Orange County Grand Jury Report Orange County Public Schools: a Great Place to Leartl! Are They Prepared For*

- José L. Banda With respect to reported constraints on emergency planning and preparation, over half of schools and almost three quarters of districts \wedge identified either limited time or funds. BOARD OF The Anaheim City School District agrees with this finding. Reduced funding EDUCATION resulting in fewer personnel and resources creates barriers to moving forward Sandy Blumberg with emergency management planning in a more effective manner. Jeff Cole Dr. José F. Moreno

Susan Preus Six of 17 school districts have managed to apply for and receive relatively James Vanderbilt large grants from governmental agencies to greatly enhance their emergency planning efforts, while others have not. The Anaheim City School District agrees that school districts should seek grant funding. The existing federal grant program will be phasing out in 2012 and other grant programs will need to be identified.

Some schools anticipate responding to only a few emergency situations (e.g., earthquake and fire), while others have developed plans to respond to over a dozen different threatening situations. The Anaheim City School District agrees with this finding. Our school district has developed information for the following emergency situations: Homicide or Attempted Homicide Auto wreck or airplane crash Leslie Angotti Hostage Situation Director, Pupil Services Armed Student Land to the second Land Art Control Intruders on Campus Bomb Threat 1001 S. East Street Kidnapping/Child Stealing/Lost Children Fire or Explosion Anaheim, CA 92805-5749 ^{\sim} Flood or Heavy Rains Lockdown Procedures Phone: 714-517-7500 Fax: 714-517-8538 Gang Fight/Riot/Neighborhood Incident Shooting www.acsd.k12.ca.us Hazardous Material Spill Suicide/Death of Student or Staff

School districts develop plans with respect to a number of different but overlapping regulations and standards, including those required by the county, state, and the federal government. The Anaheim City School District agrees with this finding. School districts have developed school safety plans under the Education Code. School districts are also required to comply with state and federal emergency management standards, Standardized Emergency Management System (SEMS) and National Incident Management System (NIMS). Efforts should be made to make these requirements consistent with each other.

Some schools reported they have not adequately anticipated the needs of students taking prescription medications, or with specialized medical needs, in the event of some emergencies, such as an extended lockdown. -The Anaheim-City-School District agrees that this issue should be addressed. The Anaheim City School District is focusing on how to meet all students' needs during an emergency. Currently procedures are in place to secure all student medications and individualized care plans for special needs students when students are evacuated and during lockdowns.

School districts are in communication with a variety of local and county departments, agencies, and systems to help them prepare for and respond to disasters or emergencies; not all districts access the same resources. The Anaheim City School District agrees that different districts may access different resources. It is our understanding that different districts communicate in a variety of ways with first responders, local agencies, and other agencies to support matters of emergency management.

Few schools have plans or emergency preparation information available in languages other than English. The Anaheim City School District has prepared emergency information in Spanish for our parents and community members.