schools must conduct evacuation drills (to shelter-in-place or off-site location) at least once per term during the October to April bushfire season. Drills provide an opportunity to test emergency response procedures and identify any gaps or issues in arrangements so they can be addresses before an emergency occurs.

Drills ensure that:

• staff and students are familiar with emergency response procedures, including how to perform their role
• emergency response procedures, evacuation locations and pathways are practical and workable
• problems that may arise are identified and schools can take steps to mitigate them including staff training.

Schools are strongly encouraged to consider the following when planning an emergency response drill:

• Match the school’s risk profile: Plan drills based on the types of hazards or threats at the school and the risks identified.
• Use a scenario: Create a simple situation to make the drill more realistic, such as a building fire for an evacuation drill.
• Use observers: Have people watch each drill and give feedback. This could include local emergency services, staff, parents, or visitors. If a staff member is observing, make sure someone else covers their role during the drill.
• Work with nearby facilities: If the school shares a site or is next to another facility, run drills together where possible. This helps make sure all plans work well together.

Schools may also consider desktop exercises. Desktop exercises do not replace physical drills however discussion-based activities can be used to consider situations that are hard to run as real drills. For example:

• how to manage an evacuation during bad weather like storms or extreme heat
• what to do if staff and students must stay at an off-site evacuation point for several hours without toilets, water, or shelter
• how to support students with complex needs who may not be able to take part in off-site drills.

The Chief Warden must conduct a debrief following every drill. This debrief should be conducted as soon as possible following the drill to identify any issues. The debrief report (drill observers and debrief template (DOCX) (staff login required)) should be provided to the Emergency Planning Committee to ensure that EMP is updated to address any identified issues.

For detailed guidance on drills in the online EMP, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

International students

Schools accredited to host international students through the International Student Program (ISP) have additional obligations to support the safety of overseas students under their care. Refer to International Students Program.

Schools involved in this program must include international students in their EMP in the following sections.

Facility profile

• School Facility Profile tab: indicate that the school hosts international students in the Additional Profile Information section
• Additional Needs Profile tab: select International students from the drop-down menu under Category, and indicate the number of international students currently enrolled

Contacts

• Emergency Contacts tab: ensure the school’s International Student Coordinator contact details are listed

Risk assessment (level 2 accredited schools only)

• Select 'Disruption to homestay arrangements' from drop down menu under Identified hazards, then review and contextualise risk controls, assessment, rating and treatments to be implemented according to the school’s context

Response procedures

• Core response procedures: review each core procedure and add the following text where appropriate as a step: 'If the incident involves or impacts international students, ensure International Student Coordinator is alerted, as well as the International Education Division if required. Ensure homestay provider, DHA approved relative and parents are contacted as required.'
• Specific Response Procedures (level 2 accredited schools only): if Disruption to homestay arrangements has been selected in Risk Assessment section, confirm that corresponding response procedure appears in this section. Review and update to ensure content aligns with school’s context

Business continuity

Schools must consider business continuity arrangements as part of their emergency management planning.

It is recommended that schools plan for:

• inability to access part or all of the school site
• loss of essential services such as power, water, technology, data and communications
• loss or shortage of staff or critical skills.

Unable to access school buildings/site

Considerations for all schools:

• Pre-arrange alternative accommodation (such as other school) identified, agreed and documented
• Record contacts for alternative locations emergency management plan
• Emergency kit includes hazard and cordon tape and signage

Loss of power

If the school has a generator:

• Generator details and procedures are documented
• Regular maintenance and testing is scheduled and undertaken
• Ensure full fuel supply is available

If the school is on the BARR or Category 4 list:

• Ensure battery lighting/torches are available in SIP in case of a bushfire emergency occurring

Considerations for all schools:

• UPS battery backup is available for servers (short-term use only; time limits recorded)
• Access to generator hire for critical infrastructure identified (such as fridges)
• Identify and plan for the impact on water supply (for example pumps)
• Identify and plan for students requiring powered medical equipment
• Relocate classes to natural light or outdoor areas where appropriate
• Provide portable lighting for essential indoor spaces (such as toilets)

Note: If you receive a notification of an upcoming planned power outage, contact your EMSO immediately as it is sometimes possible to have these moved to school holidays or weekends.

Loss of technology

Considerations for all schools:

• Test and isolate backups from the network so that they are usable
• Update systems with current software, antivirus, and malware protection
• Educate staff and students in cyber security and incident reporting
• Create a backup list of all student and staff contact details in an accessible yet secure location
• Maintain hard copies of curriculum content, scope and sequence
• Consider alternative content options which do not rely on access to computers/ network/internet such as paper-based, flexible lessons plans
• Communicate with IMTD for support

Loss of telephony/internet/communications

For schools with satellite phones/similar device(s):

• Ensure satellite phone(s) operating instructions are readily available
• Ensure charging method and equipment is ready and on hand

Considerations for all schools:

• Ensure school mobile phone is available for emergency use and charged at all times
• Ensure power banks are available for mobiles
• Forward school landline to school mobile phone for duration of outage
• Ensure families know the emergency arrangements and where to find information from the school when communications may be impacted

Loss of water supply

For schools with water tanks:

• Install taps on water tanks so that buckets can be filled
• Consider whether the location of water tanks can provide easy delivery to toilet cisterns as a temporary workaround for toilet flushing

Considerations for all schools:

• Maintain a supply of bottled drinking water onsite at all times
• Encourage students and staff to bring water bottles to school
• Check offsite evacuation area for water supply and bathroom options – make alternative plans if not available onsite
• Ascertain if water disruption is on or offsite
  • If offsite, contact water provider. If the outage is across a wider area, the water supplier may provide a tanker or bottled water.

Note: If you receive a notification of an upcoming planned water outage, contact your EMSO immediately as it is sometimes possible to have these moved to school holidays or weekends.

Shortage of staff/skills

Considerations for all schools:

• Details of temporary staff arrangements and key contacts updated in EMP
• Multi-skilling/cross training of staff to support internal redundancies
• Consider alternate operational arrangements, suspending non-essential activities and/or mutual support with other school(s)
• Maintain awareness of factors that may impact staff attendance, including distance travelled, living in or travelling through a bushfire or flood prone area, arrangements of household fire plans, or if they are a volunteer for CFA/VICSES. Document and ensure contingences are in place at high-risk times

More information

For detailed guidance on business continuity planning in the online EMP, refer to the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Recovery

Recovery is an important part of emergency management. It should be considered during planning, preparation, and response activities.

The Victorian Emergency Management Act 2013, describes recovery as the ‘…assisting of persons and communities affected by emergencies to achieve an effective level of functioning.’

Following a major or significant event, the department will assist schools with detailed recovery planning. The Managing trauma guide (PDF) includes recovery tools, practical resources to help schools to act following an event, to minimise trauma for students, staff and the school community. Schools can also use the Recovery and Resilience Model. Further information on the model is available from health.wellbeing.inclusion.resilience@education.vic.gov.au.

When planning how a school community will recover, focus on activities that build safety, calm, connection, confidence, and hope. These are known as the 5 psychological recovery principles.

Joint emergency management planning for shared sites

When schools share sites with other users, including other education providers and early childhood services, joint emergency management planning is strongly recommended.

This may include:

• identifying shared evacuation locations and assembly areas
• conducting joint drills
• establishing communication arrangements between services
• considering implications and opportunities for business continuity planning.

For detailed guidance on joint emergency management planning on shared sites, refer to Emergency management considerations for schools on shared sites (DOCX) and the Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF).

Resources

Resources are available to assist in the development, implementation and operation of an Emergency Management Plan (EMP).

Information and warnings

All schools must be aware of the following:

• VicEmergency App (note: all principals and key school staff should download the App on their phone with a watch zone around their school to receive alerts and information regarding hazards and incidents in their vicinity)
• VicEmergency website (Incidents and Warnings)
• Vic Emergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
• Total fire bans and ratings (CFA website)

Template documents and checklists

• Area map template (PPTX) – provides a sample layout to assist schools in identifying relevant landmarks and routes to offsite assembly areas
• Communications tree template (PPTX) – provides a sample layout to assist schools in developing their communications tree
• Evacuation diagram template (PPTX) – provides a sample layout and icons to assist schools in developing their evacuation diagrams
• Evacuation diagram checklist (DOCX) – to assist schools in developing their evacuation diagrams in line with relevant standards
• ECO structure (large school) template (PPTX) – provides a sample structure to assist schools in developing their Emergency Control Team diagram for larger schools with sufficient staff to cover all functions
• ECO structure (medium school) template (PPTX) – provides a sample structure to assist schools in developing their Emergency Control Team diagram for medium schools
• ECO structure (small school) template (PPTX) – provides a sample structure to assist schools in developing their Emergency Control Team diagram, tailored to the roles likely to be prioritised by smaller schools

Guides for developing and updating Emergency Management Planning

• Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (DOCX)
• Emergency and critical incident management planning guide for government schools (PDF)
• After action review facilitator guide (DOCX)
• Guide to developing your emergency management plan for early childhood services and non-government schools (DOCX)
• Emergency management considerations for schools on shared sites (DOCX)

Further resources

• Drill observer and debrief record (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Bomb threat checklist (DOCX) (staff login required)
• Letter – inform your school community about your school’s EMP (DOCX) and Short form – inform your school community about your school’s EMP (DOCX) – sample communications to share key messages regarding your plan and procedures with your school community
• Personal emergency evacuation plan (employee) template (DOCX) and Personal emergency evacuation plan (student) template (DOCX) – sample templates outlining tailored response arrangements for staff and students with additional needs
• Managing trauma guide (PDF) – a comprehensive guide for schools and department staff on how to plan for and respond to incidents that may cause trauma. Includes recovery tools, practical resources to help schools to act following an event, to minimise trauma for students, staff and the school community
• Recovery tools excerpt (PDF) (staff login required) – an excerpt from the guide, as a separate downloadable document

e-Learning modules

All school staff can enrol and access a suite of emergency and critical incident management self-directed e-Learning modules any time. The modules provide a short, accessible introduction to the following topics:

• Emergency Management: Business continuity
• Emergency Management: Bushfire At-Risk Register
• Emergency Management: Conducting drills
• Emergency Management: Excursions
• Emergency Management: Planning essentials
• Emergency Management: Recovery after an emergency
• Emergency Management: Responding to and managing critical incidents
• Emergency Management: Response in government schools
• Emergency Management: Risk management
• Emergency Management: School bus transport emergencies
• Managing trauma online modules (staff login required) – 9 modules, based on the Managing trauma guide, covering topics such as how to establish a recovery team, how to triage students in need, what supports are available to schools, communication strategies and tools, and self-care.

Staff can enrol in the eLearning modules through LearnED in eduPay (staff login required) by searching for the keywords ‘Emergency Management’.