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Consultant says district emergency operations plan is now 'an example of best practices'
Summary
A school-safety consultant told the Baboquivari Unified School District board the districts updated emergency operations plan, classroom flip charts and improved incident-response coordination bring the district into compliance and set a high standard; he urged FEMA ICS-100 training and routine school safety-team rehearsals.
A safety consultant who audited Baboquivari Unified School Districts campuses on Tuesday told the governing board the districts updated emergency operations plan (EOP) and security systems now meet or exceed common best practices, but he identified three high-priority next steps.
"You are now not only fully compliant, but you are an example of best practices in this area," Paul Novak, founder and CEO of Gauge Precision Consulting, told the board after a multi-site physical-security review. Novak said he reviewed perimeter fencing, door hardware, windows, camera and intercom systems and visitor entry controls at the districts three campus sites.
Novak told trustees he found three high-priority items the district should finish: finalize and distribute a district-level emergency-operations guide and classroom/office quick-reference materials; standardize and train school safety or emergency-response teams (including identifying backups for incident commanders); and ensure personnel with a response role complete the FEMA Incident Command System (ICS) 100.c course. "The 1st 1 is the district emergency operation plan," Novak said, and added that ICS-100c certification is a "onetime requirement" that leadership can complete through FEMA's online course before the second semester.
Superintendent Diaz said the district had already requested Novak's assistance and would roll out a district crisis line, new classroom flip-chart guides and binders for administrators. Diaz told the board families will be asked to keep contact information current so the district's robocall and crisis-notification systems work in a major incident: "In the next couple of weeks, please, we will be not only rolling out this system, but we're gonna be providing parents and families opportunities to come and learn more about it," he said.
Trustees and principals praised the materials and the training Novak led: one principal said the district used small-group in-service work and that about 18 administrators participated in an August training Novak led with the superintendent and board president present. Novak also commended the districts long-serving school resource officer and relationships with tribal and public-safety partners, saying those connections bolster readiness.
The consultant apologized for a technical problem early in his presentation when board members could not see his slides; staff arranged for the district to display the slides while Novak continued his narration.
What's next: board members asked staff to share the EOP materials with the community as they are finalized and to confirm timelines for required FEMA ICS training and after-action reporting following drills.
