Mary Catherine Harrington

Disaster Science Management 4600

6 May 2015

Grade Schools and Terrorism: Emergency Preparedness Post 9/11

Grade school employees must be prepared for the unexpected in times of political turmoil
and terrorist threats. The hardest crisis to cope with is a fast-developing one, because the degree
of preparedness is very low (Putra 2009). While schools may not be able to prevent a terrorist
threat, through individual and organizational learning, they can increase preparedness and reduce
risks.
Schools are vulnerable to terrorist threats. The likelihood that one or more schools will be
in the purlieu of terrorist advances is demonstrated by the events of September 11, 2001. 9/11
generated a culture-changing response to natural disasters (Lucus-McEwen 2011). The terrorist
attacks did not solely affect schools in New York; it sent shock waves all across the United
States. As a elementary student during 9/11, I can recall having an understanding that because
schools enclose a large number of young people in one vicinity, that made them more vulnerable
to a terrorist attempt. (Petal and Green 2014) agrees that young people tend to be more
vulnerable. By counting the number of students and staff, every weekday there is more than onefifth of the U.S. population in schools (Schools and Terrorism 2013). With schools being such
essential organization in the United States, it is important for them to protect the young people if
and when a terrorist event occurs (Schools and Terrorism 2013).

Organizational learning by school supervisors and staff can reduce risks. If given the
necessary information, training, support, and resources, schools will be better prepared for crisis
responses (Kim 1998). Organizations learn only when individual understandings and skills
become embodied in organizational routines, practices, and beliefs (Kim 1998). Ergo, in order
for a school to reduce organizational risks, individuals should be properly trained in disaster
management protocols.
Individuals play an important role in organizational crisis. Individuals are what make up
an organization, and in times of crisis, employees are tested on their disaster management skills
(Boin 2008). In schools, teachers are the chief employees; therefore, they are responsible for
knowing how to properly respond to disasters. When my school got news of 9/11, the students
looked to the teachers and the principle for answers. I remember one of my teachers had a minor
psychological breakdown at the news of the plane crash. She was obviously terrified by the
circumstances, and seeing a person in charge fall apart in distress initiated panic among the
students. In my case, only one of the teachers (in sight) broke down; however, organizationallevel impact will occur if many employees personally experience trauma or if leaders experience
disillusionment, confusion, or helplessness during a crisis (Boin 2008). Above all, individuals in
charge of grade schools should be trained to handle crisiss in an effective manner so that
organizational crisis does not occur.
Organizational leaders can take steps to better equip the employees to
handle stress in traumatic situations. While a great many of life experiences
can cause stress and stress-related reactions in people,a traumatic event is
both qualitatively and quantitatively different from the reactions that people
commonly experience (Dopel 1991). Because crisis situations are not typical

in most peoples lives, neither are the emotions that come with them. As
previously mentioned, the teachers at my school on 9/11 were not prepared
for the panic that struck the school afterwards. Most of them did not know
how to handle not only our reactions, but theirs as well. Dopel notes: In the
absence of sanctioned, planned meetings and communications, stress
reactions may be exacerbated because the effects of traumatic events
impact not only individual employees and managers but also the
organization as a whole(1991). My school did not have any stress-related
crisis management plans in tact and I witnessed first hand just how wrong
the situation can go without them. Dopel also speaks about a group support
model that is utilized by many in psychological crisis intervention that
contains these three components: the dissemination of information about
the crisis; an opportunity for group members to express their thoughts and
ventilate their feelings; and education about traumatic stress relief (1991). I
strongly believe that every organization, especially schools where the
teachers emotions affect the students, should follow a similar model of
handling the psychological aspect of crisis situations in order to maintain the
organizations short-term and long-term composure.
Grade school employees require tactic knowledge in order to utilize procedures. Much of
the knowledge that underlies the effective performance of an organization is tactic knowledge
exemplified in its members (Nelson and Winter 1982). Tactic knowledge is deeply ingrained in
the human mind and body and can only be acquired through experiences such as observation,
imitation, and practice. Grade school employees are responsible for enacting effective procedures

during a crisis and that cannot be achieved unless they utilize both the procedures and their tactic
knowledge (Kim 1998). Because tactic knowledge is difficult to methodize and communicate,
grade schools should implement methods for employees to exercise and expand their tactic
knowledge.
The need for school emergency preparedness is increasing. While schools may not be
able to prevent a terrorist event, they can plan how to efficiently respond when an emergency
does take place. According to the U.S. Department of Education, every school, public and
private, should have an emergency management plan (Practical Information on Crisis Planning
2007). The resources typically obtainable during a traditional emergency situation are greatly
diminished or non-existent during a response period of a terrorist incident (School Safety in the
21st Century 2003). Furthermore, the responsibility of a school for its students during a terrorist
incident is much greater than during a traditional emergency crisis (School Safety in the 21st
Century 2003). The school serves as a temporary guardian of its students for an extended period
of time. These complex issues could be overwhelming for grade schools that have not developed
proper emergency plans. According to a survey by the National Association of School Resource
Officers (NASRO), fifty-five percent of respondents consider overall school emergency
preparedness inadequate; ninety-five percent of respondents said schools were very or
somewhat vulnerable to terrorism; and other survey results indicate that more thought,
preparation, and subsidy are required at both federal and local level (NASRO 2004). Thus, in
order to reduce risk and be better prepared, all employees require the necessary information,
training, support, and resources pertaining to emergency preparedness (School Safety in the 21st
Century 2003).

References
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