EOP Functionality

Is your Emergency Operation Plan a functional plan? I have written and reviewed many emergency plans over my career and there is a great difference between plans that are operational and those that have checked the necessary accountability boxes. An EOP should be a plan that has been prepared, communicated, practiced, reviewed often for improvement, and contain all the necessary elements to assure an effective outcome. The district and/or campus response teams should meet often to review plans, roles and responsibilities. A response team is not a district safety & security committee. The roles and responsibilities of each are completely different.

A district which only completes the required annex templates does not have a plan that is functional. The district must expand the annexes and appendices to cover all the necessary components to assure preparedness for an event. Basic templates contain recommendations, considerations, and expectations for elements that should be considered as mandatory. Review your plans. Make sure that plan is functional. That is, processes are clear, specific, contain steps to follow, and have been communicated. Always here to help. Be safe and have great weekend.

“So much time and so little to do. Wait a minute. Strike that. Reverse it. Thank you.”

–Willy Wonka