Good Crisis Response Requires Planning and Practice

One component that is essential to good crisis response is not only developing a plan, but practicing that plan. We have long known that an important part of training for emergency response is building muscle memory. In CPR training, participants spend a lot of time practicing the technique. They are building muscle memory long before they ever confront an actual crisis. Similarly, the age-old school fire drills helped not only inform teachers and students, but build muscle memory that could kick in during an actual fire.

For that reason, we always advise our clients to find time to not only plan for a crisis, but to practice that plan. For events that require a physical response, such as a fire or tornado, the traditional periodic drills work well.  

For other problems, such as claims of mistreatment by staff, we recommend tabletop exercises. If you want our checklist that we developed for these exercises, email us and we will send it. 

Have your designated team go through the possible scenarios and plan who will do what. Be sure that everyone knows such details as where to find documents, what emails to send to staff, and what to tell parents when. If disaster strikes, your team will have to do all of these things, and the more they have walked the process, the better they will be able to do their jobs.

An added benefit will be that if your staff can handle the crisis without panicking, the children and parents you serve also will be more calm and responsive. If they feel secure in your leadership, you will be better able to keep them safe as the crisis unfolds.